(From the SMART team director, Friday 6/5/2009)
It is difficult to believe that we met your young person four weeks ago this coming Sunday. The time has flown by. Guyana was a whirlwind of ministry activity daily and was hugely successful for each team member because of English being the language. Mind you, it was with a very strong accent and one had to listen VERY carefully to understand what they were saying, especially when they spoke quickly with one another. Daily there were ministry opportunities and the involvement was tremendous for every team member. We praise the Lord for the Shrivnauths, their children, their church family, and the Guyanese people as a whole. They had been praying for the SMART team by name way before we even got there and that was very evident by how warmly the team was greated. They already knew them ... all that was lacking was to put the names with faces.
Here in El Salvador, it has been very different. Almost all activity has been with physical work projects, which has been very good for the team to see and be involved in. The guys have been building two large storage cabinets for the church on wheels, and a large cubbie for the Nursery. Faith and Bethany completed the nursery paintings on the walls and we want to tell you that it is fantastic. The Charters' oldest son is only 10 years old and very artistic. He had done an enormous amount on it all. But it needed finished ... the zebras were without strips, the ark was without boards, and some of the other animals needed a little touch here and there. The crowning glory was the rainbow by Faith and the cloud by Bethany. They both signed their work and it is just great. Faith also did a stripe around two of the class rooms and the other girls touched up everywhere the tape pulled off paint from the wall. The church windows ... many of them ... have been cleaned, rooms and chairs scrubbed and cleaned and everything is ready for Summer Bible Olympics tomorrow morning bright and early. PLEASE BE MUCH IN PRAYER FOR THIS OUTREACH. Possibly 300 to 400 kids from Kindergarten through Grade Six will attend. It will be from 9 to 12 here ... from 11 to 2 EST in the States.
Now ... for this week! Saturday, 5/30, was soul-winning in the market place and that was incredible. Passing out tracts, it is a joy for the team to experience people coming to them to get a tract. Sunday, 5/31, two of the girls went in the Nursery with a screaming little boy for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Joy! But the others were so precious all asking for MaMa and speaking in Spanish. Two of the girls went into the Sunday School Class. Then for Children's church, they traded positions. The gals all sang in church and Ted played the offeratory. Ted and Kevin were in the teen class in Sunday School, as well. Sunday night, I believe, Cassy shared her testimony in Spanish. Did a great job!
Monday, 6/1, was another work day and three of us completed all the many windows and screens in the Charters' house ... a 4 day job in all. A blessing to be able to serve them in that way. The others worked at the church and then we went over to help them in the clean up.
Tuesday, 6/2, was a sightseeing venture to Santa Ana. Took a boat across the lake that is in a volcano and it was a most enjoyable day. Ate at a Salvadorian restaurant which the team was really wanting. The Charters tend to eat mostly American food because it is readily available here. But ... the team was thrilled to get that Salvadorian chow!
Wednesday, 6/3, took us to San Salvador ... the capital. We went up over the mountain, ate at another Salvadorian restaurant, did our souvenir and curio shopping and ended up at Pizza Hut ... no it is not like America, as the team found out quickly. Then came the torrential rains.
Thursday, 6/4, was completing cleaning the church and last projects before Prayer Meeting that night. We took the little Moto taxis to church ... we all LOVE them ... little three wheeled motor cars and only $1 for three people. Bethany shared her testimony in Spanish, as well.
Friday, 6/5 ... today ... we had our planning meeting for SBO tomorrow and everything is ready. Last minute ... yes ... definitely not us or the team ... but evidently Salvadorian time thinking. We're rarin' to go and will be doing it incorporating our Spanish along with the national workers from their church. It will be fun and interesting. Kevin will be the main ring master ... calling all the games and heading it all up! Yes ... he can do it and I believe they can hear him without a microphone ... just with his lungs and whistle ...
Today we also passed out fliers for SBO at three schools as they dismissed. We'll do so again this afternoon.
Sunday, 6/7, will be church and everyone will be involved in the opposite of whatever ministries they were in the week before. Packing will be Saturday, 6/6, afternoon and Sunday afternoon. A dinner in another Salvadorian restaurant which will be a final treat.
We leave early on Monday, 6/8, morning for the capital. It will be a long trip ... almost 3 hours. We are way up on the northwest corner in Metapan. San Salvador is down south almost at the ocean.
Pray for safety, for us to get there on time and for check in with luggage to go well without fines.
We MUST tell you that the Lord KNEW we would need the money that He spared us from all the miracles from your prayers on May 25th. Here in San Salvador, there have been several expenses that we had not budgeted nor known about ... double utilities because of staying in two locations, two van rentals that were not planned, etc. But ... the Lord knew all that ahead of time and provided through the baggage answers to prayer.
Your students are doing well. New challenges here in El Salvador to be sure, but it has been good for them. Reality.
Pray for our travels on Monday, 6/8. They will not be phoning you until Tuesday, 6/9, at the earliest. We will still be having debriefing on Tuesday morning at the hotel in Atlanta.
It's been a great month with each of your young people. Words cannot express our gratitude for your support of them and for all your prayers for the team! They have made all the difference in the world!
We have seen the team as they really are and they have seen us as we really are ... and they are just like siblings at this stage of the trip. They get on well together and nit-pic with teasing, etc. Great group!
Finding Where We Fit In Missions
6/5/09 by Rebecca Pritchett