One word. Amazing.

     Last week was really fun but I am so excited to finally get started!  Last week we did many things!  We learned how to get around on the buses I actually enjoy riding the buses.  I feel like I have already lived here for a long time and have known my “family” for forever! I still absolutely love it here! Sunday, Roberto preached at La Iglesia! Roberto is one of the members of the church and we also went to his house last week to watch a soccer game! It’s crazy the past two Sundays both sermons I feel like have been directed to our group! That was definitely from God.  When we got home the guys, Holly, Leah, and I went to go play soccer!  After we were there for a while it started down pouring!! We kept on playing which made it even more fun!   Yesterday was our first day of bible class with Pastor Gabriel, I really enjoyed it and I have already learned so much from him.      

 

       Today was AMAZING!  I love Metamorphosis so much already and the men there!  For those of you who don’t know Metamorphosis is men’s prison ministry where they make shoes.  It’s a way to get them on their feet for the real world, and some men who aren’t in prison come back too!  We met Rene today, he is the man in charge there! He walked us around and explained what they were doing.  Then, we all went into a room for their birthday celebrations for some of the men who had birthdays in the month of August.  We sang in English and they sang in Spanish it was really cool.  Then we had cake, which was sooo good by the way!  After we all finished eating we stood up and the men sang Revelation Song in Spanish.  Now you want to talk about some worship?  They worshiped God fully and sang from their hearts.  We sang in English after the song ended and then Spanish again.  We sang another song too!  It was just absolutely AMAZING!  We also introduced ourselves and the men did too.  We ate lunch and then started working with the men!  Abigail, Parker, Holly, Cameron, and I helped make bows for shoes with a man.  I don’t remember his name because I couldn’t understand him when he told us.  But, we should see him next week so hopefully I’ll be able to remember him and understand how to say it!  He was an extremely nice man, funny, and definitely patient with us learning.  Making the bows we stuck our fingers into glue that was in a gerber baby food jar.  We messed up two on accident but Abigail and I got to keep one! :)  Tomorrow is our first day of Spanish class!!! I am so excited for it! I can’t wait to actually start understanding what everyone is saying! 

I already LOVE this place!!!

We arrived here in El Salvador yesterday! Everything went smoothly through the airport.  I absolutely love our house!!  My roommates are Michayla and Lane!  I finally finished setting up my corner of the room and put my pictures up of friends and family around my bed. :)  Orientation was great as well, it was a great way to get to know our team.  Wednesday afternoon we went camping in the woods.  It was definitely a good time to get to know our team!  I love all of them so much!  While we were camping we went over Radical and our devotional.  I’m so happy that we were given the book Radical to read. It was completely eye opening to me and made me realize what my life must look like!  Thursday, we signed the Radical commitment, that is a one year experiment, and it has 5 challenges.  The first one is read through the entire Word, pray for the entire world, sacrifice my money for a specific purpose, spend time in a different context, and commit my life to a multiplying community.  So, I am planning on completing this commitment this year!

This morning we went to La Iglesia for church!  The music was awesome as well as Mario's sermon.  There was a person translating for Mario this morning in English, however I've heard this could be the only Sunday he is translating.  But hey, that will definitely help us with our Spanish!  Last night a few people came from the church so it was great seeing them and talking with them again!  After church we went to Pizza Hut and few people from the church came too!  They are such sweet people, everyone here is so sweet. La Iglesia is the church we will be working with this year. It's a fairly new church that was planted not that long ago.  And I think that we will be helping alot with the youth and reaching the community!  I am so excited to get started! :)  And later after Pizza Hut the guys, Holly and I went to play soccer a few blocks down from our house.  It was really fun!  The Salvadorans definitely schooled us at soccer!  On the way home from the field we stopped and Andrew bought us bags of water. It was good, and yes mom it was fine to drink. ;)  And then we walked to a mango stand and Andrew bought some bags of mangos.  They put alot of spices and other stuff in it, wasn't my favorite.  Also, just the regular mangos had salt on them, also not my favorite.  Glad I tried it though.  So we are going to try and find a fresh fruit stand. :)  This week is pretty much orientation week in El Salvador!

-Grace :)

Getting ready!

 I’m starting a blog that I am going to attempt to keep while I am in El Salvador!  I’m really not sure how much I’ll update it but hopefully I will often!  First, I want to thank everyone who has prayed for me and supported me!  It means so much!!  For those who don’t know, I am going with a team to El Salvador through Global Year for 9 months!  We are about 4 days away from orientation in Atlanta and about 8 days until we fly to El Salvador!  I’m completely stoked about being with our team and heading to El Salvador!  Yet, I am extremely nervous about the goodbyes… I mean the “see ya laters”.  But, I know that God will get us through it! :)  It is finally starting to hit me that I am leaving my family and friends in 4 days! I need to finish packing! Last night was my last night at youth at my church.  And it was also my first Wednesday night with David (new youth pastor) being our youth pastor, it was awesome!  I am SO excited to see what God is going to do through David and his wife Stephanie in our youth group!  I have a feeling it’s going to be amazing!!  :)

-Grace :)

“Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed for I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told”  Habakkuk 1:5

 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”   Hebrews 11:1