El Salvador
So back in January...I think...I asked daddy if they need/wanted another adult to go on the Agape mission trip to El Salvador this year. Since there were 14 teens going and only 2 adults. Well nothing came about with it...so I figured that it wasn't going to happen. On March 26th daddy asked me if I was still interested in going along with their group to El Salvador. I said of course! I got the final ok from everyone on April 1st and on April 5th I left Costa Rica to join the team in El Salvador. I have to say it's a lot easier and faster flying from one Latin American country to another. Kinda crazy though. going there I flew with Copa Airlines and their main hub is in Panama city so we had to fly there first and then take another plane to San Salvador. Talk about back tracking. But the best part of those flights were the fact that I got "business" class. It was really first class. I didn't know what to do with myself and of course I had to rub that in to daddy too. 😊 Yeah he wasn't to happy with me. hehehe But what are daughters for?!?!?!
God definitely had his hand in my travels. I thought when I got the the airport that I wasn't going to be able to make it through the check in line in time because it was so long. But I was able to check in online and make the through security with time to spare with my flight. Then in El Salvador I only had 2 people in front of me in the customs line and then I was able to meet up with daddy and the rest of the team. The really amazing thing that totally shocked me was the fact that my bag was I think the 5th bag on the baggage carousel. That has never happened to me before! So that means I was able to get through the last part of customs with no one in front of me. And I got a green light! I had forgotten that some countries use green light red lights for the customs. That doesn't happen in Costa Rica.
Next came the part of learning everyone's names. So before going on this trip I knew I knew 2 people pretty well...Daddy and Mrs. Gifford...and knew 2 other people in passing. So yeah I had some learning of names to do considering that there were 16 people in the group (17 counting me). And then on top of that there were the people at the children's home to learn too. But I do believe I got it down by the end of my time with them. Even managed to make some new friends. At least I think I did. 😀
It was fun interacting with everyone both the Agape group and the kids from the home. I've told them that they have given me hope for the future. It's so easy to see the troubles of the world and what is going on with all the young folks in the world and become depressed and worried about what is going to happen in the future. But this group of young people showed me that there is hope. That there are still kids who care about Christ and want to serve Him. It makes me smile even now thinking about it. And it has given me even more people to pray for. One thing I found really neat was the youth from Agape lead Bible studies for the kids at Love and Hope. They were split into girls and boys and each of the Agape team was responsible/helped lead the study. I can't help but look back at me at their age and realize that I would not have wanted to do that. But yet here they are...leading these groups and participating in them. Like I said...Hope for the future.
Lets see...what else...what we actually did. Most of our time was spend at Love and Hope interacting with the youth from there. A lot of soccer playing happened...and tag...and talking...and helping with homework (or at least we tried to help). We also did a couple of activities outside of the home. We were able to go to a local park with the kids and again guess what we played...soccer...well I should say guess what they played. 😊 I don't do those types of things. Well not every good anyways. We also were able to go out to pizza hut the last night with the kids. It was fun seeing all of the friendships that were started or were continuing to grow.
God taught me a lot over that short week. How to lean on Him and trust Him. I don't do well in new situations and out of my comfort zone. And here comes this trip that totally got me out of my comfort zone. Not only was I going to a new place I was going with a lot of people I didn't know and I always have a hard time getting to know new people. But God is good!!! He knows just what you need to keep going and rely on him.
One of the biggest things that came from this trip was that it brought back to me my love for kids. I have been having a lot of thoughts running through my brain trying to figure out what I am going to do next. Where am I going to do in the future. (I really did fit in with this group of juniors and seniors even though I am 10 yrs older than them. I am asking the same questions they are) I've always thought I was going to do something with nursing in the mission field. But working at Love and Hope made me realize how much I love working with kids. Sue asked a question the last night in the group Bible study that made this realization come to light. The question was "what is something that has changed for you since you've been here?" Well that got my brain thinking...what if just doing nursing isn't what I am to do? What if I'm supposed to be doing something with kids, like a group home like Love and Home. Lets just say I have some thinking and praying to do.
God definitely had his hand in my travels. I thought when I got the the airport that I wasn't going to be able to make it through the check in line in time because it was so long. But I was able to check in online and make the through security with time to spare with my flight. Then in El Salvador I only had 2 people in front of me in the customs line and then I was able to meet up with daddy and the rest of the team. The really amazing thing that totally shocked me was the fact that my bag was I think the 5th bag on the baggage carousel. That has never happened to me before! So that means I was able to get through the last part of customs with no one in front of me. And I got a green light! I had forgotten that some countries use green light red lights for the customs. That doesn't happen in Costa Rica.
Next came the part of learning everyone's names. So before going on this trip I knew I knew 2 people pretty well...Daddy and Mrs. Gifford...and knew 2 other people in passing. So yeah I had some learning of names to do considering that there were 16 people in the group (17 counting me). And then on top of that there were the people at the children's home to learn too. But I do believe I got it down by the end of my time with them. Even managed to make some new friends. At least I think I did. 😀
It was fun interacting with everyone both the Agape group and the kids from the home. I've told them that they have given me hope for the future. It's so easy to see the troubles of the world and what is going on with all the young folks in the world and become depressed and worried about what is going to happen in the future. But this group of young people showed me that there is hope. That there are still kids who care about Christ and want to serve Him. It makes me smile even now thinking about it. And it has given me even more people to pray for. One thing I found really neat was the youth from Agape lead Bible studies for the kids at Love and Hope. They were split into girls and boys and each of the Agape team was responsible/helped lead the study. I can't help but look back at me at their age and realize that I would not have wanted to do that. But yet here they are...leading these groups and participating in them. Like I said...Hope for the future.
Lets see...what else...what we actually did. Most of our time was spend at Love and Hope interacting with the youth from there. A lot of soccer playing happened...and tag...and talking...and helping with homework (or at least we tried to help). We also did a couple of activities outside of the home. We were able to go to a local park with the kids and again guess what we played...soccer...well I should say guess what they played. 😊 I don't do those types of things. Well not every good anyways. We also were able to go out to pizza hut the last night with the kids. It was fun seeing all of the friendships that were started or were continuing to grow.
Linda and me (my new friend) 😊
God taught me a lot over that short week. How to lean on Him and trust Him. I don't do well in new situations and out of my comfort zone. And here comes this trip that totally got me out of my comfort zone. Not only was I going to a new place I was going with a lot of people I didn't know and I always have a hard time getting to know new people. But God is good!!! He knows just what you need to keep going and rely on him.
One of the biggest things that came from this trip was that it brought back to me my love for kids. I have been having a lot of thoughts running through my brain trying to figure out what I am going to do next. Where am I going to do in the future. (I really did fit in with this group of juniors and seniors even though I am 10 yrs older than them. I am asking the same questions they are) I've always thought I was going to do something with nursing in the mission field. But working at Love and Hope made me realize how much I love working with kids. Sue asked a question the last night in the group Bible study that made this realization come to light. The question was "what is something that has changed for you since you've been here?" Well that got my brain thinking...what if just doing nursing isn't what I am to do? What if I'm supposed to be doing something with kids, like a group home like Love and Home. Lets just say I have some thinking and praying to do.
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