6-13-08

7am
Base, El Salvador

Yesterday was amazing. We got up, prayed, ate, changed, and did a surprise activity. We all met and waited for Liz, who’s always late, and got divided into two teams. We had to make our way through a small, dark, smelly, suffocating pipe (that used to be a sewer drain) as a team. We had to start together and end together either crawling or scooting on our butts and only the leader was allowed to have a flashlight. It was a really helpful exercise though, because it really taught us the importance of communication.
Then we ate and had drama practice where we learned even more dramas. After eating once again, we were told we were going to do another team building activity. We separated and had a moment of prayer. I finally had my voice back, a little, so I started singing for the first time in like three days. I started singing Rescue.
We stopped and gathered for instructions, and someone started playing Rescue in the training room. I was so excited. God is awesome. The first song I sing when I get my voice back randomly starts playing. God gave me a blessing just to show me how cool he is.
Then the activity began. It was already dark and cold. We were not allowed to speak and were blindfolded. They put our hands on a team member’s shoulders and someone else’s hands on our shoulders in a blind line. It was silent. They told us never to let go unless instructed to. The leaders began to walk the line around the territory over tough terrain and hills and everything and then we stopped.
They took us one by one through a playground in the silence. When I got to the bottom of the slide, a leader took my hand and said, “Though you stumble you do not fall, the Lord takes your hand.” She put me back into the line and I heard music playing in the background. It was the song “breath” and all I could hear was, “I’m lost without you.”
We began to walk again and came to a stop somewhere else. As I was waiting in the silence God revealed something to me that kind of shocked me but blessed me. I’m not going to write it down because it’s between me and God and I’m not to sure what he meant by it. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to handle that blessing, I began to cry. The person in front of me put their hand on mine and patted my hand as it rest on their shoulder. It was comforting. It helped me realize how much of a family we really need to be during this trip.
I heard people praying and crying out from the prayer tower. I heard a lady cry out, “Nicaragua! Nicaragua!” I began to cry once more, but this time in desperation for a revival within the nation.
They lead us through one more thing. They lead us up a steep slope and to and edge. They told me to jump. I was expecting a much shorter fall but I guess it’s that way with life, you have to be willing to trust Jesus no matter how far the jump.



10:30 am
Base, El Salvador

Today is different. We’re fasting together and instead of dramas and dances were being taught about the Holy Spirit all day. We’re having a break right now. During our first session, Don read Acts 1:4, 1:8, 1:15, 2:13, 2:17, 2:38-39, 2:43, 10:38, John 3:3-8, 1:32-33, 2 Timothy 1:7, Ephesians 3:16l and 1 Corinthians 2:4-5. It was really good for us all to get into the word as a team. I’ve just realized that I haven’t written everyone’s names yet:
Julia, Daniel, Erin, Natalie, Kristen, Megan, Joe, John, Johnathin, Emmett, Dalton, Elizabeth, Krystal, Lacy, and Carlos and his family. Liz Triplett is our main leader. We’re also working with Liz’s parents Don and Terri, who are the people who started Castillo Del Rey. I also get the privilege to work with their other two daughters and some of their grandchildren in the near future.