On our way home

We left Daniel's house at 3:45 a.m. this morning to make our 6:00 a.m. flight to DFW. We landed in Dallas about 11:30 a.m., after losing two hours from Pacific to Central time. We are about half way through our 4 hour layover here in Dallas. We've spent most of the time on Spanish lessons--we're not that good anyway, and 24 days away makes it hard to get back in the swing.

A team of 30 people from three different churches arrives tomorrow so we will be back in full "campaign" mode by Saturday night. School starts on Monday so I'll be working hard on lesson planning this weekend, as well.

Please pray for us in 2012--we want to be faithful servants who give all the glory to God.

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Josiah

Well, I just skipped past the Christmas posting . . . and went straight to Josiah's 1/2 birthday. It's hard to believe that he is 6 months old, but time flies, as you all know. He's such a happy baby--he loves his reflection in the mirror and/or the microwave--he always has a smile for himself!

He's sitting up and seems to be starting the wonderful process of teething! He also loves his big sister; we catch him looking at her and smiling. His favorite book is "Pat the Bunny" which he hears every night before bed.

Sure are loving our time with the kids and grandkids!

Almost Christmas

It's been almost 20 days since I posted . . . . where does the time go? We flew to Kansas City on December 13 and spent a great week with friends and family. We managed to eat at a few of our favorite places, but the company was even better than the food.

On December 20 we flew to California and are now spending day and night with our grandkids! It doesn't get any better than this! Maleia is as busy as ever--she loves playing with her lego people. Josiah is chubby and happy and that's a great combination. He loves to sit up and play with his teething toys.

Jon flew back from Sweden yesterday; we picked him up at 10:30 p.m. He was tired and hungry, but happy to see us.

We're looking forward to a Parris Family Christmas--it's been quite a few years since we were all together.

Long and bumpy road!

Eight of us on the bus made it to Managua in just a little over 12 hours yesterday. The borders were amazingly easy with either no lines or very short lines! However, the roads, especially in Honduras, were terrible with potholes the size of small countries. The bus drove like it was a slalom; the only problem was that the oncoming traffic did the same so the trick was to get back in your own lane when another vehicle came!

There is a team of 28 from Alabama and 6 from North Carolina. Early this morning, 15 translators left El Salvador to join us for the week. Today is a busy day with the morning service at 8:30 followed by baptisms, Kids Club in the afternoon and an evening campaign.

Please pray for a life-changing week for the team and the people of Nicaragua.

Last week of school

We finished "our" last week of school today because we leave for Managua early on Saturday morning. We helped the kids make a pop-up Christmas card for their parents. They loved coloring the nativity scene and decorating the outside of the envelope. I just hope they don't forget to give them to their parents . . . . I won't be surprised if some of the cards are still in their backpacks in January!

Stephen suggested that we make a JibJab dancing elves card and show it to the kids. So, we uploaded a picture of Miss Roxana, the principal; Miss Estefania, first grade, Miss Melanie, second grade, Miss Hilda, third grade and Miss Michelle, fourth grade, onto the website. The animated teacher version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was a big hit! The kids thought it was the most hysterical thing they'd ever seen--I wish I had a recording of them laughing. The teachers got a kick out of it, too.

We made the mistake of telling the second graders that we wouldn't be back until January and got mobbed! They sure know how to give hugs!

I'm so thankful for a day off tomorrow so we can get everything on the to-do list done and then psych ourselves up for the 12-15 hour school bus ride to Managua on Saturday. Paula is back in the states to speak at ALBC on Saturday so I'll be running the inflatable solo unless I can recruit some help on site! Please pray for us and the 30+ team members who will join us for the mini-VBS and evening campaigns next week.

10 Gringo Thanksgiving

Ten gringos joined together to celebrate Thanksgiving at Jeff and Paula's house. The meal was a joint effort! Between Paula Rhoades, Keeley Blackstock, Linda Pinnell and me we served up turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce, pineapple casserole (Linda says this is a traditional Thanksgiving dish in North Carolina), rolls, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. We all enjoyed having Ryan and Keeley's girls with us--Avigail is 8 and Ella is 6. They worked on Thanksgiving crafts and took drink orders! After lunch there was some football and some Wii games.

I got pictures of the food, but, unfortunately, didn't get pictures of the people! Please do not think this is an indication of my priorities! :-)

We were also able to Skype with Daniel, Shannon, Maleia and Josiah. It was good to see all of their smiling faces. We didn't talk with Jon so I am unable to report on the success/failure of his pumpkin pie baking adventure.

Dia de Accion de Gracias

In order to avoid the early morning traffic, we left for school at 6:20. What a surprise--there was hardly any traffic and we arrived a full 50 minutes early! The kids presented the story of Thanksgiving and then sang "His Love Endures Forever" with Michael W. Smith. As you can imagine, phones were snapping photos and the video cameras were rolling. The day ended early with a breakfast for parents. We gave all of our kids a special "turkey treat" before they left for the day at 8:30.

Stephen's Birthday

Jeff, Paula, William and Gilma surprised Stephen by joining us for pupusas at Pollos Real on Saturday night. We came back to the house after dinner and celebrated with a strawberry pie I managed to make while he was out walking on Saturday morning.

Jeff and Paula picked us up for church at 8:30 and made a stop at Starbucks to buy Stephen his birthday Mocha. At the 9 am service at the hotel William surprised Stephen by leading the congregation in a rousing rendition of Feliz, Feliz Cumpleaños! Unlike our traditional and short Happy Birthday song, the Spanish version has 2-3 verses! After church, I had time to make one of his favorite meals--breakfast: bacon, eggs (sunny-side up, of course), biscuits, gravy, orange juice and milk.

We didn't have time for a nap after lunch because we left for Nueva Concepcion at 3:00. It was our 2nd to last Sunday with the church. Somehow the congregation found out it was Stephen's birthday so he was serenaded a second time. Paula and I worked with the kids--they made thank you cards for Topeka Baptist Church where Justin Rhoades is the youth pastor. His church collected money to pay for tables and chairs for the kids classrooms.

16 days

After 9 days in Costa Rica and 6 days in Guatemala we are now back in El Salvador. The trip was awesome . . . . there were more than 500 professions of faith in Costa Rica; over 200 kids joined us for VBS in Guatemala City. Lot's of things to be thankful for this month.

Next week 10 gringos will gather at Jeff and Paula's house for Thanksgiving dinner. I've got to find time to get my shopping done . . . wish I could just run over to Hy-Vee, but it's not that easy!

The Next 17 Days

We fly to Costa Rica tomorrow morning so this will have to be short. We are going a few days early to visit the family we stayed with when we were in language school. It will be great to see them. While we were living with them, I made Snickerdoodle cookies and they all loved them. So, I just finished baking Snickerdoodles to take with us.

The campaign starts on Sunday and we will be joined by a small team from Bakersfield, California, and a small team from North Carolina. Pastor Rodolfo received permission for the team to share at several schools. Although, we have been sharing in the schools in San Salvador and Guatemala City for several years, this is a first for Costa Rica. Please pray that the lesson, testimony and gospel will be well-received and that many students will pray to receive Christ.

At the end of the week, we will fly directly to Guatemala City to help Vida Nueva with Vacation Bible School. Another group from Bakersfield will be helping with VBS and a team from First Bible Baptist Church, Blue Springs, Missouri, will be conducting a soccer camp in the afternoons.

We will catch a ride back to San Salvador on November 19, with the Salvadorans who are coming over to help with VBS.

Song to El Salvador by Melody Whitfield

I had to post this poem by Melody Whitfield from Corinth, Mississippi. As you read the poem, you will be able to tell that she was here with the team when the rains began. I believe this will be a blessing to everyone who has visited El Salvador and an encouragement to "come" for those who have been thinking about a mission trip.


Song to El Salvador
by Melody Whitfield

Jesus,What can I do,what can I say
to give a person hope as their world crumbles away?
Tragedies surround me, A different story for every face-
A glimpse into their world; their desperate for Your grace.
My words can do no justice,images dance inside my mind-
Every need and every cry-causes my heart to ache and grind.
A classroom full of students, who don't believe they'll see 25,
for many of them, at 15, it's a miracle to be alive.
In another classroom, a girl has tears streaming down her cheeks,
Her family is torn apart, hasn't heard from her father in several weeks.
Clouds begin to gather,The sky grows dark and gray-
This is only a reflection, of their life from day to day.
As the showers begin to fall, the beautiful horizon fades-
Because of the unsecure grounds, everyone's at risk of a muddy grave.
This is just a picture,of something much deeper we often ignore-
Sometimes others are drowning because of unexpected storms.
These rains of life are pouring down,with no signs of ease-
Yet while many are suffering,Lord, You're own children contract a cancerous disease.
Jesus,we are called to remember those who fall-
Yet, the worst tragedy sometimes, is we choose to do nothing at all.
So Lord, what can I say or do, in the midst of so much pain?
How can I offer a person hope in the midst of life's unending rain?
Tragedies surround me, as I look in every eye-
A glimpse into their world- causes me to break down and cry.
A mother holds a baby,her cerebral palsy son lies on the floor,
We enter her heavy world,and Christ's love begins to pour....
Though our languages are different,there is so much the same-
Stepping into her world, a new appreciation for Christ's love I did gain.
Not knowing all the while, this was part of God's great plan-
Walking into the lives of those who were in need of His healing hand.
Police with machine guns, children playing, and dealers in the streets-
One of the most dangerous areas were touched by Jesus' feet.
Through the blinds of a window, a girl speaks of her trials,
to 3 complete strangers : her mother's been sick for quite a while.
For this young girl, God took the time-
to send 3 unknowing messengers, to offer her hope through her blind.
Noises, puddles,and God's children on a mission-
lead us to a father and his son who's name was "Christian".
The hardships of their lives have aged them with no mercy-
In the midst of so much rain, God knew a child who was thirsty.
A father tears up as he speaks of his prodigal son-
how his son has refused the love of the Holy One.
Although this father stands near to the son he treasures and holds so dear-
We could sense the distance, yet the father's words were so sincere.
On this dreary day, I would never in a million years have guessed-
how wonderfully this father and his son would be eternally blessed!
On drug dealing streets, submerged in terror and fear-
As the Gospel was shared, so were many tears.
This 27 year old man on a street filled with mire and clay-
Accepted Jesus Christ- The Truth and The Way!
And he prayed to receive Him as his Savior and his Lord-
Heaven, a father and found son, and our rain-soaked group, rejoiced in one accord!
However, not all reports ended quite the same-
to accept Jesus in these parts,is to play a deadly game.
One young man, I heard the report much later, had a challenging choice to make-
To live and go to Hell, or choose Christ, and his life his "dealer" would soon take.
What about two ladies, though they know their lifestyle is wrong, they aren't willing to receive-
All because if they do,the money they're accustomed to, is sure to leave.
An elderly man rejected God's free gift of grace..
Because he said he wasn't prepared;this was very tough to embrace...
I guess it's just hard to understand "Why?"
Lord, It's tough when rejection comes by.....
I can't forget every face that I've seen-
I can't help but wonder about that group of teens...
To know all the devastation that remains-
All the people who have lost everything on account of the rains..
The area You sent us as a result of the storm....
And as a result, Your children who are restored....
The work that's ahead, so fruit will remain....
God, I pray, please protect every grain....
Satan used these rains to discourage.....
You used it to send us to the streets of those who needed to be encouraged...
Lord, the only reason I knew what to do or to say-
Is because You who lives in me is He who gives hope when our world crumbles away...
Tragedies surround us, a different story for every face,
A glimpse in our world is why You came to shed Your grace.
So when clouds begin to gather, the sky grows dark and gray-
Look at Christ's reflection, He has made a way!
As showers begin to fall, and your beautiful horizon slowly fades...
Through His death we have forgiveness; we have hope and life because He rose up from the grave!
Because of something deeper,that Jesus Christ chose not to ignore...
Because of His love that dwells within us, we can help others through their storms!
These rains of life are pouring down,with no signs of ease-
But there will be a day, when Jesus will make them cease!
So until then, Jesus, help us speak grace and help others in the midst of so much pain-
Help us be instruments of hope in the midst of life's unending rain.
Tragedies surround us; Give us courage to look in every face.......
As we glimpse into their world- allow them to see in us, just a glimpse of Your Amazing Grace!

Sunshine, Blessed Sunshine

We have been waking up to beautiful sunshine for the last three days. Oh, what a welcome sight! Things certainly aren't back to normal across the whole country, but it's amazing what a couple of days of sunlight will do to lift your spirits.

Thanks for praying for us and the country. There are still lots of people in shelters and will be until the rivers recede and they can rebuild their homes. With the exception of about 500 schools (300 being used as shelters and approximately 200 damaged by flooding), all levels of students will return on Monday (public, private, elementary, high school and university.)

We have a 4-day evangelistic conference(Alma y Verdad) that kicks off tomorrow morning with Dr. Ron Herrod as the speaker and a concert by the Christian Symphonic Orchestra of El Salvador. Dr. Herrod will also preach Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening. Please be in prayer for "revival" here in our church in San Salvador.

Rain Just Keeps Coming

Yesterday, there was a brief respite from the rain. It wasn't sunny, but it wasn't raining either. However, last night it started again and it continues today. Shelters across El Salvador now house more than 48,000 people. Additional bridges and roads are collapsing and the river flooding is relentless. President Funes was supposed to visit the coast today, but the collapse of a bridge on the route to the coast, cut his visit short. The Ministry of Education suspended classes for tomorrow--we haven't had school since last Wednesday. Most of the public schools are scheduled to complete their school year by mid-November . . . will they have to add days to the end of their school year? Will our private school, New Life Christian School, have to add six days on to the end of our school year next June?

The news is now talking about lost crops and price increases for food, especially corn. Perhaps, as expected, the impact of this disaster will spread beyond the lives, homes and infrastructure that have been affected up to this point. Some humanitarian aid is being received and delivered to people in shelters. Emergency funds have been appropriated for bridge and road repair. Lost wages will make it even more difficult for the people sustain even their lifestyle and price increases for food and other necessities will increase the strain on their finances.

Please pray for God's grace to be poured out upon this country and the other countries in Central America. Pray for the people of El Salvador to return to God. Please pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 along with us: If my people, who are called by my name, will humbled themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Praying for the Rain to Stop

El Salvador has been in a state of national emergency since Friday. We have been slammed with torrential rains from a couple of slow-moving tropical depressions and the remnants of Hurricane Jova which hit Mexico last week. Since last Monday night, it has been raining steadily and often times very heavily throughout much of the country. They said on the news today that Hurricane Mitch dumped 800 millimeters of rain on the country in 1998 (another time of national emergency.) By comparison, since last Monday night, El Salvador has received over 1,200 millimeters of rain. In fact, 7 inches fell in a 12-hour period from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

Obviously, many areas of the country are being seriously affected. Rivers are flooding and are completely destroying entire communities and crops. With so much rain, the mountainous regions are vulnerable to mudslides. At least 32 people have died and over 20,000 people have been evacuated to 200+ shelters throughout the country. Roads and highways have been blocked by landslides and several bridges have been destroyed—most notably, a bridge connecting El Salvador and Guatemala was washed away late last week. El Salvador is not alone in this situation. Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua have also reported deaths and many evacuations.

We live in a safe area, and accept for leaking walls and ceilings, we're making it just fine. During the “national emergency,” schools throughout the country have been cancelled. Tomorrow will be the fourth day we've missed at New Life Christian School. We are staying close to home . . . . we did go to church yesterday and today we ventured out to buy groceries.

We know that God is in control of this situation . . . but, we also know that He wants us to bring our supplications to him in prayer. Please pray for God's mercy on this land, for the rain to stop and for the people who have lost everything, including loved ones. Pray that our church can minister to the hurting and point the lost to our Savior.

Back in the Swing

After two days of rest, laundry and grocery shopping, we're back in the swing of things.  It was back to Beth Moore's "Daniel" Bible study on Friday morning.  On Friday afternoon I met with the principal of New Life Christian School and got my text books and final teaching schedule.  Stephen practiced new music all day Friday and then played the piano at church on Friday night.  Today I met with Ena to set the Hilo, Aguja y Biblia class schedule for the fall.

I also spent a couple of hours entering dates and events in the calender, including all of our fall, winter, spring and summer mission trips, school holidays and grading periods, quilt classes for fall, women's ministry events, and more.  Not surprisingly, it looks like we're going to be really, really busy over the next 6-9 months.

Tomorrow, Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva is having one large service at the hotel.  This is something we try to do every 3-4 months, and it's always exciting to see everyone in the same place at the same time.