A Very Long Week

August 15, 2010,

So, I am finally getting around to writing, but I am pretty much making myself do so. At the beginning of last week I had a bunch of things at my fingertips for writing about, but then tragedy struck and life became too busy to do anything but fulfill my responsibilities at work. When Saturday afternoon came and I was free to go home, I had no desire to do anything but curl up with a good book. Today I deterred from that a bit by taking time to journal and sort things out and to do some baking.

At the start of the week I was excited to see that my times of reading with two of the young girls was also turning out to be an opportunity to help them work through things in their life or better understand who Jesus was. Even though we had just finished a busy week with the mission team, I still had energy. Long evenings of class work and then unexpected bad news on Wednesday began to change my perspective and energy level.

I guess that I had never really considered how working at a children's home would not only mean walking with children through the pain of their past but also walking alongside of them in the new tragedies that came their way. The untimely death of the little sister (who was not living at La Casa de Mi Padre)of a sibling group shook us all up to some extent. In those moments, normal schedules and work hours go out the window. I stayed late several days and then Friday night stayed overnight to be an extra person on hand in case the children needed someone to talk to that night since one of the tias was out sick. Throughout the week I have been challenged to not keep looking at the problem, the pain, the injustice, or the trials but rather to fix my gaze on Jesus who is my refuge and strength. Of course it is much easier to say than to do. Yet if I do not look at Him I will be overwhelmed by the violence here in El Salvador and the pain all around me. He is the only solid rock in the midst of a world that often does not make sense.

Tomorrow, if all goes well, I will have opportunity to share more of Christ as the Solid Rock with one of the older girls. The current plan (which I know could change) is that I will be taking her to climb a volcano with me. A conversation several weeks ago unearthed her fear of climbing mountains and as we talked, it seemed like a climb would actually be a very good thing for her and a way for her to persevere through trial and fears. I am praying that tomorrow will work out (or another day sometime soon)and that it will be a good time of encouragement and challenge. This young lady is at a crossroads, not knowing where to head in life, and I am praying that God will show Himself and His plan to her.