A few reflections...

We made it back to Villarreal last night about 7:30, picked up Daisy, who we had kenneled, and a few groceries and got home about 8:00 PM. It was a long day, but good and fairly uneventful :) for traveleing through three countries!

In reality I am still processing all God showed me and the way he spoke to me through the speakers at the conference. I hope to share more soon as I am able to put into words what I learned.

Tonight, I've decided a few snippet refelctions would be the best way to share the many things we saw and some of the ways God touched my heart during the five days...

Prayers unite our family as we begin our journey...the sweet picture of three little heads bowed as they pray to their Kin; come together in agreement with their daddy, asking for safety as we travel.

Rolling green land, large leaning trees, herds of cattle and little white birds all around them as we drive through the Guanacaste country side.

A sea of darker skinned, weathered faces fill the windows of the car as we pull into Penas Blancas- the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border town. Shouts of "Cordobas? Colones? Cambia! Cambia!" fill our ears.

Praise for my God fills my heart as we receive our 'salida' or exit stamps on the Costa Rica side without even waiting in line. And then again as we found 'Gato,' the man who we needed to find to help us through the process of getting the car through. As we pulled into the parking spot, there he was...thank you Jesus...

The sea of weathered brown faces plastered against the window as Matt collected the papers he needed before getting out of the car...and then, suddenly, Pastor Phil's face was there as as well :) All of us arriving at the border at the same time...

God was with us, despite the minor irritation we encountered outside of Rivas...God went before us and was with with us...keeping us on His path and guiding us every step of the way.

Driving through the countryside of Nicaragua...vast stretches of land dotted with small tin or slat wood one-room houses barely bigger than most bedrooms...this is the way of life for the Nicaraguan people.

Miles and miles of the Pan-American highway cut through land mostly untouched some 20 years ago...no room for error when driving as people casually sit on the side of the road, waiting for their ride, little children walking to and from school, babies leading babies...bicyclists dangerously journeying in the path of large 18-wheelers, speeding cars and the wandering traveler.

Managua, Nicaragua- the capital city of Nicaragua...dirty, old, run-down...shells of buildings remain as the reminder of the devastation left by a major earthquake decades ago.

Buildings left to deteriorate as new country leaders frivolously decide they want something new and different. Huge elaborate buildings tell the story of poor communication between countries, plans made and then changed...now abandoned piles of rubble.

Tent city in the heart of the city tells the story of workers unfairly treated standing up for their rights...protesting for over a year still waiting for change...literally living in tents made of plastic tarp; waiting, hoping for change...

Girl- maybe 12 years old- holding droopy-eyed baby wearing 'diaper' made from a t-shirt folded around his bottom and held together with a safety pin...begging in the middle of the main highway...big, brown eyes tell a story I'm sure she'd rather forget...

Kids, men, 12 ounce bottles with squirt tops holding household cleaner, window scrapers...rush to your window the second you stop at the traffic light, hoping to make a few bucks by cleaning your windshield...they clean it even if you say no...desperate...

Yearly average wage in Nicaragua...about $1000 - $1200 (yes, I said yearly!)

Flight from Managua, Nicaragua to San Salvador, El Salvador...about 45 minutes...start to finish :)
Audrey: "That is the fastest airplane ride I've ever had!"

God is working throughout Nicaragua- met and heard from many missionaries and pastors in different areas of the country...

Sweet time with old friends, although cut too short due to our travel time...

San Salvador, El Salvador - large, densly populated, dilapidated house upon dilapidated house...over 2,000,000 people live in the city...48% of the country's population live in the city...

El Salvador uses the US dollar...the government made the switch from the colon to the dollar in 2001; wages remained the same but the price of most things literally doubled due to the value of the dollar...

The country has a small upper class 'the rich' and a very large lower class 'the poor' and seemingly no real middle class. The city has several malls, great infrastructure, high class hotels...but it seems this life is enjoyed by only a select few.

Cab driver who earns about $6 from a $30 fare...has two kids and a wife at home; home is a two bedroom home in one of the marginal areas of the city where he pays $50 a month rent...

The city has German schools, French schools and North American schools...all filled with children whose paretns are either very rich or who work primarily to send their children to that school...

God is doing a work in San Salvador...as we had the opportunity to see not only His work in San Martin but also what He is doing in the heart of the city...and in the outskirts of the country in a little place called Gotera...Thank You Father for Your work in this country...

San Salvador - capital city- quickly becoming gang-controlled; rampant crime; miles of buses on strike due to recent gangs reatliating against government laws against gangs...vicious cycle between government and gangs...resulting in innocent lives being taken...a city LOST in desperated NEED of a SAVIOR- the answer is JESUS- Thanks YOU JESUS for those who are bringing your name to this lost nation...

Solid teaching, soaking up Your Word, Father in two jam packed days, devouring what you were saying to me...

New friends...seeing Potter's Field Kid's San Martin, meeting the boys in the orphanage, meeting Pastor Carlos, seeing Steve again and meeting Michelle...lunch and so much encouragement from them both...no words yet for all I saw and heard...

Old friends...reunited...pizza...love and fellowship.

Our kid's making new friends and God allowing for both Matt and I to soak up His word.

One blessed day spent with precious friends from language school...seeing how much their sweet girls have grown; the blessing of instantly falling back into step as if two years hadn't passed since being together last...seeing them minister to other precious friends...God's family is so beautiful, His ways are so perfect...

MultiPlaza, San Salvador- Victor, Isabelle, Audrey...mini-train ride, together in the spinning teacup...Victor and Audrey in the taxi...Victor pushing the girls around the lobby of the Sheraton on the luggage cart...unforgettable! Don Santiago and his sense of humor...Pastor Phil being able to be fed...Bendito sea Dios!

more to come later...