El Salvador Blog

---

Here is a highlight video of our week in El Salvador

    Wow...Friday is already upon us.  This past week has been an amazing adventure.  Today started early just like every other day; and we had another huge turnout for VBS with over 400 students attending.    We celebrated our final day with the students here by have a El Salvadorian party complete with pinatas and candy.  And after our celebration with the students we headed to the top of the mountain in San Salvador for a final meal with our entire team, translators, cooks, and Pastor Javier and Carla. 

    This week I was able to witness our students take charge and make enormous strides in leadership.  Watching their interaction with children, college students, and adults was simply a blessing.  Our entire team allowed God to take charge and lead this week; it was hard but none of us would change anything.  God broke our hearts for the people of El Salvador; but more importantly I believe God is begining to completely break our hearts for the people of Austin.  We have spent alot of time talking about how God doesn't change, His heart doesn't change, His desire for our lives doesn't change.  God's heart breaks for those in El Salvador just as it does for our neighbors in Austin.  So as we get on the plane bright and early tomorrow morning I will be sitting in my seat with great anticipation; looking forward to how these students change our student ministry, how they change our church, how they will become our new leaders, and how God will break our hearts for those in Austin. 

    Thanks to everyone who supported us with your prayers and money; you made it possible for us to be in the center of God's Will and there is no other place any of us would have wanted to be. 

 

An amazing day in El Salvador for the Riverbend team, the wonderful people of Pastor Javier's church, and the surrounding community . . . and a "Feliz Cumpleanos" for our fearless leader.  More VBS participants (special, open, seeking, beautiful, children) today than yesterday interacting with fully engaged student leaders.  Jesus is empowering us to serve as language barriers continue fall under the gentle pressures of hugs and handshakes.  The people of the church made this birthday a special one for Kip with a pinata, special recognition from Pastor Javier during the evening worship service, a perfectly timed phone call from Pearl & the kids, and a huge/delicious cake shared with the community.  Thunderstorms cooled the evening and provided a measure of cover for the flowing tears as we begin realize that we do in fact have to leave these beautiful people with the staggering needs of their community . . . for now. 

So today was one of those experiences where God taps you on the shoulder and reminds you what is really important in life.  With well over 400 children in attendance today for our VBS, God showed up and caught our hearts in the lives of some of the most beautifu little kids on the planet. 
It was an intense day of good, rich ministry where our team once again worked and served hard!  We had a good dinner of El Salvadorian Tacos followed by a very competitve game of basketball under the lights.  It was neat to see our team not only playing hoops but hang out on the side interacting with the children, students and parents.  They are so bold and intentional about building relationships during this week and I am so proud to be apart of this team. 
I reminded our team tonight at our worship service that the only difference between Austin and El Salvador when it comes to the mission, is location.  That God's heart breaks for people of the world and He gives us eyes to see, a heart to understand and a passion in our souls to live different, live simple and live as missionaries not matter where or what our profession is.  We just need to see the world with eyes of eternity. 
Everyone is doing great!  The team is healthy, staying hydrated, having a blast and looking forward to another crazy day of ministry!  - Kip

El Salvador Photos	The mission in El Salvador sent pictures back to Riverbend Church to post for all to see.  Be a part of their journey and follow their blog as they update daily.

260 children were taught the Bible today through crafts, puppets, teaching, music, games and tons of hugs!  We were expecting to see around 500 but do to the heavy rains, families stay in and keep from getting sick.  After all the children left our students played the El Salvadorians in soccer.  It was great to see our team interact with the other players and despite getting our butts kicked, we had a blast! 
Parents you have to know that your kids are doing an amazing job of ministry!  They are getting up before 6AM, going all day long and loving every minute of their experience.  At night when we arrive back at our hotel we meet for worship, Ejemplo (Talk with your student about this when they come home), sacred moments of the day, and an extended time of prayer.  These moments together as a team are incredible!  This is the time when we share how God interrupted our lives and caught our attention throughout the day, times when we worship with a great sense of freedom and pray as if we were going into battle the next morning.  All in all parents you need to sleep well knowing that at this time in your students life....this is where they are supposed to be!  They could have chosen sports camps, vacations, jobs, school and a ton of other summer activities, but they chose to follow God's lead and serve in El Salvador.  They are serving and doing a fantastic job! 
Everyone is safe, healthy and tomorrow we are in for another full day with a basketball game after dinner with the area teams at the church.  - Kip

The rain came and went throughout the day, and what an exciting experience this day brought!  It was a full, crazy packed day of ministry but one our team will never forget.  God gave us some sacred interuptions that will forever make their mark in our minds and hearts. 
We arrived at the church at 8:45AM for morning worship where I preached and Chris Welhausen did an unforgettable job of sharing his story with a packed church.  Then in the afternoon we watched the World Cup (which for a country who's national pastime in Soccer, was huge), kicked back and made ready 100 large bags of rice, beans, sugar and oil for 100 families in two very poor colonia's.  Once the preparations were done our team set out to personally give our gifts of food to the families and hug on 100's of children as we invited them to VBS. Then the rain came and with it brought hilarious moments as we were caught in the middle!  Needless to say our team took several showers today but what great memories were made as we continued to hand out food during the down pours.  
We gathered for the evening worship service were I preached again and John Jonez shared his heart from a leader's view.  He did a great job!   Our puppet team performed for the children under Greg Pogue's gifted leadership as we wrapped up a full day of ministry in San Salvador.
So today was good, intense, beautiful and once again reminded us that we are far from home, far from family but secure in the hope we have and the service we put in motion for the kingdom of God in El Salvador. 
Everyone is healthy, safe and now....finally dry!  - Kip

As we looked out over the ocean off the coast of El Salvador near La Libertad, it was breathtaking to recognize where God had brought us on this day.  We had just spent an intimate time of worship on the beach, were centered again from God's word and this moment with the ocean as a background was a beautiful thing.   It was at this Beach where Walker Bailey, Chris Garbee, Mattie Lewis and Larissa Jaks stepped up in front of their peers to be baptized.  What a crazy moment orchestrated by God in the middle of Central America!  It was rich! 
Tomorrow we begin our intensity of mission as I preach with a translator, Chris Welhausen shares his testimony and we meet our new church family,  In the afternoon we will distribute enough food to feed 200 families for a month in a very poor colonia. 
Please pray for safety, God's special presence and that our hearts would break as we see the poverty and the hopeful smiles of hundreds of children.  Everyone is healthy!  -  Kip

We have arrived in the wonderful country of El Salvador!  We are all safe at the hotel, luggage all in our rooms, a nice dinner at KFC and ready to call it a night.  Tomorrow we are off bright and early to tour the country, visit the open market and swim in the ocean at a private Casa on the coast near La Libertad.  It will be a special day for our team to experience the culture of El Salvador!  Check back tomorrow evening for yet another amazing update. - Kip

Parents,