Romans 10:14
It's hard to believe that this is our last day of ministry in El Salvador. In some ways, it seems like we just got here, and in other ways, it seems like we have been here for some time, an incredible week of indelible memories. We returned to the Christian deaf school today to again share a Bible lesson and enjoy the wonderfully expressive singing of the children. The students really enjoyed making bracelets, flowers and masks, showing great creativity. We had the opportunity to visit with the founder/former director of the school, Ana Silvia, who had a passion for ministering to the deaf that resulted in starting a school at her church for seven deaf children. It was amazing to hear the process they went through to determine how to approach education for the deaf. They started from scratch to develop a curriculum, structure, sorting through language approaches. And now, 21 years later, they are ministering in a variety of ways to more than 90 young people, assisting students as they mainstream into Christian schools and even on to university. A great testimony to the school's ministry of preparing the deaf to minister to the deaf is that there are now six teachers at the school who are former students.
Ana Silvia has always had a "missionary heart, and about ten years ago, she began to pray and seek God's direction about ministering to the deaf in other parts of the world. She especially has a heart for unreached people groups, and two years ago the Lord led her to an Arab country to assist those working in deaf education, learn about the culture, language and how to reach the deaf in that culture. Sadly, shortly after arriving, she became ill and suffered greatly until it became necessary for her to return to El Salvador. She is doing much better and is praying about returning to the region to continue with training and help for those who also share a passion for the deaf and introducing them to Jesus.
After lots of hugs and good-byes, we drove back up the mountain to the coffee plantation area to enjoy a delicious lunch outdoors, while enjoying a beautiful view of the valley and mountain range. From there we toured a major archeiological site of a Mayan village, said to the best preserved example of typical Mayan living. The village was destroyed by a nearby volcano eruption, which quickly covered and preserved the homes and artifacts in multiple layers of lava and ash. It was very interesting to see how they constructed their homes and what it revealed about their daily life.
Tonight as we had dinner together, we reflected upon our week here, the people we have met, the experiences we have shared, and we are all so thankful for what the Lord has allowed us to see and experience. Each of us has been touched in deep, personal ways. Our view of ministry, the needs of the deaf, our world view and our overall understanding of God and His work in our lives have been broadened and refined. We each have been challenged, touched, humbled, and inspired. There is nothing like experiencing another culture first hand. We thank God for all He is doing here, for the wonderful believers who are serving faithfully, despite challenges. We are committed to praying for El Salvador, His people here, those who need to know Him and especially for the deaf. We know we have a lot to process from our time here; we know that God brought us here for a purpose, and we will continue to pray for the Lord to reveal what He wants to do in our lives as a result. We realize that what we can do is be an advocate for the people here; we can be a voice for them, sharing their stories, needs, and encouraging others to pray, care and get involved. We are anxious to share our experiences with you and hope that we will have many opportunities to do so. We are not only sensitized to the needs here, but we are now more aware of the needs of those at home, especially the deaf. Our hope and desire is that all of us will see others as God sees them, to realize that each person is created in His image and has intrinsic worth. Each person needs to know how very much God loves them and desires a relationship with them. May we all be faithful to be"beautiful feet...who bring good news" so that all may hear (in whatever fashion that may be), believe and truly live.
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