Pictures and Video

It has been a week since arriving home yet many of our hearts remain in El Salvador. The trip is summarized wonderfully in the youtube video attached.

Trip Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rltJYU9A9ow

Mission Team Returns Home

To say that the El Salvador mission trip exceeded everyone's expectations is an understatement. The Salvadorian people were loving, kind, generous, grateful, and beautiful to behold. Their smiles warmed our hearts and will never be forgotten. Their food filled us and nourished us beyond any need. The team was able to drill a total of four wells, two more than anticipated. In addition, we were able to repair a well and complete two others that were not yet operational. God's grace surrounded every moment of the trip from safe passage to successful drilling and the sharing of love between cultures that will last forever. Over the next few days we will post pictures and a video shared by team members. We thank all of you who supported us with your prayers and contributions.

We're Off

Please keep us in your prayers as we depart at 6:30am. Expect to hear from us when we return on the 28th as we will be out of touch.

Thanks for all of your support, we could not have done it without you.

Stay tuned...

Preparation Winding Down

Many months of preparation have us at this point where we are mere days from departing. We have packed our bags, either mentally or actually, and find ourselves reading through our documents making sure not to forget important "to-do's" or to memorize some basic Spanish. What many of us are working through now are the feelings - a mix of excitement, apprehension, anxiety, and through it all a calming feeling that God is with us and will work in unexpected ways. We all know that this trip will change us, humble us, and open our eyes to the beautiful culture and people of El Salvador. So, for now we wait, pray, pack, and ponder what's in store.

On another note, we've not mentioned the town where we will be staying. It's Acajutla and it's on the Pacific coast. Living Water International's El Salvador headquarters are located in Acajutla.
http://www.maplandia.com/el-salvador/sonsonate/acajutla/acajutla/

Family Picnic

We're officially two weeks out! Family members got together last week for a picnic at North Beach. Despite the crazy wind, it was a fun evening to get to know each other a bit better and share some time talking and preparing for the trip. It's somewhat ironic that we had our party next to the largest surface fresh water resource on earth!

Testimonials

Some members of the team felt compelled to put down a few words regarding themselves, their motivations, and hopes going in to the mission trip.

Mike Carlson
I'm looking forward to stepping-out of my comfort zone, giving back to a worldly cause, and leaning heavily on God to guide me. I'm incredibly excited to share this experience with my wife!

Jill Carlson
I'm truly blessed to be wife and mom of two active little girls, four and two years old. I also enjoy volunteering and helping others. I'm excited to be serving alongside my husband to provide clean water to the Salvadorian people and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ by being His hands and feet.

Skip Westmaas
I look forward to loving and serving Salvadorians that are lacking the very basics of fresh, clean water, and helping to end the cycle of time poverty, disease and vulnerability. By showing the Salvadorian people that there are men and women all the way in Michigan that they have never met wanting to come and help them is a great example of the power of the love of Jesus Christ and what it has to offer. Serving on this mission trip will also help grow my faith and understanding of God, people and the world around me.

Ryan Siegert
I have never done a misson trip like this before and have been looking for the opportunity for a long time. I have been looking forward to doing something like this for a long time and just can't wait to see what God has in store for us.

Dan Moser
I've lived in Spring Lake now for three years with my wife Molly and our kids Jack and Lucy. Getting involved in a mission trip like this wasn't something I'd been thinking about rather a fairly quick decision because it felt right. I'm excited to put aside my roles as a father, colleague, neighbor, and friend to go with my wife on a trip to change the lives of others as well as my own.

Molly Moser
I look forward to this opportunity to change lives by giving these villages clean water. It is a chance to give back somethng that we have at our fingertips and take for granted everyday. I cannot wait to see the smiles on the Salvadorians faces when the water flows freely. It is an opportunity of a lifetime and I am blessed to have the chance to be a part of it with my husband and dear friends. I know this will be a humbling and life changing experience and was put in front of me for a reason.

Getting Closer

Preparation continues as the team held a meeting on July 15 to discuss the many moving parts of the mission trip, get to know each other a bit more, and speculate on what is in store for us. The team received 30 soccer balls that were donated from a local Christian soccer camp run by a member of Spring Lake Wesleyan, Dan McAllister. These will be going with us to El Salvador for the kids at the two villages where we will be working. Hopefully we'll have some down time where we can have fun and play some "football" with the kids. Thanks Dan!