1 YEAR and 100 lbs!!!

Well I made it here safe and sound.  The hardest part was getting one year of my life into two suitcases with a 100 lb. limit!  Once I checked those bags through to San Salvador, the load literally lifted from my shoulders and mind.  I am working on making my room a home and figuring out just what my days are going to look like.  One thing I can say is that I love it here and I love what I am going to be doing.  The kids and Salvadoran staff remembered me from last year so it was refreshing to build on those relationships.

The first few days was interesting because a 1.5 year old boy with cerebral palsy was dropped off at the home by his mother because she was struggling taking care of him.  The home is at capacity and cannot take on more kids but the mother said she was going to just leave him home alone if noone would take him, so we took him for 3 days.  Fortunately, 3 Americans showed up the next day and we took turns taking care of him.  I took the night shift.  He needed to be held at all times and he did not sleep.  It was my first sacrifice of a night´s loss of sleep with a little baby but just within that one night he melted my heart.  It seems cruel or unloving to think that a mother would just drop off her kid and not want him anymore, but, it almost seems impossible for a Salvadoran mother to take care of a special needs child at the same time.  Most mothers are left without their husbands help and so they have to work and provide childcare as well.  It seems like an impossible battle too.  We were able to connect with her after the 3 days and offer her some resources so that her son could get the care he needs.  This is an everyday struggle here in El Salvador.

Yesterday I was reading through the psalm 144 and I came across this verse... 
"Deliver me and rescue me
       from the hands of foreigners
       whose mouths are full of lies,
       whose right hands are deceitful.
¹² Then our sons in their youth
       will be like well-nurtured plants,
       and our daughters will be like pillars
       carved to adorn a palace.
 ¹³ Our barns will be filled
       with every kind of provision.
       Our sheep will increase by thousands,
       by tens of thousands in our fields;
 ¹⁴ our oxen will draw heavy loads. ^[b]
       There will be no breaching of walls,
       no going into captivity,
       no cry of distress in our streets.
 ¹⁵ Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
       blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

Please pray for the kids at Love and Hope and that they would be well-nurtured plants and pillars carved to adorn a palace.  Also, pray for the streets of El Salvador and that there would be no cry of distress from the people and for those who are held captive by drugs, alcoholism, gangs, etc. that they would be set free. 

I am enjoying this new position of administration.  I work with Rachel daily on fitting in the most important tasks for the day.  I also get to learn so much from her as we drive around the city running errands.  There is so much to do and I'm quickly learning that it just doesn't get done quickly in El Salvador compared to the US.  So we are diligent about making the most of the time we do have, yet protecting the time set aside for a healthy balance.  Tomorrow is our one and only day off during the week and we are looking forward to spending some time either hiking or walking in a park and going out to dinner.  Well, time to go... adios!