Hey -

I arrived back in Springfield, MO Tuesday night. I was suppose to fly out Monday, but because the flight was delayed leaving San Jose I was going to miss the connecting flight from Denver to Springfield. I was given the choice of taking a red eye out of San Francisco or flying out the next day. I choose flying out the next day. I have taken the next couple of days easy between El Salvador and Sarah's wedding I was pretty wiped. I am unpacking, grocery shopping, and so on. I plan on going into the office tomorrow to work on reports and newsletters.

I think the question I have been most frequently asked is "Where are you going next?" I wish I had a good, solid answer to give everyone, but at this point I don't. I am in Springfield for the next week or so and then I have a Compassion Ministry Conference that I will attend mid August. This conference is put on by the International Ministries department of the Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM). I am looking forward to this conference and hope to glean some new information about compassion ministry. During this time in Springfield I will be attending meetings, maybe doing some training and out of this time will come my next field assignment. These times in Springfield are always in preparation of what will come next and are necessary to be successful in the next assignment and project.

Some things to pray for:

In two weeks I will need to move. I need a room or apartment. One difficult thing about not knowing my next assignment is not wanting to sign a lease if I will be in a different country for months at a time. So, please pray for wisdom, discernment and a place to live.

You can pray for Convoy of Hope and the leadership as they assign and cast vision for the continuing projects and projects in the future. (including where my next assignment will be!)

Pray for continued protection, and wisdom and discernment.

Here are some pictures of the wedding:

Operation Wedding Storm

Hello Hello -

I just wanted to check in - let you know that I am alive and survived my five weeks in El Salvador. The real question is "Will I survive Operation Wedding Storm?" After a brief 1.5 day sickness I think I am ready =). The Balch yard has been in construction for several months now in preparation for Sarah Balch's special day. I look out into my backyard and it is a sea of tables draped in chocolate brown with floral centerpieces twisted up the white umbrellas. In the center of it all is a gazebo made of white wood and lights. On Saturday we will be consuming piles of noodles covered in Italian sauces. Afterwards we will feast on cake and treats from the chocolate fountain. The happy couple will dance, throw a garter and a bouquet, and wave goodbye.

Despite the busyness it is nice to be home. It is good to see my family and Derek. I was able to go to CLC on Sunday and ride the Giant Dipper last night. Derek and I went to San Francisco and to a Giants game. I got sick during the game, but it is one of my favorite things to do when I come home. I have eaten at Erik's Deli (twice) and In and Out Burger. I was able to go surfing and probably should surf again before I leave. So, I have been able to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I head back to Missouri August 3rd.

To close off here is quote in honor of the upcoming nuptials:

"Love is the lifespring of our existence. The more love you give, the happier you feel and the more love you will have within you to give".-- Susan L. Taylor

Muchas Bendiciones. Many Blessings.

Intern Adventures

On Sunday I packed my bags from the lovely Santa Elena Hotel and moved into a hostel with the interns. It was a bit of a change, but included nice walks to the gas station for my morning coffee, a weekend at the beach for rest and relaxation, and ministry in Perulapia.

The interns have been spending one week in different cities in El Salvador. They are going to three cities in total. Each week they do presentation in the same school about physical, emotional and spiritual health and then also have presentations for the parents at the local church. So, myself and my co-worker Bethany have been supporting another co-worker Shannon as she leads the interns.

I made friends with a little boy at the church. I supported his gum habit - I went through my Trident Watermelon flavored gum very quickly this week. It was funny he was always asking me for gum and would ask for gum and then would show me his fingers to show how much he wanted. I also became friends with his aunt, who is 22 and attends the university. I sat down and talked to her for an hour - talk about stretching my Spanish! One of the nice thing about being in a place for a week were the relationships I was able to build.

Then we ended the week off with taking the team of interns to a house on the beach. We weren't quite sure what to expect and when the road turned to dirt and we were in the middle of sugar cane, we really weren't sure what to except. When we arrived at the house it was well worth the adventure of getting there. Beach front property, hammocks, good food, and a swimming pool all for the cost of the hostel! It was great weekend for the morale and health of the team. Now we are ready for the week ahead in San Ramon!

Pray for the interns in San Ramon this week. They have a very full schedule and need lots of energy physically, emotionally and spiritually. Pray for the students in the schools, and the parents at the church. Bethany travels back on Wednesday and I travel back on Thursday. Pray for traveling protection!

Thank you to everyone who is praying for me and for faithful financial support!

Claire

Living by Faith

This morning I listened to a podcast from Mike Errie at Rock Harbor church. It hit a chord with me, especially after this week.

He spoke about God being our only option. Christ always gives us a choice - he never begs, he never bribes us into his presence. When we have other options he lets us go. He spoke about the cleanliness and tidiness of the churches in the states and how we are missing the desperation for Christ. In the States we so often rely on doctors and finances instead of God. We rely on ourselves, on our government, on the makeup we wear, and so forth. Appearance becomes more important than our faith.

This week the team had the opportunity to visit two homes in an area of El Salvador called Santa Ana. Both of the homes were the size of an average bedroom. One of the houses held ten children plus the parents, and the other, which was smaller, also held the animals. The floors were mud and the water they drank came from the sky and was held in a barrel. There are two seasons in El Salvador, the dry season and the wet season. I can promise you the rain comes right into both of these homes. This is how many people live in these rural communities of El Salvador. We met one woman who had hurt her shoulders and couldn't work. She told my friends that she survived by faith. Day by day God provided for her. They prayed for her and she told us she would be praying for us. I met an old woman and just sat by her and talked to her. She had pain through her body and she lived alone. I prayed for her. She lived by the Faith of God and the goodness of the church. The pastor in that area had a home similar to the ones described above. I can tell you that God provides. I don't believe that God wants anyone of his people to suffer. We might not be rich in the world eyes, but we can be rich in HIM! God will provide.

For those of us in the States - some of us may be hurting financially right now, others of us maybe weathering the financial crisis just fine. Let us Trust in God, to depend on him first and foremost. For those of us who can Let us give with joyful hearts and open hands. For those of us who think we can't, let think of ways we can give or trust God to provide in our sacrifice of giving. Give a hand to your brother and sister in need - whether that person is in California, Missouri, Washington, New York, Nigeria, Kenya, Costa Rica, El Salvador and so forth. Rejoice in God, worship him freely for the blessings he has given you. Let me worship God for the ways he has blessed my life, I thank God for each one of you and your prayers and support, I thank him that no one got sick or hurt on the team this week, I thank him for going with us, before us and behind us!

If you have a chance I encourage you to listen to Rock Harbors pod cast on 6/28/09, "The End of Your Rope" by Mike Errie - I believe it is a challenge to the churches of the United States. To remember to worship God freely and fully. To live lifes full of God - remembering he is our only option - our only God - our savior and our grace!

A Life Giving God!

The next team I am working with comes in tomorrow. Well, technically two of the team members came today, but the other five come in tomorrow. Then the work begins. We will be visiting communities and schools telling people about Jesus and sending them home with rice, beans and salt. Food to satsify them for a life and food to satisty them for at least a few days, if not the whole week =). What a privilege to be able to serve God through serving his people. This is your privilege too because without your prayers and financial support I wouldn't be in El Salvador and with Convoy of Hope today! Live Blessed! Thank you for your prayers and financial support! As work begins with this team please continue prayers of safety, prayers of health, prayers that all the details will fall into place and prayers that we will be used by God!

I am currently reading through Romans. To be honest Romans is a little harder to get through. I also feel the need to read each chapter a couple of time just to grasp part of what Paul is writing. Romans is just jammed pack. I read Chapter 5 today and part of it just really stood out to me. I even put it on my facebook because I just loved the message version, so much. I have written Romans 5:17-19 below:

"If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?

Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right."

Thank you God for sending your Son - to give us life, for setting things right and for saving us!

Let it be a reminder for us to say "yes" to God and not to say "no". A reminder to follow Christ's example and not deaths!

Live in Christ!

A Little About Last Week

I have been in El Salvador a week now, it seems to have flown by. Yesterday I had a day of rest and relaxtion before the next team comes in, which is today. Last week we went to schools and communities and shared about Jesus and distributed food. We visited about two places a day. At each location we had the opportunity to pray for people about salvation, healing and the economic crisis. Countries like El Salvador depend very highly on the United States, so when we hurt financially, they hurt too, maybe even more. El Salvador even actually uses the US dollar.

The team that I just worked with came with alot of passion for Jesus and people. I enjoyed hearing how God worked and changed them during the week. For some of these people it was the first time they really saw poverty like the kind that exist in much of the world. Many members of the team left clothes and shoes behind to be distributed. My prayer is that they continue to let what they saw here in El Salvador influence their life. That they don't let the pressures of home get to them, but that they continue to see the importance of telling others about Christ - and the importance of compassion in ministry. Compassion being helping the poor, the orphans, the widowers, the prisoners and so forth.

God is great! He has mercy and compassion for each on of us! Let us let this change our hearts. Let us remember to have mercy and compassion for those around us. Let us live lifes full of humility, confidence in who we are in God, forgivness and grace! I am reading the book "Lead Like Jesus" by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. I have been reading about the importance of these four traits in our daily lives. So, soak HIM in today!

Claire Balch

Pictures from El Salvador

Hi - I wanted to share some pictures with you from El Salvador!