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