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!

Just Checking In...

I just wanted to check in and give a quick update.

I am in El Salvador. I arrived on Thursday. It gave Bethany (another MA with Convoy) and I a chance to set up everything for the first team. Jack Belin's team (a missionary with Convoy) came in on Friday and we got them working in the warehouse bagging food right away. Today we began the first day of ministry. We went to a school and to a community. In both places we did a presentation and distributed food. It was a long day, but a good day.

El Salvador is a pretty country. It is very green. Flying into San Salvador is pretty cool looking because it looks a little like a green bowl. There are alot of volcanoes here that make the land interesting to look at - you have big volcanoes, some crater lakes, and so forth. You also have the ocean here, which I have only seen from the air.

This morning we went to the warehouse to put the groceries in the truck for distribution. I decided that I needed to "powder my nose". When I returned just a few minutes later the warehouse was empty as I walked closer to the exit I realized the gate was closed and then as I got even closer I realized it was locked! I had been locked in the warehouse. I still needed to buy a sim card for my phone, so I couldn't call anyone, so I sat there for a minute trying to figure out what to do. Then I decided to hop the fence because at least then I would be able to get outside and maybe be able to call someone. So, I jumped the fence (in a skirt) and then waited until someone came along. There is a restaurant called Biggest here that allows Convoy to use part of their warehouse, so they had people working. Finally, an El Salvadoran offered me coffee and a phone. Eventually the group realized I was not in the bus and sent our truck driver to come get me! I made it safe and sound to the school, in time to practice some Spanish and eat lunch =) It was an adventure to say the least. I survived and better me get locked in the warehouse than a team member. =)

If you have a chance please pray that all the details will come together for the teams and things will go smoothly. Pray for strength for Bethany and I and for the nationals working with us. These days are long and there is alot to plan. Pray for protection and that God will work through the teams this summer!

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but they will come =)

Food for Thoughts

During lunch today I read my bible at Subway. I read Acts 17. There is a passage in Acts 17 that is very important in living missionally. I first studied it at Vanguard, while taking a missions class with Greg Austring. Ever since that class I never saw this passage quite the same way. Paul is in Athens after escaping Berea. While, there he notices that the city is full of idols. He discussed it with "Jews and other like-minded people" and "every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along". Then at the request of some of the citizens of Athens he speaks downtown about Christ. He makes his message relevant to them by noting the fact that religion is important to them. In his study of the culture he found a statue of a god that was titled "To The God Nobody Knows". He tells the people of Athens that he is here to tell them about this unknown God. Then later Paul quotes one of their poets who says, "We're the God created". Paul uses this to say, "Hey if we're God created, then why do we need to chisel gods?" At the end of his oratory some people laugh at him, but others believe.

I took three major points from this passage:

1) This is an ideal example of understanding the group/culture you are talking to. If you understand the culture - the religion, the artwork, the literature and so forth you can intelligently and discerningly relate to them. Once you know culture, you know what is important and unimportant. In essence, this not only makes you more effective, but shows the people you work with that you understand and care about them.

2) Paul went where the people went. He engaged people into conversation and relationship. He went downtown Athens and spoke. He didn't hide away in his home and church. His coffee shop of choice was were the people who needed to hear the gospel went. He never expected them to come to him, but he went were they where.

3) Paul was laughed at for speaking about Christ. When he ended with the fact that Christ was raised from the dead, people laughed at him. BUT people were also saved because he spoke the truth! Leading others to Christ might mean ridicule and persecution, but we can take heart that in the process we might gain brothers and sisters.

A Springfield Bike Ride

I took a bike ride the other day to Rendevous in downtown Springfield. I have included some pictures from the AG mecca for your viewing enjoyment. =) Below the pictures I have Psalms 46 written out. I wanted to remind you through these verses that God is out protector and fights for us. He is a place to hide. He is above politics and culture.




Psalm 46

"God is a safe place to hide,
ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us.

River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us

Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
'Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything."

Jacon-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us."

Walmart Parking Lot Thoughts

It is Sunday afternoon. I went to church this morning at New Life. I have been going here for the last three weeks. I was looking for a Spanish church and stumbled upon this one instead. It's not Spanish, but it reminds me a little bit of the Shark Club at Rock Harbor, but with a smaller number of people and less club. The pastor was speaking on James Two. It reminded me of something I was thinking about yesterday, while walking across the Walmart parking lot...

Yesterday, I woke up and decided to do nothing very quickly. I sorted through papers and did dishes, while watching the television. I was watching A&E and this show came on about all the big personalities and history of big time wrestling. Towards the end, the show was talking about these wrestling schools they have for people who want a shot at big time wrestling. People can come, workout, train and hope to make it into the big leagues. They were interviewing the different men who had come to try out for the club. This one man in his perfect eighties attire - complete with mullet (for his credit I believe the film clip was from the eighties) - said he wanted to become a big time wrestler because he wanted to be known. He wanted to walk down the street and for people to know him, to be recognized. After the Andre the Giant special and Mr. T special I decided it was time to get out of the house. As I walking across the Walmart parking lot, I thought "You know that really is it - people just want to be known, to be recognized, to know that their important". Isn't that what Christ was really about? He came to glorify and serve God, but he also came to love people. He wants to set us free, want us to know that who we are is quite enough. With his gentle yet firm Spirit move us into life with him. A life that is polished by him, taking what is good in us and changing what is not so good.

Our job as Christians is to treat people as Christ treats us. This is what they discussed at Church. It is about treating the man in rags the same as the man in the suit. It is about treating people kindly. It about loving others as you love yourself. I know this isn't easy. I am a person who has the ability to get along with most people, but when I feel someone hasn't treated me right or fairly, it takes a long while and a lot of GOD to get that out of my system. There are people in life were I literally had to pray to God to help me love and forgive them. I think these verses in James though go beyond just difficult people. They ask us to live above our bias and stereotypes that dress and makeup form and to see the person underneath. We have to make sure we aren't going over the top to please some and ignoring others in the process. Que dificil! No? But I think with the grace of God, with a life solid in the Spirit, we can become people who are Christ like in our actions and lives. After all Jesus took 12 ordinary men, including a handful of fishermen and a tax collector, and made them the foundation of his church.

Live in HIS Love!

Springfield, Missouri

I am sitting here on my couch, watching the news and checking emails. I have survived two tornado warnings, so far. These tornadoes are strange things for a California girl. Tomorrow if the rain and thunder do not change anything I am running the Relay for Life 5K. My goal is to not come in last. I am looking forward to this, I think it might be fun.

I have been working in the Convoy office, which is a bit of change from language school. I am learning the other side of Convoy and how things function from behind the scenes. I thought some of you might be curious what work in the office looks like, so here is a mini list of some of the projects I am helping with:

Planning for some of the summer El Salvador teams
Working on translating documents from Spanish to English
Working on finding news information on disasters
Helping put together country summaries
Educating myself on Compassion Ministry and Convoy of Hope
Whatever else I am needed to do

I think this time is good for learning about how the office functions and about how the planning for trips works. I can ask questions and get to know my colleagues. I leave for El Salvador on June 18th.

All the time in the world people are suffering from violence, flooding, starvation and so forth. I want to encourage you to be aware of what is going on in the world. Two countries being wracked by violence are Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pray for these two countries and the people that live there. Another country that could use prayer is Brazil. They have experienced severe flooding in the normally arid dry northern region as well as flooding in the wetter southern region. Of course there are more countries and people out there, but these are three that I am highlighting. I encourage you to pray for these countries and other countries and situations God puts on your heart.