Mission Trip to El Salvador.

Friends,

I want to take a moment to thank you for your prayers and thought during my recent trip to El Salvador. The best way to express my gratitude is to share what God did during that time. I will share with you my journal of the trip, things observed and things learned.

Pre-trip

I was asked Sunday night, June 12, just 3 days prior to my departure, by a friend, what I would be doing. I shared with him that except for preaching on Sunday, I had no clue. I could tell this was a bit surprising, and to be honest many years ago it would have surprised me also. We United Statesians (Salvadorians are American too) are so used to planning to the minutia that to have no plan is the epitome of a fool. The scripture verse come to mind, “be ready in season and out of season…” So I shared with him that the most preparation is in the heart.

On Monday, to my surprise, I was sent an itinerary for what I was to be involved in. This was the most extensive itinerary I have ever had in El Salvador. To add to the complexity, I was now speaking to the department heads at an Evangelical University each day. For the 5 day trip, I was to teach 8 classes, preach 4 times and participate in 2 community outreaches where churches are being planted, and I have only today, Monday, off to prepare!

God knows how and where to stretch our faith. What was a stretch for one man was an ease for me. But now a responsibility to speak to people at such a high level of leadership, with very little preparation was a bit intimidating. I sent out the itinerary, and I know many of your prayers helped settle my heart. Having many years of study and experience, I just needed to trust the Holy Spirit to bring out through me what HE wanted to share. A true branches and Vine event. 

Day One, Thursday

Breakfast at 7:00 a.m.(after a red-eye flight and settling in bed at 2:30 a.m.) with Pastor Julio, Director of Spiritual Affairs, Evangelical University of El Salvador, to discuss his desires, goals and thoughts for my work during the week. God began to show me how I was to be used for His glory and for the good of us, his children.

At 8:00 a.m., I met with the chaplains for the University, under Julio, 5 in all. Starting from Judges 2:10, I began to outline how personal discipleship had deteriorated in Israel in the matter of one generation. I carefully delineated the differences between discipleship, Christian education (and the various models), and informative lectures/sermons/lessons/books. I ended with a challenge from 2 Timothy 2:2. The meeting lasted til 11:00. We went to lunch and dialoged about what would be required to embrace this paradigm shift.

I met with the library staff in the afternoon and spoke about personal identity, being complete in Christ and then growing in that completeness. I started with the focal verse in Colossians 2:10 and then showed the prayer connection between expectation and application from 1:9-10. The people were blessed by God, and I saw several countenance changes.

At 3:00 an impromptu opportunity presented itself with my being able to speak to the students. We focused on the difference between converts and disciples from Matthew 4:17 and asked for commitments. Several responded.

I spent the remaining afternoon sharing with Julio and Victor and learning what they were doing for discipleship. El Salvador is still a 1^st/2^nd generation church, and they don’t have all the religious layers/lingo to weed through as we do in the States.

The evening with Grace Baptist church was very rewarding. We had a 25-30 minute prayer time before I spoke. I was so encouraged. Then, speaking from 1 John 3:1-3 we spoke about the identity, belief and responsibility. This was followed up by Q/A session. We were all encouraged.

Day Two Friday

The morning started off well with a chapel service where I shared a message from Proverbs 2 relating to Father’s Day. Father’s Day is on Friday in El Salvador. Afterwards I had the privilege of meeting Missionary Bob Kendrick. We spent about an hour together, and I hope to work with him in the future.

I spent the afternoon time with one of the chaplains unpacking the one to one discipleship paradigm and making real application. I took up about two hours to teach one of them how to learn to make personal application from bible passages and then to teach others also. She was so excited. God had a breakthrough!

I had supper with my very good friend Rodrigo. We enjoyed a few hours of reunion. Upon arrival to my house (some new friends who provided housing for me during my trip, Milton and Martha) I found a party for one of their friends. They were also housing 4 Cubans who were attending linguistic training from Wycliffe in El Salvador. We had a great time and as the evening grew late, I fellowshipped with some men from Milton’s bible class (Inglesia Bautista Miramonte). We had a wonderful time sharing what God had been teaching us and working through and applying Galatians 5:16 and Romans 12:1-2. We retired well after 1:30 a.m. At 3:00 a.m. The Spirit impressed on me an illustration for the next day. 

Day Three- Saturday

This morning I met with PLP, a professional Christian leadership program that was developed by Julio. It meets every Saturday for 4 hours. I gave the background from the book of Titus and Paul’s eminent departure and launched into why he wrote the book. I emphasized how Titus had previously spent much time with Paul so the writings would have been very personal. Titus would have understood all the nuances of how Paul thought and the writing, being very personal would have tremendous information beyond just the printed text we received. I wanted to demonstrate the difference in Christian Education and Discipleship. Thus we have to read the text as if we are a Titus to Paul. I shared chapter 2:1-8 and then gave the interpretation and then interacted with numerous applications.

It is at this point I used the illustration impressed upon me in the night. WOW, God was opening eyes. I had never used this illustration and it was one of those things only God could have brought to my attention since I never read about it either. But the impact was so plain, it was like scales were falling from their eyes. The illustration demonstrated the value of CE but its inability to solely produce disciples. Then it demonstrated what discipleship does and how it duplicates. After the session 3 people came forward and asked how to get started. God was moving.

I visited a volcano and had lunch with Victor and Julio. Julio invited me to come back for an extended stay and teach. Perhaps a family affair!! Later we attempted to go to Vera Paz but we got rained out, so we took a ride down through Zacatacaluka to get some fresh sweet bread for the evening. In the process I found the PERFECT chile pepper.

Day Four- Sunday

What a joy to be back with family! This church in Illobasco is indeed that -- family. They love Jesus! The music is PASSIONATE without the pretense, polish and performance. So refreshing!!! So authentic!! I spoke on 1 John 3:1-3 and really hammered home identity. I used an adoption illustration and illuminated it from my own life. God was moving....at lunch, Pastor Yohalmo told me how he was just starting to address this subject through his preaching (reader remember- NO PRE_PLANNING). I shared with him at length the reasons for my absence over the past 2 years. He committed to pray for me. We introduced to him the need to multiply disciples. I inquired about the absence of a dear friend and was told he was discouraged and that life has been hard on him.

At the evening service I spoke from Colossians 1:19-23, The Magnificent Jesus. There was much freedom and unction from the Spirit. I invited people to demonstrate their need to be saved and to be open to being approached one to one at the end of the service. 7-8 people expressed their desire. The church followed up immediately. Amazing to see about a dozen groups sharing how one could trust Jesus. I focused on one man who spoke to me in English. He told me the adoption story from the morning had really spoken to him and then told me why he could not be saved. I told him how the cross and Christ’s blood pardons all sin not just the nice ones and that even his horrible sins could be covered too. Before we finished our conversation a few ladies grabbed us by the arm and took us to a Father’s Day celebration they had planned. Imagine, this man was just a visitor that day and wound up seated at the place of honor at the table! God has a way of making his point clear. We enjoyed the time and exchanged contact information. It was getting late and we needed to travel 1 hour to my house so we prepared to leave.

Before I left Illobasco I made a point to take a detour to my discouraged friend’s home. I awakened him from sleep. I recounted all the times God had used us in the past and that I would not visit El Salvador without seeing him. He was speechless. I asked if I could pray for him, and he wept as we embraced. He told the pastor he would see him on Wednesday. Arriving home late, I went to check my email and Facebook. The man I told you of earlier was on FB and sent a friend request. I went to his page and noticed some things inappropriate. As I accepted his friend request, he started immediately cleaning the page, renamed himself and IM me telling me God had changed him that night after the service. We chatted for a while, and it was encouraging to see God work on this man.

Day Five Monday

I met with the medical faculty at 8:00 a.m. I shared with them from Col 1:19-23, and we explored the unique union of God and Man, Jesus. I couched some of the teaching in medical related terminology, and they were very engaged. It looked as if it was the first time they connected their profession with their Christianity. That was encouraging, since some of the professors are not believers.

At 11:00 I met with the Business staff along with the Dental staff. We opened up Matthew 28:16-20 and talked of leaving a legacy and the need to disciple as we are going. I encouraged them to use their occupations as opportunities for discipleship relationships. One man shared how he has been in a discipleship church and has multiplied many times, but never seen his position as an opportunity.

Preparing to go to El Sunza for an outreach, the car blew a water hose. So we missed the chance to go for the afternoon. We arrived just in time for the service. I met Pastor Carlos and some of his lost family who had come to hear the “American”. The presence of the Lord was present in the sing of the saints. Pastor Carlos said he expected only 30; I’m sure he was being optimistic at that. BUT GOD, I love that phrase, had other plans. The building was packed and there were chairs set up outside on the entry way. Well over 100 people came out. I preached again from Colossians 1:19-23 and gave a clear call to embrace this magnificent Jesus. Only God know who became his children that night, but the pastor fully intends to follow up with the guests. Would have loved to stay longer but I had a 1 hour drive to my house to shower, finish packing and then make the hour drive to the airport for the 1:00 a.m. flight. Exhausted and encouraged, I departed to the U.S.