God’s Perfect Timing

For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].               Ephesians 2: 10

The Long Wait….

                Those of you who know me well know that my move to join Brian in El Salvador has been a LONG time coming!!!  Brian moved here way over 3 years ago, while I remained in ministry in North Carolina waiting for God’s timing to move me…or maybe God was waiting on me….His patience is certainly greater than mine!!!

                A summer ago I took 6 weeks in El Salvador to discern what God had for me here.  I was amazed as He began answering my prayers in powerful ways, opening a job through General Board of Global Ministries right here in El Salvador.  God waited for my heart to be ready and He moved quickly!   So finally in July 2013 I made the move with complete trust in God to serve Him as a missionary with the Evangelical Methodist Church in El Salvador.

….And finally joined my husband in our new home in Ahuachapan!!!

 This is our home in Ahuachapan - Cute, isn't it!

Settling In….

                The first three months were full of many new challenges.

 

                        *Unpacking and Making Brian’s Space into OUR Home!

Yes, Brian and I once had a home together in Rocky Mount, NC, but we’ve been living in two homes for three years, so I did disrupt his patterns as I began unpacking, moving stuff to new spaces and setting up OUR home.  But this was a welcomed and well-received challenge!   And we are now snug as two bugs in a rug!

                         *Grocery Adventures  – “ Where’s the brown sugar?”

As a good-ole-southern girl there are certain staples I keep in my kitchen, brown sugar being one – and it has been great fun learning how to improvise without it!  I LOVE the food in El Salvador, but every now and then, especially in my first three months here, I found myself craving favorite foods from NC.  So…I looked up recipes online and found ways to improvise with ingredients available in El Salvador.  One of my favorites are the “Nutter Butters” I made for Brian.  He loves that they turned out double (well, triple) – sized!!!

But guess what!  God answers the smallest of prayers!!!  I found brown sugar in the grocery store in Ahuachapan a few weeks ago.  Such a trivial thing, but an extra sweet reminder of just how wonderful and powerful God’s love for me is!!!

          My triple-sized nutter butters!

                      *Language Barriers – My Spanish Angelita!

Sweet Kristie, my Spanish Angelita has definitely earned a special dwelling in heaven as she has been so patient in teaching me Spanish.  On the days I say diez-y-tres for trence….(13) her eyes get SOOOOOOOO BIG and then we laugh together at how difficult this is for me!!!  She works my brain harder than it has worked in quite a while, but in her persistence, I have experienced results – small but glorious!!!  We are finally in the 7^th Chapter of our workbook! 

                                                                                My Spanish Teacher - Kristie

                          *Making New Friends – God Provides

Praise God for my sweet friends in Ahuachapan who take such good care of me, encourage me, and teach me!  I am thankful for each moment we spend together and know that God sent us to each other!!!!

                                              

                           * Missing Home – The Great Sadness

Sad, but true, moving to a new place near or far brings great excitement, but also great sadness.  I went through a period of sadness, longing for what I once knew as home.  For my family and my friends.  But God saw me through it and didn’t let me sink too deep.  He provided phone calls from Mom and emails from friends at just the right times!  And He gave me 3 ½ weeks in NC in Sept/Oct for respite with family and friends and reflection on just how much I LOVE El Salvador and how He has created me for this move.  

                                       He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
                                              out of the mud and mire;
                                       he set my feet on a rock
                                              and gave me a firm place to stand.                                                                                                                            He put a new song in my mouth,
                                              a hymn of praise to our God.
                                      Many will see and fear the Lord
                                             and put their trust in him.

                                                                              Psalm 40:2-3 

 

Getting in the Groove! 

                So…after my return from 3 ½ weeks in the States and a week of settling back in, I find that things are beginning to click!  It was great to return HOME to our dog, Buddie and our sweet friends in Ahuachapan.  To return to our new church home, to return to language class (realizing I hadn’t lost as much Spanish progress as I thought I did), and to get started with work.

                This past week God’s Groove in me has moved quickly!  I had hit a point of frustration with my language comprehension…wondering if I could ever get it….and then I had a day in the women’s group at church when I understood way more than I had before.  You don’t know how good that felt!!!!  It’s been hard attending this group, recognizing that my sisters in Christ are sharing testimonies, worshiping God together, and praying for one another….but I couldn’t understand one single word of it.  There’s still a lot that I don’t understand, but a glimpse of beginning to understand is all I needed for motivation to press on!!!  I am so thankful for the sweet women of faith in my church that meet together each Thursday and patiently wait and encourage me in this time of language barriers!  They grab me by the hand and make sure I am included in what’s happening with smiles and body language letting me know when to stand, sit, pray, and where to find the scripture reading.  God provides ways for us to care for each other even when we do not speak the same verbal language.  God’s language of love is so much stronger than any verbal barriers!

                I am also VERY excited that this past week, my work began.  In my first three months of transition, I just wasn’t ready yet…God still had much work to do in me and I spent a lot of time resting for the drains of culture transition.  But this week, He led me to the afternoon children’s ministry “Infancia con Futura.”  Time with children is healing for me.  God’s light shines so bright through them.  And children are such patient teachers.  They sweetly help me practice my broken Spanish. 

             Each weekday afternoon from 2:30 - 4:30 children gather at New Jerusalem Methodist Church for Fellowship.   They are fed a nutritious snack each day. On this particular day they enjoyed hamburgers!!!

                Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet with the pastors of all 13 Methodist Churches in El Salvador at the National Office.  It was a great time of sharing in God’s goodness and dreaming into His future for Discipleship Ministries in this 19 years young church.  Each pastor shared with me what their church currently does for Sunday School with children and their dreams, hopes, and needs for future growth in these ministries.  My job will be to develop a Methodist Curriculum for each of the churches to use in their Sunday School Ministries.  I was completely inspired by what the pastors shared and God’s call for me to share in ministry here was confirmed once again.  I can’t wait to share more with you about all of this as it develops!

                          Evangelical Methodist Church in El Salvador Pastors at the National Office

THANK YOU for your prayers!  I feel them and God is working through them!  The title of this post is "God's Perfect Timing" because He has answered my prayers at just the right time - a time that only He would know was perfect.  I hope my story will give you encouragement in the situations in which you are waiting on God's Perfect Time. 

 Please continue to keep me in your prayers along with Brian and the people of El Salvador.  God’s presence is strong here – yet there are many challenges.  Keep in touch and let me know what’s going on in your corner of the world! 

Lots of Love,

Ellyn