Wrapping Up

Crossing Cultures, Family, Third Culture Kids, Training - June 15, 2013

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity around here. We have been wrapping up ministry and house stuff as we prepare to leave for our 8 week home assignment. We’ve also had all of the end-of-the year kids stuff…school parties and awards ceremonies, and today they competed in a tournament sponsored by their karate school here in El Salvador. Eight weeks is a long time to be gone, and wrapping things up so that we can get on a plane tomorrow has been a bit of a challenge. But here I am surrounded by suitcases and almost ready to go! We are so excited to see family and friends, to reinforce English with our kids, to share about what is happening in El Salvador, and to get […]

Home

Crossing Cultures, Language Learning, Thinking About God, Transitions - April 4, 2013

Yesterday I made a quick stop at our local supermarket. I ran in and ran out and just as I was stepping off the front steps and onto the parking lot a feeling of rightness washed over me. The afternoon sun was slanting at just the angle to throw a golden haze over everything, and the sounds and smells of the city swirled around me…horns honking, warming oil from the woman selling tortillas on the side of the road, sun-baked pavement, and the smell of exhaust as cars raced around the circle in front of me. It’s strange, I know, but I felt like I was touching something familiar…like I was home. That word “home” is one that I can’t pin down anymore. It’s here and it’s there. Many of you have followed me on the ups […]

24 Hours of Christmas

Advent, Crossing Cultures, Family, Holidays, Third Culture Kids - December 26, 2012

We hope that all of our friends and family around the world had a very Merry Christmas! We began celebrating on the evening of the 24th, as is the tradition in El Salvador. We started out by going to a party in our neighborhood, then on to another friends’ home for dinner around 10:00, and then visited more friends close to midnight. We arrived home in time to watch fireworks all over the city from our terrace, and then we slept for a few hours before waking up early to celebrate “American” Christmas by opening presents, swimming with friends, and eating Christmas dinner. We were also blessed to have our friend Roberto celebrating with us on the 24th and 25th. By around 8pm on Christmas we were wiped out! Here are […]

That’s A Wrap

Crossing Cultures, Interns, Language Learning, Life in El Salvador, Short-Term Missions, YWAM - August 3, 2012

Today we are wrapping up our first ever summer internship! The summer has gone so smoothly, and we really have our two great interns to thank for it! Heather will be flying back to the States tomorrow, and LeAnna will be staying for a few more months to do the Discipleship Training School here at the YWAM base. These girls have just been awesome as they have wrestled through issues of cross-cultural communication, poverty, and how God fits into it all. They have dedicated themselves to serving God and the people of El Salvador with a passion. I have learned so much from them as they have jumped right into ministry. For me, I find that after two and a half years I waver in my passion from time to […]

Small Successes

Crossing Cultures, Fundraising, Gangs, Kids at Risk, Prayer, Transitions, Urban Ministry, YWAM - July 27, 2012

In El Salvador, many times we count the small successes as big ones. This weekend we are rejoicing in one such success. Three years ago, we were fundraising and in the process of transitioning out of our home in Pittsburgh. Our main goal for moving to El Salvador was to enter into the lives of the people of El Salvador, particularly the fatherless. We had a dream of seeing the fatherless connected with their true Father, and to see them begin a life-long journey of coming to know Him. Beyond that, we also came with the hope of bringing physical and emotional healing and seeing people’s lives change holisticly. The thing we have learned is that small successes come by small steps. Day by day, moment by moment walking through […]

Re-entry

Crossing Cultures, Family, Fundraising, Holidays, Third Culture Kids - July 22, 2012

Re-entry after our time in the States has been a little rough as we adjust back to a regular schedule, normal work hours, and a two hour time difference. The kids have handled it like champs, and they have become such great international travellers. We spent time in Maryland, visited my brother and his wife in Philadelphia, went to Pittsburgh, then returned to Maryland and took a day-trip to D.C. before catching a plane back to El Salvador. Despite a bout with the stomach flu, everything went smoothly and we had a great trip! We were really blessed by all of our friends, family, individual donors, and supporting churches who cheered us on during our visit. We had the opportunity to visit three churches, and to share with friends and […]

Check it Out

Crossing Cultures, Family - June 22, 2012

Today I am guest posting over at Missionary Mom’s Companion. If you are a mom, a missionary, or anyone intersted in cross-cultural life and ministry make sure you check this site out! In other news, Jon and I are celebrating TEN YEARS of marriage today! I can’t believe it! I’m so grateful for these past ten years and looking forward to ten more with such an incredible husband and father to my children by my side!

Intern Orientation Week

Crossing Cultures, Interns, Places to Visit in El Salvador, Short-Term Missions, Training - June 18, 2012

I can already tell that this summer is going to fly by! Last week was a great start with our Intern Orientation. LeAnna and Heather will be working with us to do all of our ministries, get stuff done around the base, and host the teams that will be passing through El Salvador this summer. They are seriously awesome and we feel like we hit the jackpot getting to work with them all summer! Last week they had a full week with orientation to all of our ministries, training that focused on cross-cultural issues, and a brief overview of El Salvador’s culture and history including a visit to a local museum run by an ex-guerilla from El Salvador’s civil war. We ended the week with a trip to go hiking at La […]

Short-Term Season

Crossing Cultures, Interns, Prayer, Short-Term Missions, Stuff We're Reading - June 11, 2012

The “short-term missions season” is upon us. Our kids are wrapping up their last week of school, and our summer interns are on their way to El Salvador as I write this. We will have North American teams and volunteers passing through our doors all summer long. We hope that it is a valuable experience for everyone. Short-terms missions have become a billion dollar “business” and millions of North Americans travel around the world each year to serve. This is a good thing, and many people have benefitted. We have been incredibly blessed with amazing volunteers who have come to El Salvador to learn from and encourage local missionaries and Christians. We also have seen people develop a heart for missions as a result of a short-term trip. This is a good thing! But […]

Expectations

Crossing Cultures, Language Learning, Thinking About God - June 7, 2012

“I expected to stop making mistakes in Spanish by now.” “I never expected my son to have problems in school.” “I expected that I’d have a great support system of other missionaries.” “I never saw this coming.” Expectations. We all have them, we all compare our lives to them, we all struggle when they are not met. I think if you talk to anyone who is working in cross-culturally ministry (or heck, in any job or ministry) you will find that they have many unmet expectations. I know it’s true for me. I hold on to things that I want to happen, or wish desperately that they could happen another way, or feel frustrated when all my high hopes disappear in sleepless nights and painful conversations. “I expected it to be hard, […]

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