First, a quick update on Jon. He is much better now…thanks for the prayers! Since he’s had Dengue fever in the past, anytime he runs a fever he will have to be monitored. Getting Dengue a second time usually causes complications. Thankfully, it was just a virus this time!

This past week was Holy Week (Semana Santa in Spanish) in El Salvador. It was definitely a new cultural experience for us! Everything shuts down for the week because everyone is on vacation. There was absolutely no traffic which was great for us! Jon’s mom also visited so since Tori was off school the kids got to spend plenty of time with their Nana.

One of the coolest things we did was to go to the nearby town of Santa Tecla. Here, the locals created “alfombras.” That is the Spanish word for carpets. These were creations that covered the streets. They depicted scenes from the Passion of Christ and were made from dyed salt, sand, and sawdust. The artists spent hours making them. After we viewed them, there was a procession through the streets and they got trampled underfoot. We didn’t stay for the procession since Jon still wasn’t feeling that great but what we saw was an amazing cultural experience!

We also celebrated Easter a little differently this year. We did our usual American traditions of Easter baskets and candy then went to church. After church and Easter lunch we took Jon’s mom to visit the San Salvador volcano and had dinner at a coffee plantation. Then in the evening Jon and his mom went out to feed the homeless with a team that’s here from the States this week. I would say that my highlight for Easter this year was worshipping God with my Salvadoran brothers and sisters. Hearing God praised in another language reminds me that God’s Kingdom is so much bigger than just me. I hope all of you had a great Easter as well! I’ve posted some pictures below of our Semana Santa!