We have been blessed these past few weeks with our first visitors from back home in Wisconsin! Both the Daniels Family and the older Hebbe boys came to not only partner with us in ministry but also to refresh and pour encouragement into our souls. We felt so blessed to be loved from home "in person".
Leaving or left behind....I don't know which one is harder? Leaving those home behind or letting those back home go. We have now experienced both sides and are reminded that like church, home is not about the place but about the people. Whether we are the ones leaving or watching others go, the loss that is felt from their presence is real and painful. Nothing can change that except what we choose as our perspective. We are to keep eternity in our view. We are choosing to be thankful for the time God gave us recognizing that the quality of our time, a deeper intimacy, versus the quantity of our time is what is most important. God's heart and character are reflected in relationships. It's value is the eternal impact those relationships have every day on the Kingdom of God. Thank you dear friends for impacting our lives with the love and encouragement of the Father as you support us here and from afar.
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| The Gang Together |
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| Girl Time |
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| Building a Chicken Coop for My Father's Heart Orphanage |
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| Handing over the Machete |
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| Joe's famous words, "I want chickens in here by the end of the day". Don't think that is going to happen :) Things Don't Happen that Fast in El Salvador |
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| Visiting El Boqueron Volcano |
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| Big Tough Guys Think They Can Hike this Bad Boy (see the crater at the bottom) |
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| Fun In The Sun |
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| Boogie Boarding and Body Surfing on the Pacific Ocean |
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| The Boys Building a Sand Castle |
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| Being Buried in the Sand |
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| Raeleigh and Jacob Getting Some Much Needed Rest |
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| Joe Drinking Straight From a Coconut |
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| One of Our Favorite "Hole In the Wall" Restaurants called Taco Lips |
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| Dinner with the Snyder's & Staff (Partnership in Ministry called Mission To El Salvador) |
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| Made and Delivered Hundreds of Meals in the Back of a Pick Up to the Homeless |
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| Connecting With Skyler's Classmates at School (Invited Some to Youth Group and They Came) |
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| Skyler and Lauren with Maddie and Maryfer |
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Connecting With Other Missionary Kids/Friends For a VBS at the International School  |
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| Many Activities and Crafts |
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| Jake Experiencing Salvadorian Food (Tamales and Pupusas) |
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| Oh Come on Sam...You Like It! |
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| Spending Quality Time (in the eyes of this generation :) |
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| Visiting Vinculo de Amor (Love Link) Spending Time With Malnourished Babies |
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| Sam and Lauren's Shift Doing Dishes |
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| The Boys Draining Noodles Making a Meal for the Orphans at Love and Hope  |
Skyler and Raeleigh Playing Games With Some of the Boys
at the Orphanage
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| Skyler's Buddy "Antonio" |
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| Wouldn't Be the Same Without a Little Game of Soccer |
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| I Think They Taught Us a Thing or Two |
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| Raeleigh Trying to Use Her Spanish With Some of the Girls From the Orphanage |
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| Love Is An Action Word |
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| Chamba Loved Jacob and Skyler |
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| Precious Time Catching Up |
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| The Boys Would Not Rest Until They Ate at Taco Bell |
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| Sam Bought A Pocket Knife (Where Are the Parents?) |
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| Jacob With His Knife and an Armed Monkey Made From a Coconut |
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| A Push Up Challenge. Guess Who Won? Not the Old Guy :) |
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| Happy Father's Day |
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| Soccer Game With Boys in Our Gated Community |
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| Sam Arm Wrestling a Salvadorian Stranger |
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| The Boys Participating in a Scavenger Hunt With a Short Term Team From the States |
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| Debriefing the Scavenger Hunt (Jacob & Raeleigh's Team Won) |
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| Graduation Night With Our Honor Roll Kids |
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| Skyler Making the Honor Roll (God's Grace for A Homeschool Mom) |
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| Graduation Celebration (Some Are Obviously Not Ready To Graduate) |
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| Two Peas In a Pod |
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| Two Big Peas In a Pod |
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| Paintball with Friends |
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| Visit to Metamorfosis (Shoe Factory Ministering to Ex-Prisioners and Gang Members) |
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| Testing New Machinery Donated |
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| Ex-prisioner and Gang Member, Rodrigo, Sharing His Story |
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| Outside the Shoe Factory |
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| An Early Celebration for Lucas 8th Birthday |
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| Raeleigh's Secret Note Written on Mrs. Daniel's Notebook (She Discovered It At Work After She Was Home) |
