Carlotta Fenefoss shares on leaving El Salvador

This last full day of our mission trip was bound to be different from the others. We had said our goodbyes to both Karla and her family, as well as hugged the kids at the school in Nuevo Cascatlan for the last time.

We were about to leave San Salvador, giving the city a piece of our hearts filled with vivid memories of the people that we sometimes had spent only minutes with, but despite the short time had touched our hearts and impacted our lives forever. 

Before our visit to the orphanage, we made a short stop at a small, local market that offered typical El Salvadorian souvenirs such as ponchos, hammocks, and bracelets.

Most girls were focused on bringing back small gifts for their boyfriends and families, while others (no names will be named) went all out and bought machetes as a token of their affection (not sure of what affection it is supposed to represent...).

Anyways, headed to an orphanage for mentally disabled children and adults, we prepared ourselves for the last day of giving and reviving the love of Christ through the people we were about to meet.

Still, nothing could ever prepare us for the kind of love, joy, and sense of unity that surrounded this place of God on the hilltop outside of San Salvador.

The strength and love shown by every one of the nurses was extraordinary and was multiplied by the girls as they immediately surrounded the orphans, embracing them, praying for them, and talking to them.

There was especially one moment that exemplified the power of God. As Cristina Giron talked to a lot of the orphans in Spanish they did not seem to recognize anything of what she was saying until she started talking about God. As the word left Cristina's lips you could immediately sense the change in their focus as a light in their eyes started to shine and an occasional shriek of joy would leave their lips and fill the air, mesmerizing the witnesses of these reactions. 

As we left the orphanage, exhausted by the sometimes overwhelming week, we headed to our final destination of our trip, the beach. Here we were given the opportunity to relax and soak in the sun while finally having some time to reflect on all the big and small happenings throughout the week.

Still, all these emotions and experiences of the week could only be summarized through the act of baptizing and welcoming the three new sisters in Christ: Cristina, Niamh Rawlins and Carolyn Springsteen.

Standing in the Pacific Ocean with the waves crushing in, the sun setting and surrounded by all their sisters and brothers in Christ, the three girls were baptized by Coach Klotz, Kelsey Reiman and Alyssa Plowman.

As each of the girls ended the ceremony with a short prayer, the waves kept getting more powerful, reflecting on how El Salvador has made us stronger in our faith, our love for each other, and our love for this country. 

Finally, after having some time to dwell on the happenings of the week, we went down to the beach for our last gathering on this mission trip. We had watched the sun disappear in the ocean, while transforming the sky into millions of colors, with the baptism still fresh in our memories.

We were now given plastic cups for the purpose of scribbling down our most important words that described our experience of the week. With the sound of crashing waves and Eric's guitar playing in the background, we finally got the feeling of peace and calmness that enabled everybody to share their awesome moments that made this mission trip so incredible. 

No words or blog like this will ever come close to describing our experiences or expressing our feelings for this country and the people we were fortunate enough to meet.

Almost no words can describe the relationships and unity this group has achieved through these few days.

Still, this journey lead by God had provided us with so much strength, courage, love, and joy, that it is impossible to not want to share it. This mission trip to El Salvador has given us all more than we could ever expect, led by two words that seemed to always be in the middle of all our actions, relationships and tears.

Relationships between us in the group, relationships between each individual and God, and relationships between us and every person we were blessed enough to meet.

Through forming these relationships, tears of joy and sadness always seemed to follow, stressing the reality and rawness of God's power in every action. But ultimately the tears seemed to always be tears of joy for the people we met, the actions we saw, and the power of God that we felt.  

http://www.lipscombsports.com/wsoccer/

The Team says good to El Salvador

Throughout our lives we meet people who impact us in many ways. On this trip, there have been many for each individual person.

Through the words of Matilde, Karla, Humberto, Coach Klotz and so many others we have all learned so much about both ourselves and The Lord.

Yet it is not always through words that people impact us. They say that actions speak louder than words, and that was ever-so apparent in today's journey. 

We spent most of our day at Karla's house; a place we had all learned to call home. Here we were free to do what our hearts desired.

Some helped the builders continue the finishing aspects of the house, while others stuck straight in with the kids. The atmosphere was amazing. So much love and joy filled us as the sun beat down on our sweating backs.

Through the endless hours of work and play, God ensured we never wavered. Not one complaint was heard of hunger or thirst as we gave all our energy and attention. And those children returned it. They longed for our hugs, our conversation and, in reality, just our love. We all created everlasting bonds and friendships with these kids and soon it began to hit us that this was goodbye. 

We never understood how much a child could change our lives until today. But these children didn't just steal our hearts. They burrowed through our flesh and bones and cemented themselves in place.

With each smile, each gift and each hug, they gave us a piece of their love and we willingly returned it. They showed us the unconditional love that children possess and, through this, the face of Christ. 

But soon the sun began to darken, and the tears began to form as we all embraced for the last time. When we welcomed Karla and her family into her new home and prayed over them for one last time, the reality hit hard.

We had found our family in this neighborhood and now we had to leave them for good. I can't even begin to describe the raw emotion which began to unfold before us. Bodies crippled from tears, tears poured from eyes, and those eyes unveiled so much pain. 

After our final embraces and goodbyes, we filled the bus with an eerie silence. As we sobbed and comforted each other, we saw tears in the eyes of the children who waved us farewell.

While we do not know where these children's futures will take them, we do know that God will be watching over them. We will pray for their safety, their joy and that one day they will find their way back into our lives. 

Following a short break, we headed to a different destination, where we got the opportunity to share the Gospel with girls our own age again. We had been invited to meet and share with the U-20 El Salvador women's soccer team.

To ease ourselves into their environment, we had a short mixer. By getting to know us on the field, I feel they were more willing to accept what we had to share off it.

As some teammates spoke to them, you could see their eyes fixated and their brains soaking in all we had to say. Some shed tears, while others nodded along and, although not all whole-heartedly prayed or worshipped, I know that at least one or two took something special away from our short time together. 

Again, through this simple game of soccer, we were able to form friendships with these unique people, regardless of the language barrier.

But this week has not been about the relationships we have made with the kids, the soccer players or El Salvador as a whole. This week is about our relationship with God, and encouraging others to walk in the path we have chosen to take.

We will never truly know if any of the people we have met will take heed of our words and begin their relationship with God, but we know that through our own we have shared our love, sweat and tears.

These children, these people and this country have opened our eyes to a new world and a new life, and we will never forget all that they have done. 

http://www.lipscombsports.com/wsoccer/

Ali Critcher sends an update

We struggle every single morning to get out of bed and start a new day. But as soon as we get to see the beauty in a child's smile we immediately become encouraged.

Playing with the children of El Salvador is something I could never have dreamed of. The love that fills their eyes is overwhelming. All of the children command attention. 

From 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. we played with children of all ages from the government school. We played tag and soccer for hours and hours, but by God's grace we never ran out of energy.

Each girl on the team met at least one child that will never be forgotten. It's so easy to look past the simple things, such as giving a hug to a 12-year-old girl, but we didn't do that.

The girls and boys at the school may not get the love that is essential to a healthy life. I like to believe that the simple hugs and kisses that were exchanged today made an everlasting mark on these children's lives. 

Our lunch was spent in an overcrowded room that consisted of the team and the precious school teachers. The teachers work for a small salary that doesn't even provide enough income for household necessities.

The first thing that I noticed was a teacher piling up pizza on a plate. My first thought was, "Wow, is she going to eat five pieces of pizza?” I sat next to her and watched her go up for more pizza several times. What I didn't notice was that she was eating some, but she was also piling them on a plate underneath the table. After telling this story to my teammates, I was told that she took the pizza and cut them up for her kindergartners. 

This made me realize so much. I have never had to struggle for a meal in my entire life. I complain often about my food not being good enough, and I often throw it away because it tastes poorly. In this moment I was reminded that a lot of these children aren't going to get a meal when they get home. I was immediately embarrassed about my wastefulness and greediness. 

I was also a part of a group who taught an English class. We shared our individual stories with the students and then taught them simple things to say such as "How are you?" and "What is your name?" I'm not sure if they were able to take anything away from the stories that we each shared, but I feel like God called me to tell my story for a reason. 

God is working in amazing ways here in El Salvador. I can't wait for what the final days of the week have in store for us. I'm so excited to share with everyone in Nashville what God is doing in my life. 

http://www.lipscombsports.com/wsoccer/

Jolene Muir takes a turn to share on El Salvador

I woke to what can only be described as clown-car horns sounding in the streets. At the early hour of 6 am, this was not the most pleasant way to start the day. Yet, as I begrudgingly dragged myself out of bed and glanced out the window, I saw locals on their way as the sun rose over the buildings gifting light to those below. In that moment I felt truly alive. All anger and anxiety was lifted; today was going to be a good day.

We began our adventure at the local school, where we expected to visit classes. But, as with everything in El Salvador, our plans changed.

Amidst a local festival, many classes were lacking in numbers which meant we spent three tiring hours playing "mica" (tag). With sweat dripping from every part of our bodies, there was nothing that could wipe the smiles off of both the girl’s and the children's faces.

From young to old, no child was left to be alone. Sitting back and watching as children were chased, tickled, hugged and simply loved by all of us, there was the amazing presence of pure joy in the air. 

Upon the ring of the final bell, the children retreated to their classes. Left in an eerie silence and calm, it was overwhelming to soak in what had just happened. The Lord brought us to this place, to these people, and in that moment we knew we were right where we were supposed to be. 

As we left the school, in our rear-view mirror, we continued our day’s journey to Karla's house to celebrate her youngest child, Fernanda's birthday.

Armed with cake, candy and toys we were once more greeted by the neighborhood children. Those smiles never left their faces as we showered them with embraces. Their unwarranted joy is something that can only be explained by the grace of God.

With them we played, we laughed, we danced and we attempted to show them the love that God blesses them with. When the time came to say goodbye again the hugs tightened, the tears threatened and the love deepened. Throughout this week, we have built a bond with these kids. They opened their homes and their hearts to us and have impacted our lives in more ways than they will ever know. 

In the afternoon we experienced a new side of El Salvador at ESEN, a private university which claims to be the most expensive and exclusive in the country. Here we met with the women's soccer team for a mixer. Refreshingly, most spoke English, so the language barrier which often troubled us was no longer an issue. Instantly, we connected to these girls as we played the game we all love.

On and off the field, we bonded and shared our stories as we found common ground in our love of Christ. Exchanging Facebook details, it was overwhelming to realize that a soccer ball had brought all of these people together. Through something so trivial and childish, came an afternoon so powerful and meaningful to all. 

From a day full of tears, sweat, love and hard work, came so many things to be thankful for and so much more to look forward to. As we've now reached halfway in our trip, it is strange to think how much we have grown already. Each and every one of us has grown spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally. We all see different things and are impacted in different ways. Whether it is through a simple game of tag, or a child giving a kiss and a bracelet, this week is blessing us in so many ways. 

As we lay our heads down and prepare for what is to come we know that The Lord has a great plan for all of us. Not only for this week, but for wherever He may lead us in the future. And for that, we are forever grateful. 

http://www.lipscombsports.com/wsoccer/  

Hannah Locke Shares...

Women's soccer player, Hannah Locke, shares with the fans the next update from the team's current trip to El Salvador.

 

With a good night’s rest, we woke up and got ready to go to church.
With all the events that occurred in the past two days, the anticipation on all of our faces showed the excitement of the unknown.

As we filed out of the big bus and into the small one-room church, the presence of the Holy Spirit was immediately apparent. As worship started, the leaders sang songs in Spanish, yet through the music we realized we knew the songs too. The church walls started to shake as Spanish and English praises are sent up to our Father in heaven. Here, language is not a barrier. Praise is praise.
Coach Klotz spoke about grace as David translated his message. The two men were perfectly in sync as one would talk with as much strength as the other.

After he spoke, we gathered around, arm in arm and prayed over the team, the families, and our trip. It was an emotional sight to see; tear streamed faces, bright smiles, and loving hugs were passed amongst everyone there. We all felt incredibly blessed in that moment because of how welcoming and genuine the church was toward us, making us part of their family.

Next we traveled to Matilde's house in the developing community. Words cannot describe the power of the Holy Spirit that filled her tiny house made of mud and tin.

As we gathered around this beautiful woman to hear her tell us her story, everyone grew silent and fixes their faces upon her. Matilde is 101 years old. She has no family, and lives on her own. Her only hope and faith is in The Lord, and that is all she needs to satisfy her soul.

As she shared her story with us, you could see the light in her eyes; a pure joy and happiness to be living and praising her Father in heaven here on earth. As we prayed over her, the group was touched by this woman of such profound faith in God. We all left her house with a piece of her to stay in our heart forever, and to remind us that God will never fail us.

As we got on the bus to go see Karla (the woman we are building the house for), everyone grew a little silent. An amazing day was about to become even better. Quiet conversations throughout the bus with music playing softly, we drove through the hills of the developing communities.

In that moment something profound happened that many may not have realized. The sun was slowly starting to set as it shone through the windows on each of our faces illuminating the beautiful landscape all around us. God was so present in that moment saying, "Look at what I have created for you my dear children. Go and make disciples of ALL nations."

We finally get to Karla's house and were pleasantly surprised at the progress made on it. An almost complete four walls had everyone smiling ear to ear, hugging and laughing as the whole neighborhood of children ran up as they saw the bus pulling in.

It was as if a huge family reunion was going on. We all sat around Carla as she shared her story with us and her gratitude for her new house.

The extent of her struggles, pain, and  hardships that she has gone through left us all speechless. However, when she spoke of her difficulties, tears of peace and genuine love for her Lord showed us her constant faith that He would provide.

This single mom of three is a testament of how God never leaves our side even when our sufferings increase. Her courage and strength to raise her children in some of the hardest situations was an eye-opening experience for the entire team. Once again, the Holy Spirit was moving within us as more tears ran down our faces in complete awe and amazement.

The incredible time with Karla finally came to an end as we said our goodbyes and shuffled onto the bus. The exhaustion from such a long day was nothing compared to the joy that had been poured into our hearts from these wonderful women and beautiful children.

As we drove back, the song "Set a Fire" came on, and we all started to sing along. With the sun finally setting over the hills and the words, "I want more of you, God," are sung from our hearts, a peace fell over the bus. We want more of you God, and each day you continue to show us that you want more of us too.

http://www.lipscombsports.com/wsoccer/

Emily Shuler shares

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Emily Shuler took a little time out of her journey into El Salvador to share with the fans how the trip is going. Here is Emily's first update:


Waking up at the not so bright yet oh so early hour of 4:00 a.m., we headed off to catch a flight to El Salvador. Upon landing, you could already hear the call of El Salvador welcoming us and drawing us in.

The team is split with an almost 50/50dynamic of first timers and veterans to El Salvador and among us you can sense this mood that surrounds us all. I can only describe it as a an invitation. "Come and see." The veterans to the rookies, "Come and see this place we love," and The Lord to us all, "Come and see what I have planned for you."

Today we began working on site at Karla's home. We tore down the remaining wall and prepared the ground for the work we will do tomorrow. To see how everyone immediately jumped right in was incredible, but what was even more awesome was the symbolism in what we were doing. We were tearing down our own walls so we could be more vulnerable and open to what The Lord has planned, which will lead to us cultivating the people on the ground here in El Salvador.

But if we think that this trip is solely for us to pour into those we meet and cultivate them, we are sadly mistaken. As some worked on the site, others walked the neighborhood in the developing communities.

 

We came across multiple families and got to know them and their kids and then prayed for them. It was uncomfortable for a lot of us.

But in this you can hear The Lord still saying, "Come and see". Come see my people, come see my provision, come see my love for you here and now. 

The Lord has big plans for this week, and I can't wait to see what he calls us as a group and individually to come and see as he reveals his wonders to us here in El Salvador. 

 

http://www.lipscombsports.com/wsoccer/

 

Working Hard

The team is working hard on a home for a woman named Karla and her children, Humberto shared that the building is going very quickly with the help of team Lipscomb and many volunteers. He sent some pictures so you can see for yourself!

A younger volunteer jumping right in to help!

Prayer Time.

Looking good Lipscomb!

David making it look easy!

Digging away!

The team will have a full day at Pedro Castillo tomorrow helping with PE classes, sharing the Gospel and participating in the afternoon assembly. We ask that you continue to keep the team in your prayers as the week progresses.  They have been working hard and moving fast, please pray for a restful night for their bodies and minds and a great day of ministry 

at Pedro Castillo.

Come back tomorrow for another update!

Getting Right to Work!

The Lipscomb team has wasted no time, day one and they have already been out working on the building project and praying with families in the community!  The head of SOI El Salvador, Humberto is so excited to have this team and see how God will work in each of their lives while they are helping the community of Nuevo Cuscatlán.

Check back tomorrow for more updates on Team Lipscomb!!

Here are a few pictures of the team working hard!

Chris Klotz leading the team in prayer.

Team Lipscomb building away!

The girls ministering with a child from the community.

They aren't afraid to get their hands dirty!



Snack time!

As one comes home, another goes...

We are so thankful that our team from Life Point Church made it safely home from Uganda to Wilmington, NC on Thursday.  We can't wait to hear from the team about what they did, learned, and saw.  Thank you all for your prayers while they were gone.  

But, in true Sports Outreach fashion, there is always something going on!  So, we sent out another team!!  Lipscomb women's soccer team headed to El Salvador today.  This is a huge team of 24; 21 girls from the team, Assistant Coach Chris Klotz, two ministry leaders from Charlotte, Brett McDonough and Eric Bernier and SOI Lynchburg's very own David Granada!  

The team has an amazing ministry filled with the Gospel, ministry to the children at Pedro Pablo Castillo School and Vito Gurato Orphanage, as well as lots of pick-up soccer games with the community.  The team will be busy to say the least.  

We appreciate all prayers for the team while they are in El Salvador, check back here for daily updates about the team's itinerary and schedule!