El Salvador Missions Trip

Roger went to El Salvador on a missions trip and absolutely loved it! He wants to go on the trips every year now. They helped do construction work on a school. He packed old clothes, tools, and candy to pass out to the kids, in his suitcase. He left on a Friday morning and got back the next week on Saturday night. It was a long week with him being gone.

I'm happy to say that I kind of helped pushed him into this trip. He has always been talking about doing something like this for years, but never acted on it . I was sick of hearing him talking and wishing he could go and finally said he was going so I would never have to hear him talk and wish about going any more. I seriously don't know what was stopping him. Everything fell into place and he was going.

I was able to see daily pics of him on facebook, and we skyped almost every day. He was always smiling, but he said he was so happy to be there that he just couldn't stop. The students at the school put on an opening and closing program for the group to show their appreciation. They stayed at a very nice Hilton, which is not usual for mission trips, so what a way to be introduced to your first missions trip, huh?! Usually they sleep in dorm type rooms, or on church floors. They were escorted around on a minibus, and usually didn't leave the hotel or school areas except for dinners. They worked Saturday-Thursday, and then Friday they got to go sight seeing.  He brought us home some nice souvenirs. He wants me to go with him next year, but I said it depended on what country they went to and we would have to get a will in case the worst happened and we ended up orphaning our children; so we'll see about next year. I know that sounds extreme, but from all of the details I heard about that he didn't tell me until getting back from the trip, so I wouldn't worry during the trip, we have to take precautions. I did put my two cents in to some of the missions committee and said my first safer choice would be Ireland.


All of the above was typed up in September--I just never got pics posted, so never shared this post. I have since learned that the 2011 missions trip will be to Brussels, Belgium! Okay, Roger will definitely be going again, but I will only go if I feel God is saying it's okay. Men keep telling me it's hard work and several of the older men will not be returning any more, so they are trying to recruit younger men. They said they won't be sleeping in a wonderful hotel this time either. However, there were a handful of women on this last trip, and I'm not afraid of hard work and I never said I expected to sleep in a 5 star hotel. We'll see what God tells me to do, and I will follow. If I can't go, there's a reason. But if I can go, wow! I'm thinking maybe I should invest in the Rosetta Stone foreign language program and start boning up on my French just in case?

The following pics are only a few that I have on my computer. Roger has so many more, but just so I can finally get this post up after a few months after the trip, I'm just including some of what I have.

They were beginning part of a building by laying cement blocks to form walls. They had to mix concrete for mortar, lift the blocks over re barb, and carry all of the blocks down those flights of stairs.

The children of the school put on ceremonies at the beginning of the trip, and at the end.

Here's the lovely hotel they stayed at, and one of the employees was nice enough to have her picture taken with Flat Stanley, which was a project for one of Evan's co-op classes.

On their day off, one of the places they visited was a fish market--kind of. I thought the pic of them raising the boat was really interesting.

Here are some pics of the city--dirty, exposed wires, yet look at the pretty painting on what I think is a church. It's a very poor city and country.

The kids loved what Roger brought back for them. Lauren got a dress like the she saw pics of the little girls wearing, and Evan got an El Salvador soccer shirt. I got a nice woven purse that says El Salvador.