Broken To Be Used

     "God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever."
                                                       Vance Havner

 Life here in San Salvador has been pretty busy for the last couple of weeks, and I haven't updated for over a week.  There were two teams here, one from Simpson University in California, and one from Missoula, Montana.  They were doing evangelism in Quezaltepeque (It really is fun to say, you should try it ;), a town about an hour northwest of here.  I spent one day there with them and Jen and the kids, and spent a couple of days off with the team at the beach, doing a scavenger hunt here in San Salvador.  I made some great friends, and met a lot of awesome people, that I feel blessed and honored to know.   I also got to go with them to Suchitoto to see some land that Richard and Jen have a vision of one day getting to build "Broken".
 "Broken" is the vision of ministry that God has given Richard and Jen.  To build a home for broken people.  Abandoned infants, drug addicts, prostitutes... people who are broken... the people Jesus invites to Himself.  A place of restoration, healing, and new life through Christ. It was so neat to be able to hear from Richard how God has shown this to them, and the prayer and direction from God that has already gone into it, and also hear the need of prayers to flood over it, and the need that is there to bring this vision to pass.  God also gave me a fresh revelation of where I need to be in my walk with Him.  Totally broken.  Totally and utterly aware of my sin, and how I, in my flesh, am nothing, and to continue, constantly walk in brokenness before Him, always dependant on Him, and knowing my only life is through Him and His grace, having nothing at all to do with me.  It's so easy to start thinking I'm on a pretty good stretch, doing pretty good in my own "good girl" life.  But all that "righteousness" is nothing but dirty, filthy rag.  Without Him I can "do NOTHING".  It is only through being broken that we are usable. 
   The land that they are looking at right now is on a peninsula that we went to on boats, and then hiked to get a good view.  Beautiful country God has made here in El Salvador. :)  It was great to get some exercize and sweat... haha. 
  The teams both left on Tuesday, and it seems since then everyone has been "muy cansada".  VERY TIRED. ;)  Yesterday and today I have been basically dragging my legs out of bed.  I'm also trying to fight off some kind of head/ sinus/ throat cold, so that is pretty draining. 

                                       Some cool birds we saw on the boat ride to the Broken land.

                                                               Part of the boat crew :)

One of the things our Scavenger Hunt team had to do was make a human pyramid with a Salvadorean.    

                        Such sweet kids  (even though Arrow is hiding in the back)  :)

                             Overlooking some of the land for Broken.  Beautiful.

Friendships made and sealed ;)

  I am continuing to absolutely love this family - each one has such amazing traits and characteristics that I will always remember and cherish.  I know I still have two months with them, but I am already dreading the day I will have to say Goodbye.  :)
 

Adventure

                “Life is either a great adventure or nothing.”  Helen Keller

  Adventure... synonomous with life, right?  Life is to be an adventure... the great adventure.  My life certainly has.  Especially the last couple of days.  I have loved the ocean since the first time I layed eyes on it.  Also since the first time I "layed ears on it".  I could listen to that sound for hours.  Something about it is so captivating for this land locked girl.  So I have been indulged for nearly two whole days :) Sunday was spent at El Pacifico with Richard, Jen, the kids, and Melissa Lonas, who just arrived for 15 months from North Carolina as part of the staff at Wired (the Ministry Center here in El Salvador). We had such a ball on the beach, as well as in the water park right there by the beach. I don't think I have played my heart out in a pool like that since I was probably eleven.

                                             Raquel and Me in the incredibly warm water.

                                             Arrow and Felice doing some wave hoppin'

                                                     Alton - What a guy :)

Yes, these are whole fish she was selling ( I didn't buy one... I know I know, my whole scoop on adventure??? :)

 
  Today was spent with the team from Simpson University in CA, and part of the Wired Staff at El Tunco, a beach not far from El Pacifico.  My days off this week are today and tomorrow so that I can go do stuff with them. (Thanks, Richard and Jen!!)  It was such a blast, though my shoulders and legs are telling me it was more like a bake.  The sun definitely did it's job on me :)  Several tried surfing, others of us just walked on the shore and played in the water.  I could not believe the size of some of those waves!! But I did eat some sort of clam that was still wiggling... still doesn't seem like me to do something like that. But hey it wasn't too bad!!! Then afterwards they told me that the reddish juice it was in was the blood. Yaeh. Lovely. Oh well, sticking to my whole adventure speel.

                        Lauren and I trying to convince ourselves that we will live through this.

                                                                  Bottoms up!!

                                                                      :)

                                                           Great new friends

                                                James, Brad, and Anna... the native surfers :)
  I have been having a blast, and been very refreshed meeting new people and making new friends.
So what is the adventure God has called you to today?  It's so great that the greatest adventure of all is simply walking hand in hand with our Savior.  No matter what He asks us to do, whether it seems exciting or not.  Even it's waking up and doing the same thing we have done for 10, 20, 30 years.  It can be a new adventure, because He makes everyday new to us.  Life with Jesus is exciting!! Not because we feel good, or because we are doing what we want, but because HE is exciting!!! He is Adventure!!  Being willing to take His hand and go on the adventure... whatever He may ask... is the beginning :)  Love you all and thank you for your prayers and support.  You are much appreciated.


 

The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man!

Buenos Noches Everyone!
  I have no profound thing to say tonight, or even really thoughts to share, only to ask for your prayers for the current team that is here and the work they are doing.  The mission of this team in particular is one on one evangelism.  They worked today and continue tomorrow in an extremely poor neighborhood, with some people that they have been appointed to talk to, and some people just as the Lord leads.  I heard a few stories tonight of how the Lord was working today, and there are mighty things going on.  But as the Lord starts to move, opposition also begins to appear.  Richard, Jen and Alton will all be on the team tomorrow as translators.  Pray for a mighty moving of God, an outpouring of His Spirit, and for eyes to be opened to the chains they are bound in, and the life and freedom available in Christ.  There is a great, inner growl that comes from within when My Mighty God is on the move. I sense that growl and that moving tonight.  Pray with me and many others.

  "The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war, He shall cry out, yes, whout aloud; He shall prevail agains His enemies."  Isaiah 42:13

Dwelling :)

  Well, here I am again on my little balcony in the cool ;) Salvadorean air.  A little gecko just ran up the wall, too fast for me to even shoot with my camera.  Shucks.  I am trying real hard to see a star, but so far haven't been able to see even one. The sounds of a city of over 2 million people is starting to be normal.  2 million.  Each with a soul that is going somewhere someday - into eternity.
   I'm desperately trying to gather my thoughts, but it seems like they are going in so many different directions tonight it is hard to calm them down and hold them down :) 

"Rocky".  Since I can't ever seem to remember Raquel has NO C!! :)

She can't understand why someone is taking a picture with "HER" pink camera.

A cloudy beginning of the sunset.  This the "pre rainy" season.

My feet after PART of a day going bare foot in the house.  Just so you don't think Richard and Jen are slobs, their floors are spic and span!! (you're welcome guys ;)  Just part of the El Salvador tile floors.

Felice - a kindred spirit.  ;) Where has this girl been all this time?  :)

  Life here is continuing to go well.  Yesterday was a day off, which I took to just relax and do some reading.  Finally getting the chance to read some books that have been on my "all time" list for awhile.  Today was a pretty normal week day in the Mullinax household.  Doing baths, dressing precious kids, fixing hair on pretty little heads, playing games, and playing baseball with a four year old.  Talk about a challenge. ;)  I would pitch and he would hit it and the bases were in the opposite way from where he was batting. Then when he pitched it to me I would run in the direction of the ball to try and hit it.  What a blast!!  He even hit it into the top of a "pineapple" tree, and we couldn't even see it to get it down.  So one of the neighbors was watching us and came over and borrowed a ladder from the roofing crew next door and got it down for us.  It certainly is interesting being on the opposite end of the "language barrier" spectrum.  I have spent my whole life on the "this is my country, speak my language" side.  Now I am on the "this is your country, and I can't speak your language... I'm Sorry!" side.  It's rather humbling, and certainly gives a person empathy and understanding.  From the nice gentleman's vocabulary I was able to make out "arriba", which also happens to be the name of my hometown. For all you Arriba local yocals, it means "up" in Spanish, yaeh, go figure that one out... Ha! Went with Jen and the kids to horse rides, picked a couple of oranges and ate them ( I could so easily get used to that!!)  Then tonight two members of an upcoming team came over for dinner.  It was a good day.
  I was reminded again of one of my favorite scriptures, and even more challenging, the concept behind it.  "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."  Ps. 91:1.  How I love that secret place.  That beloved, intimate, just me and my Savior place.  But do I dwell there?  Dwell means to live there.  Or do I just vacation there when there is nothing going on and then go back to "my house"?  Chewing on that tonight :)  If my life is truly His, my house should be bulldozed and there is nothing left standing but that secret place.  Under my Almighty's Shadow :)   I love you, Jesus.
 
 
  I

A Different View

 " Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. "
 
 There is a very interesting dynamic of spending so much time with kids that are from the States, but live in Central America.  Things that are so foreign and new to me are just normal day to day life for them.  You can really see it when they play and how they play.          This is a vicious game!! :)
  
 Yesterday Felice had a pickup she was pushing around on the floor.  I said, "Are you going to check cows?"  She screwed up her sweet face and said, "Huh?".  "Yaeh, in your pickup, are you going to check cows?", I repeated.  She proceeded to tell me that she was hauling fruit and bread, and had a help sign on each door of her pickup, so was going to help people by hauling their fruit, flowers and bread.  Then she happily pushed her automobile in the other room.  I stood there kind of dumbfounded for a minute with how normal this is to her.  Difference of culture, difference of the way people live. 
  But it does change your views.  It changes your views when you daily see people with bones sticking out below their knees for feet, in a wheel chair, or mentally handicapped people, sitting at stoplights... in traffic... asking for a little money.  Moms with 4-5 kids, selling clothes on the street corner as their only income.  People living under a piece of tin held up by four polls as their house. And I get bummed because the internet is down for a few hours, or because I am hot.  Changes your views.  Makes you thankful to have three meals a day.  Changes your views.  Makes me thrilled, and wonder why God chose me to actually be able to know my Dad, know who he is, and let alone, know that he loves me and always will, when so many kids don't even know who their dad is, their Mom being a slave to the life of the streets.  Changes your views.  Suddenly having clean water to drink becomes a big deal.  So many things that aren't even given a second thought - necessities.  Not even to mention all the things that we think we somehow have a "right" to - things like so many clothes we can't decide which ones to pack, laptops, TV's, movies, cars.  We somehow deserve all this because of what color our skin is, or what our last name is.  As if we had or have any control over any of that.  Changes your views.  What if God asked me to give up all my "rights" (which is exactly what He asks us to do), but if He literally told me, like He told the young rich man, to sell everything I have and give it to the poor?  Would I do it?  Would I bo so in love with Jesus, having Him truly as my All in All, that I would gladly do it - simply because He asked me to?  Or is my security in my stuff, my rights, that, like the rich young ruler, I would walk away devastated and not able to do it, because my heart lies in my rights, my stuff, MY... whatever? That's the problem.  Me, instead of Him.  He needs to be my treasure.  My treasure needs to have nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Him.  Then if and when all the other is stripped away, it will be no real loss, because my treasure was not there.
  Changes your views. 
Apart from thinking and pondering, I've been keeping real busy, and was MADE to be slightly homesick for the first time.  My family is branding this weekend... probably one of my favorite things. (Plus making and eating all kinds of awesome, "home" stuff, like pies and snowball cookies).   But they promised to take lots of pictures and send them to me, so that will make it better :)  A team that was here doing a lot of construction left today, and there is another one coming in on Tuesday.  So things continue to get busier.
  I want to also take the opportunity to thank everyone who has overwhelmingly commited to pray for me.  It means so much. More than I can even say.  There is even a group of people who have agreed to take turns praying every morning at 8.  I am nearly moved to tears at this love and kindness.  So thank you to everyone - whether you pray daily, or think of me throughout the day. I am extremely grateful, and know God is hearing and answering each prayer.  Pray for the Mullinax family as well.  I love you all!! 

Learning

"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life." ~Henry L. Doherty

 My little friend after I took away his most precious gift... life.
         He'll think twice before he crawls over the top edge
            of my laptop while I'm watching a movie again. ;)

                                 I got real adventurous and decided to write my grocery list in
                                      English and then try to translate it in Spanish.  Yaeh.

Never get tired of learning!! 
  I don't really have any profound thoughts to share tonight.  Just continuing on with my daily routine, which I am loving.  Today was a holiday here ( I guess May Day, but a much bigger deal.)  People were off school and work, and the streets were pretty empty.  It was kind of nice!!  I made dinner tonight for the family... chicken enchiladas.  "Ole' Faithful" of a recipe. It was a good hit :)  Or, let's say, it will be, if Richard doesn't start hurling before morning!!!  hehe  Tomorrow is my day off, and  Sharla (one of the ladies on staff at Wired) and I are planning to do some baking in the afternoon.  Should be fun!! Apple Pie and Brownies are on the docket so far.
  Some of you may have seen my prayer request on Facebook, but I am asking for prayer for some of Richard and Jen's good friends from Indiana who lost their 3 year old boy, in a car accident over the weekend.  They were hit from behind at a stoplight by a drunk driver going 70 miles an hour.  Some of their other children are injured as well. What a devastating time this must be for them.  They need everyone in the body of Christ to share their burden and pray for them.  Thank You!!