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.  :)