First--I apologize for not blogging daily in El Salvador.  We just didn't have as easy access to computers/internet, and we arrived home late each night.  So...here are some reflections on this past trip.  I will organize my entries in this order:  Pastors, Antiguo Cuscatlan, Cuidad Obrera, Tori's Sports Crusader Experiences and plans for our next trip.  So check back...this is just my first entry of five in the next week or so:

One of the main purposes of my trip was to help Rolando encourage pastors.  We did a 2 and 1/2 hour conference for pastors.  There were 23 or so pastors who came and we looked at the book, "Ordering Your Private World."  The pastors were very receptive and we ended with 45 minutes of questions about family and maintaining a pastor's spiritual life!  I was amazed at the number of questions and the eagerness of the pastors.  It was a good experience all around! 

The pastors are in a Bible Institute class this week for credit.  Individuals in our church helped pay for this week's Institute (THANK YOU!!).  Several churches have expressed interest in helping support future Institute classes for the pastors.  We hope to formalize an agreement in the next few weeks.  This is very exciting!!

Tori and I had the opportunity to travel to different parts of the country and meet and pray with pastors.  Here are some of the pastors I met and their prayer requests:

1. Ricardo Basan, pastor of FBC, Cajutepeque.  This is an amazing church that has 700 members, 60 cell groups, 9 satellite churches and an awesome Christian school.  This November 14 they will be 40 years old and they will be doing a huge outreach to the community called Savout (it is based on a Jewish festival).  Last time they did this, they had between 3 and 6 thousand came!!  The pastor has asked that we pray for this event and that many will be drawn to the love of Christ!
2. David Ayala, pastor of FBC, San Vanciente.  This church is partnered with Concord BC in Jefferson City.  Pastor David is sick--he is having trouble with his kidney stones and cholesterol.  He is asking for prayers for his health, construction on addition to the church, and for the church to continue growing.
3. Hector Garcia, pastor of FBC Zacatecoluca.  He has asked that we pray that he stay strong physically and spiritually and that his church can hook up with a potential Missouri partner church in Missouri.
4. Jesus Angel Martinez pastors a church on top of a mountain.  It took us hours to get there.  His church's name is Mount Moriah in El Coco.  The church has a beautiful building and 270 members.  He makes $45 a month as pastor.  He is asking for prayer for a partner church from Missouri, for the spiritual growth of the church, a planting of a new church, a crusade in august, and for personal strength. 
5. Eliseo Linares, pastor of Mount of Olives, Baptist Church in Tanque.  This church is 3 KM from Pastor Jesus' church...Pastor Eliseo walks that 3 KM everyday from his home to the church and back (it's not an easy walk).  It is a new church that has 75 members.  They are praying for a partnership from Missouri and growth of the church.  Pray for his physical strength as well!
6. We visited two churches that currently don't have pastors:  Mount Sinai and Mount Olivet.  They are on the same mountain as the previous two churches, but I forgot to write down the name of the villages.  Pray that God would send them a pastor!

It was inspirational to spend time with all these pastors in El Salvador.  Thanks for reading...thanks for praying!!

For the Kingdom!!

Dear FCC Mission Partners,

Tuesday, June 9, Tori (my daughter) and I are leaving for El Salvador.  We are both very excited!  We will both be in our partner churches in Santa Tecla, Antiguo Cuscatlan, and Cuidad Obrera.  It will be awesome to see each of these churches again.  Santa Tecla is the mother church of Antiguo Cuscatlan, and Antiguo Cuscatlan is the mother church of Cuidad Obrera.  Three generation of churches!!!  Originally, I was going to do a one day retreat for the pastors...now I will be doing four different meetings for pastors in different regions.  I'm excited, because this could mean meeting and encouraging more pastors!! 

Tori will be joining a Sports Crusader Basketball Team leading a clinic for kids.  What a great way to share Jesus!  And she's excited about seeing her El Salvador friends!!

Please pray for us as we travel.  I return on the 15th, and Tori on the 19th. 

We will try and update this blog regularly if you want to check back on how our week is going!  Thanks for praying!

For the Kingdom!

I have been invited to return to El Salvador, June 9 -15, and Lord willing, my daughter Tori will be going with me.  I'm writing to ask you to pray for this trip...We are still planning the actual ministry for that week, but so far this is what I understand our ministry will be:

• Encouraging Rolando and Alexandra.  This has been a tough few months for them personally and professionally.  The funding for the Pastor's Institute dried up, which not only affected the pastor's institute, but also Rolando's salary.  I'm looking forward to being with Rolando and Alexandra!!
• Strengthening our partnership with our 1st mission in Antiguo Cuscatlan...Lord willing we will be with our first mission.  It is hard to believe that we are in our 4th year of our partnership with them!  Please pray that God will continue to raise up leadership that they can constitute and become a church!
• Seeing the outreach at our 2nd mission at Cuidad Obrera.  All reports are that this mission is growing!  I'm so anxious to see the progress as this church is only 3 or 4 months old!  I'm anxious to bring the report back to you!!
• I will be leading a one day pastor's retreat.  The fellowship with the pastor's is so sweet and they are so appreciative when we invest in them.
• Planning for our next church-wide group trip.

Please pray for these folks:

• Rolando and Alexandra
• Antiguo Cuscatlan mission
• Cuidad Obrera mission
• The Pastor's Retreat

First Baptist Church, Millersville, is planning a construction trip to El Salvador in November.  We may try and join them!  I mention this now, because there may be some guys who would be interested in doing construction in El Salvador.  There is an intitial planning meeting on May 21st for all interested.  If this interests you, please let me know and I will give you more information.

Please  consider prayerfully if you would like to give to our Kingdom efforts in El Salvador.  If you are praying about going on the next trip, please let me know.

For the Kingdom!

Pastor Mike

Just thought I would give a thread to our team to post their highlight(s)...here ya go

It's hard to believe that this is the last full day in El Salvador. The plan right now is to go shopping, go door to door evangelism, VBS, New Year´s Eve Service at Santa Tecla, and then a New Year´s Eve party at Rolando and Alexandra´s house. It will be a fun day...it´s hard to believe we are going to bring in the New Year in El Salvador! :)

Wow. After staying up all night, we are leaving the hotel between 5 and 5:30 am. Our flight leaves for Houston at 8:00. We arrive in St. Louis around 3:00 pm. We'll be exhaused...it will also be hard to say goodbye at the airport. Blog more when we get home!

Today we are starting early...I have to get off here soon so I can have breakfast and go. We are going to have our devotion on the top of a volcano this morning. How awesome is that! Then we are going to prayer walk in the area for the new church plant: Cuidad Obrera. Then we will go to the beach for lunch (okay there are perks to missions!). Then VBS and a New Year´s Celebration at Antiguo Cuscatlan. Our folks are getting attached to our brothers and sisters at Antiguo Cuscatlan!! Should be a great day in the Lord.

Today is going to be filled with prayer walking in Cuidad Obrera, visits in Antiguo Cuscatlan, and VBS in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Look forward to sharing with you tonight how it went!! Thanks for praying!!

What an interesting day this is shaping up to be. Lord willing, we will be in worship at the mother church at Santa Tecla in the morning singing a song, preaching, and leading in children´s church. We will be at a brand new mission point of our church at Ciudad Obrera--we will be doing a children´s outreach event with a pinata, outdoor movie, ballon animals, and a time of gifts for the children. This is the first outreach event in this community for a new possible church plant!! Then in the evening we will be at our partner church at Antiguo Cuscatlan for music, testimony, and preaching! It will be a full day in the Lord!! We will be in three different ministry settings on Sunday!! Thank you for your prayers!

Our 2nd day is about to begin and there is no assurance of our exact schedule, but we will be going to a church retreat of our mission, Antiguo Cuscatlan, and this evening having a Christmas Dinner with the youth! It should be a great day of fellowship and building up the Body! More to follow...