This year’s spring break trip to El Salvador was an unbelievable experience… again. The Christian Medical and Dental Club from Wake Forest University (WFU) took a team of 17 to work in temporary clinics that were set up in three different towns. We were able to see 1,105 patients- a record number for s short-term CFCI team!

In El Chaperno, one of the rural towns in which we worked, the people expressed to us what a blessing it was for them to have access to medical care and medicine. El Chaperno is one of the poorest communities CFCI works with and its medical needs are provided solely by the annual WFU team. It is so empowering to feel the hope we bring to an entire town.

Another town we worked in, Cinquera, is a very high risk, impoverished rural town. There is very little CHristian influence, so CFCI is excited to rbing the word of God to these people through our service to them. The average household income in Cinquera is $2/day with about eight people per household. The children would come to the clinic to play with us and were certain to be there the next day at the same time we said we would be giving toys away.

My experiences working in El Salvador have been such a blessing to my spiritual growth. Thank you for the opportuntity to return this year, and I hope to continue this project throughout the years as we hope for this to become a long standing relationship between Wake Forest University and CFCI- El Salvador.

God has granted me the privilege of building the future minds and teachers in Managua, Nicaragua. Teaching students the basics of reading and writing fill my day, but opening God’s Word to them and making it come alive is a true joy and privilege. So is awakening a sense of compassion and kindness, care and concrn towards other in a real and tangable way.

By teaching through a Biblical world-view, the impact goes beyond my small class of students to their family and friends. The opportunities I have to share these methods and ideas with other Nicaraguan teachers impacts more students. Then the idea of planting seeds of hope and change in a broken education system seem possible.

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible. It is my prayer that creativity, laughter, unconditional love and a God centered perspective are the things that characterize  not only my interactions with the first graders, but with every person with whom I come in contact with.

Kevin Arnold once said, “A memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, and the things you never want to lose.”

The memory of Costa Rica will forever be something I never want to lose, something that I will always love and it will always be a part of who I am now. As I was boarding the plane to go to Costa Rica I had a profound sense of fear, the fear that hits the pit of your stomach with a thud and makes you reconsider your decisions. The fear was the fear of the unknown; I was stepping out of my comfort zone, entering a world filled with poverty, an alternate language and different people. I had already made conclusions about this mission trip before I had even landed. I was sure I wouldn’t be clean, get enough to eat or communicate with anyone. It wasn’t until I stepped onto the bridge entering the slum of la Cuenca that I realized my life was going to change forever.

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A few years ago, we stood at the brink of something bigger than our human lens could take in. God had placed us in a special neighborhood and placed in our hearts a vision to impact our little world with the love of Jesus.

In a short time and flurry of events, He’s accomplished a ministry called “The Bridge of Storm Lake” which includes neighborhood centers, English classes, food distribution and an after-school program.

We’d like to say we followed a clear process or that we had it all together or that we never wondered what in the world we were doing. In reality, God used us despite us.

We’ve watched as God united churches, called out His people to serve the least of these, gathered groups for prayer, and touched the hearts of many with salvation. And, we’ve been amazed.

May the desire to catch a glimpse of the heart of the Almighty be motivation enough to prompt us – and you – to let go, to listen and to respond in faith!

The youth team stayed in host homes while working with a local church. It was an amazing experience and we made many lasting relationships. Our work included hosting a youth soccer tournament, youth leadership training, and a children’s program. The people of Los Cedros were wonderful and took great care of us!

The women’s team worked with a women’s ministry called New Image. New Image helps women come off the streets and equips them spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially so they can live better lives. We spent time encouraging the New Image leaders, then worked for three days with the New Image participants.

Our team brought cards made especially for these women. They were handmade, prayed over, and included scripture verses (in Spanish). The women were so touched by the gesture that they shared with us how much their faith was affected and strengthened. With this, our hearts just melted.

I plan to return to Nicaragua this year, both in June and October. I can’t wait to see what our Heavenly Father has in store for us!

Long-term mission workers are an undeniable necessity in the eternal work of God.

During our years as full-time mission workers, we have seen the importance of short-term missions. But short-term missions will not have lasting results without people who are committed long-term to God’s work.

Clearly this requires a decision to follow and serve our God, to make His heart ours for the rest of our lives–for the sheep that is not yet in the fold.

If God is calling you, don’t leave Him waiting. He needs your answer–an answer that demonstrates your faith and confidence in Him and takes transformation to many lives that need Him.

Join the work of God through CFCI; there is literally a world of opportunities.

During Christmas time over 400 gifts were given to kids through the program “Mi Regalo.” This is a ministry of the Word, Bread, Fish Foundation, which ministers and reaches out to impoverished areas of Medellin. Many of the donors do not attend Christian churches, yet are getting involved through donations to serve the poor. Praise God!

Heavy rains in December left many countries in Central and Northern South America experiencing flooding and landslides. CFCI-Colombia was able to assist in the rescue of almost 100 victims from the neighborhood La Gabriela, located in Northern Medellin. They were also able to establish a team of young people who collected food and clothing. Please continue to pray for the victims of the flooding.

Recently, at one of our devotionals with the AIDS victims, the Lord has placed on my heart to sing a song call, “The Teacher of Galilee.” It is a song that recounts when the “Teacher of Galilee” passes by and touches us things change! As I was singing the song, I watched one of the AIDS victims who had been suffering so much and had been so tired and weak, straighten himself in his wheel chair and say “I want to do a few steps for my Lord.”

He asked his friends to help him stand up and he began to move his feet by himself painstakingly. I was moved to tears and felt a knot in my throat (making it very difficult to sing). I was watching a man who had been through horrible suffering in a wheel chair, get up just because he wanted to please the Lord by acknowledging His presence in our praises and to give Him the only thing he could to praise Him- -a few steps!

I was so challenged by his humility and his desire to please the Lord in spite of his suffering. I reflected on the Christmas season and thought about a song that my mom had taught me as a child. It is called “In the Bleak Midwinter.” The last verse is always my favorite and it says,

What can I give him, poor as I am,
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part,
Yet what can I give Him, (give Him) my heart.

In this Christmas season and for the coming year, let us give the Lord our whole heart in everything we do and be willing to as Victor said, “give a few steps for our Lord.”

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A couple days later I attended a youth rally where we presented the drama, “Masks.” Ricardo, our leader, had asked who would explain the significance of the drama to the 100 plus teens at the rally and I volunteered- totally out of no where! When I got in front of the audience that day and looked out on the crowd, it was like I knew them. God placed this sense of peace in my heart and I just spoke to them face-to-face as if the group was one person. It was amazing to see and feel the Lord working in my life during this trip.

I feel that the Tijuana mission trip was just a stepping stone for what God has in store for me next. I can’t wait to see what His plans are for my life. I am eagerly and faithfully waiting for where and when.