After a 3:40am wake up, we arrived in El Salvador around 1 PM local time (they are 1 hour behind us) on Thursday afternoon. We were on the happiest plane we’ve ever been on. So much talking and laughing and cheering when we landed. You have to wonder how long it had been for some of them since they’d been home or seen the family that were there to greet them. And oh were they there to greet them! When we walked out of the airport, there were mobs of people holding signs and anxiously waiting to see a familiar face. We felt like celebrities for a millisecond and then we saw our familiar faces of Rodrigo and Juanita. Such a treat!
Rodrigo and Juanita were missionaries in Niger for 12 years, which is where we first met them. They were instrumental in our adoption process, and we became lifelong friends through that. They lived in VA for a little over a year before returning to their home country of El Salvador, and a few months in VA was spent in our guest house. Juanita and I affectionately received our names during that time - Sunshine (me) and Stormy Clouds (her). :)
Upon leaving the airport, we headed to a delicious restaurant for some authentic Latino food. I could eat this food every day! Cheese, beans and fresh tortillas with limitless avocados? Yes, please. With full bellies, we drove about 45 minutes to a large lake formed from a crater. Here, we visited a missionary training center called King's Castle. This was where Rodrigo and Juanita trained and prayed and learned. It was a really special place. We spent about 20 minutes in a prayer center where there had been constant 24 hour prayer for more than 19 years. You could feel the Lord's presence there as we spent our own time praying and praising God for the remarkable things He had done through this center. Wow. We arrived back at their apartment in the middle of San Salvador where we greeted their kids, Nathan and Kaila, and enjoyed my favorite food Juanita cooks - pupusas.
Upon leaving the airport, we headed to a delicious restaurant for some authentic Latino food. I could eat this food every day! Cheese, beans and fresh tortillas with limitless avocados? Yes, please. With full bellies, we drove about 45 minutes to a large lake formed from a crater. Here, we visited a missionary training center called King's Castle. This was where Rodrigo and Juanita trained and prayed and learned. It was a really special place. We spent about 20 minutes in a prayer center where there had been constant 24 hour prayer for more than 19 years. You could feel the Lord's presence there as we spent our own time praying and praising God for the remarkable things He had done through this center. Wow. We arrived back at their apartment in the middle of San Salvador where we greeted their kids, Nathan and Kaila, and enjoyed my favorite food Juanita cooks - pupusas.
Friday ended up being a time of unexpected ministry as we joined R &J at the private school attached to their church. Rodrigo is the chaplain there and Juanita teaches a Bible class to high schoolers. We spent time in a few high school classes sharing our testimonies and answering questions about things teens struggle with - drugs, sex, pornography. We had some very authentic conversations, and I was able to connect with a young dancer who struggled with eating issues much like I did. It was awesome how God allowed us an opportunity to share and encourage them in their faith and in the power of their daily choices. That afternoon we ran errands to prepare for our weekend in the mountains. We also visited a neighboring volcano where we enjoyed coffee and tres leches cake at a beautiful restaurant and then spent the evening at a coffee shop with Juanita's mom, brother and sister-in-law. One thing we consistently saw and loved was the importance of family. And the importance of coffee. No matter the time of day!
On Saturday morning, we left early and took a winding drive to the mountains. After dropping off our things at the family's mountain home we went to the old town of Ataco where there was a Saturday festival going on. We experienced authentic food, visited an old Catholic Church and enjoyed the views of a mountain town. We returned to the mountain home and Rodrigo’s brothers and families arrived shortly thereafter. They welcomed us like long lost family, and we enjoyed dinner and staying up late talking about the politics of America and Latin America, adoption and the challenges our children are facing (they were kind enough to speak English, which was much better than our Spanish).
After thawing out on Sunday morning from a very cold night (there's no heat, and it was quite chilly on the top of a mountain), we celebrated Nathan’s birthday with a massive piñata and carrot cake. Then Geoff and I walked and played outside in the gardens, and finished our mountain trip with a visit to the town of Apaneca where we walked in and out of shops and cafes with handmade artisan crafts, local food and El Salvadorean flair. We love this culture!
On our way home, we took a trip to a distant family member's coffee plantation where we saw breathtaking views and close up how coffee is grown. We arrived back in San Salvador Sunday evening, grabbed a bite for dinner and then turned in early to rest.
After the regular breakfast of fresh tortillas, eggs, beans and fruit, Juanita and I visited a salon she regularly goes to. I had my hair cut and a pedicure all for less than $20. Amazing!
After our relaxing morning, R & J drove Geoff and I to a resort where we stayed 2 nights by ourselves. It was a wonderful way to end the trip with good sleep, sun and lots of reading. This trip far exceeded our expectations and gave us a great love for the Hispanic culture and people. Here's some pictures of this beautiful country and our very blessed visit.
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