Skip to main content

Remembering: November 2013 prayer and praise update about meeting with a gang leader in El Salvador

Reminiscing about God's faithfulness and found this old update - the meeting went well and we thank God for His faithfulness!



We appreciate those of you who have been praying for us and sending encouragement and counsel our way... We have heard counsel to go ahead and also counsel to "flee" for sometime, we have also prayed and heard God thru His Word and thru the peace He has given to us and Samuel will be meeting with the gang leader in our community this Saturday...All of this peace that I feel has caused me to reflect, and I wanted to share with all of you, and especially with those close to us or who I know are praying for us:

As I look back over the timeline of my life, of my husband's life, and our life together, I am so thankful for all that God has brought us through. He has shaped us and prepared us for where we are at right now and I know that He will continue to do so - for our good and for His glory!

Some highlights (not including those that seemed good at the time) of things He has shown Himself through in Samuel's life are: surviving birth (a miracle really for each of us alive today!), helping with cattle as a toddler - many times he "should have" been trampled, living IN a battlefield from age 6-13 (not just in war or near fighting, but IN the battlefield, ie in the jungle with bombs exploding nearby, running through gunfire,  being in a war camp with no food or water or housing for years, (where people were dying or suffering from disease all around him) having his home looted and property taken at gunpoint..), at age 13 being told to "eat Jesus, instead of food" and surviving off of less than a meal a day for a year, being unlawfully arrested and tortured for 3 + months, a few motorcycle accidents, including hitting a bull at 150km/hour and being thrown, mob "attacks" while working for Habitat for Humanity and when bringing relief as a Red Cross district youth director...

Those are just the "big" ones...but God has shown Himself faithful and strong and has moved in miraculous ways to keep Samuel alive so far, and I can't help but think that it is because He still has a purpose for him here on earth and will be more glorified by his living than by his dying (and I also like to think that He was saved just for me and for our children!). I trust God completely with his life and KNOW, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He will preserve his life until such a time as He decides to call him home. And when He does call him home, if I am "left behind", I know that God will continue to be a Husband to me and a Father to our children, even as He is now... I have NOT been given a spirit of fear...

So, as far as my husband meeting with the gang leader this Saturday and for our continued work in a potentially dangerous place, I KNOW that my God will go before us, that He will use Samuel's life for His own glory and that He loves each gang member and it is His desire that none of them would be lost - but that they would be saved!

We were called here with a vision...not just a vision to build a home and take care of a few orphaned children...but a more holistic vision, for the community, for discipleship, for sustainability, for Christian education and for training up a generation of children (our own included) to further the Kingdom of God; to love Him and to obey His commands.

I am excited to see what God has planned...and I know, that even through the trials, He will be faithful and He will be glorified (which doesn't mean it will all go the way I think it should, but that it WILL be perfect anyways!)

I also believe in the power of prayer and would ask that, if you know God and live in relationship with Him, that you would join us in praying...pray for wisdom and discernment and also for perfect Spanish for Samuel and pray that the Holy Spirit would draw the gang leader (and all those who are lost) to Himself - that He would lead them to Salvation. Pray for protection and pray that God would be glorified! Pray that we would be kept in perfect peace as our minds remain steadfast on Him...


And, as another little testimony of God's protection: a few years ago, we were also being told to fear for our lives in the community and never to walk alone there, etc. we prayed about it with some fellow missionaries here and the next time we went to the community we were met by Don Manuel (the elderly caretaker, recently become blind), saying that he could SEE our car driving onto the property and all around it were people dressed in white, ascending and descending & encircling the vehicle in chariots...and he knew not to fear for us anymore. Not only are there Angels all around, but THE God of angel armies is by our side!

Reader’s Favourites

Which Thief Will We Be Like? And How Will We Celebrate This Pivotal Christian Weekend?

I have been reading through the Gospels and seeing how Jesus proclaimed Himself to be God and proved it through His miracles and teaching. How He rebuked the man-centred religious system, and pointed to Himself throughout the scriptures (during His ministry and again after the resurrection) - He quoted the Old Testament, and spoke clearly of His coming death and resurrection, yet, even the 12 disciples didn’t understand until after the resurrection, what He had meant. BUT, one of the men who hung for their crimes, on a cross at Jesus’ side DID understand! He knew that Jesus was innocent and was not dying for His own sins, he knew and recognized his own guilt and sin deserving of death, AND he even recognized that Jesus was not going to remain dead, but would come into His Kingdom. He knew that the Kingdom was not of this world, and was not about setting up a throne to demolish the rule of Rome. Jesus came as fully God and fully man, to fulfil the numerous prophesies that fill the
Read more

some things that I have learnt over the years as a missionary mommy

(Originally written as notes for speaking at a Horizon Mom’s Group) In preparing for this morning   blog , I have had so many things on my heart and mind this past week, and have so much that I would love to share with all of you, but we don’t have time in one morning  blog to cover it all. So, I have just been praying, that as I was making notes and then as I actually sit here to visit and share write, that the Holy Spirit would guide me, and that each one of you would be encouraged in at least one area of your lives and in your faith.  One of the biggest lessons that I have learnt is that my children, and my home needs to be the primary mission field of my life. I am still learning every day, as Christ is sanctifying me every day, that: I need to die to myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus, to prove my love to Christ by knowing and obeying His commands, to grow in my personal love & knowledge of God, and to live out the fruits of the Spirit- as He lives in me; as
Read more

More of life in the village - began writing in the village, and will slowly finish this week

As I sit here to write, I am surrounded by small children –some nephews, a little orphaned girl, and a great-nephew, plus some of my own children coming and going. I came to the church building to write, because the internet reception is better, the heat is not as intense, and I thought I would be alone – if I could speak the language I might ask them to leave for a little while, but I think that choosing love, and bearing the noise of all the “emotokars” (cars made of pieces of wood –that don’t resemble cars, but with an imagination and some good sound effects, they become perfect cars!)…in the time that it took to write that, they realized that I wasn’t looking at pictures or doing anything interesting, so they took their cars outside –but left a baby behind to play on the dirt floor. Actually, the floor is not dirt, it is made of cow dung. Here is Benjamin’s description of the [making of the] cow-dung floor: “I watched one of my cousins make a cow-poop-floor. First, they coll
Read more

“Palm Sunday”. Thinking about Worship, “social distancing” & examining ourselves and our Gospel message

Psalm 139:23, 24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?  Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem by a crowd full of people singing and rejoicing over miracles. When Nicodemus came to Jesus and said that they (the Jewish leaders) knew that He must be from God because of the signs/miracles, Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)  The Jewish people had been waiting for the Messiah, and the entire Old Testament is full of messianic prophesies - on the road to Emmeaus, after His resurrection, Jesus went through the entire scripture to teach that it was all about Himself. The messianic pr
Read more

Life in the village, as a parable that points to Christ and to eternity

I have stepped out of the village for one week, and am spending time with my sister and her family in Kampala (with my 4 littles). Samuel is still in the village and working hard to finish a permanent brick house for our extended family there. We began this house 9 years ago, and it has been very slowly taking shape. Unfortunately, not much can be accomplished with any quality, without Samuel overseeing (even now, if he leaves a “professional” builder to work on one portion of the house, while he is on the other side, he can come back and find that no level has been used, and the work needs to be redone).   As I wrotelast time , I could die to certain life comforts, and would gladly count them a loss for Christ, but still struggle with being a foreigner with the language. We haven’t been called to live and minister long term in an African village (at this point in our lives). So, I am enjoying a visit with my sister before spending the next few weeks in the village and then he
Read more

Let us have grace. Grace for each other’s weaknesses. Grace for suffering and sin and even for the “walking-dead” among us.

I have been thinking about some of these things over the past several months, and now even more with COVID-19... But, the topic came to mind after recently having suffered through 2 early-term (under 6 weeks) miscarriages, both right before hosting missionary teams | my sister’s recent near death and continued struggle to fully recover | and then recently seeing school reports from  my little brother who was diagnosed with a meduloblastoma (brain tumour), after struggling in school and needing to be homeschooled (over 20 years ago!) |  also thinking of past and present struggles in my own life, family (and extended family), and friends (including experience with PTSD and special needs). 1 Corinthians 10:13   English Standard Version (ESV) “ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and  he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.“ Let
Read more

Old Poem about being pressured into Abortion, thinking about "Eradicating suffering through abortion"...

There are so many reasons that a woman choses to have an abortion...our family has worked closely with Crisis Pregnancy Centres and I have heard many stories... but it is the very odd woman who actually has a personal desire to end a pregnancy and who actually believes that what she is doing is morally right. But, there are entire nations who have brainwashed their citizens into thinking that in some cases it really is the best option... Below is a poem that I wrote about a particular case, a VERY long time ago...her case was unique in that she was not just being pressured by society nor financial or other life circumstances, but she was in an abusive relationship and being pressured into having a late-term abortion, by the baby's father. We named her, "Prayer". Not all cases are like this, and every case, like every person is unique. But, regardless, my personal belief is that there is never a situation where abortion is the answer. And, if you think that you are in a
Read more

Contending for the Faith, Discerning Doctrines, and a Scriptural Mandate for Judging Rightly

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (from the book of Jude) I fellowship with, minister with, and would never publicly criticize believers of different denominations, worship styles, and cultures, who believe the biblical Gospel and believe in the biblical Christ; even if they differ on non-foundational doctrines - or are different denominations. We are called to love each other and to be unified as Christ’s body. The purpose of any facebook posts and of this blog was and is to encourage believers to test everything against the Word of God, and to beware of false teaching and false teachers - who do not believe
Read more

Is it dangerous to be a missionary in El Salvador? Our experience and a little history lesson

I noticed that this blog had been looked at a lot lately, and hadn’t realized that when I last changed my blog layout, it had affected the style and flow of this post. I think I have fixed it now...though this could be edited a lot more!  This is not exhaustive on the topics of travel, safety, gang violence, or missions in El Salvador, but is part of our story, and some of the history of the country that we serve in. El Salvador was voted as one of the top ten countries to visit, by Lonely Planet in 2010 and 2016. Is El Salvador safe for tourists? My short answer is, " Yes . It is (relatively) safe". It is generally safer than being a tourist in Mexico, and people travel there all the time . Tourists are (generally) not a target. As is the case even in LA, or even downtown Vancouver, there are certain places where you should not go, especially at night, but there are lots of places where you can explore, hike, walk, shop, eat, surf, zip-line, etc. and
Read more

God’s Sufficient Grace - and my “stroke-like symptoms”

Here is a little update on my health... All of the neurology and rheumatology appointments went well and there was no pathological reason for a stroke, my brain and heart are all normal -praise God! A hair analysis did show heavy metals, and the neurologist said the symptoms were all “migraine-related” (did you know you can have a migraine without a headache?) The advice is to do a heavy-metal detox, take supplements like magnesium and Ubiquinol (among others), to have massage therapy, do stretches, and to rest more. My  diagnosis was also changed from Lupus to Fibromyalgia -which have similar symptoms, but which means that there is no risk to organ damage or deterioration (I also have a congenital back problem which adds to the pain and stress on my body). If you missed why I was seeing a Nuerologist in the first place, here is what I wrote in July: I had a mini stroke or TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack), on Saturday June 22nd. Below is what I wrote on facebook:  So, I
Read more