He Meets Me in the Storm... in El Salvador!

Blog post written by Crys Bettes, Lewisville, Texas

Doing dish duty after dinner with my nephew, Tristan

We had the pleasure of attending the Sunday church service at Iglesia Cristiana Monte Calvario on our first full day in El Salvador. It was amazing to worship with Salvadorian believers and God met me, sitting there in a church where they speak a language that I don’t understand. Our family has been under a lot of attack leading up to this mission trip. I left for El Salvador in the midst of our struggles. My sadness and frustration have been expressed in so many unhealthy ways. Yet I knew there was a reason that God had called me to step out in faith and say yes to this trip regardless of our circumstances. And at the service it was as though the pastor was speaking right to me and knew the ache in my heart which I brought with me to this beautiful country. Many times I felt myself fighting back tears as he spoke of the importance of not sinning in our anger. He talked about how we shouldn’t make any decisions while angry because we may regret them. We shouldn’t even discipline our children if we’re angry because we will not be able to do so effectively. I was so blessed to not just hear everything the pastor was saying but for my heart to fully receive it.

While we may have come to share a word of encouragement and help teach Sunday school, I was the one that walked away filled and lifted. I felt God moving in that place in that very moment. The Lord knew my heart needed to be prepared for the day ahead. He knew I needed to hear that message before stepping into the mission field so that I could repent and lay everything aside to serve the way He needs and desires me to... with a heart wide open and with my issues laid aside so that my heart can embrace every moment ahead.

Bryson led us in our morning devotion before church

The kids on our team had a blast leading Sunday School