I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We decided to have a traditional dinner here and ended up with a little over 50 people who fell in love with turkey and chicken -n- dumplings!!! Many of them also had fried okra for the first time. So it was a wonderful time. I did miss the Macy's Day parade though......
So many things have happened, I will try to hit the highlights. We received from the government a date to open the shelter. Thursday, 8 January will be our official day to open. BUT..........
We received a call from the local police saying they had a lady who had filed a report with them. Her husband had tried to kill her. She has a 7 month old baby girl. So they asked us if we could give her shelter. Since THEY approached us, we are obligated to honor their request. She knew nothing of us and was not soliciting help from us. So the government said we could take her and her baby!!!!! What a blessing!!!!!
I met with her yesterday and she has bruises on both her arms and on her face where her husband beat her. She received a physical exam and there was no permanent damage and the baby was not touched by him. She escaped with only their clothes, so I went and bought diapers, clothes and milk for the baby and some other things for her that we did not have at the house.
We had set up this coming week to be a "practice" week for us. But now it turns out we are working for real. How wonderful and I thank God He has placed me here to work with these women. I think I am the most blessed person on the face of the earth. Please pray for resources to be there when we need them to meet the needs of the ladies and their children.
Other good things are happening. I am continuing to plan the food outreach in the coming weeks. I (and some other ladies and a few men) will either be going out this weekend or the next. We are waiting for an official response from the local officials of Ilopango. We have learned this area has many children whose parents have died of Aids and the children are infected as well. There are also many single moms there, trying to care for their children. The women have almost no income. There are few, if any, resources to help them. I am thrilled about this part of my work. I am not sure about cooking THAT much rice and beans, but it will be fine. I have great help with Juanita being here to help me cook.
I am almost finished with all the Immigration stuff......I should receive my translated papers from the lawyer this week and then next week be able to take everything to Immigration. I will be glad to have this checked off my list!
There are many other things that have happened.....just know they are all good!!! I may have to update my blog more often. Thank you, Everyone, for your support and prayers. Each of you is also reaching out to the hurting people of El Salvador and you will reap a blessing as you do.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Bunkbeds and Immigration
It has been a very successful week of getting things done!!! :) We managed to purchase 4 of our 6 bunkbeds. (notice the pics on the right) That is all we could fit on the truck. HA The rest will come this week. We determined, after getting our first ones, that we actually have room for a total of 10 bunkbeds. We are going to raise money to purchase 4 more. They are extremely sturdy with metal frames and are full (Gringo) length. I can even stretch out on one!!! :-) So we will be able to use them for both the ladies and the children.
It was an experience just getting them at the open market. We had shopped for the best price, borrowed a pick-up and off we went. It only took about three or four hours once we had settled on which ones to get....but I loved every minute of it.
I also picked up my police report from El Sal (my record was CLEAN!!! ha ha) and headed off to Immigration with all my papers. Everything was in perfect order (Thank You, Lord!!!!) I just need to have a few papers from the States translated into Spanish (my birth certificate and police report) and one more piece of paper from here in El Sal. All of this will take a few weeks, but that is not bad at all. I was just thrilled that I had brought everything with me from the States. So I should be legal within a month. But they can't kick me out!!!! :)
I have started teaching a group on Tuesday afternoons. It is a group of ladies who have been abused in some way and are interested in learning more about the Bible and how that can help their healing. It is basic teaching, which I love. I love building the foundation!!!
Also, I have been investigating going out on the streets to take food to women who are homeless or very poor. It looks like the most economical things to give them would be beans, rice, and either sugar or the meal they use to make tortillas, a main part of their diet. And include with each bag of food, information about Abigail and that we are there for them. There is so much need and I am working to see what we can do to reach out to those hurting women that we may never otherwise be able to reach.
Abigail met Thursday night and I want us to be able to help women who may come to the door, asking for food or help, even if we cannot provide them with a place to stay ourselves, I want us to network with other churches or organizations that may be willing to help. I have asked the Ladies of Abigail to work on gathering info while we wait on the government. If we have not heard anything by the first week of Dec, we are going to have a "practice week." We will work the schedule and have the doctor and volunteers come there just as if there were ladies there. I told them I would play the abused lady. ha This way, we will be able to see what we are missing or what we need to change. It will not be a perfect real-life expereince, but I think it will help us.
As the weather gets colder in the States, I am not going to comment on how it is here. :-) You can just imagine the smile on my face.......Thank you for staying in touch so well. I appreciate every email!!!! Thank you also for all your prayers and support. None of this would be possible without every one of you!!!!
Blessings and love, Janis
It was an experience just getting them at the open market. We had shopped for the best price, borrowed a pick-up and off we went. It only took about three or four hours once we had settled on which ones to get....but I loved every minute of it.
I also picked up my police report from El Sal (my record was CLEAN!!! ha ha) and headed off to Immigration with all my papers. Everything was in perfect order (Thank You, Lord!!!!) I just need to have a few papers from the States translated into Spanish (my birth certificate and police report) and one more piece of paper from here in El Sal. All of this will take a few weeks, but that is not bad at all. I was just thrilled that I had brought everything with me from the States. So I should be legal within a month. But they can't kick me out!!!! :)
I have started teaching a group on Tuesday afternoons. It is a group of ladies who have been abused in some way and are interested in learning more about the Bible and how that can help their healing. It is basic teaching, which I love. I love building the foundation!!!
Also, I have been investigating going out on the streets to take food to women who are homeless or very poor. It looks like the most economical things to give them would be beans, rice, and either sugar or the meal they use to make tortillas, a main part of their diet. And include with each bag of food, information about Abigail and that we are there for them. There is so much need and I am working to see what we can do to reach out to those hurting women that we may never otherwise be able to reach.
Abigail met Thursday night and I want us to be able to help women who may come to the door, asking for food or help, even if we cannot provide them with a place to stay ourselves, I want us to network with other churches or organizations that may be willing to help. I have asked the Ladies of Abigail to work on gathering info while we wait on the government. If we have not heard anything by the first week of Dec, we are going to have a "practice week." We will work the schedule and have the doctor and volunteers come there just as if there were ladies there. I told them I would play the abused lady. ha This way, we will be able to see what we are missing or what we need to change. It will not be a perfect real-life expereince, but I think it will help us.
As the weather gets colder in the States, I am not going to comment on how it is here. :-) You can just imagine the smile on my face.......Thank you for staying in touch so well. I appreciate every email!!!! Thank you also for all your prayers and support. None of this would be possible without every one of you!!!!
Blessings and love, Janis
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork......
Hello, Amigos!!!
All here is good, but slow.....This has been an interesting week, mostly involving paperwork. For Immigration, I had to get a police record from this country. So I was fingerprinted for the first time in my life. And it takes 10 days to get the report. Sure hope they don't find anything. ha ha I also went for my physical and blood work that Immigration requires to be done in this country. After a few crazy moments and over $500 dollars, I found out that I am the picture of perfect health. I have been tested for every disease under the sun and then some. So that was good to know. The doctor spoke English and I was grateful for that.
Things at Abigail are continuing to move, although very slowly. It is not us, but the government. They assure us everything is in order, but we are still waiting on them to say they have received our paperwork and have filed it. Until that happens, we can do nothing. The lawyer in our group has worked very hard to try and get the government to move quickly. But Thursday night, she even warned me that things now really start to slow down because Christmas is coming. I said if they slow anymore, they will stop!!! But that is just the way it is. So I am pressing on with starting another outreach to women in the streets. I had not wanted to do with until after the house was open in order to better manage my time, but perhaps this is something I can do now that will be a benefit to others. I will post more info in my next blog.
Most people here already have put up their Christmas trees. The city has put up all their decorations and the lights are lit each night. It is great to be able to enjoy all the lights and not have to wear a coat!!! :-) I doubt if we have a white Christmas here. Ha ha But maybe we will have chicken feet soup on that day!!! :-) We did have that soup the other day, but somehow, I missed the feet. I think they were all gone before it got to me. Next time, I will have to be first! Yummy ;-)
Thanks for all your emails. I love hearing from all of you. Keep them coming, but keep your weather to yourself. :-) I love and miss all of you!!!!
Janis
All here is good, but slow.....This has been an interesting week, mostly involving paperwork. For Immigration, I had to get a police record from this country. So I was fingerprinted for the first time in my life. And it takes 10 days to get the report. Sure hope they don't find anything. ha ha I also went for my physical and blood work that Immigration requires to be done in this country. After a few crazy moments and over $500 dollars, I found out that I am the picture of perfect health. I have been tested for every disease under the sun and then some. So that was good to know. The doctor spoke English and I was grateful for that.
Things at Abigail are continuing to move, although very slowly. It is not us, but the government. They assure us everything is in order, but we are still waiting on them to say they have received our paperwork and have filed it. Until that happens, we can do nothing. The lawyer in our group has worked very hard to try and get the government to move quickly. But Thursday night, she even warned me that things now really start to slow down because Christmas is coming. I said if they slow anymore, they will stop!!! But that is just the way it is. So I am pressing on with starting another outreach to women in the streets. I had not wanted to do with until after the house was open in order to better manage my time, but perhaps this is something I can do now that will be a benefit to others. I will post more info in my next blog.
Most people here already have put up their Christmas trees. The city has put up all their decorations and the lights are lit each night. It is great to be able to enjoy all the lights and not have to wear a coat!!! :-) I doubt if we have a white Christmas here. Ha ha But maybe we will have chicken feet soup on that day!!! :-) We did have that soup the other day, but somehow, I missed the feet. I think they were all gone before it got to me. Next time, I will have to be first! Yummy ;-)
Thanks for all your emails. I love hearing from all of you. Keep them coming, but keep your weather to yourself. :-) I love and miss all of you!!!!
Janis
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