Saddle Up!

 Hello blog followers!
Today we had an amazing time. Through everyone's hard work and fundraising we were able to take several teenage girls from CIPI horseback riding. We arrived not knowing what to expect, but we were delighted to hear laughs, see smiles, and enjoy the beautiful grounds we were blessed to be on. It was an especially significant day for me, considering that I have been riding since I was 6 years old and I was able to share the passion I have always loved so much and see that for one day, this passion was able to lighten these girls' heavy load. They were enjoying themselves and forgetting for a moment their unique and unfortunate circumstances. I was so happy and surprised to see their reactions when we surprised them with subways sandwiches, cookies, their choice of chips, and pepsis! They were absolutely thrilled with this meal, it was as if we were treating them to a 5 star cuisine. Thats when I thought how many times do we take for granted little things like running through a fast food restaurant like subway, most of the time its considered a bad meal, but to these kids it is like Christmas morning. We were also able to make fleece blankets with them, that would be only theirs, even after their time at the orphanage. This was a surprisingly incredible craft because most of the girls have no possessions that are all theirs alone. To me, seeing their smiling faces over something so small made me want to do so much more. Not only that, but it encouraged me that even the smallest deed can make these kids day, week, even month and that almost anyone can make a difference. Knowing that, I would encourage everyone to get involved..- Callie Smith 



Some of the CIPI girls making fleece blankets.



Christan Flowers got to see a special friend today     that she met on her first trip to El Salvador in 2009. Little Kelvin may have special needs, but he sure knows how to have fun and use his energy! Kelvin lives at a Catholic orphanage called Girola.

  

Today while the girls on the team went horseback riding with the CIPI girls, the guys stayed back at the orphanage and finished up their curtain project.

Tonight was our last night of feeding the homeless for the week! Thanks again to all of you who have financially supported this ministry. It seemed as if the food multiplied tonight! We seemed to have fed tons more people than we ever have before, but unfortunately, we ran out of food when we arrived at the mob of people downtown. Please continue to pray for this ministry and the people of El Salvador, and if you feel led, please help to financially support it! 

Tomorrow the team will be headed for a day at CISNA, the all boys home. They plan to spend the entire day there cleaning, painting, ministering to the kids, and having a cookout and grilling steaks! Please pray for the boys at CISNA...they have almost all had an extremely violent, rough past, and they need prayers for guidance and control. Lots of boys from CISNA run away from the orphanage to return to their former gangs...Please pray for the children and our team tomorrow!