Headed back to El Salvador!

On Saturday, October 1st a group of seven will be leaving for El Salvador to serve children, teens, and special needs adults, who have no family to care for them. Please be praying this week for their safety, endurance and most importantly that they will be well received, making the exact impact God intends.

Pray for the hearts of the children and adults the team will be working with, that they may be prepared to hear of the incredible Heavenly Father who loves them unconditionally!

We ask that you PLEASE continue to follow along daily as the team sends pictures and updates from their trip, along with prayer requests for their daily plans.

Please share this blog with your friends and family and feel free to post it to your Facebook status!

Thank you for your support!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for Starfish Orphan Ministry. Our next international mission team will be leaving for El Salvador the first week of October. We also have teams planning trips to Haiti in December and southern India in February of 2012.

If you are in the Western Kentucky area and would like more information on how to serve orphan children locally we can help! 

Contact us for information on becoming a youth mentor, provide respite care, foster care,

or an adoptive parent!

If you are interested in how you can become a part of one of these missions, what you can do to help, how to pray more specifically for needs, or would simply like more information on Starfish Orphan Ministry, please contact us at starfishorphanministry@yahoo.com, 270-519-7340.

Last Full Day

 "Today our team spent the day at CISNA, a government-run orphanage for boys. They usually range in age from ten to seventeen. There are about forty boys at CISNA right now; sometimes there are a few less, but usually there are more, often numbering over one hundred. They are very active and enjoy playing sports, so some of us played soccer with them, and some played frisbee. They also enjoy simple things like face-painting and listening to music with the team. CISNA made more of an impact on me last year than any other orphanage we visited, because I was so burdened with the fact that these boys and others like them are the future of El Salvador. A couple of times this week we have fed homeless people downtown, and I never want to think about any of these boys being among the destitute people we have seen living on the streets or belonging to gangs. It is SO IMPORTANT to make an impact on this group, to help them become future leaders and successful people in their country. After some fun time this morning, I talked to the  boys about God's love for all of us, and that we are ALL neighbors that are supposed to love and support each other, no matter where we live. We talked about the way that God made each one of us different, with various talents and abilities, so that we can truly serve one another while glorifying Him. I asked them to look around at where we were sitting, reminding them that they would only be at CISNA for a time, and that one day they would be adults, ready to use their talents for good purposes. We prayed, asking God to allow us to see others as He sees them, with loving, kind, and forgiving hearts.
   We enjoyed preparing a delicious lunch to share with the boys, grilling chcken and fixing corn and french fries also. Three of them had just completed a cooking course, and they were very proud of their diplomas. One of them helped us fix lunch, and he is quite the young chef. I told him that he can use his culinary talent to serve others and to glorify God, just like we had talked about earlier this morning. After lunch was over, the Starfish team painted the front of two of the dorm buildings, and a few of the boys pitched in to help us, which was great to see.
   It was difficult to leave these young men this afternoon when the time came.. Many of our team members have made multiple trips to El Salvador, and have become well-acquainted with these boys as well as girls and boys at other orphanages. Many warm hugs were exchanged, along with promises that we would see each other again one day. Please add these young boys to your prayer list! A lot of them have experienced many terrible things that no one should ever have to go through, and working through these memories can often be a long and difficult process. Ask God to help them realize their need for relationship with Him and with others, and to give them the strength they need to become all that He created them to be!"--Mike Henderson

"Today was an emotional day for me. A combination of it being the last full day and going to Cisna made for a bad combination. We first started off with the usual, waking up and eating breakfast after a looooong day. We spent all day at the Cisna orphanage for boys 9-18 years old. When we first arrived I could tell that it was different, the boys thrived to have your attention. For me, this was the different part. At all of the other centers the kids wouldn't come up to you and introduce themselves; however, here they all did. I got to know so many kids and how they ended up there as well as their stories. There was one kid that stuck out to me, and I got to know him well as he continued to play with my camera. We played a variety of games such as Frisbee, basketball, and fùtbol. I had a lot of fun just hanging out with the kids at they all made their rounds to visit all of our team members. We also grilled chicken for all of the boys. This was an awesome experience because they don't get to eat that kind of food very often, I could tel they had a blast. The end part of the day was spent painting the outside of two of the dormitories. We had a good bonding moment during that as a team as we all had to avoid spilling paint, and painting each other!! It was an awesome experience to say the least. As the time here is coming to an end, I can really see that these kids need us to help support them. I am thankful for God allowing us to be stewards here in El Salvidor, and I thank him for choosing me to be here at this time. I am truly blessed!"-- Aaron Garrett

Today was our last full day in El Salvador! Tomorrow afternoon around 2:15, our plane will be taking off and we will be headed back to the United States! It has been a full week, and we are all going to miss being here in ES, but we are ready to be home and see our friends and families and to continue living out our mission in the "los estados unidos."

**A huge thanks from the team to those of you who have followed our blog and prayed for us this week! :)

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!

Día de playa!

Wednesday, July 20
"After a marathon day yesterday, today we had the opportunity to take the San Martin group to the beach for some fun in the sun. The San Martin orhanage is specifically for special needs adults and children, and they are each very special and sweet in unique ways. We met them at a beach house at 9:30 this morning and they immediately all hit the pool first. The we moved to the black sand beach and everyone really enjoyed the water and waves. We also had a Michael Jackson dance party going on pretty much all day as well (Pablito has some moves). After a lunch of Pollo Campero we hit the beach some more, flew some kites, and busted open a Sponge Bob pinata. The group really enjoyed the day and they all behaved very well. Getting to spend the entire day with these guys was such a blessing to me. I got to see how sweet and nice they were to each other when they shared the kites, played together, and danced with each other. Although communicating with them was still somewhat of a challenge, a hug from one of them was worth a thousand words. Buenas noches, mi amigos........ P.S. David says "Wasssuuuup!" - Derrick Helm

Today we had the amazing opportunity to take some of the San Martin special needs children to the beach! They hardly ever get the chance to go anywhere outside the walls of the orphanage, so it was a special treat for them! They had a blast in the swimming in the ocean and the pool, playing games, busting a pinata, and most importantly, dancing to Michael Jackson! It was such a blessing to see the smiles on their faces!

Tomorrow, the girls on the team will be going horseback riding with the teenage girls from CIPI while the guys stay back and work on their curtain rod project. Would you please pray that the CIPI girls would be able to set aside their complicated life situations for the day and feel like we are their family? More than anything they need to feel the love of a family and God...

Busiest Day Ever!!

"Today was a great day! I got to go to a place I had never been to, a nursing home, and I got to talk to people up to the age of 90 and probably older than that. They were very funny and had lots of stories to share with us! After that we went to a Catholic orphanage and got a tour of that. There was a little girl there that had Leukemia and we got to pray for her, which was awesome! From there, we went to San Martine! I had a great time and had lots of laughs with all of them. They constantly had a smile on their face and that made me happy. I hope they never forget the moments we spend with them. The last place we went was the Aids orphanage. When we first got there, there was a little girl sitting alone and not talking to anyone. I kept asking what her name was, but she wouldn't talk. I ended up pullin her off the couch and taking her outside and she ended up telling me her name. Maria, and was just stuck to me like glue. She was constantly asking me swing her and pick her up. She was the highlight of my day! But like I said, it was a great day!"-Christan Flowers

Tonight the team hit the streets of El Salvador to feed over 150 homeless people. After a long preparation of the meals, the team finally headed out in the back of Kurt's pick-up truck to deliver the food. They had a blast! Again, a big thanks to those of you who have financially supported the homeless feeding programs.

Tomorrow the team will be taking the children from the Special Needs orphanage, San Martin, to the beach! What a blessing that will be! Would you please pray for patience and energy for the team? After an extremely busy day and a late night of feeding the homeless, they are bound to be exhausted!

"July 19 is usually a slow summer day for me. Maybe I will grill or take a swim or watch my girls ride a horse. I have always felt that summer was a time to slow down and to enjoy the easy things in life. I learned a new lesson today. The most rewarding experiences of your life will be difficult, heart-wrenching, exciting, exhausting and will not be centered around you, but around others. 

   Our day began at 5:00 this morning when we began getting ready for our roller coaster day. We prepared scrambled eggs and refried beans for breakfast for the families of AIDS patients who are in the hospital. I found the combination unique but it is commonplace in El Salvador.

    Our group of 11 plus our translators and other missionaries loaded the van and headed to the mountain to see a beautiful senior citizens home. A doctor left his property and an endowment to construct a model community for the elderly and someday soon an orphanage that promotes interaction with the two groups. Financial ability is not an issue here. There are so many beautiful smiling faces at Ciudadela. I love that concept. Orphans with no grandparents or families learning from the elderly while helping them to meet their physical and emotional needs. I was privileged to meet a 91 year old man who was rich with stories. He was such a blessing to me. I held his hand and we spoke to each other as the we were life long friends. We did crafts with the residents and left their favorite, "mister donuts."

   In the middle of El Salvador is a lovely orphanage run by the catholic church. It was incredibly organized and immaculately kept. The Nuns patiently explained their challenges and needs. I hope someday that we can help them to meet some of their needs. I met a young lady there who was only four. She was beautiful with large almond eyes and gorgeous curly black hair. I watched her for a while and noticed a sadness in her that the other children didn't display. Finally, the head of the orphanage approached me and explained that beautiful Katherine has leukemia and is still very ill from a treatment. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and run. I wanted to be her "mama." I thought about the injustice that she had to fight the disease without a loving family to surround her. Then I remembered that our heavenly father loves her more than I could ever love her. We all held hands in the hallway and prayed for that precious child.

   In the afternoon we headed to St. Martin, a home for people with special needs. They are beautiful in a different way than I would usually consider people beautiful. The simplicity of their wants and needs make them delightful to know. Pablito lives there. He is a precious man with downs syndrome. Laura had fallen in love with him and helped him find a diagnosis and treatment for his illness. Today he walks around in her sunglasses and thinks he is a movie star. Kike is a boy who was used as a drug mule. When I saw him in February he was confined to the bed as he moaned in excruciating pain. Today thanks to therapy and prayer he is sitting up, eating soft food, and even taking one or two steps alone with his walker. Ahhh, progress. Derek was so cute dancing with the young people. Eliza helped with crafts and most of the residents made necklaces with crosses and beads. But the highlight of our visit had to be David saying "Roll Tide Roll" under the direction of some very devout Alabama fans.

   Next door we visited the Aids orphanage where Cassidy entertained the young children with a puppet show. Our precious interpreter, Jenny, read to them. Callie taught them how to do cartwheels and backbends. They loved playing in their backyard with the guys. Tug of war was there favorite. As they all finally fell over entangled with our team members, we erupted in laughter and it was a perfect end to our visit.

   After dinner, we prepared over 140 meals for the homeless. OK Here comes the part about being excited and scared and overwhelmed. Imagine people with nothing, no really nothing. Weathered faces, ragged clothes, toothless smiles exhausted from the attempt to stay alive. When they hear the roar of the diesel truck they know that Kurt is bringing another team with food. One elderly lady graciously accepted her gift then lifted her hands to the Lord to give thanks. A true vision of what Thessalonians 5:18 means. One young boy of about ten ran to the side of our truck begging for food. His feet were bare and his clothes were so so big. Our hearts broke but his spirits were lifted when Laura threw the tennis shoes off her feet to him. Laura returned home barefoot but we all learned a lot about giving.

   Tonight I am writing this with a list of about hundred things racing through my mind. There is so much to do here. I hope if you are reading this you will join us by doing whatever God leads you to do. It will change your life and grow your heart!.."- Jackie Smith

Familiar Faces...

"We started today back at the CIPI orphanage where we were yesterday. Some of the team worked with the children again doing puppet shows and playing. Some of the guys worked on making and installing some curtain rods in the teenage girls' rooms. Their current "curtains" consisted of some wire hung from the walls with blankets drapped over them. Laura and Jackie picked out some fabric for some new curtains when the rods are complete. We will be back at CIPI Thursday when we hope to complete the curtain rods and be ready for curtains. There are not glass panes in the windows, so these curtains will provide protection from the rain, sun, and mosquitoes and hopefully make the room feel a little more like a home to the girls. There was a teenage girl that was just dropped off by the police at the orphanage last night that was very upset this afternoon. Girls from our team did the best they could to comfort her in her situation. Please pray she can be reunited with her family asap. This evening we took the kids from the La Casa orphanage to Wendy's for dinner and to play. We all had a good time. Tomorrow looks like it is going to be a busy day, starting early fixing breakfast for hospital patients, then visiting the San Martin orphanage, then ending the day feeding the homeless on the street. Getting ready to turn in for the night and get our much needed rest." -Derrick Helm

Tomorrow the team will begin by preparing breakfast for patients and families at a near by hospital. From there they plan to visit the special needs orphanage at San Martin. Tomorrow evening they will return to the mission house and prepare dozens of meals to take to homeless families living on the inner city streets of San Salvador. Please continue to pray throughout the day for everyone who's path they will cross. Pray for their hearts to be open to learn more of the endless love that our God has for them! Please pray that JOY may be brought to the special needs residents of San Martin even if it is just for a few hours, that they may know no pain, but know the JOY and PEACE of the Lord!

"I have been to the orphanage that we visited today, many times over the past 5 years. I have been there on numerous occassions this year! I thought I knew what to expect, especially since we had just been there yesterday. When we arrived, there was a girl that was sad and crying. Cassidy was loving on her, and trying to comfort her. The girl was DEVISTATED! I had seen many younger children on their first day in an orphanage, and I can tell you, that once you see that, you don't forget it! This girl was older than the others I have seen in her situation, she was about 15. She told us that her mother sent her to look for a relative, and that on her way home, she got lost. She came upon a police station, and went in to ask for directions. The police took her straight to the ophanage, and left her there, without trying to find her parents. She was most upset that she had no way of letting her mother know that she was okay, and she could not even imagine what her mother must be thinking. She said that she missed her little sister's hugs. The longer we were there, the heavier she weighed on my heart! I finally decided to love her like her mother would. I loved on her just like I would one of my own children if they were broken like this young girl. I held her tight, swaying back and forth, rubbing her hair. I told her that it would be alright, and I prayed for her. I prayed that God would allow her to feel not only her mother's love through me but HIS love as well.

People often ask me, "well is it not better to send the money that you would spend on a trip like this, than to go yourself?" I can tell you, that no check could have shown this girl the love of God, the way that our team did today! Please pray that this precious girl will be reunited with her own mother very soon!"~Laura Roberts

The Henderson family had a great time at dinner tonight with their friend! They first met several years ago on the first Starfish trip to El Salvador and have kept a very special friendship ever since!

Laura and her special friend also had a great time together tonight as well! What a blessing to see happy, smiling, familiar faces!



  Please pray for the homeless that the team will meet on Tuesday night. Pray that they might ask why someone cares enough to feed them. Why? When no one has seemed to consistantly care in their lives before, is someone paying attention now? Pray that the opportunity to explain of God's love and understanding will arise!

 

To those of you who have financially supported the homeless feeding programs we want to remind you of Proverbs 22:9 -
"He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor..."

As the team packs sacks with meals tomorrow, we will never know the eternal impact that those paper sacks may make!