"Beautiful is the moment in which we understand that we are no more than an instrument of God; we live only as long as God wants us to live; we can only do as much as God makes us able to do; we are only as intelligent as God would have us be.” - Archbishop Oscar Romero
The beginning of this blog marks the beginning of my time serving as a missionary to the Evangelical Methodist Church of El Salvador. I had a hard time coming up with a name for the blog, mostly because no brief title can accurately describe this journey...even the first few days! One of my heroes of the Christian faith is the Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated on March 24, 1980 in San Salvador because of his outspoken condemnation of militarism and injustice, and because he spoke out for human rights on behalf of the poor and the helpless. In one of his last interviews he said, "If God accepts the sacrifice of my life, may my death be for the freedom of my people ... A bishop will die, but the Church of God, which is the people, will never perish. If they kill me, I shall arise in the Salvadoran people.” Romero knew his days were numbered but he considered the cause of justice and peace for the people of El Salvador greater than his own life. In his unflinching anticipation of martyrdom, he did not waste a single moment in his defense of the poor, rather he spoke of beauty in the realization that God would use each moment in his life and death as instruments in God's perfect will. So, here's to finding beauty in the moments God gives us, and trusting God to give us exactly what we need to be instruments in the work of God's kingdom!
I never imagined that I would arrive in El Salvador in the middle of a flood. But that's exactly what is happening- and Ahuachapan is one of the hardest hit areas of the country. At least 36 people have been killed and thousands more have been evacuated from homes that are under water. Today, I went with several members of La Iglesia Nueva Jerusalen to evacuate the aunt of Pastora Marta. It is so devastating to see all that has been destroyed and the people who have no place to go. And it is still raining...
