Here So Soon, June? – May Monthly Update

Hola Hola, Amigos!

May was a wonderfully HOT and rainy month here in San Salvador! Fortunately, the rain doesn’t last long and many times is during the night, so it makes sleeping just lovely! We didn’t have any teams this month, so it was a wonderful opportunity to rest up and gear up for the NINE more teams we have coming this summer!

And now, I present to you,

ASHLEY’S FAVORITE FIVE
My Five Favorite May Moments!

1. Mother’s Day – Mother’s Day is June 10th here in El Salvador. I got to have breakfast with Silvia (Pastor Victor’s wife) and the family! We went to a local restaurant and had unending cups of coffee, pancakes, eggs, bacon – I think we had a little bit of everything! And once I was so stuffed I couldn’t eat anymore, I got invited to lunch with another family from church! We ate burgers and fries until we just couldn’t fit anymore – and then we went for an afternoon coffee and we just had to have sweet treats with our coffee!

2. Adri’s Graduation! – After years of hard work, my friend and coworker Adriana graduated from college with a degree in Industrial Engineering (smartypants 🤓) She asked me to take photos of her family graduation lunch and as a perk, I got to enjoy the lunch as well! Currently, Adri is our church’s Mission Team Coordinator, so we are all praying for wisdom on where God takes her next!

3. English Classes – My fellow missionary Ali spent a few weeks in the States to be with her family as her sister just had a baby! Ali teaches the English classes at our Volcano Development Center, so while she was gone, I became her substitute teacher! To be honest, I was kinda nervous about going back to teaching, even if it was only twice a week for three weeks. But as He usually does when I am fearful about something, God proved me wrong and I really enjoyed myself! The kids were really well behaved and I loved focusing in on the ones who really have a desire to learn English.

4. Photo Project – As a project for mission teams, Ali and I are working together to take photos of every child at both Centers and create a wall of photos! This will help missionaries not only learn the kids’ names, but it will also be a great way for them to know which ones need sponsors, and they will hopefully be encouraged to sponsor one of our children! I have always loved photography, and this was a fun way for me to learn more of the children’s names myself and build friendships with them!

5. PIRATES – Anyone who knows me should know about my affinity for Johnny Depp. The 5th (and last?! 😩) Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out last weekend and not only did I see it once, but I saw it TWICE! And not only did I see it twice, but I saw it in Spanish AND in English! I am fairly biased, so I’m not sure I am the best reviewer, but I thought it was awesome and the man who does “Spanish Jack Sparrow” does a spot-on imitation!

LOOKING AHEAD

Starting next Saturday, June 10th, our church will be receiving three mission teams in a row! WOO! I am already super excited and super exhausted! Ha! The first of these teams is Rock City, so that will be a perfect way to kick off Mission Team Season! We have a total of nine more teams coming this year! I am really looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.As I mentioned in previous emails, Pastor Victor has had a dream of creating an English Academy out of the church for a long time now. It will be a tool for evangelism and inviting people to church. Being able to speak English can drastically improve a person’s life here, so we want to use that to bring them to Christ. The classes will be super affordable in hopes that teens will come and get connected in. And because learning a language from someone who is native in that language is best, yours truly will be the main teacher! He put me in charge of this project awhile ago, but I was hesitant to do anything because of my previous negative experiences teaching. I knew that God wanted me here and that He would challenge me and grow me through this project, but it didn’t do much to eliminate my fear. About a month ago, Pastor Victor created a dream team of people to make the English Academy happen. As expected, I will be the main teacher in charge of curriculum and teaching. I am still a little nervous about everything this project entails, but I am now surrounded by an amazing team of people that makes that fear a whole lot less. We are hoping to open the doors at the beginning of August! I am hoping God uses this as an opportunity for me to do some youth ministry again! Oh, how I miss it! Who knows – maybe God knew what He was doing when He brought a woman with teaching experience and a passion for teenagers to El Salvador 😏

“I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4v10-13 (HCSB)

FROM EVERYDAY PEACE: STANDING FIRM IN HIS PROVISION by KATIE ORR:

Contentment is hard to come by, it’s not a guest that arrives naturally or stays willingly. Contentment is an enduring peace that is independent of circumstance.

The secret is this: nothing on this earth will ever satisfy me like being with Jesus. Not a different stage of life, a bigger salary, fewer responsibilities, or losing my love handles. Until I treasure Christ as my only true need, my only worthy pursuit, my only fulfilling hope, my soul will remain unsettled. Until I see every disappointment, disease, and difficulty I face as yet another chance to prove the worth of Christ, I will be disgruntled…unwavering peace comes only in the presence of the One who will never leave me or forsake me.

••♥︎••

Friends – what adjustments can we make in our lives this week to move towards contentment?

Please stay in touch! There are a number of ways to contact me!

Email: ashley.arend@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AshleyElaine85
Skype: ashleyelaine85
Mailing Address: Condado Santa Rosa, Condominio Aclaraban, Pasaje Pacún #42. Santa Tecla, El Salvador (simply stop by your local post office to purchase a Global Forever stamp, only about $1.25! Just give it about 2 weeks to arrive!)

Please Pray:

I’ve actually had some sort of stomach bug for the past week! I finally got some serious meds last night and I am praying for a quick and thorough healing!
For Moriah Harris! Moriah is from Iowa and way back in June 2015, she and I went to our Reliant training together in Orlando! All in his timing, Moriah is finally moving to San Salvador in two weeks on June 15th! Please pray for an easy transition! She will be living with Ali and I and the Turcios family, so it will be wonderful to have another “gringa” here with us!
For energy during Mission Team Season! Working with teams is one of my favorite parts of my job, but our days go from 7am-8/9pm everyday, with no days off when we have back to back teams! Adri, Ali and I will need some serious energy and perseverance!
For the tenacity to go after this English Academy with everything I have! I truly believe in its necessity, I just need to believe in God’s ability to do great things through me!

be cheerful no matter what // pray all the time // thank God no matter what happens.

Thankful and Blessed to Work with You,

-Ashley

This is Elote (el-oh-tay)! It’s grilled corn on the cob on a stick covered in butter, mayonnaise, ketchup and salsa negra (“What’s salsa negra? “It’s black sauce.” “CLEARLY. But what’s in it?” “I dunno” hahaha!) Elote is super delicious and now that I’m describing it to you I’ve given myself a craving for it! Ha!