What I will be doing in El Salvador

Hey all! I have more information about the El Salvador Trip!

Our point of contact in El Salvador will be a missionary couple Wally and Judy Cook through a ministry called Amazing Love Missions (ALM).

How Amazing Love Missions (ALM) started…

The Cook’s worked as youth pastors at Word of Victory Outreach Center in Texas for over 8 years. During the latter year of their time in Texas, they made multiple youth and medical relief short term trips, which mixed youth at their local church with other organizations. Through this, doors opened in El Salvador as they felt God calling them into full time mission’s work. Thus, ALM was founded in 2003 when they moved to El Salv!

ALM has 3 goals:

1.  To bring revival to youth of El Salvador.
2.  To help the poor through feeding programs, English schools, micro enterprise projects, college scholarship programs and building projects.
3.  To host mission teams from the US to expand scope of projects and to create long-term relationships with ALM and communities served. And through these relationships enable teams to encounter God’s love through the El Salvadorian culture.

What I bring? Why I want to go?

1. I want to share my story of healing to encourage and uplift those who are currently going through similar things… like hopelessness, rape, abuse (physical or mental), and emotional trauma.

2. God was faithful to show me that El Salvador was where I should go on this Outreach trip. Because of that, I am REALLY EXCITED to see what good will come out of it! I know it will be fulfilling even if it is hard!

3. I want to help in anyway that I can!… ESPECIALLY because they have little resources compared to people in the US.

4. I get to visit the surrounding VILLAGES. This is cool because I love the Spanish culture and I have always wanted to do “rural” missions.

5. I love people! I would love to form lasting relationships and partnerships with these people and ALM. I want to help provide opportunities to those who have limited ones by connecting locals with those available through information, planning and encouragement. We plan to encourage the students by  finding and emphasizing on their strengths through the power of God.

For more information about Amazing Love Missions or the Cook’s, please visit http://www.amazinglovemissions.com/.

To make it possible for me to go, please give (I need to raise $2400 by 3/18) by visiting https://www.formstack.com/forms/citycentral-catalyst_first_year.

Looking forward to the destination (El Salvador)

26 DAYS UNTIL LEAVING FOR EL SALVADOR

The countdown begins! I am very excited to see what will happen in the upcoming days as well as on the trip to El Salvador. As for now, here is an update on finances…

As of today, I am still virtually at a halfway point, needing about $2925 within the next 2 weeks. This will pay for the last portion of the training that I am receiving in urban ministry ($800) and the rest will go toward the cost of  the outreach trip (April 2-14), which includes costs of airfare to El Salv, ground transportation, exit taxes, local ministry, translator(s), housing, and food.

So, I guess once again I am looking at a mountain in finances. I am not feeling as poetic as I did on Jan 15 when I found out I needed 1500 in a week… BUT I am confident (or at least less freaked out) that God will see me through as he did last time. Yep, that’s all! 

If you feel led to donate (tax deductible) and join the cool things that God is doing in my life and those who I impact, either…

1. Fill-out the form: https://www.formstack.com/forms/citycentral-catalyst_first_year  (There will be a processing fee of ~3% for electronic payments)

OR

2. Send a check addressed to City Central Church at

2522 N. Proctor St. #1
Tacoma WA 98406

***Remember to include my name in the memo or on the form!! Thank you!

Walking with security

I just had this realization and I wanted to share it. So here is my rant for the day…

So today (1/14), I found out that I am really behind on my payments for First Year and in order to go on outreach to El Salvador, I will need to raise $1500 by Tuesday, Jan 1/21 which is in a week.

Normally, I would have either 1) given up, gotten depressed, reviewed all my disappointments in life and become bitter about my circumstances OR 2) worried, stressed out, taken control, planned like crazy and probably given myself a panic attack. And honestly either one is not pretty… (Sorry, those of you who have experienced stressed Natalie… ;S )

However, there was something different about this time…

It feels as though, I am on this journey and it has lead me to this huge mountain, which I have to end up on top of. And I see the situation and know that it is going to require a lot work on my part but also feeling in the process that God is taking a “more active lead on this” (or maybe, I am just letting him be GOD in my life). As though, God has just buckled me into the passenger’s seat and is preparing me to go full speed ahead and it’s crazy because I am not afraid. I feel at peace in the midst of much action.

It is comforting to not have to worry or need to be a mastermind planner… I just need to listen and obey. And although I am doing a lot, this burden is light.

I just feel at peace in the shadow of a huge mountain. I know I will be at the top of this soon, but how?… I don’t know.

BUT, I know that with God I can FLY.

Video of Catalyst Training School

This the Catalyst Training School’s video. It gives detail about the program, what to expect and the great stories about how it was used to really change students lives! (expanded vision)

It is really cool. I kinda wish I had looked at this video before now; It is super informative and much easier to imagine myself doing than just reading text about the program.

Catalyst is really awesome.

Open Doors in Arizona and El Salvador!

The wait is OVER!

Today (Friday 12/20), Catalyst: First Year training school announced (to me) that it is offering two outreach trips in April- El Salvador and Arizona! Now, we students must decide which, if any, we are drawn to (given that El Salvador is roughly $2400 and Arizona being roughly $1200).

Besides wanting to be able to say that I have traveled to Central America or thinking about money restrictions, both places sound cool. I don’t know much about either place since I haven’t been many places in or outside the US.  Actually, I could have sworn that El Salvador was in South America but Google just informed me differently. :S

In my mind, all parts Arizona is hot and dry all the time like the weather in Lake Elsinore (a desert in Southern California) -where instantly when you walk out the door, you shrivel up like a raisin and it is way too hot to be in a good mood. But, I think El Salvador could be the same during April… honestly, I should research both these places and ask the staff what assignments we will complete there… This post is showing me how little I know about each of these places.

Anywho- I guess I am off to research and pray about this stuff…

http://www.catalystschool.com/