Ah yes, I also have other important supplies (clothes, tech gear, first aid, etc) for my two-month long project in El Salvador, but the trail mix is, by far, my favorite item.
I am leaving [really] early Monday morning for San Salvador with teammate, Jess. We will meet another teammate, Raul, at the airport in San Salvador and will stay overnight a couple hours away in Santa Ana. We will drive another couple hours to Tacuba in the morning, order supplies at the small materials shop and then get in a truck “taxi” for the steep climb to La Cumbre. La Cumbre will be my home until March 18th –no electricity, no running water, cold and windy at night, yet I am super excited to be there! I am both nervous and excited for the construction challenge of capturing and protecting the spring water source in the mountains and then storing the water in a tank we will build.
I will have teammates come and go during the first month while I am there, but will be mostly alone for the last month. I intend to walk down to Tacuba (about 2.5 hour walk, one-way) once a week or once every other week (depending on when I need extra supplies). When I am in “town”, there is electricity and a shop where I can get online. I will try to update you all on the progress of the project during those trips to Tacuba.
This trip will be most challenging with regard to construction, but also challenging with language. My Spanish is still very poor and no one in the community speaks English. Part of me is happy for this as it will really force me to get used to using the new language, but part of me is really nervous about how this will impact the work and my relationships with the community. I want Christ to always be glorified in what I do and I rely a lot on my actions speaking louder then words but I still need words sometimes 😉 I just want to make sure the community thanks God at the end of the day for the water.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. -Colossians 3:12-16
Here is a video of my newest little friends and, most likely, my Spanish teachers for the next two months 🙂
How Many Cows 
Kate. You are simply God’s servant! God bless you as you leave and share HIS love! Will continue to pray for safety, good health, travel mercies, construction favor and your “language challenges.” Your love, smile, joyful spirit and love for our Lord will overcome any language barrier! God bless you and protect you…love Linda Pisko
We will be praying. Be sure and have paper and pencil, I used it a lot to communicate when I was in Nicaragua. A picture is worth a lot of words. 🙂 Kieth Larrimore Appropriate Technology Coordinator Equip, Inc. http://www.equipinternational.com
Our best to you. Dennis.
Praying for you! and will continue to pray you through your time there. also praying you become more fluent in spanish so we can talk more together in spanish. God was so good to be on my recent trip to Guatemala as a translator. He multiplied my efforts and I was able to translate pretty well. I know He will multiply your efforts as well Caitlin, you are HIs precious daughter and He knows your heart for Him, His People and desire to communicate with them.