After two weeks in Central America serving with a beautiful ministry, our team has officially landed safely in SFO and they are on their way to a good night’s rest in their own homes.
As they process through the trip and reflect on all that God did in them and through them, make sure to ask them about their experience and genuinely listen to the stories they have to share. Join us in praying for this trip to be transformative for them in their own faith, and for the Lord to use this trip to draw them closer to him even after they’ve settled back into their new rhythms at home.
Hey everyone, today was our last day serving with Just One. In the morning, we had a time to discuss and debrief our trip to help us in our transition home. We had the amazing Just One Staff deliver arroz con pollo for lunch at the hotel, we are so thankful for all the amazing service they have given us. Next, Bella got to share our last devotional about “Loving in Action” and had a very entertaining lesson about how we can serve others. The team also made affirmation cards to each scholars and staff to remind them of who they are in Christ. We then had some time to spend with the staff and scholars before a delicious dinner of pupusas and ending the night by the bonfire. We all got to share our highs and lows of the trip and what it has meant to us, and say our goodbyes. Our whole team can agree that serving with Just One has been such an inspiring and life changing experience. We have enjoyed getting to know each one of them and will forever keep all these memories in our hearts. Please join us in continuing to pray for Just One and the beautiful people of this country.
Happy Thursday! Today our team took a trip to Pulhapanzak where we visited the largest waterfall in the country! Fun fact: this waterfall is thought to have inspired some animated scenes of Disney’s 1967 film, The Jungle Book. How cool! Several team members and Just One staff were brave enough to zip line over the waterfall, capturing some beautiful photos and lasting memories. We then took a swim in the river and enjoyed the scenery. We had lunch at a car museum and restaurant where we ate the most amazing fish/chicken and had fun playing pool. After some free time, we enjoyed dinner with more Just One staff and scholars. The night was filled with stories, laughter, and love. At the restaurant, a beautiful mural caught our eye. We learned that Mizael, a local pastor and Just One staff member, painted the mural. He shared the inspiration behind the piece which captures several aspects of Sigatepeque’s history. It is amazing to see how much impact Just One has on the community and how each person’s talents are used to bless others. We look forward to seeing what our last full day in Central America will bring.
Hola familia y amigos, Today we were able to join Just One in another area of the great work they do for their community. We packed food and supplies to be delivered to a local nursing home and we sorted and packed essential medicines to be delivered to the only medical clinic in the area. At the nursing home, we taught the residents a song about God‘s love and shared a short message on how much Jesus cares about all people. There are no mental health facilities in the area so some of the residents are elderly with dementia, some are suffering from severe mental illness. Some residents have been living at the facility for a long time without visitors, so the opportunity to talk with and pray with them was very meaningful for all of us. At the medical clinic, we learned about the scarcity of medical services and the incredible challenges locals here face to obtain even basic medical care. Some of Just One scholars are nursing students who will soon be stepping in to fill some of that gap. We had yet l another amazing lunch at Just Café, then continued our earlier project of sanding and staining the outdoor furniture. In the late afternoon, we walked with the older scholars to deliver food to the people in the community who live in remote areas. The weekly “no hungry home” project is a favorite of the scholars and has become a Jessup team favorite also. Once we came back to Just One, we got to play games with the scholars. Some teammates played soccer and volleyball, while other played card games. We had a relaxed evening of sandwiches at the hotel for dinner. Buenas noches everyone, we are exhausted 🙂
Today was a very eventful day for our team. We started off the morning by visiting the local elementary school where we got to teach the children a lesson about the love of God. This lesson was followed by an art project which will help remind them of how much Jesus loved them. After that, we played a few rounds of Red Light, Green Light and Duck Duck, Goose with them before heading back to Lunch. Then we went to take the molds off from the pilas that were constructed yesterday. It’s wonderful to see the great work of Just One’s scholars and staff and the contribution they are making to the community.
After this, we went back to Just One where Ellie S. taught a lesson on how to build a strong team with a fun illustration of building a balloon tower. These skills were then put to the test when we later gathered at the local field and played a competitive game of soccer (or as they call it here, futball). This game was full of laughs, some falls and a couple of goals scored by our very own Bella. We hope to be able to play again before we leave!! Lots of love to all, Danielle
Holaaaaa! Today was a long but amazing day! We started off the day by planning a little birthday surprise for Mauricio, one of the Just One staff. He turned 23 today! Once we had everything ready, we headed to breakfast. We normally get a “Plato típico” which is a typical plate of the country. It comes with casamiento (beans and rice together), eggs, cheese, plantains, and crema. So yummy! We then headed back to our hotel room to get the signs and surprise him before he picked us up. We got to Just One’s building to decorate for both Pastor Mizael’s and Mauricio’s birthday. Rebekah and Danielle worked in the library while the rest of us headed off to building pilas. Today’s pila home was a hike! We had to walk through 2 steep hills to and from the house. We went thru lots of grass, trees, and even crossed a creek to get to the home. Since we all know the process of making pilas by now, we were able to help more. Putting the molds together, greasing them, and mixing concrete. The view we had was awesome. We finished our first pila and headed to our second and final one of the day. It’s so fun working together with the team and the Just One scholars + staff. Being here feels like I’m home. Everyone is so welcoming and loving. It feels like we have known each other forever! We then headed back to the Just One building and had lunch. Today Ms. Linda, Ms. Sonia, and Matias made “enchiladas” they are pretty much tostadas as we know them in Mexico/California; they were so yummy. We then headed to the Just One library and helped where we could. Today, Danielle gave a lesson on portraits. We all drew our partner or in my case, I drew a random person. It was so fun to see the scholars have fun and express their drawing talents while others laughed hard at their own art. We then had game time/free time with the scholars. I played volleyball with some scholars, Ellie, and Bella. We then headed back to the hotel and Erin and I attempted to go swimming but the water was TOO COLD! We just chatted for a bit before having dinner and hanging out as a team. So excited for what tomorrow holds and the new experience we get to have. I am in love with this place and I do not want to go home anytime soon. I’m so blessed to be here and serve alongside these amazing people. -Con amor, Ely Q
It’s the Ellie’s! Today we started the day going to church and it was amazing as always to praise the lord! After church we had a lovely lunch at a local restaurant with many of the staff from Just one, the pastor and his family and our team! After lunch we got to work help clean Just Cafe and the offices at Just One. It feels good to help clean the place that has been so welcoming to us on our trip here. After cleaning, we headed back to church where we had the opportunity to lead Awana! There were many kids there today who were happy to learn some English and Spanish songs, do crafts, play games and learn about the love that God has for us! We taught them “whole world in His hands”, “this little light of mine”, and “Jesus loves me”. It was very fun to see the kids having fun and simply enjoying time away from their busy lives. After awana we had some time to reflect and reset at the hotel before heading to a late dinner. It was such a fun time to just talk, eat and be in community with those who we’ve built great relationships with here! We ended the night how we always do with a debrief and some fun team time before heading to bed to prepare for another big day of serving tomorrow. Gracias a dios por dejarnos estar aquí! (Thank you God for letting us be here!)
First week in Central America was a big success! We started our Sabbath day by having a slow morning where we were able to catch up on our sleep. Our team had the opportunity to visit the city with Just One Staff. We saw the Spanish Colonial architecture and we climbed to the top of the city’s cathedral clock. This is a medieval clock considered the oldest in America and the oldest gear clock in the world still in operation which was built in late 11th century. Our team also got to hear the bells ringing at the hour. We explored another town and got to visit more beautiful churches there. We then ended the night with very delicious tacos.
Happy Friday everyone! Our day started with Rebekah doing a fun lesson for the scholars about “being persistent in prayer”. After a delicious lunch of arroz con pollo, we had the awesome opportunity to learn about Lenca Pottery. The Lenca people are an indigenous community near the Just One facility. They create traditional pottery that has been made the same way for hundreds of years. Each of us has the chance to try making a piece of pottery on the wheel. Then we headed back to Just One, where Erin and Bella taught a lesson about “discovering and celebrating each person’s unique identity”. Followed by worship and a devotional led by Ely. We then ended the day playing games with the scholars. Sadly we also had to say bye to Sarah, who needed to head back to the States. She has been an incredible ambassador for Just One and a wonderful help for us while we are here. We miss you Sarah!
This morning, we had the opportunity to visit a downtown market, where we bought fresh produce for Just One Cafe and practiced our Spanish. We then continued working alongside the organization on their library project. After eating the most amazing tacos for lunch, our team helped the staff with various service projects around the building. Several members of our team were invited to participate in leading worship tomorrow, and it was fun watching them rehearse, worship in multiple languages, and celebrate their artistic talents. Our team is made up of a few teachers, a library assistant, and several members who have experience working with youth. It’s been great to see each of our talents and passions be used to bless others. We ended our night with dinner at Douglas and his family’s home. Being a part of the fellowship that Just One, their staff, and their scholars have created has been an incredible blessing to witness. More serving and blessings to come tomorrow. Until then, Rebekah and Danielle
