Hey everyone,

Greetings from sunny El Salvador! It was soooo good to go home last week and see everyone. Things have been extraordinarily difficult here, and it was so good to go home and get refreshed. It was also great because we were able to see how wonderfully the senior high youth group is doing at GNG. We were so happy to see that everyone and everything is going well, and we are especially proud of our Bible study group. When we left back in January there weren't any adults to take over the Bible study group because the other youth leaders were just too overwhelmed with everything else. The teens in that group decided that they wanted the group to continue and they were going to run it themselves. To think that a group of teenagers was going to organize and meet every other Wednesday to study the Bible without any help or anyone telling them to was a big thing to wrap our brains around, but, we knew that if anyone could do it, then that group of teens could. And, they have. They have a deep committment to that group, and they said that they knew after we left that it was completely up to them to make that group a success and to keep it running smoothly, and they have done just that. Many of them have stepped up to leadership positions and they all have taken ownership in the group. So, Bobby and I were especially proud of them when they just randomly got up on Sunday morning in front of the senior high class and told the other students about the group and invited them to come and join them. They were reaching out to the other students, and that is a great thing to see. Bobby and I felt like parents whose children have moved out of the house on their own for the first time. You know that you have done all that you can to train and equip them for life on their own, yet you still worry that they will stumble and fall. And, then when you let those children go and you see them prospering, it is such a good feeling. I honestly feel that if Bobby and I were to return to GNG now and return back to that group, then we would actually be a hinderance. I feel like we would be prohibiting their growth. Just like a parent has to cut the apron strings and let their child discover the world on their own in order for them to fully mature, we know that this was the right thing for our group as well. We know that they may stumble a bit, or even fall, that is just the nature of life, but we strongly believe that they are connected enough and strong enough in their fath to pick back up again and keep going. We are proud of you guys!!

Well, on another note, things are going well here. Things are actually going surprisingly well. It has to be a miracle from God. Now, don't get me wrong, things certainly aren't perfect, but they are better than what they were. The kids have all been out of school this week for Holy Week, so they have been more lax on the many rules around here. And, yesterday, many of the kids went home for 3 days to stay with family members. Even though this is an orphanage, many of the children do have some sort of surviving family member, whether it be a sibling, grandmother, or at times, even a parent (although obviously not a fit one). Bobby and I are really glad that the kids got to go home and visit their families because we know that it means so much to the kids, plus we feel like it will be good for the kids to get out and see just how hard it is for people to live here in El Salvador and how lucky they have it here. When they see how poorly most people live and eat here in this country, we hope that they will have a deeper appreciation for what they have here. I don't know, maybe they will, maybe they won't. We shall see!

For all of those kids who don't have family members that they can return home to for a visit, we took them all to the park today. It wasn't our idea, it was Julio's (the director of the home), but we think it was a wonderful idea. We left at like 10:30 this morning and the kids played and played all day at this really huge park that we went to. At lunch time the cooks from the home came and brought he kids' lunches. Because their aren't that many older girls here now (only 3) I was able to spend alot of intimate time with them today and see a little more of their hearts. Their hearts are of course broken because this week is just another reminder to them that they don't have any family. The 3 older girls here are Linda, Veronica, and Karina. Linda has no surviving family at all (not even siblings) and never knew or never met her parents. Karina has 2 brothers and a set of grandparents, but her parents are dead. Her dad hung himself and her mom died of AIDS. And, I am not sure what Veronica's story is. I love them all dearly, and I hope that I can make an eternal impact on their lives. I have posted a picture of Linda on my blog today.

Well, I am going to go for now. I have been writing for too long. Tomorrow Bobby and I are having our first youth night here at the home so I will tell you more about that tomorrow.

We love and miss you all a lot and we thank you for all of your prayers and we ask that you keep them coming.

Lots of love,
Britney