Part 3 I have stood at the front of a speeding boat while it hit big waves. I had to grasp the edge and move with the boat or be tossed overboard. The wind pushing back my cheeks, the sea-spray kissing my skin, and the saltwater smell gusting straight through my sinuses. I felt similar exhilaration as I clung to the back of the truck bumping its way through tropical trees and melon-sized rocks. The warm wind tried to steal my hat, the leaves slapped and tickled my skin, and

Part ll The next morning, I woke before the sun and had coffee at the long wooden table in our hotel. I listened to roosters crow and the city of San Vincente come awake. I needed this time alone with God. I needed to remember the mission - showing the love of Jesus - and ask for the heart and wisdom to fulfill it. This repelled the anxiety parasite. After breakfast, a Shelter employee drove our van out of the city for nearly an hour. Then, to my delight, we transferred to th

Part 1 Sometimes, we are unknowingly used by God to answer prayers. And sometimes we have the great privilege of knowing. Volunteering with SunWest Church and Shelter in El Salvador to provide homes for families offered such a privilege. Last Novemenber, when we arrived in El Salvador, anxiety sipped at my heart like a tiny parasite. How could I, a vulgar introvert, show the love of Jesus? The night before meeting the familes, Jake, our leader, posed the question, ”What woul

Hysterical emails and disturbing phone calls from my father’s wife alarmed me. “They’re watching him. The police are going to come and...