Thanks from James

I learned about the poverty that exists in El Salvador. It is overwhelming. The thing I noticed most was shoes (since I had them next to my head so much!) Few of the children there were wearing shoes that an American child would even consider. Many were worn to the sole and were cut in places to allow for growing feet. The kids with sandals were fortunate. Another thing is how lovable the children were. On the first day of VBS, the kids ran out to us shouting "Gringos, gringos!" and the first thing they would do was hug us. A more serious thing I saw was the love in Pastor Mario's church. The woman sitting next to me, though a total stranger, loved me. I could tell by the way she prayed over me in Spanish and said "God bless you" in broken English. This is even more powerful because twenty years ago we would have been political enemies. She truly expressed a Christ-like desire to love all people.