These are the faces of three Nepali women. Even though they work incredibly hard every day in impoverished conditions serving their families and their communities, they often live in fear. 

March Madness Basketball is upon us! Is your #Bracket already #Busted?

 

Jhony Pérez Rosales is one of the youngest church coaches at ENLACE but his years of service in the church and devotion to his family have afforded him wisdom beyond his age.

 

February is the time of year when mornings all over the U.S. are typically dark and cold. Families start their routines before the sunrise and groggy school children are convinced that the school year will NEVER end.

Will You Be Mine? This familiar question that appears on millions of valentines today all over the U.S. is also a question that God asks us every day. 

 

One of the joys of a long term partnership with a community is seeing the children there grow. 

When ENLACE first partnered with Piedra Angular Church in Abelines in 2001, Leidy Paz, Pastor Victorio's youngest daughter, was a toddler.  In some ways she came to represent the children of that community and we often photographed her with her soulful gaze and beautiful eyes.

This is a guest blog post by Don Day from Broadway Christian Church in Columbia, MO

My first trip to El Salvador was in May 2011 on an exploratory trip to see the work of ENLACE.  I really didn’t want to go, but God, in the form of a fellow parishoner said “you need to go because you are the chair of the mission committee.”

One of the highlights for ENLACE in 2016 was welcoming our newest member to the ENLACE team, Christine Nolf! I have known and worked with Christine for many years. She has many years of experience working with church and community leaders to develop solutions to poverty in low-income neighborhoods in the US and in Venezuela. She is a compassionate and committed advocate for the under-resourced. She is a capable and effective leader.  We truly feel honored to have her on the team to further develop relationships with North American churches and organizations.

As you think about 2017, what are you looking forward to?

Is this the year to step out and sign up for a short term serving trip?

If joining a team to serve in a different country or context is something you are thinking about, here are a few things to consider:

On November 17, three hundred pastors and leaders converged from around El Salvador at a retreat center on Lake Coatepeque. ENLACE’s annual Pastors and Leaders Retreat is an anticipated event each year. For three days our partners who give to their families, churches, and communities all year round get to connect with each other, be refreshed by God’s Spirit and beauty, and enjoy being served rather than serving.

When we hear the word stewardship we often think of money and perhaps even time. But have you ever thought of the word stewardship also in terms of your talents, gifts and passions? This question is especially important when we think about all the great need in the world and the great tug at our hearts to be of service to those experiencing pain and suffering. We want to help...so we go, we do, we act. We feel the urgency and so want to move. However, it is useful to bear in mind Christ's admonition, "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

I believe this never rang so true as when talking about how to help those in need in the Majority World. And if you’ve had these same concerns and yet yearn to serve internationally, the following three steps might be helpful as you navigate your journey.

Worship is more than song. It's more than verbal expressions. Worship is a way of life that both acknowledges and honors God's presence. Living a life that centers on worship, while taking us in any number of directions, will require both sacrifice and celebration. When I think about living my life as an act of worship, I identify three steps.