El Salvador May 2019 Day 7

For a lot of team members, Friday was the day we were looking forward to the most. It was the day we were going to spend with our sponsor children! After a long drive back toward San Salvador, we arrived to find our sponsor children lined up and waiting for us. As we exited the bus one-by-one, our children ran toward us with arms outstretched. We were greeted with warm embraces and smiles that we won’t soon forget! Joining the children were parents and tutors from their respective projects.

The morning was largely spent playing in the swimming pools and enjoying a break from the intense El Salvadoran heat. It brought joy to our hearts as we witnessed the smiles and laughter of our children as they splashed and played in the water. It was really special to see some of the parents enjoying the special time in the pools with their children as well!

After lunch, we spent time looking at some of the animals at the hotel, playing on the playground, blowing bubbles and kicking around a soccer ball. Of course, no sponsor day is complete without a cup of ice cream! Before saying our goodbyes, we had a time to share gifts and pray with them.

Words can’t describe what it is like to meet your sponsor child. Less than two percent of sponsors ever meet their sponsor children, so it is truly a privilege when you have the opportunity to do so. The smiles, laughter and joy that being around them brings is very special!

We ended the day with one final dinner with our translators and hosts. What a special group of young people they are and we will miss the joy that they brought to our team!

Thanks for following along with us on our trip this week. We look forward to connecting with family and friends in the coming weeks and sharing more about our experiences in El Salvador! We challenge all of you to pray about joining Woodmen on a future trip with Compassion and see first-hand the work God is doing here through His people. It’ll impact you in many ways!

- Dwayne Groff