Playa Salinitas, El Salvador

The small nation of El Salvador is a treasure. Tightly wedged against the Pacific by neighboring Guatemala and Honduras, the country is home to more than twenty-five volcanoes, lush rain forests, and breathtaking coasts. Pedro de Alvarado brought this region under the Spanish flag in 1525 and named it El Salvador or “The Savior.” I personally love the name of this country.

Ticket
This morning a team of Kingsland men and I boarded a flight from Houston to San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador. We are here to work with our friends at Agua Viva El Salvador to drill our ninth water well in this country, our tenth in Central America. There are hundreds of villages scattered throughout the country that still lack access to a reliable source of clean water. Our work here this week will make a difference.

El Salvador Coastline
As our plane made its final approach, I could see the Pacific coastline outlined by foamy white waves breaking against the shore. El Salvador is the only country in Central America with no Atlantic Coast. My good friend Carlos Molina, the country director for Living Water International, met us at the airport and drove us to Playa Salinitas. I always enjoy returning to Playa Salinitas and the beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean.

Breakers
We will begin our work tomorrow at a village called Los Robles or “The Oaks.” Until then, we enjoyed an afternoon of relaxation to the soothing sound of the waves breaking against the shore. As I sat and watched the waves coming in, I reviewed several passages of Scripture that talk about God’s power over the waves.

Waves are often used as a metaphor for trouble in our lives. “You rule the raging of the sea,” the psalmist wrote, “when its waves rise, you still them” (Ps. 89:9). And indeed He does. When waves of trouble crash over us and threaten to beat us against the rocks, we can always call on Him who rules the seas. He can calm the waves and He can calm our hearts.

Hard Hats

This week, we are here in answer to the prayers of the people of Los Robles, prayers for access to a reliable and clean source of water. The people of this village know all about the troubles and problems caused by filthy water. Our hope is that by the end of this week God will indeed calm the hearts of the people of Los Robles and cause them to rejoice because the ruler of the raging seas has heard their cries.