El Salvador 2026: Day 1

Hello from El Salvador!!

Our first full day started bright and early with a delicious hotel breakfast. Then we headed on a long bus ride to Ahuachapan in the mountains of El Salvador! We were able to pray and worship as a team to prepare our hearts and minds on our ride before we arrived at the school… along with making bracelets and playing games!

Once we arrived, we performed both The Lamplighter skit and our mini production for a gymnasium full of students! After we performed, we got to dance to worship music with all the students. It was such a joyful moment full of lots laughter and smiles!! We even made a conga line! We left a big stack of “Lamplighter” books with the school so they have copies in their libraries and classrooms, each one with a hand-written letter from us to its reader in the back. That way God can keep shining through the light from this visit for so many years to come!

Then we hopped back on the bus and drove to Apaneca Zipline Adventures. The zip line was such an awesome time and quite the adventure! On one of the longer zip lines, I found myself just being in awe of the beauty I could see all around me, and I took many mental pictures just to capture it. We got back from zip lining and ate lunch all together as a team. Our bus ride back to the hotel included bracelet making and many naps!

What a wonderful day full of memories! The Lord’s goodness and faithfulness is so evident in each moment, and it was a joy witness it today!

Signing off,

Jessica

Hi everyone, I’m Adrianne!

Today was so incredible and eventful. Our first official day in El Salvador started with a delicious breakfast, where we all shared what we were excited (or nervous) for going into the day. Then we shared worship songs and got on the bus bright and early! We had a two-hour ride to Liceo Evangelico La Atarraya.

The ride was absolutely beautiful, and so many friendship bracelets to give to the kids were made along the way. At the school we had the opportunity to show the kids our skit of the story “The Lamplighter,” and perform our mini gospel production. Once we had finished, we invited the kids to come down and join us in a worship dance party! I had so much fun getting to hold their hands, spin them around, and just connect with them through the music and dancing. A conga line even broke out and got all of us jumping and laughing around the gym. There are currently about 500 kids there!

This might surprise some of you (it sure surprised us!), but the 6/7 trend made it down to El Salvador. All the kids were doing it! It was actually a small, but fun way we got to connect with them. Who knew that would be the icebreaker that broke through the shyness and language barrier?

After we said our goodbyes, we took to the skies. We got geared up and made our way up the mountain to go down a 13-course zip line. We flew over coffee fields, and got to see all the beautiful trees and mountains from a birds-eye view. We ate some delicious sandwiches for lunch, and even got to go into an art workshop/souvenir store. We boarded the bus (where 95% of us got a good nap in), and headed back to the hotel.

Today I saw God move in so many ways. He’s done so much for us already on this trip! From keeping us safe to connecting us with the people and bringing us all closer together, I know he has marvelous plans for this week. Thank you all for your prayers!

Signing off,

Adrianne

Hey everyone!

Yesterday was our traveling day to get to El Salvador, which meant getting up bright and early and meeting at the airport at 6 a.m. We got on the first plane to Houston. It was a good flight! When we landed, we didn’t have much time at that airport, but we were able to get some food and stretch our legs. Abbie also gave me a piece of banana bread. 💛

Fun fact: I got patted down before boarding the second plane because I had hand sanitizer on my hands! 😂

The second flight also went pretty well, although the landing was slightly rocky. But by the time we landed, we were here! A smaller moment that felt memorable was when my friend Lauren pointed out how weird it was to see the signs at the airport have the little English translation underneath the larger Spanish word.

But the BEST news when we arrived was that our driver for the week would once again be Señor Jimmy! He took such good care of us in 2024 that we all still remember his kindness. We even wrote him heartfelt notes before our departure last time! Needless to say, he’s already sporting a friendship bracelet this trip.

Once at the hotel, we all found our rooms and had a moment to settle in. We hung out and took pictures until our coordinator from Amazing Love Missions, Mr. Wally, stopped by. He explained the good work he and ALM have done, and shared testimony from some of the kids they’ve worked with over the years. There were some really beautiful and powerful stories! He also gave us our itinerary for the week.

Then we had a moment to go over choreography before dinner arrived. The pupusas were wonderful! The day ended as we all met up in a friend’s room to journal about our day. I thank God for our safe travels and all the laughs we had along the way!

Signing off,

Emily