Sunday, July 28 - Worship at Cristo Rey and Lunch at a Crater Lake

 The entire group at a lake later in the day.

Back row:  Jason Fisher, Jenelle Keene, Marilyn Dudley, Jake Meyer, Jim Hack, Shaun Keene, Greg Fisher, Walker Smith, Bob Clark.  Front row:  Joe Chamley, Sara Smith, Maggie Paul, Dean Olson, Ruth Meyer, Francis Padilla from Habitat Para Humanidad El Salvador.  

We are at Coatepeque Lake, a fairly large and very beautiful crater lake.

Cristo Rey Inglesia Lutherano

Christ the King Lutheran Church in Santa Ana, El Salvador.

We helped dig the foundation for this church in a build trip here in 2014.

Kids and adults before worship at Cristo Rey Inglesia Luterano (Christ the King Lutheran Church) in Santa Ana.

We get organized for worship at Cristo Rey.  Another group from Charlotte, NC, joins us like they did last year.  They are 26 in number, all organized by Thrivent leaders in North Carolina.

We are pleased and pleasantly surprised to see Pastor Carlos again!  His health is now better than it has been in several years after some adjustments to his heart health plan. Pastor Vilma, his wife, joins him at the altar.  He gave a very thoughtful sermon on the importance of persistent prayer, based on today's Gospel.  He preached without notes.

Marilyn Dudley reads scripture.

Jenelle Keene reads a lesson.

Pastor Todd from a church in Pineville, NC, co-celebrates with Pastor Carlos, Jason Fisher, and Pastor Vilma.  Beanie Baby gifts from Good Shepherd are at the foot of the altar.

Marilyn Dudley blesses the children of the church not yet ready for communion.

Several of us appear with the kids after the service.

Pastor Carlos, Dean Olson, Briseida Cruz, Jim Hack.  Briseida recently completed her Master's degree in theology.  She now enters a two year program to become a full pastor.  One step in the program is to be a Deacon Pastor.  She will serve at both Apostles of Christ Lutheran Church and Lamb of God Lutheran Church in Soyapango, El Salvador.  Her mentor (and fiance!) will be Pastor Rafael, also of both churches.

The crater lake.

One of the family members, Camila, for whom we are building a house.  She is playing with Marilyn's very globe-trotting travel hat.

 Some of us took a boat ride around an island in the lake.

Some of us went swimming in the cool (but not cold) water.

The scenes from the boat ride were quite striking.

Some of the properties seen from the lake.  Habitat rents out the space we use for their volunteers.  We were 16 in number, plus another group of 26 for a total of 42 at the lake. 

Sara Smith plays with Camila. 

Our ultra-modern Remfort hotel in Santa Ana which even has a pool.