A Personal Note...
Friday, May 16, 2008
 
Hello Team! Well there is a time for everything as Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us. Now is a really exciting time in my life. I would love to share some personal news with you so that you can rejoice with me :) Where do I start? Well, there is a leader, who is a deacon, in the San Salvador church named, Jorge Solórzano. I met him in 2005 on a survey trip. Since then, we had kept in contact through emails every few months or so. When I moved here to El Salvador, I was like an athlete running toward the goal with my eyes fixed and focused on the goal of knowing Christ and making Him known. Along the way, I saw that Jorge was running toward the same goal. It truly has been a blessing getting to know him over the years and has been amazing to develop a wonderful friendship with him since I moved here in September of 2007. Well, there always seemed to be hints that Jorge and I had feelings for one another ever since we met, but it wasn’t until last December (2007) that we both realized the feelings were mutual. I have to be honest; I struggled with having feelings for him because I believed that I needed to just focus on ministry and not let “boys” get in the way! Little did I know, that God was preparing a godly man for me so that we could do the ministry together! Yes, God is good and I will always be thankful for His blessings. He gives us more that we can think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). So to continue the story…In December of 2007, Jorge sought the counsel of Pastor Victor and I sought counsel from Victor’s wife, Silvia. Then Victor personally talked to me about Jorge and I. We wanted to approach the relationship with open and honest hearts before the church leadership and take the right steps. Then Jorge and I (together) met with Victor and Silvia to seek their counsel in January. In January, we both decided to wait to start an official relationship until September of 2008 mainly to give us time to pray for God’s will for our relationship, develop a really good friendship as we got to know one another better, and to give me time to adjust to the culture. When I was home in January, I talked to my parents about Jorge and asked for their blessing. They understood that we were focusing on developing a great friendship as we got to know one another more and that we were open to starting an official relationship in September and eventually looking toward marriage. My parents gave their blessing as did Jorge’s family in January. We met with Victor and Silvia again at the end of April and basically they brought up some key questions about our future together as we were considering marriage, namely questions about finances, kids, and where we are going to live. BIG questions! Well Jorge and I had already talked about these things. Basically we both have a vision to be church planters in the future and we believe that God is preparing us now to do that in the future. So we believe that God has called us personally to reach the nations, so whether that's a church plant in South America, El Salvador, the U.S., or India, we are open to God's calling as for the present moment we both know its God's will for us to be in El Salvador. As for kids, yes, we both definitely want kids!! And we've talked about our financial status.  Victor and Silvia basically said, “What are you waiting for?” So they gave their blessing on starting the relationship now. So basically we started an official relationship a few weeks ago. It was very important to Jorge and I to have received the blessings of our immediate families, our pastors, and loved ones before starting a relationship. We believe that God confirms His will in three ways: His Word, Prayer, and wise counsel. There have been confirmations in all of these areas for both Jorge and I. As most of you know, my mom and dad were here for a week. They actually left yesterday and I was so sad to see them leave. At the same time, it was such a blessing to have them here and see my world and my life here in El Salvador. They were able to see my work and ministry. One of the most special things to me was that they were able to meet Jorge. It was beautiful to see our two worlds come together. (Jorge speaks English if anyone is wondering). I really can’t wait for all you to meet him also-God willing he will be with me at Christmas this year. Thank you for all your support, love, and prayers. I know that some of you have been praying for a godly husband for me and I cannot put in words how grateful I am for your prayers. I cannot express to you how much I love Jorge. I cannot imagine my life without him now. God always had a connection between us and now to see the plan unfold is truly beautiful. I know that Jorge loves me with all of his being also. I know this through his actions, his words, and his care for me. We have full confidence that we are following God's will, as Romans 12:2 says, His will is good, pleasing, and perfect. I cannot express how much joy we have in our hearts to be following Him and His timing. Please continue praying for us in the next steps. We have not quite determined details about the wedding, but this is our desire, to be married in the next year or so. I know that I have never made any sort of announcement about Jorge before, but we really were in a period of praying for God’s will and asking for confirmation, so now we are happy to let you know that we will be preparing for marriage so thank you for understanding. I attached some pictures of Jorge and I, and also some from my parents’ visit. In Christ’s Love, Sarah