I'm back!

 Just a quick update to let everyone know that I made it back to El Salvador safely yesterday! I was met at the airport by several wonderful friends! The afternoon was spent reuniting, unpacking, and then sleeping (after being up for almost 20 hrs)!

I, literally, have not been able to stop smiling. :) :) :)

Vlady and Priscila (pictured) as well as Patty and Victoria were my welcoming commitee!

A lot of changes have happened at Wired since I've been gone, so I foresee this week being even more of an adjustment/transition than merely culturally. I greatly appreciate your prayers. I'm jumping right back into work this week, finding my niche at our new office (several staff are now working in a different location for space reasons) and enjoying being with the Mullinax family again!

That's all for now. More later!

Fund raising with a hammock

Sunday evening was a great time with the Alliance Bible Fellowship Youth! They are an amazing group, more than that, an amazing family to me! Lots of them entered the raffle for a Salvadoran hammock to raise $191!! Congratulations Josh Blavatt!!

The winner!

Visits

Only a week left folks! One week from tomorrow I'll be leaving on a jetplane - headed back to my other home! The time at home (in NC) has been wonderful! Full of busyness and challenges, but more importantly full of time with the Lord and people I love and have not seen for a long time. Below is just a sampling of some of those people I got to spend time with!

Tomorrow morning at my church, Alliance Bible Fellowship, we will be serving Envision Coffee in the Commons area for the first time! Since I'm still here, I get to stand behind the coffee pot as people go through the line and tell them about Broken and how drinking Envision Coffee supports it. www.envisioncoffee.org A huge thanks to everyone, especially the missions committee at ABF, for supporting and promoting the Broken ministry in this way. If your church is also interesting in buying or selling coffee to support the ministry let me know!

Fundraising is still going slow. Thank you for all your prayers. Tomorrow night at our youth groups Super Bowl party we are raffling off a Salvadoran hammock to help send me back to El Salvador! The drawing is at halftime! If you are interested in supporting me financially, you can give online at https://secure.cmalliance.org/give/. Go to the "Give to international workers" box and enter "Melissa Lonas  1-47609-49-12".

Hannah Johnson - my most recent visitor who drove down for the weekend from Richmond, VA! She has become a beloved friend since we first met this summer in El Salvador, when she came as an intern for 4 months. She will be returning for a 2 year commitment this May! God really used her this weekend to encourage me. :)

This is my bro and one of my neices, Canaan. My mom and I drove to TN to visit their family a few weekends ago. It was a great visit! Those little ladies sure do grow up fast! I'm glad we got to squeeze in a little more time with them. For those who don't know my brother, Justin, and sister-in-law, Rachel, they're pretty amazing!

My dad and his sista, my aunt Janet. The 4 Lonases took a trip to Georgia the last weekend of January to visit several relatives. 

This is Uncle Bill! He and many of my cousins came up the mountain right after Christmas. 2 of the cousins that came are missionaries to the deaf in Chile. It was quite exciting to speak Spanish with my cuz'n Becky!

Not often do we get to see the Wright twins, Kari and Janell! But usually around Christmas we all seem to be around and get together. These women are some of my role models, including that cute one on the end (my sister Caroline)!

Surprise and slightly spontaneous trip to Minnesota in December. Liz, Becca, and Anna have all interned at Wired in the past 2 years. Anna (the far right) will be coming back for the 3rd consecutive summer this May! I love these friends!

Yes, this picture does not follow suit with the rest, but the weather in Boone and Blue Ridge Mountains lately has been a bit cooooold! This wasn't even the lowest one night. It definitely got down to -7 with windchills up (or down) to -16. I had prayed for lots of snow and cold... God answers prayer! The only problem: living in a tropical climate for 18 months made me a wimp when it comes to cold temperatures now. Thank you Lord for warm socks, fireplaces, hot coffee and thick blankets!