Comida Salvadoreña

Every day I am intrigued and surprised by Salvadoran cuisine. Here are some pictures to give you a glimpse of some foods I encounter on a daily basis... Enjoy!

Coconut water... direct from the coconut. Hacked open with a machete.

Several Salvadoran traditional foods pictured here: a famous pupusa on the far left, pasteles and yuca frita, to name a few.

Tamales come either wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks and they´re filled with chicken, potatoes and corn.

Desayno típico (typical breakfast) of fried plantains, beans, cheese, cream and, of course, Envision Coffee!

Sopa de tortilla... YUM!

Salvadoran tortillas are much smaller and thicker than the Mexican tortillas that Americans are used to. Not much flavor, but with a bowl of sopa de frijoles, they´re perfect!

Chirimol (or just chimol) is El Salvador´s pico de gallo. Straight up: tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

Horchata is a Mexican/Central American beverage. In El Salvador it made out of the seeds of morro fruit (pictured below) and always has cinnamon in it. 

Morro tree

Ceviche is a beach day treat. Fish or shrimp ¨cooked¨ by the acid in the lime juice.

I can´t give you a food post without throwing in a few very different delicacies. The departments of San Miguel and Morazán are known for their iguana dishes.

Don´t forget the chicken feet! They are a must ingredient in the traditional sopa de pata (loosely translated: foot soup).

Everyone loves ´em some chocobananos. You can buy them at most tiendas.

Elote loco! You can get it year-round, but it is particularly popular during the ferias (think state fair).

Ahh the delicious fruit of Central America! Papaya and mangos (pictured below) are probably common to you, but some of these others might be new...

Green mango in a bag with lime juice, salt, and chile (hot sauce) is a favorite treat

Nonas

Jocotes and mamones (below) you just peel, pop, suck off the fruit, and spit the seed.

Marañon - the fruit is edible and is good for juice. For those who didn´t know, this is where cashews come from. Just be careful, you have to dry them first. Raw cashews are poisonous.

Last one for now... Loroco is found in lots of recipes, from pupusas to soups. I´m still deciding if I like this or not... :)

Busy seasons

First of all I would like to humbly ask forgiveness from all of you who love and support me.  It has been selfish and rude of me not to put updates, of what is happening in El Salvador and in my life, as top priority.  It is easy for me to blame the busyness and the constant activity at Wired for my lack of contact, but that's not an excuse for keeping you, my faithful friends and family, in the dark. It's never been my intention and I'm the one missing out on the blessing of pointed prayer and I'm keeping blessing from you on what God is doing here!

So, I guess, my first prayer request comes out of my weakness: please pray for me to stay in better communication and contact with you.

Everything is moving fast at Wired! We're in the middle of group season now. I have about 5 weeks until the group that I am leading comes. They will be doing construction and VBS, but because of recent security issues, I'm not 100% sure where we will be working.

We finished up staff training "the Wonder Games III" earlier this month pumped and ready to go for the summer. It again was a wonderful time to be together as staff and learn how we can better work as a team. There are 5 new interns at Wired: Hannah - returned for a 2 year commitment in May. Anna - is here for her 3rd internship. She'll be serving until the end of July. Ada - is here for the whole summer to help with groups. Alexa (my NC buddy) - is here for a month from Winston-Salem (originally VT). Rachel - is here for 3 weeks this month looking into a longer internship. I'll post a staff update with pictures this weekend so you can see who you can find around Wired these days!

With group season, most of my time is spent working with them or preparing for future groups. Last week, however, I was able to step in and be with the Mullinax kids all week, while Jen was in charge of her group from Montana. Their family continues to bless me. I've found great friends and mentors in both Richard and Jen. And of course the kids and I get along pretty well...!

Much has happened in the past few months to further the Broken ministry. God has shown us that Broken is already happening in El Salvador, through many well established ministries. Our partnership with Vinculo de Amor (clinic for malnourished babies) and Metamorfosis (shoe factory/new beginnings for prisoners and gang members) has turned into two ministries that WE will be taking charge of. The couple who began these two ministries are retiring and, after much prayer, we know that God has definitely placed us here for "such a time as this"!

I have continually felt drawn to helping the women of this country. I'm still not sure in what exact way, but a few opportunities I have had lately were sharing time and a bible study with a group of women who are homeless or who have come out of prostitution. And during the football games (yes, there is a American football league in El Salvador! 6 teams this year!), I enjoy connecting with the wives and girlfriend's of the players and a few of them are interested in coming to Hungry (a church for people who have been deported).

Writing these things down, I am humbled by how God is using me and our team at Envision Wired. Thank you for praying. If you have Facebook, look up the "Broken Campaign" and "Envision Wired" pages for pictures and updates on what is going on.

One last prayer request, would be for continued financial support for myself. I currently have enough for the next 4 months, but not past that. If you would like to contribute, here's the link: https://secure.cmalliance.org/give/ and enter "Lonas, Melissa 1-47609-49-12". 

I love you all very dearly and pray that you are doing well.

Love,
Mel

Shared my 26th birthday this year with little Raquel who turned 4!

At the women's outreach (for homeless and rescued sex trade workers).

Football, baby!!! I finally understand how to play now. (You can hear my Dad cheering after all those years of trying to explain the rules of football...)

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!

Help me go back!

If you would like to give you can do it online at https://secure.cmalliance.org/give/ and enter: "ENV - 1-47609-49-12 Melissa Lonas". I have to raise $1500 a month, so $18,000. If just 150 people commit to give $10 a month, all my funds will be raised! I'm so thankful that God chose to send me to El Salvador and I'm blown away by the fact that He uses me - little ol' broken me - to spread His glory around the world! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sending me out. Your love and prayer and financial support are overwhelmingly appreciated!

Support letter

Dear friends and family,

            What a year and a half full of blessing, new experiences, and God’s grace I have had at Envision Wired in El Salvador! I wish I could tell you all my stories of language learning and learning to be culturally correct and cooking with Salvadoran women and worshipping with Christian brothers and sisters, and learning to drive stick shift in a 15 passenger van, and traveling/exploring the country, and, and, and! The list goes on! I have spent the last 18 months growing to deeply love the team that I am privileged to work with (now lovingly known as my Wired family) and growing to love the people and work that God is doing in that country, even more so than I did before. I’ve learned better what it means to be a servant leader being in a position of leadership with the short-term groups that come down. I’ve experienced fresh every day God’s grace in every trial and failure and His loving pleasure in upholding us and giving us His strength when we ask. He has a great plan for each of our lives. I am incredibly thankful that He chose to send me to El Salvador and I’m thankful for all that He has taught me there, the joyful lessons and the hard ones alike!

            The past months have found me continuing to work with the short-term groups, being in charge of the Broken Campaign (contact me or go to www.brokencampaign.com for more information), being a part of Comunidad de Adoracion (my church family there) and serving the Mullinax family. Their family returned in late July after a year of home-assignment, following 3 years serving in El Salvador. Since then, at least 4 days a week, I have the joy of spending after-school time with them, helping the kids with homework, playing, and helping with their family’s evening routine.

            I am writing to you again to let you know that I will be returning to El Salvador on February 9^th, 2014 to continue working at Envision Wired. I’m signing-up for another year, but will be on a year-to-year plan, which means at the end of this next year we will evaluate and decide if I can stay another year. My heart is in El Salvador and I will stay there as long as God allows! I cannot thank you enough for your support during the last 18 months. I am overwhelmed by your generosity and consistency and faithfulness in praying for me. If you would like to give (or continue to give) you can give online at http://secure.cmalliance.org/give/ and enter: “ENV – 1-47609-49-12 Melissa Lonas”. If you wish to support me monthly check the box “make this a recurring gift”. You can send checks to the following address with “1-47609-49-12 ENV Melissa Lonas” designated on the memo line.

                The C&MA/Envision Office        

                Attn: Becky Gorton

                The Christian and Missionary Alliance

                PO Box 35000

                Colorado Springs, CO 80935

            My expenses this year will be $1,500 monthly which adds up to quite a bit. To make it seem more attainable, if I can get just 150 people to commit to $10 a month, I’d be covered! Thank you for considering supporting me financially.

            As I look forward to going back, please be praying for:

- Blessed time spent with my family the rest of this month before I leave again. Also, peace for my family as they send me out once again!

            - Fundraising!! Oh boy!

-A moldable heart as God grows me closer to Him through every situation and I come to know Him better.

- Envision Wired: the work in El Salvador, the staff, the short-term groups coming this next year, the Broken ministry.

            I hope (and will try my very best) to stay in much closer touch with all of you during this next term. Keep checking in on this blog for posts, pictures, prayer requests and more! And, if you would like to receive my email updates, please email me at honeybeehope@gmail.com so that I can add your email address to my list of prayer supporters.

May God bless you richly!

With love,

Melissa