In El Salvador, especially among people from rural areas, there is a common response to the question “Que tal?” or “How are you?” People often say, “Por aqui, siempre en la lucha.” Translated literally, they are saying, “Here I am, always in the struggle.” And from my experience, as a hopeful observer and missionary volunteer, a difficult struggle it can be indeed.
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SILPA HERNANDEZ TURCIOS, LEADER, IGLESIA EL BUEN SAMARITANO, LAS DELICIAS
PASTOR SANTOS ESTANISLAO CARPIO, IGLESIA TABERNACULO BIBLICO, SAN JOSE EL ESPINO
Many of our friends and partners are frequently interested in current events in El Salvador. One such person who has an eye on the events in El Salvador is a Wisconsin resident named Tim, of Tim's El Salvador blog. On January 8 Tim posted his annual top-ten list of the previous year's news stories in El Salvador. So, for a quick run-down of the news in El Salvador in 2008, check out Tim's blog by clicking here.
Pastor Miguel Angel Duran, Iglesia El Buen Samaritano, Las Delicias
Founder and Executive Director of ENLACE, Ron Bueno,recently had the privilege of interviewing one of ENLACE’s long-term supporters and friend, Bill Manwarren. Bill Manwarren is a lay, mission’s leader of his church in Santa Ana, CA. He created a partnership group comprised of church and community friends who have funded multiple initiatives throughout El Salvador for the last 12 years. It was a great opportunity to reflect together on the impact of the partnership group on ENLACE, their lives and the church. Below is a sampling of some of the questionsRon asked him and his answers.
After spending a year volunteering with ENLACE in El Salvador, Ali Hunt felt called to return to the U.S. and pursue a vocation in medicine. Recently Ali shared with us the process God took her through from trusting Him as she volunteered in El Salvador to following His call to study medicine. It is a beautiful story of how God can work in the life of a person who is available to His call. Read more of Ali's story.
Due to a severe wind storm in January 2008, many houses in the western part of El Salvador lost part or all of their roofs.
As I talk with those interested in international development, I’m often asked why ENLACE is different. While I believe that there are many great organizations out there doing God’s work, ENLACE has a distinct church-focused, community-transformational approach. This approach understands that poverty and injustice are relational before material. In other words, broken relationships are at the root of poverty. If poverty was simply a lack of material resources, then the obvious answer would be to input significant resources. The majority of the time, introducing resources without working towards relational change, doesn't work. ENLACE’s community transformation approach understands that relationships must be restored for lasting change to occur. In Abelines, a community we have walked with since 1999, ENLACE has seen that it is only God’s power that has transformed people’s hearts, enabling them to respond effectively to their neighbors, their community’s resources, and outside donations. I recently visited a church meeting there. Here are some of the things I heard.
In April, ENLACE hosted a team from STOA Ministries made up eye doctors and support staff that offered eye care clinics in multiple communities in San Martin, EL Salvador. The team was able to test vision, dilate eyes to test for diseases, and distribute hundreds of eye glasses. Without clinics like this, most of these community residents would have virtually no access to glasses at all. The team was also able to bring with them a huge amount of medicine. In many cases they were able to give folks with glaucoma sufficient medication for one year. If you aren ' t familiar with this disease, glaucoma increases pressure in the eye and when left untreated, eventually leads to blindness. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the world.
