Residents of Las Delicias have lived for generations without running water in their homes, but Catalina encourages her neighbors that clean water is finally on the way. No longer able to walk to the river, Catalina washes her clothes and baths with contaminated water that she buys from a truck. If the water runs out, there is none to drink. The completion of Project Milagro will mean that she will not go thirsty due to lack of clean water.
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Juan Antonio is a new father and a resident of La Loma. He is excited to be able to sell tomatoes from his garden in order to provide for his new son. As a leader, he is happy that the home garden participants are creating a positive example for the community.
God’s love is contagious, and in the region of Abelines, it’s spreading like wild fire! We are often asked how pastors in El Salvador hear about ENLACE, what promotional materials we use, or how we advertise our services. The answer is that replication is inherent in our work because the churches that serve their communities have a passion for service; and change is contagious.
At ENLACE, we define community transformation as a dynamic and continual process that is rooted in restored relationships and sacrificial service. This February relationships were restored and hundreds of people were served through the combined efforts of two Salvadoran churches and the Meadowbrook Community Church from Champaign, IL. They worked together to repair roads and attend to patients at makeshift health clinics organized by the partnering churches in Las Delicias and Santa Maria.
The Infant Nutritional Center is a daycare for malnourished children in Las Delicias and one of the five schools that will benefit from Project Milagro. Ruth de Lemus is a teacher at the Center and is anxiously awaiting the completion of the project. She knows that clean water will mean less malnurished children at the center.
Imagine the wind whistling through your house as it lifts up the tin roof and drops it with a bang. Suddenly the rain begins--first a couple drops that leak through the tin and wake you up, but soon the rain is pouring through the roof. You jump out of bed to protect your children from the rain and cover the dry clothes, but after all your efforts, you see that nothing has helped. The rain keeps falling and everyone is soaked.
“This house represents security and peace, a gift that could have only come from God,” expressed Pablo Chacon with great joy as he set the roof for his new home located in San jacinto. Neighbors from the local church worked alongside him, glad to be a part of this grand blessing. For Pablo, this new home has not only given safe and secure shelter to him and his family; it has given him new hope.
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For the past seven years, ENLACE has hosted an annual retreat for the pastors and leaders of our partnering churches. This year nearly 140 men, women, and youth shared in activities, fellowship, and an enthusiasm for learning to “Lead Like Jesus,” which was chosen as this year's theme. For the first time, the partnering pastors led several of the workshops and their powerful example reflected the choice they have made to be servant leaders, impacting their communities in a significant way.
Ron Bueno during the opening session of the event“To be a leader, you must lead,” started ENLACE’s founder and director, Ron Bueno, at the 2010 pastors and leaders retreat, "But to be a servant leader, you must first serve." The theme of the retreat was, “Lead like Jesus,” and the weekend was filled with teachings and workshops conducted by influential pastors and leaders who work with ENLACE, as well as video workshops from Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit. Participants learned that to lead like Jesus is to seek God, serve others, and empower passionate individuals to take your people from an unacceptable, metaphorical “here” to a brighter and better “there.”
Children involved in the home garden initiatives gain access to healthy foods and an opportunity for a better future.For Maribel Portillo, to think of the impact of home gardens is to think of her children. Maribel has seen a great impact in her own life since first starting a home garden a few years ago, but the influence on her children is what really stands out for her,
Beatriz Amaya at her Home GardenIn the semi-rural community of La Loma home gardens have become synonymous with powerful and complete community transformation. Community members have become united in purpose-- teaching, cultivating, and helping their neighbors to accomplish the work at hand. A sweet aroma of change is filling the air in La Loma and is spreading beyond the community’s small borders.
Defining and measuring 'community transformation' can be tricky. However, it is possible to identify and recognize the change that goes on when a church begins the journey of effectively serving its community. To this end, ENLACE tracks six areas of transformation and eight core outcomes for every church and community with which it works.
