Need page-turning book ideas for the summer that are both captivating and inspiring?
Join our “Buena Vista Reading Club” and read inspiring stories about people and whole communities going through incredible metamorphoses.CLICK HERE TO SEE YOUR BUENA VISTA READING LIST
Why Buena Vista? Other than just sounding catchy (which is always fun), the term “Buena Vista” is Spanish for “good view” or “good vision”.
Over the next five years, ENLACE’s “Buena Vista” is to impact over 600,000 people by empowering local church and community leaders to alleviate poverty in sustainable ways.
To be a part of this club, just READ the STORIES and UPDATES. Then, if you are so inclined, jump on social media and tweet, link, comment or repost with your favorite stories, photos or fascinating fact.
What people are saying:
“After reading the reports I learned that local church partners on the ground in El Salvador and Nepal have prioritized over 150 projects including water systems, eco-stoves, life-saving latrines, home gardens, fish and chicken farms and much more. Only 60 projects have been funded. Now I know exactly how I can help!” Lynell Brooks, Costa Mesa, CA
“One of my favorite “Buena Vista” stories is from the Annual and Southwest Region Reports. It starts ‘One night in 1980, during the height of the Salvadoran civil war, Teresita and her family were forced to flee. She and her children settled into the hamlet of Metalio, but for many years she was too afraid to leave her home…’ Her story of courage and the faith of a community was truly miraculous.” -Elizabeth Baldwin, Arvada, CO
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT “BUENA VISTAS” IN POOR COMMUNITIES
“After reading the Regional and Annual Reports, I was struck by this thought: If we can have an impact in El Salvador in the hundreds of thousands and then repeat that in Nepal and then on to Guatemala, there is literally no reason not to be totally excited and supportive! This was the best reading I’ve done all year.” -Liz Lorenz Segarra, Phoenix, AZ
“I loved reading the “Buena Vista” story about the Piedra Angular Church from the Eastern Region Report. Did you know that since working with ENLACE this super rural congregation of less than 100 members has increased its village’s access to clean water from 1% to 79% and access and use of latrines has increased from 33% to 93%? That’s astounding. The report details other projects that the churches in this region hope to accomplish this year. Talk about getting real results and I’m loving getting to be a part of it.” -Steven McKinney, Galena, KS
“The photos in all the reports are so utterly touching. The people are beautiful but the photos reveal how difficult life is for so many people--dirt floors, bare feet, roofs made of plastic, etc. And then to discover that these are the same people who are accomplishing projects like water systems, roads, streetlights, clinics, home gardens and bridges. It’s just very moving.” -Tirzah Hammond, Columbus, OH
“‘When his mother drowned during a family excursion at age 11, José and his four siblings became orphans...from that point on life became a fight for survival.” His only solution was to join a gang. That’s how the story of José Torres starts in the Northwest Region Report, and I couldn’t stop reading.” - David McGee, Columbia, MO
“What’s not to love about this Buena Vista Book Club? One of my favorite parts is in the Central Region Report (link). Chicken farms, tilapia tanks, home gardens have all been projects that churches around 50 members (more and less) are spearheading in their communities. In some cases over 30 families are benefitting from one project and there are hundreds of projects. Over and over again I’m reading about HOPE!” -Micaela Bueno, El Salvador and USA
