Fresh Off the Presses! ENLACE’s 2017 Annual Report Celebrates the last 25 Years of Transformation

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Ron Bueno

 

It is hard to believe that in 2018 ENLACE is celebrating 25 years of God mobilizing his Church to transform communities. I feel so honored and proud to be a small part of what God is doing through the Church, restoring people’s spiritual and physical lives worldwide. I am truly grateful to all our donors and partners who have given sacrificially for so many years to help mobilize the churches to transform the lives of so many in great need.

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Using My Hands For God

Had I known what God’s plan was for my life, I would have paid more attention in English class. Never in my wildest dreams did I, a small town girl from a primarily Afrikaans-speaking community in South Africa, envision living in the US, working at a church and going on Outreach trips.

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Secrets of the ENLACE Logo: An Origin Story

Back in early 1993, as the idea of ENLACE was just taking shape, we knew we wanted a logo that reflected our values.

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Don't Just Take Our Word for It: ENLACE in the Literature

 ENLACE has empowered church coaches all over the world to help churches engage with their communities since 1993.

 

2018 marks **ENLACE's 25th anniversary**, and we thought some of you might like to know about a few independent sources that talk about what ENLACE has been doing over the years. These scholars are highlighting the fact that a growing number of Pentecostal churches are engaging in community development activities and that they are in effect contributing to broader social change. They also suggest that ENLACE has played a vital role in preparing and equipping these churches to work with community associations and government entities to develop effective solutions to poverty.

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Top 5 Blogs of 2017

All year long we have learned together about El Salvador, Nepal, community transformation, and impact.  Here are the top five most read blogs of 2017.  If you missed them the first round, now is your chance to equip yourself and share with a friend.  

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The Three Amigos

Every year, just before Christmas, ENLACE hosts a Pastors and Leaders Retreat. It is the one time when all of our local church partners and staff get a chance to learn together, pray and encourage one another, and have a lot of fun! Every year it has been something special. There was one year, however, that stands out and continually reminds me of ENLACE's purpose and vision. 

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A New Baseline for Gratitude

 

“These people seem so happy! They seem so thankful, even though it seems that they have so little to be thankful for.” This is a sentiment that I have frequently heard during my 15 years of introducing North Americans to people in rural El Salvador. While El Salvador does indeed rank very high on the “happiness index” there is something disconcerting about calling impoverished families “happy” and “thankful.” I think something else might be going on here. Could it be that visiting an impoverished community simply shifts our baseline for how we measure happiness and thankfulness?

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World Toilet Day- November 19

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The Whisper of Joy: A Reflection on the Feasts of All Souls and All Saints

In a few days' time, people all over the world will commemorate two Catholic feast days, All Saints and All Souls, with exuberant parties, celebrated with special foods and dances, and quiet candlelit vigils, marked by contemplation and prayer.

The history of these days is fascinating, but having grown up in a Protestant household and community, these celebrations were not a part of my religious or cultural experience. For me, it wasn’t until November 2001 that I was able to see the power that these remembrance days could have.

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Because You Gave A Crap...

32 families will have life saving latrines along with health education and technical assistance for building and maintaining their composting latrines. Over the last few weeks you have jumped on board the potty train.  You have done your doodie! You paired your potty.   

We are celebrating 12 families, individuals, churches, and schools who stepped up as Doodie Directors to raise funds for a latrine. Many others of you gave directly to the campaign.  Thank you!

This two minute video gives you a quick overview of the process and benefit of latrines in communities in El Salvador. 

 

 

Although we have wrapped up the Pair Your Potty campaign and won't keep pushing right now, churches in El Salvador continue to identify families in need of latrines as they work toward healthy communities.  There are literally thousands of pottys still to be paired. You can support them by starting your own Pair Your Potty campaign at any point.  It's a fun way to get kids, groups, teams, and families engaged in making an impact globally.  All the resources you need to start your campaign are at www.pairyourpotty.org

Thank you for giving a crap!

 

 

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Latrines Save Lives and Whole Communities Now and Into the Future

Maria is a 49 year-old, single mother of five daughters. She and her family have struggled to make ends meet for as long as Maria can remember. Like most of her neighbors in Sirigual, a remote village located in the dramatic mountainscape of El Salvador, she has only a 3rd grade education and lives a subsistent life. Her family lives in a small, simple home and collects water from a nearby river for drinking and bathing, which is also where they wash their clothes.

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Back to School Saves Lives

Yay, it's September! Kids are in school, and Autumn is in the air! It's a golden time of busses and no. 2 pencils; of old fashion Pee-Chees and pumpkin lattes. What's not to love?

Hmmm... Like you, I can think of a few things not to love.

How about grouchy mornings and the dreaded lunch-box scramble; the cold and flu season that starts all too quickly; and the science projects that rely on macaroni noodles and copious amounts glue or switch boards and tiny light bulbs, all requiring a parent (and possibly two) to complete.

If you're already overwhelmed, you're not alone. There is one thing we can take off your list.

ENLACE is offering to sign off on Community Service Hours for your child. As a U.S. non-profit, we can provide you with a bonafide option.

And it's easy. Just join the Pair Your Potty campaign by Friday September 15.
Your kids can really make an impact by raising funds for a Life Saving Latrine, health education and ongoing support for a family in an impoverished community in El Salvador! Once the kids have put in the hours raising the funds, email mbueno@enlace.link to sign off on the hours.

It takes just minutes to sign up as a Doodie Director and we will sign off on any corresponding service hours. 

Be among the first two to respond and receive a vintage Golden (Age) Pee-Chee. Totally "Stranger Things" worthy.

Click here at PairYourPotty.org then breathe in, breathe out. One less thing on your to-do list.

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ENLACE invites you to PAIR YOUR POTTY and Help to Build Healthier Communities!


Did you know that you can pair your potty the way you pair your socks? Why yes! Yes, you can!

We've just kicked off the PAIR YOUR POTTYCampaign and we are hoping to raise $20,000 to provide 40 families with life-saving latrines by September 15, 2017.

Want to help? There are 2 ways:
Number 1 (see what we did there?): Donate Now 
Number 2 (yep, we did it again): Become a Doodie Director to rally your friends to pair a potty together.

Here are some more numbers and why this campaign really does matter:
  • 1.7 million people die each year as a result of diarrhea. Every minute 3 children under the age of 5 die from dirty water
  • 40% of the population in semi - rural and rural areas of El Salvador do not have access to latrines at home
  • The 2nd leading reason for medical checkups in El Salvador is treatment of parasites borne from fecal-contaminated water
  • 9% of a family's household income is saved when latrines are used at home
  • 40% decrease of intestinal infections when a latrine is used at home
Learn more and get engaged at  PAIRYOURPOTTY.ORG
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Need Summer Book Ideas?: Join ENLACE's Buena Vista Reading Club

 

Need page-turning book ideas for the summer that are both captivating and inspiring?

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Story of Transformation: María Ercilia Zelaya

María Ercilia has a physical abnormality and has struggled with walking her entire life. She can’t go anywhere without her crutches. This struggle was made more acute when, after God touching her heart, she wanted to return as a congregant to the church she had attended as a child. In her joy she wanted to go as often as it was open, but because the walk took over a half hour she could only manage twice a week. “The worst of it,” said María, “was that I had to go through a ravine that was full of water in the winter and full of rocks in the summer. With the problem I have with my foot, many times it was impossible for me to cross.”

Sometimes María would arrive at the river but realize it was too difficult to cross on her own. “The only thing I could do was wait for a sister from the church to carry me because I was afraid of falling.” And once at church, if the rains came, her return would become a problem. “Since my mother is already older [she couldn’t carry me] so the pastor had to hire a pick up truck to take us home. This was difficult because it would take more than an hour because the way was long...This discouraged [everyone].”

“Thank God that many sisters’ and brothers’ hearts were touched and through the church ENLACE was able to come to this community and see all of the needs that we have. It was with them that we proposed that they could help us build a pedestrian bridge to facilitate access of the two communities. They told us that the work would be up to everyone, not just them and that’s how the mayor’s office and everyone began to work on the project that lasted almost six months. I saw how the brothers and sisters came to work every day in the sun and with the heat. Even if it rained they were there. It was difficult...Everyone worked hard together to get the materials...When I saw the project moving forward I only thought about going to church every day, not just when it didn’t rain or when someone could help me cross, but every day I could be there early.

“When they inaugurated the footbridge I felt so happy...That day many brothers and sisters came to celebrate with us. Everyone in the community was very grateful that this enormous project had been finished. I remember the first day I tracked how long it took me to get to church. Within 15 minutes, I was already there.”

Click here to learn more about María and the churches engaged in the eastern region of El Salvador!
https://www.enlace.link/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2016RegionalReportEast.pdf

 

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