Will You Be Mine? This familiar question that appears on millions of valentines today all over the U.S. is also a question that God asks us every day.
On November 17, three hundred pastors and leaders converged from around El Salvador at a retreat center on Lake Coatepeque. ENLACE’s annual Pastors and Leaders Retreat is an anticipated event each year. For three days our partners who give to their families, churches, and communities all year round get to connect with each other, be refreshed by God’s Spirit and beauty, and enjoy being served rather than serving.
When we hear the word stewardship we often think of money and perhaps even time. But have you ever thought of the word stewardship also in terms of your talents, gifts and passions? This question is especially important when we think about all the great need in the world and the great tug at our hearts to be of service to those experiencing pain and suffering. We want to help...so we go, we do, we act. We feel the urgency and so want to move. However, it is useful to bear in mind Christ's admonition, "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
I believe this never rang so true as when talking about how to help those in need in the Majority World. And if you’ve had these same concerns and yet yearn to serve internationally, the following three steps might be helpful as you navigate your journey.
Worship is more than song. It's more than verbal expressions. Worship is a way of life that both acknowledges and honors God's presence. Living a life that centers on worship, while taking us in any number of directions, will require both sacrifice and celebration. When I think about living my life as an act of worship, I identify three steps.
On the Road to Peacemaking and Transformation: First ENLACE Nepal Church and Community Project is Inaugurated
Closed to the outside world until the 1950s, Nepal has since experienced decades of political upheaval. Although it sits on the edge of the gorgeous Himalayas and is home to an ancient culture, it is among the poorest countries of the world. A recent earthquake in April 2015 killed thousands and reduced remote villages and world heritage sites to rubble. Billions of dollars have been promised in aid, but due to political infighting, very little of it has been made available to those most in need.
At this point, I've made many trips to El Salvador and the village of Abelines to help with a medical brigade. In working with Enlace, I've learned a few things over these years. My way of thinking has changed so much over this time and they are great reflections of the change you can experience when you become a part of what God is doing.
Over the weekend we were forced to say goodbye to a great friend and colleague. On Saturday, April 16th Oscar Alexander Vasquez (Alex) died instantly in a motorcycle accident. I continue to struggle to try to understand and process his death. I met Alex when he was 14 years old. He was a youth leader in Pastor Miguel’s church El Buen Samaritano. Shortly after I met him, he shared his life story with me.
Back in 2012, in the community of San Jacinto, 40 percent (680 people) did not have access to clean water. The remaining 60 percent of the population (1,020 people) had access to water every other day for 20 minutes. And the water that was available wasn’t treated and contributed to many water-borne illnesses that especially affected children under five years of age with grave sickness and sometime death. This was the case even though the community had an abundant source of water from a nearby shallow spring. However, the water system that drew from that spring was over 35 years old and needed upgrades in order to serve the needs of local residents. Additionally, the organizational capacity of the community water board wasn’t strong enough to take on and implement a community-wide clean water plan.
At 18 years old, Margarita has a lot on her shoulders. When her grandfather died last year after contracting the Chikungunya virus (a mosquito-borne illness that creates painful joint swelling, headaches, rashes and can exacerbate other health conditions), she became the sole breadwinner for her household. Up until his death she took care of all the household duties along with her mother and daughter. When he died and she was still without a job, resourcefully she went out every day foraging for food. She picked fruit, caught fish, and grabbed anything that seemed edible along the way in order to put food on the table.
Adela, her husband Leonardo and their five children (ages 4-15) have never had an easy life. Leonardo works as a gardener and is paid $6 per day. After paying for transportation, Adela is given about $4 for her to care for the needs of her family. Four of the five children attend regular school. However, their nine-year-old son, Quevin, is special needs and has to be taken by Adela to a school outside their community. Adela and Leonardo have also tried to give Quevin a quality of life that is very difficult to maintain by supporting his involvement with Special Olympics. The cost of this endeavor has made things more complicated but is extremely important to the family.
Dora Santos lived in a simple home with her parents, her son (Abner Vladimir, 33) and grandson. Four years ago their window and door was broken into, and they were robbed of the few possessions they had. Her son went out to look for those responsible, and he was killed by them. Along with the terrible burden of grief, Dora became the main breadwinner for her household. Her meager income that came from selling beans, corn and tomatoes on the street was not enough but they all worked hard to manage. A year later, her father died after struggling with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease for two years.
ENLACE Church Coach, Gerzon Gómez is no stranger to complete and utter heartache. When he was young and the problem of gang violence was part of his daily context, his mother was killed by a stray bullet. His father hadn’t been a part of the family and so when she died, Gerzon and his 9 siblings were left orphaned. It was a scary and uncertain time, one that Gerzon still grieves over.
However, a loving uncle took Gerzon in and provided a place of love. Uncle Orestes not only took the children under his wing, but he also paid for Gerzon to attend school and taught him about God. Gerzon responded to this by working hard and ultimately winning a scholarship from the Mayor’s Office of San Vicente to study at the prestigious Salverio Navarrete Institute.
The scholarship helped but didn’t cover everything. Instead of giving up, he got a job as an assistant bricklayer during the day and took classes at night. His effort didn’t go unnoticed by his peers who applied for a grant for him which won him a stipend that covered basic expenses and food. Because of that, Gerzon was able to go back to school during the day and complete his studies.
Written by Martha de Mancia and Michelle Negron Bueno.
Norma and her husband, José, lived in a very run down house in the community of Sirigual. Their situation was very desperate, as they tried to care for two young children, Zenaida and Erick, in a one-room home with crumbling walls and dirt floors. But they were managing their struggle. However, with her third pregnancy, Norma faced a situation all mothers fear. Six months into her pregnancy, she gave birth to twin, premature boys, Osael and Antony. For many weeks, Norma and her young sons had to remain in the hospital. During that time, Antony grew stronger while his twin, Osael, did not.
