Formation to Implementation

Before we left for R&R, we were able to create two jobs. We connected two gifted adults from our church community with the NGO Oikos Solidaridad for the development of a web site. We hope to nurture this initial job into a possible business. First it has to be their desire, not ours.

Our first nine months represent our formation period of our mission. Now we transition to implementation. Our mission is Community Development; our two big projects with Volunteer Missionary Movement include Education and Food Security. Nancy has been working in education since arrival, teaching English to 135 students. Food Security addresses malnutrition and produces an income stream for families. A grant for our food security project is under way with the VMM office in Milwaukee. We wait for funding.

This time of waiting provides us an opportunity to develop and implement other programs that have been mentioned by our church leaders here in Usulután.

The church leaders are opening a store, providing jobs for members of the church community. Nancy and I were able to secure pledges from the US totaling $8,000 allowing for the first time purchase of inventory for cash. Two thousand dollars more will make the store a reality.

We received donations for the construction of a concrete patio at the entry of the public school in Aqua Fria. Oikos has a new relationship with this community and the Oikos programs begin with skills development for each community leader. They are well into program and this patio project will provide the emerging leaders an opportunity to test their newly acquired skills outside a training setting and into a working activity.

We received many donations of school supplies and Sunday school materials. Before we distribute these we need to develop a Sunday school program that incorporates “supplies” into the lesson plans. Current lesson plans are one hour of lecture.

Thus we return to much work, not only for us but also with our partners. There will be many meetings in the months ahead to implement these resources.

While home in West Bend, we struggled about our witness to the Salvadoran people. One purpose in being in El Salvador is for our faith to grow. Along with that, our witness should also grow as we share the good news of Jesus Christ.

During our conversation with Benjamin Alas this week, he shared that Oikos is very grateful for our volunteer work with them. They appreciate our experience, our wisdom, our values and our cultural understanding of the communities and the needs of the people.

He said “you are like John the Baptist bringing good news and hope in the wilderness. Oikos and the Slinde’s complement each other in the vision and the work for a better life for the poor. You bring blessings from God. The people of the communities remember you and ask about you, they know your hearts and your testimony of love and faith.”

We appreciate this confirmation, because we really struggled about coming back. Our heads said no but an inner presence tugged at our spirits. Go back ---- and we responded.

David y Nancy