David and Nancy Slinde in El Salvador

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2012-02-06T03:37:00.000-08:00

It’s the first weekend in February. We are writing from our kitchen table, drinking coffee, reading the paper and watching the birds at the feeders. This is the place where it started in March 2007 after we returned from 30 days in El Salvador. We were experiencing stress over our previous trip when I heard Gods voice. Move there – He said.

Early in our marriage we applied for mission work and were told we had no experience and had nothing to offer. Upon retirement, we applied for mission and were told we were too old and had nothing to offer. So when God said “move there”, it was a step out in faith.
Many doors needed to be opened for this to happen. And they amazingly did.

Last weekend we started giving away all our household items. The appliances and bedroom furniture left on Sunday. Juan Carlos (newly married) got all the dishes, pans and kitchen supplies. The store got printer, tools, fans, water oasis. Our neighbor, Gabriel, got the rest.

Gabriel drove us to San Salvador taking us out to eat in La Libertad at a sea side restaurant. He and his wife and three daughters are moving to LA in March. Gabriel will drive truck for his brother and they will live with his mother until they get settled.

Gabriel and his family are starting a new life and we are home, closing a 4 year chapter of our lives in El Salvador which also includes the 2 years of preparation. There has been joy and heartbreak - just like life anywhere. The experience in another culture, living a life style of 80 years in the past had been an eye opener. We have learned much about culture and how much change we have seen in our 66 years of life.

Two wonderful missionaries who receive these journals write to us relating their experiences to ours. They miss the mission field and comment if they were younger they would be in mission. We could not do another 2 years away from home in a harsh environment. We will not miss the living conditions, constant dirt, humidity, insects that make living unpleasant.

We will miss the relationships with the young men of the store having morning coffee and conversation with us, their using our computer and internet, the joy of our neighbor, and the people of Oikos. We will miss visits to the rural communities viewing past and future projects and looking for the face of God among the young and old.

What’s next for us?

More short-term visits, more community development and education projects, more research and fact-finding, more grant writing, more partnerships to be nurtured, more reflections and journals, . . . . The passion for this ministry does not end once the contract does.

We remain open to God’s voice and plan for us.

David y Nancy

Schools & Mayor

2012-01-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

Santa Maria- Our church partner St. Matthews in Wauwatosa, WI has spent 4 years in dialogue with the Mayor’s staff of Santa Maria to assist them in connecting a newly built bridge with a ramp to the road. The bridge ends about 18 feet higher than the road. EWB- UW Madison has a preliminary plan, cost estimates and St Matthews has the funding potential for this project. A legal impasse is blocking any progress towards construction.

We offered to help St Matthews while living in El Salvador. Mayors are hard to approach, thus we asked Gabriel, who is a friend of the Mayor to set up a meeting for us. After a day at the beach Gabriel unexpectedly said “let’s find the Mayor of Santa Maria so you can have your meeting”. We drove to a soccer field, finding the Mayor’s brother who took us to his brother at a campaign rally where Mayor Nicolas was the featured speaker. We waited an hour before he was available to us.

Nicolas invited us to meet in his office Monday at 10 to become familiar with the issues. At the meeting he asked us a number of questions, testing us. We moved to the main topic, the legal issue. The government is preventing any work on this project as the funding has been embezzled by previous mayor or his staff after being voted out of office. There are 31 cases of embezzlement in the department of Usulután, this is the only one having construction started. The others are referred to ghost projects. After many rejected requests written by Nicolas to secure permission of the Federal Office of Fiscal Responsibility, he asked us if we would appear before the court and tell our story. We say yes, but we are leaving Usulután in 5 days, thus this must happen quickly. He will call us.

Canton Guadalupe - We are working with 3 schools in the area of Chirilagua. The school of Guadalupe has 3 classrooms that were built by the Virginia Committee of the USA. The principal was the project manager and before the buildings were completed he retired and embezzled the remaining funds. The community is left with 3 unusable classrooms that need concrete floors, electricity, lighting, fans, desks, paint and white boards - that’s a lot of money. The current principal said she would be the project manager if we decide to fund the needed repairs - we smiled and said no.

On the other side:

La Cribe - The school buildings are rather new and the best maintained we have seen. They were built by the European Union in 2005. The community would like a $12,000 building for its Kindergarten program which is currently held in a storage shed. 15 children attend this class. School for the K grade is often cancelled in the winter (rain/wind) as the storage shed is made of metal and wire. They presented us with a quotation from the hardware store of the materials needed to build this classroom. They don’t want cash; they need materials for the parents to construct the building.

Alambre - We returned to Alambre School unannounced to see the computers, computer desks and student desks, almost $3,000 of equipment. The teachers were delighted we stopped in and called for a student assembly to again publicly thank us for this partnership. We are grateful for their friendship and told them we will return again.

In the past 30 months we have met many wonderful Salvadorans. They have joined us in our volunteer work. They offer us transportation, technical support, translation and wisdom. They enjoy the opportunity to help their fellow Salvadorans as they lack an institution to volunteer in structured environment.

They don’t consider the money as a gift as they provide the muscle, making the project a partnership, but they do see our frequent visits to the community as a gift of our time; they respond in grateful appreciation of our commitment to them. Our past, present and future time together in the dust and in the rain seems to be excellent bonding materials for cementing relationships.

David y Nancy

Shopping & Wedding

2012-01-19T08:27:00.001-08:00

We called our Salvadoran neighbor Gabriel on Tuesday to confirm pick-up at the airport on Thursday. At the airport, we were greeted by Dmitri. Dmitri works for Gabriel and was our driver, but left El Salvador while we were on medical leave. Dmitri married an Italian woman and moved to Italy. After 3 months in Italy, they returned to Batres. She works for an NGO and speaks little Spanish, he speaks very little Italian.

From the airport Gabriel and Dmitri drove us to the computer store to purchase 3 more computers to complete the project at Alambre public school. This business is the base for the Rotary Computer Project. Dmitri was surprised at the low cost of a computer and is now saving to purchase one for himself.

When we arrived at our house, we had a wonderful surprise. Gabriel’s family had cleaned our home the day before we arrived. We were able to spend the night, saving the expenses of hotel and eating out. What a relief!

Friday morning we had two sets of visitors. We accompanied Principal Walter to Usulután to order the remaining student desks and computer desks. After Walter brought us home from Usulután, we enjoyed coffee and bakery around our table. This has been the focal point of developing projects and relationships for the past 23 months; it’s fitting we should be closing with hospitality. The computers and computer desks were stacked in our home for Walter to pick up on Sunday on his way to Alambre. He is spending more time in Usulután since his mother suffered a stroke. On Sunday morning he told us she is improving.

After we said good bye to Walter and his accompanara, Alexis and Edwin stopped in to deliver an invitation to attend the wedding of Juan Carlos and Ana on Saturday at the home of Ana’s grandmother in San Rafael Oriente.

On Saturday morning we shopped in the city for a wedding gift, finding a West Bend coffee maker at the major appliance store, Casa Chamba Flores. In the afternoon Alexis and Edwin picked us up. We traveled familiar roads, but then took a new one to grandmother’s home. Grandmother’s yard was brightly decorated with awnings, flowered arches and decorated tables, another stark contrast against the brown landscape as we are now in the dry season. We sat at a table near the road and noted the cars and trucks that arrived by the dust clouds that drifted around us.

The mayor of San Rafael Oriente and his assistant performed the wedding. The ceremony took place at a large table with the engaged couple, the mayor and his assistant and the two witnesses. There were long speeches on family and community. At last the mayor asked Ana if she wanted Juan Carlos as her spouse. He asked Juan Carlos the same --- both said an emphatic yes. The Mayor announced them married followed by much applause.

Ana’s family came forward to greet the married couple, bringing their gifts. Friends and family of Juan Carlos waited for him and Ana to greet them at their tables, then offering congratulations and the presentation of gifts. Children followed the couple, receiving the gifts and taking them to the gift table.

The abrupt change from 30 degrees to 90 was exhausting and with travel and the busy schedule, we took Sunday off to continue unpacking, do more cleaning and to develop our three week agenda.

David y Nancy

Pearl of the Orient

2012-01-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

We are looking for a local Rotary Club partner to support a Rotary Agriculture project with Oikos Solidaridad in the volcanic range of the Oriente. A local Rotary Club is necessary as the host club in assisting in securing funding from Rotary International Foundation, managing the finances of the project, providing Rotary International with all the transparency needed to ensure the money is well spent.

In October we contacted two Rotary Clubs in the City of San Miguel. One invited us to join them in their monthly November social held at one of the Rotarians homes. We attended and learned much about their current projects and also about the City of San Miguel.

The City of San Miguel is known through out the country as the “Pearl of the Orient”, El Salvador’s third most important city. It’s the hottest place in the country and is located east of the active volcano Chaparrastique, also known as 1403-10 on the volcanic map.

It’s an hour drive from Batres to San Miguel. We pass fields where cane is being cut by hand. Empty old school buses used to transport the campesinos line the roadway. The field workers are hunched over lifting, baling, sorting and piling stalks of cane and cane waste into the appropriate piles. The piles seem insignificant until you notice a man standing next to one and he looks like a miniature figure from a diorama.

35 minutes out of Batres and our micro bus turns north heading to San Miguel. We pass by two major industries. One is a dairy processing facility and another is the sugar cane refinery. Large trucks are lined up to unload their freshly cut cane. They come to this facility from all over the 3 state area. They are a nuisance on the highway with their double trailers, making the passing of these road hogs a breath-taker.

These two processing facilities as well as many others not visible from the highway, a mall and the National University and 4 College/Technical Institutions provide the area with many employment opportunities. We asked local Rotarians if there is a middle class and they confirmed there is a large middle class in San Miguel.

The city of San Miguel also boasts of being “the carnival city”. In November and December, the environment is similar to Rio de Janeiro. Our faces reflect our internal reaction. Yes the locals confirm full and partial nudity is a part of the carnivals entertainment venue.

Now it’s January 2012. The carnival is now closed, school resumes in 1 week and we return to join the Engineers without Borders to finish the last phase of the 7 year Rotary black water project in La Granja. Then we return 100 miles to the east (our home community) to resume working with the 3 public schools high in the mountains of Alambre and to develop a future agriculture project with Oikos and our new friends in San Miguel.

David y Nancy

Alambre Graduation

2011-11-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

Last week the winds returned after a long absence. At night the cool mountain air pushes down the sides of the volcanoes into the flat lands of Usulután and San Miguel. The cool air is also very fresh. It removes the acidic exhaust from the traffic of highway 2 and the soot from sugar cane fires that burn all around us all day 5 months a year. The breeze pushes the curtains up to a 45 degree angle allowing the first breathable air of the year to fill our bedroom.

It’s Thanksgiving Day. Principal Walter and his acompañara arrived at our home at 6:15 for the ride to the mountain high school of Alambre. We rolled the windows down to enjoy the morning air. After passing a sugar cane truck pulling out of Batres we had the highway to ourselves. We asked Walter if the air is usually this fresh in the morning and he says no - today is special. It’s special because it is the graduation of the Kindergarteners and the 9th graders of Alambre. He invited us last week when we were together purchasing more school equipment. His cell phone rings; the store in Usulután tells him the 20 desks we ordered last week are ready for delivery.

We started on the highway, then on to a secondary road and the final trek on the horse path, the only trail to the community. We have been here before and dread the ride. It is 45 minutes of nonstop shaking, twisting, jostling of our bodies. We arrive green, but safe.

Walter drives to the house just above the school, the family home of Walter’s acompañara. She is 1 of 12 siblings 6 brothers and 6 sisters. Two sisters are in the final stages of dressing and grooming as they are the music leaders at today’s mass. After spending 2 hours with the family we join the community at mass. The large church is full and there are as many outside participating from the edge. The sisters and the 3 piece band are giving glory to God today with amplification.

After mass we go to the school. The computer room contains displays of student art work. There are about 40 displays in 6 categories. We are asked to choose the best. We hedge until we realize we aren’t leaving until we decide. Yikes. We select the top two and the graduation procession begins to a variety of taped classical music. The students process to the traditional Wedding March, the entry of teachers and “honored guests” is to the March of the Toreadors. It makes us laugh inside.

The children come forward as their name is called to receive their diploma containing many official names, but their name is the largest and most important. After the distribution of diplomas, we are given art work from one of the youth. Then we present the English/Spanish New Testaments donated by our financial planner to all the teachers, principal and a member of the Directiva, nine in all. They are delighted and the teacher who is the MC for today’s event gives the audience a homily on the value and importance of God’s Word for our lives. We are impressed by his openness and sincerity.

At this elevation Alambre is above the ozone layer so it’s not only hot, but the intense glare of the sun makes it difficult to see. We walk to a large rural home of adobe brick, low ceiling and no windows where lunch is being served, chicken and rice with two tortillas. We have eaten this meal 400 + times. At lunch David turns from light green to dark green and needs a time out.

Back home in Batres we say good bye to Walter and make plans for the final January purchase of more desks and more computers and computer desks for Alambre.

Many of you donated money for these purchase of desks and WB Sunrise Rotary for the computer equipment. We took pictures of some of you while at home and gave these to Walter. He is making a display of your pictures at the school. It was an honor to represent all of you at this wonderful event.

David y Nancy

Ending and beginnings

2011-11-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

After two weeks in El Salvador, we are preparing to return home. These have been productive and busy weeks completing details remaining from our absence, building new relationships and exploring future project possibilities. Our mission is completed with much satisfaction. Our time back has been better than we expected.

Time together with the church team is more fruitful as they share their stories of the activities of the past three months. After Sunday worship in Puerto Parada, the pastoral team came to our house for coffee. We sensed much excitement as they talked about all that has happened in the past three months. Their excitement is contagious, their world has changed moving from fear to hope and those hopes generate dreams for a better future.

Pastor Julio told us that the expansion of the church in Llano el Coyol has resulted in increased attendance. Last March it was outside standing room only. The addition to the building provided room for everyone to be seated and worship together. Now it is back to overcrowding as a result of more youth joining in worship.

At last January’s youth retreat we counted 130 in attendance and know of another 30 youth not present. What an overwhelming number of young people to nurture and mentor. Salvadoran society can be very abrasive. In the church they experience different values for a better life style.

The church team also shared about the visits of three delegations to Usulután. We had looked forward to these visits to meet new partners and learn more about their history in supporting the churches of Usulután. Edwin shared that as a result of these delegations four US churches and one synod will be working together to develop a strategic long range plan for church and community support.

These newer church partners are appreciating the trust and confidence of the leadership team. It has taken us longer to earn their trust. Part of the issue is who we are. They only know sister parish relationships and that’s not what we are. We are missionaries for social justice with our focus on community development. How does that fit into their world? It didn’t at first so we have worked diligently to build trust and a sound relationship.

Reflecting on early meetings, we understand the suspicion the leadership team had towards us. After hearing stories of their past experiences, their early fear and distrust was for self protection. We have been able to break that barrier and be welcomed into their confidence. Our relationship with the church leaders has matured. They also had time to consider our previous 21 months working in mission with them. They told us how grateful they are that we spent time with them and for the results of our efforts.

We continue to partner with Oikos. Pastor Julio has decided to accept the work of Oikos in his church communities. We look forward to seeing church members in these future Oikos community development meetings. We have been praying for this Church/Oikos relationship since we arrived. We are so pleased this idea came from within. This is significant progress.

The past few weeks have provided us with another perspective on closure. Mission work does not end. We will remain open to another form of service in the future. We are confident of a new beginning.

We wish you all a blessed day for Giving Thanks. We will be at a meeting with the parents and children of the Alambre school to celebrate our partnership and the graduation of the 9th graders.

David y Nancy

Consecrated for Return

2011-11-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

On Reformation Sunday our Pastor consecrated us for our return to El Salvador. Pastor asked us if we as missionaries will commit to Godly promises and behaviors and we responded “Yes, with the help of God”. The first two questions our Pastor asked were familiar, but then he asked “will you look for the face of Jesus among the people you are serving?” That is a spiritually and emotionally challenging question.

We planned to stay in El Salvador for 10-14 days, but after a blizzard of emails regarding the after-effect of the storms and the pending tasks we need to complete, we will stay for three weeks. We will be purchasing desks and school supplies for Alambre and will be meeting with the directors of another school in Canton Guadalupe. We will also have first time meetings with mayors of two different communities on issues of infrastructure. Much of this activity will be in accompaniment with our partner Oikos Solidaridad.

We are attending two more local Rotary Clubs with the hope of building partnerships to address food and income security issues. These meetings will help us plan for short term mission trips in 2012 and 2013.

We have been home for 3 ½ months. We email our church partner team regularly about our medical delay, but the information does not trickle down to the congregations. We received an email from a friend who recently visited in the churches we serve. The people asked her, “where are the Americans, they left us, they have abandoned us”. It was good that we heard about this lack of communication, so we can work on restoring relationships when we return.

We fear the people will expect too much from us. We are Americans; in their eyes we have it all. Initially we plan to stay at a local hotel allowing us to assess damage to our home and clean up the 3 ½ months of dirt. We will also be aware of the presence of cockroaches, bats, spiders and other unwanted and creepy creatures.

We are alone in the east. Many in our community admire our being alone. They smile and greet us, overall cordial. But alcoholism, drugs, unattended developmental disabilities and now the recent desperation rampant throughout the country creates the need for extra caution for us.

The Executive Director of Oikos recently emailed us “The rural population is disintegrating and its social composition is gang-like due to the lack of food, income, and jobs.” With the recent rains, the situation is worse.

The need is great, the responsibility is humbling, but our God is an Awesome, All Powerful, Abundantly Grace-giving God. We pray to continue walking in His Way, His Truth and His Life. We said “yes, with the help of God, we will look for the face of Jesus among the people we are serving.” We return to fulfill that promise.

David y Nancy\

After the healing phase

2011-10-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

After a road trip to test Nancy’s travel ability, we decided we are ready to return to El Salvador.

The return is similar to our initial move in 2009. Hurricanes Ida and Agatha had passed through Central America, leaving thousands homeless and many dead. We visited a community that experienced a 4 foot wall of water and mud originating from the local volcano that raced through the community. Boulders as big as a 4 story building were moved miles and settled in roads and fields. Many Salvadorans were missing and presumed to be under these boulders, making removal of the boulders a very emotional experience for the affected families.

The street in front of our house in Batres floods when we have an evening rain. With nine days of rain we have to assume our home has water damage. The River Grande is just couple of miles to the east of us. Each year families living along the river are evacuated to the public school in Batres. The Mayor has established a settlement away from the river for these families, but they will not move from their river front homes. This is all they know – this is all they have.

On a sunny day neighborhoods in Puerto Parada are under water during high tide. Recent pictures from Juan Carlos show families walking in waist deep water. Many of their homes are made from black plastic and others from palm branches. Nine days of rain will cause them to collapse and wash away, leaving no evidence of anyone living there.

During three months last year, we drove past homes in Puerto Parada that were in water for that entire time, yet the families remained in their homes in these unhealthy and unsafe conditions. We are there advocating for change within the communities and the government.

The most significant changes to the infrastructure are those we see in Oikos projects. When Oikos acquires a property, they evaluate it for the elimination of erosion and mud slides to prevent risk to the mountain poor living downhill and to make it suitable for agriculture. Oikos also improves roads and drainage in the project areas by constructing barrier walls and diversion channels.

Our project partners will take us to visit the recent destruction in the east. They want us to witness how their vulnerable country men live. They want us to take pictures and write about it in this journal. They want you to know what life is like in Central America.

David y Nancy

Nearing Completion

2011-10-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

We have been home since mid-July. Our R & R became a medical leave in August when Nancy had surgery to remove a large growth from her abdominal wall. It was important to keep it intact during removal, requiring a large incision. A week later she had cancer surgery.

We did back-to-back surgeries to shorten the healing process for a timely return to El Salvador, but this placed much stress on Nancy’s body. She is healing, the incision scar is improving but the point of surgery is still tender. Fatigue is the biggest problem. We walk a few miles every other day and Nancy is taking yoga classes for strengthening and flexibility. A wrong movement can cause a spasm that takes a night’s sleep to heal. It will take Nancy’s body years to mend and regain its strength according to her surgeon.

A common question of many is “are you going back?” We have written before how difficult it is for healthy people to live and work in the east. Nancy’s safety and healing is the most important concern we face in our return. This may require different living arrangements and require us to finish our mission in weeks, not months as our contract also ends at the end of October. We will budget just enough time to finish the Alambre school project and begin a second school project in Canton Guadalupe. Many dear friends across the country have blessed us with donations, allowing us to purchase desks, computers and equipment for these schools.

We are struggling with some issues. Our 3 week R & R has become a 3 month separation. The emotional break has been made. We are out of their sight and minds as the emails have faded. On the other hand we are starting a relationship with another school and looking for a Rotary Club in San Miguel to partner with in 2013 and raising funds another food security project for 2012.

We never expected to end our mission on this note, but we believe God is ending the mission he started and on his terms. Our call to El Salvador was a clear message as we heard His voice in our hearts telling us to move to El Salvador. It took us two years to figure it out, but in those two years every door was opened allowing us to move closer and closer to the time we would depart. It was never more clear. Now it’s just as clear that it’s over.

In light of our current situation, we can only smile as the Lord has a different plan for us. It was our plan to return in August and here it is the beginning of October. We are both so very grateful to be home to deal with these health issues in familiar safe surroundings. We believe we are in God’s hands and in His protection. God provided the events of the last months to keep our sight on Him; we are in awe of His timing, His endless love and His protection.

Growing in faith is the goal always before us and we can witness to God’s presence so obvious to us in El Salvador. Sometimes we fear losing this closer walk with God as we return to life in the US.

David y Nancy

Accompaniment

2011-09-27T05:18:00.000-07:00

While we have had many opportunities to share with you about our projects and partners in the east in Usulután, we have not said much lately about the action in Nejapa. Today we tell you about the continuing work of our Rotary project partners in the northern zone.

The engineering students from the University of Wisconsin Engineers without Borders traveled to the Nejapa project site in August to prepare for the 2012 phase of the Rotary black water project in Nuevo Ferrocarril. Jen, Chris, Isaac, Ellie and Missy spent a week in Nejapa meeting with the community leaders, engineer Daniel R of Club Rotario and many individuals from the mayor’s office planning for the final phase of this project. This has become a powerful story of accompaniment between all the partners as this relationship has deepened during the past seven years. Our Rotary grant has been approved for the January completion of this project.

As Rotarians and missioners, we believe in accompaniment over projects. We support this crucial sustainable value as the cornerstone of relationships. We started our Rotary projects in 2005 at the La Granja/Nuevo Ferrocarril public school. We asked Daniel M of Club Rotario if he could help us in the purchase and transportation of text books for the school. He purchased the $2,000 of books and we met at a club meeting to work out the logistics. This was a topic at the club meeting and after the general meeting, a group of 7 met to discuss Club Rotario’s involvement. There was some concern and maybe fear expressed by the older members that we were “using” the club for our own purposes. We later learned they could not believe we were actually making a donation of $2,000 of text books to a poor public school. This was outside their realm of experience and thought.

When the three of us drove out to the public school and Daniel saw the familiar colors of blue and white and the public school sign, he got a large smile on his face. He pulled out his cell phone, made a call and said “we’re at the public school”. End of conversation – it’s real. Later that day he told us this was his first opportunity in his 43 years to personally help other Salvadorans.

Another Rotarian Daniel R has worked with the black water project for the past 6 years, donating thousands of hours of his time. He visits the community on a regular basis and brings along other Rotarians to introduce their lives into the lives of the members of the community.

Daniel R attended the University of Central America (UCA), a private Catholic university, during the time of conflict. His professor was one of the Jesuits assassinated by a military death squad. He is still devastated by this evil act. One would think that the rich and poor Salvadorans have so much in common from the pain of the war and that this common pain would bring them together. But it doesn’t because the social divide is so great and longstanding.

Salvadoran to Salvadoran is the accompaniment that we are celebrating. We made introductions, enabled safe entry into the community, and provided funding for a community development project. Accompaniment is listening to each other, walking and working together, learning to understand and trust each other. And they have developed this relationship of accompaniment between them. Their spirits are longing for a new way of life that overcomes the social divide.

David y Nancy

R & R

2011-08-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

We have been home one month. We returned to heat that registered 105.1 on our first Sunday back. Now the nights are dropping to 60’s and in Northern Wisconsin, nights are 40’s. Fall-type weather is a relief.

The conclusion of the immigration saga at the San Salvador airport: The immigration officer at the departure point was more difficult than we expected. We were refused departure for not having our residency cards which were taken from us weeks ago at the national immigration office. After heated conversation we presented photo copies which were grudgingly accepted. Then 4 more issues prevented our departure. We addressed three of them and then the final issue, money. Having withdrawn almost our entire ATM account in Usulután, we thought we were ready for this one as well. When the officer demanded the exact amount to the penny (there is a tax on a non-residency penalty!), we had another dilemma – no coins or small bills. But another immigration officer made change for us and we were free.

Our strength is returning. Our environment in El Salvador is noisy 24 hours a day, combined with dirt and heat which is very taxing on the body and the mind. At Easter break we were just thankful to cool down. This break we’re enjoying the simple life - looking out the kitchen window, watching the birds at the feeders, smelling clean laundry fresh from the dryer, appreciating the quiet of the country setting, and our morning coffee while reading the newspapers written in English.

But we never are really free from El Salvador - we are always preparing for the return. We have given presentations to three Rotary Clubs. Nancy’s Sunrise Rotary has donated funds for five computers and computer desks at the Central School of Alambre. Generous friends have pledged and given money for additional school needs.

David’s Noon Rotary has written a grant to finish the sewer tubing project in Nuevo Ferrocarrill. When it is approved, construction will begin in January 2012.

We met with the professor of Engineers without Borders, University of Wisconsin Madison. Our partnership is now in its 6th year and we are making plans for projects into 2013. Past projects include engineering the waste water containment from La Granja and the public school and designing and constructing a bridge connecting people and tubing in La Granja to Nuevo Ferrocarrill. Now a sewage treatment project in underway in Nejapa as the system was not properly maintained and is not functional. A team from EWB is in Nejapa this summer preparing for the final phases of the project.

Another pending project is the design of a waste water treatment facility in our community of Batres. The problem is black water coming into this community polluting the local ground water and river. The EWB team is providing two sets of drawings offering the mayor choices on design. One option is a simple natural treatment, the other allows for the solids to be harvested and used for fertilizer.

David met with a local non-profit that makes modular buildings for various uses from an outhouse to a medical clinic and a three room school. Shortly after this meeting, we spoke with a nurse about a medical mission that needs a building for surgery in Honduras. We connected the need and opportunity and hope these resources come together for improving the doctors’ continuing mission to Honduras.

After 4 weeks, we hope the R & R part will begin so we can go back refreshed and refortified to complete our remaining months of mission.

David and Nancy

Computers & Jobs

2011-07-08T07:54:00.001-07:00

We mentioned the difficulty with immigration upon our return from Easter break. We were told we could not leave El Salvador. What does that mean? The agent not only got our attention, but also motivated us into action. The following week, we traveled 90 miles to visit immigration to resolve our illegal status.

After our first visit that included more implied threats, we sent a letter to immigration asking for a five month extension to our residency. Immigration responded to Stephen, our VMM field rep that the reply was ready to be picked up at the immigration office. We again traveled the 2 hour trip to San Salvador and were given a form letter informing us we are illegal and must begin the residency process. But without instructions as to what was required. The first time we applied for residency was a trial and error process that took 5 months to complete; now our immediate concern is leaving July 14 for R&R.

Stephen and the local immigration coordinator addressed our departure issue; in fact the coordinator advised how to remain here, not get caught and leave the country on July 14. This situation must be more common than we thought. The blustering of the agents is theater. When you’re at the airport just steps from freedom, paying any fine they impose is worth the cost.

Since the trip to San Salvador is long and expensive, we try to include other stops and errands. This time we visited a Rotary project, a partnership between the Palo Alto Rotary Club and Club Rotario de San Salvador. Club Rotario de San Salvador is our project partner in Nejapa. Rotary Clubs address many humanitarian issues, but also focus on economic development. This project reconditions computers that are fully Micro-Soft licensed for schools, students, church groups and new business startups. It also provides two jobs, one is the reconditioning technician and one is the warehouse sales person.

The mountain school of Alambre has more students than computer time available and classes are six days a week. This is the only computer training offered in the region and the computer students are the 7th, 8th and 9th graders from this central school and from the local high school.

Principal Walter asked us for 5 computers and in turn we asked what direct impact these computers will have in the communities. Walter replied the students pay a monthly for this computer class. The money pays the instructors salary. With additional computers and more students, this is can become a full time secure position.

The national school curriculum here in the East does not support the purchase of computers or teachers salary for computer education. Any computers in public schools have been donated. We are currently soliciting funding for the purchase of computers.

We continue our effort to raise funds for more desks at this school so students do not have to sit on the floor or stand along the wall. We will pursue this need while we are home in July/August also.

While we should be in the early stages of wrapping up our mission, it seems we have a gift of connecting the “dots” of needs and opportunities. We will continue to use this gift as long as we can for the good of the people of El Salvador.

David y Nancy

Alambre School

2011-06-30T07:55:00.001-07:00

The principal of the school in Alambre contacted Oikos for help with needed equipment and supplies. The central school serves 5 surrounding communities. Oikos has no resources for school projects so they introduced us to the principal Walter. After an hour of conversation, we do not understand his specific needs but we are invited to his school for a visit. “It’s just down the road,” he says.

Down the road is a 90 minute drive east and then south towards the Pacific. We leave the paved road in a pueblo and proceed on a hilly dirt and stone path. We pass men on horse and donkey, no other vehicles. At school we are greeted by Principal Walter and the teachers. He rings the bell and all the children file out of their class rooms and into the court yard to greet us.

After introductions the children and their teachers are dismissed to their class rooms. We visit each class room. Two class rooms are void of furniture except a teacher’s desk. The children have been coached on what to ask for, but now they are too shy to speak. The teachers point out some needs, but they are also shy. We ask the children of the 7, 8, 9 grades who plans to go to high school; it’s almost unanimous that they want to go to HS. This is a new positive trend as most children dropped out of school after the 6th grade.

After visiting the classrooms we gather at the principal’s office, including the school directivia. Fredy, the principal’s son, is our translator. Walter is asking for donations of 4 computers and computer desks, windows for the computer room, a new roof, a white board, fans, 50 desks and a paved playground. The principal said his request for funds to do these things has been denied by the federal government and the mayor. We ask for a list with pricing and also his priorities.

About a week later the principal provides a list in English and Spanish. We exclude the roof bringing the total to $4,000 for desks, windows, computers and equipment, white board and fans. In sharing this story with friends at home we were able to raise $500. We ask Fredy to secure quotes to purchase desks, the first priority. We are able to order 18 desks and the factory will deliver them to the school. The desks will be available next week. We will meet the truck at the school for the presentation.

It doesn’t turn out that way. The day of delivery we meet at the store. An old white pickup is being loaded with desks and to our surprise we are asked to ride in the truck. The principal will ride in back with the desks. It’s the same route mentioned above. As the driver hits many holes and rocks, we wait for something to break. At one point the truck can’t get traction to climb the path up the hill. We jump out and by the grace of God, two young men are walking near by and push the truck up the hill. These are the only other people we meet along the remaining 30 minute ride.

Finally we reach the school. We are late, the children are gone, but a small group of boys on the side of the road point to the desks and claim one as theirs. Four teachers help unload the desks placing them in a class room.

It’s time to leave and we dread the return. We experience the same ride out as in. Finally we pass thru the last pueblo entering the paved mountain highway. When the driver hits the gas, the left side of the front end raises up, the truck shakes violently; we skid to the right stopping against the side of the mountain. The other side of the road drops hundreds of feet straight down. We are again saved by the grace of God.

One front wheel is aiming left, the other right. We are on the bad side of a blind curve. The driver gets his machete from the truck, cuts down a small tree and places it on the road. This is an indicator to others that a vehicle is stalled in the road. Vehicles pass by both up and down the mountain highway but no ones stops including the national police. We are expecting one of them to pull out a cell phone and make a call.

The driver returns the machete, places his jack under the driver side of the truck for a lift. He and the principal kick the wheels straight. The driver takes out rope and a vise grip and is under the truck. 30 minutes later he removes the jack and the rocks from under the wheels. They both board the truck and motion to us to do the same. We climb in frightened but without options.

For the next 35 minutes we ride down the mountain at 25-35 miles an hour. The steering has too much play as the truck is all over the road. We are pushing on our imaginary brakes all the way down. I wait for the repair to loosen and rehearse our escape over and over as there is no interior door handle.

The repair held. We stop at a café at the bottom of the mountain for a late lunch. We both have our foot cemented to the imaginary brake. It’s hard to disengage and walk. We made the decision not to get in the truck after lunch. We call our driver Alex from Batres to come to our rescue. That brought us relief, allowing us to eat. During lunch we tell the principal we are not returning with them. The principal is stressed, telling us we are not safe here. We think we are not safe in the truck.

The next morning it’s Aleve and coffee to address the pain in our backs and necks. They still need 32 desks for the children – we know we will make this trip again.

David y Nancy

Seedfest 2011

2011-06-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

The first Friday in June is the celebration of Seedfest in Concepcion Batres sponsored by Oikos Solidaridad. The street next to the central plaza is closed, a “band stand” is erected and tents filled with vendors offering products and produce from the mountain communities of the states of Usulután and San Miguel.

We thought we would arrive early, but hundreds of visitors are already here. Alex of Oikos and also Mayor Walter of Batres greet us publicly over the PA system as we are acknowledged as accompanarios to the people of the communities.

We have been in accompaniment with Oikos for over a year. We have meet most of today’s vendors in their communities or their homes. We greet each with a hug and spend time to view their products. Two large tables have specialty seeds, also available is locally grown and roasted coffee, live chickens, eggs, hand-made jewelry, pickled vegetables from Chamabla, tamales, drinks, an Avon lady, and more.

We previously visited Chamabla and are anxious to taste the pickled vegetables. We purchase one quart and realize later we should have purchased more for Mothers Day gifts that are coming up. Our friends from Comus are also present with a representative from their coffee projects. We buy 10 bags for our pending return trip home in July.

We take these items to our house and return to the celebration.

Oikos has included the local schools in this year’s Seedfest. Three schools are competing in a drawing contest regarding natural resources. The pictures are on display for all to see. A group of 5 judges is selected. Benjamin calls the first name and no one comes forward. The same results for the second drawing. On the third and remaining calls, students come forward to claim their prize to much supportive cheering from their peers. In addition to the drawing contest, the students have constructed diaramas depicting risks and hazards in the local environment. The students and teacher of the neighborhood school are proud of their participation.

The five hour program is MC’d by the youth of lower Chirrion. In the communities of Piedra Azul, Oikos has installed radio transmission towers with speakers to communicate dangers and pending risks to the mountain communities. Starting a few years ago, a daily transmission included information of community interests. This transmission of information, the care for the equipment and the need for more equipment has become a youth project.

At the end of the day, Stephen of our sponsoring organization VMM and his friends Alex and Elena, all from San Salvador, join us, Benjamin of Oikos and his 9 year old grand daughter at our home for coffee, soda, beer and Oreo cookies. Benjamin is a story teller; he enjoys the new faces and tells his story of visiting Niagara Falls one January and his fear of having his ears fall off if they become frost bit.

It’s been a while since we laughed. Benjamin’s grand daughter who recently moved to San Salvador from Nevada is experiencing her grandfather’s stories for the first time. Fluent in English and Spanish she doesn’t miss any of the conversation and has a constant grin on her face. It all came to an end much too soon. Benjamin was returning to San Salvador for the weekend and offered to take our guests with him. Six people, a large dog, live chickens, and a box of school supplies left late afternoon. The time together was very familiar, like being with family and friends back home, now our global family is growing as we enjoy fellowship together.

Enjoy the day at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5TfdEX6WHI

David y Nancy

Turbulence

2011-06-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

We left the United States the week of much turbulent weather. We rocked and rolled the entire trip, from Milwaukee to within an hour of landing in El Salvador and were 3 hours late arriving at SAL. We immediately called our driver who was waiting for us.

The next turbulence we experienced was in immigration. The details are boring, but the outcome is we are currently illegal and are unable to leave the country. I guess you can only get deported to El Salvador, not from El Salvador. (This is not going to look good on my resume.)

We arrived home in Batres around midnight. The yard was ankle deep in fallen leaves. A storm passed through just a day or two earlier dropping grapefruit size avocados on the roof, making two new holes. The house was very dirty. We pulled the dust covers from our bedroom furniture and called it a day – a very long day!

The next two days we had meetings with Oikos on the Food Security project in Candalaria and San Julian. This project benefits 41 families with food and a potential income stream. Personal security is an issue, thus a visit to two of the sites took some planning. There is no security risk from the beneficiaries of the project, but the mountains are filled with all types of individuals.

We left Batres in the red jeep taking the familiar drive through San Jorge into the river bed to drive up the volcano in the quebrada towards the two work sites. Prime land is scare and expensive in El Salvador. After the Peace Accord, the government also signed a land restoration agreement, giving land taken from farmers and communities during the war back to them for their personal use. While this is an excellent provision, it also has a down-side. Two generations of campesinos were lost during the war --- those who knew the farming skills for working mountain land and those who would inherit the farms and the knowledge to produce crops and protect the land. Much damage was done to the environment both during and after the war.

Oikos has the engineers and skills to train, assist and encourage these rural farmers. With the latest wisdom in environmental care and erosion control, the mountain-sides are cultivated appropriately for the planting of corn and beans. Planting the beans on the side of the mountain prevents standing water from rotting the seeds. The sites we visited face south; with the direct exposure of the sun, the beans will mature in 7 weeks. The first crop in June will be for the family. If the first harvest is sufficient, a second crop of beans in September will be used for food and sold in the market. This is the first time they will be able to produce two harvests.

Three beneficiaries accompanied us to the sites. They are grateful that we took the time to visit with them and also for financial support for this project. We spent almost two hours at the first site, then we walked the riverbed to the second site. The canyon walls grew higher, with curious residents looking down at our passing. Marta yelled up to them, it’s ok.

At the second site the land is owned by the beneficiary family. They have land but no seeds. Last years devastating weather caused wide spread crop failure and a shortage of seeds for this years planting. Oikos included this family as participants in this Food Security Project.

After spending 4 hours viewing the project in the hot humid sun, it was time to leave. We returned to the vehicle a different route, eating freshly made tamales Marta Lydia brought with her as we walked through the forest and fields back to the jeep.

These two sites are available to view on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hPpxxt370I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQkyCnc1tzU

David y Nancy

Easter Break 2011

2011-05-17T09:18:00.001-07:00

We came to the realization during Christmas that we have missed all our major holidays for too long. We have not worshiped in a familiar setting for Thanksgiving, Christ’s birth or his Resurrection for the past 2 years. We felt spiritually empty as our worship in El Salvador is so different, leaving us desiring more. Thus we decided to take off for Spring break.

We came home for Easter worship to heal and refresh. Too fatigued to engage in many social settings, we remained at home, enjoying morning coffee in silence, reading the paper and watching the winter browns slip away replaced by the many shades of green, plus the woodland wildflowers, tulip and daffodil blooms and the emerging hosta shoots. The finches and buntings migration is under way with continuous action at our bird feeders. We have three placed for visual exposure. Nancy records the dates of the sightings in a bird book; we had visitors that have not been around since 2005.

We enjoy the additional day light of North America. In Central American the days change by only an hour between seasons. It’s typically 12 hours of dark daily. The days in West Bend continued cloudy and very cool. For us it was another welcomed relief to be free of the extreme heat we experience 24 hours a day. We are not used to the heat and now not accustomed to the cooler nights where we dive under layers of blankets while the furnace is set at 70 degrees.

April showers are common in both El Salvador and the US. While the US is approaching summer, El Salvador is approaching winter. Winter temperatures drop to day time highs of 80-90 with 100% humidity. The storms will be severe in El Salvador as they have been throughout the Midwest.

The leadership team of El Buen Pastor has written that the store is very busy. There are many customers and they are working very hard and are happy to be working. The excitement of their new success is allowing them to dream about the future. They have many new ideas for other business possibilities. Sometimes a spark can indeed get a fire going.

Family Update:

Our daughter Elizabeth joined us for a birthday celebration in one of our favorite supper clubs in the Kettle Moraine forest. Her life is full with her nursing responsibilities and life in Antigo.

We had lunch with Jeremiah who is working on his master degree at UWO. Between 3 jobs and school he is a busy young man.

The first week of May we visited our 5 year old grandson Noah and his parents Micah and Melissa in Pittsburgh. It’s a one day drive, yet again another visit that is too brief and rushed. Time with them was refreshing, a joy and a blessing as we see changes in Noah’s maturity upon each visit.

Life continues while we are gone. We have a new grandson in Georgia named Joshua Lucas, born in March to Benjamin and Billie. His sister Ali is 3 years old.

The break was refreshing, familiar worship provided healing and strengthening, greeting friends and family restored our inner soul. The green pastures, still waters and right paths of Easter break which have never been as sweet ended much too quickly.

David y Nancy

Chambala

2011-04-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Missioners based in San Salvador came to Usulután to visit the work of our Project Partner Oikos Solidaridad. Food security is a priority of Oikos and a concern for most of the country. The visit began with lunch at our home; Benjamin Alas described the work of Oikos and the food security project in Chambala.

Chambala is in the volcanic mountain range. After a 45 minute drive up the side of the mountain we parked at the home of Don Miguel. We walked his yard viewing the tilapia farm and observed other yards with drying coffee cherries, squash stored in beds, and piles of onions. Don Miguel explained that the residents have no money so they established a bartering system in the community for the exchange of products.

We continued to travel by foot up the steep and slippery side of the volcanic mountain. While we struggled with our footing, a woman gracefully came down with load of sticks on her head, followed by a herd of cows returning from pasture. We moved clear of an ox cart heading down hill, full of onions and topped with kids.

Every 100 feet a very large hole has been dug along side the road. Ridges constructed across the road divert the rain water into these reservoirs. As we reached the top, the terrain leveled off and we walked large gardens that help support this community.

Onions - onions - and more onions - plus tomatoes and peppers.

The gardens feature cultivation designed to hold moisture from the winter rains for the entire growing season.

From this altitude our views are wide and far, from the volcano to the ocean. Thick black smoke rises from sugar cane fields burning far below.

The community has organized a cooperative. With a newly constructed building containing a canning kitchen, the members of the cooperative make an onion vinegar that is preserved in glass jars. (Some street merchants sell vinegar in small plastic bags – not sanitary or convenient.)

Chambala sells this seasonal product in the nearby market places. The income generated from the sale of the onion vinegar is the only source of cash for the community and is used for improvements for the life of the community and its members.

David y Nancy

Economic Development

2011-04-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

After many months of much hopeful activity, we are able to report on our recent economic development project. With the generous support of Ascension Lutheran of Waukesha, Our Saviors Lutheran of West Bend and the Bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod, the long awaited store is a reality. The leadership team of El Buen Pastor had a vision for a store that they shared with us. In turn we shared their vision with visiting delegations to Usulután and in our fundraising efforts at home last September.

Eight days after signing the lease, the team paints the exterior of the store. The inside is attractive and only requires rear window repairs for security.It’s in the heart of the commercial district of Batres, next to a bank and across the street from a newly built market.

The original vision was to have a store operating on April 1 in the community of San Rafael Oriente. After viewing four locations, none would be appropriate. They switched communities finding the rents in Batres are much higher than San Rafael. After struggling with the pros and cons of higher rent, they decided on Batres.

Starting the business has been time consuming. Edwin and Juan Carlos have had numerous appointments with various government agencies, attorneys, accountants. Unfortunately they have been receiving conflicting information or they are not listening effectively.

The models for business start-up in the US and in Usulután have no similarities. There is no way for us to participate in the day to day development or start-up due to substantial cultural differences. After we provided initial training sessions on organization, inventory management and marketing, we moved to the side lines.

The team has been purchasing inventory. Our involvement now is creating a data base of materials available for sale. Other suggestions for efficient operation are being considered.

The new commitment of time and skill application has been a challenge and a new awareness in their lives. This economic opportunity has become a growth experience in many ways and hopefully will spread to others in the church leadership.

David y Nancy

Rio Grande 4

2011-04-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

We continue in accompaniment with the residents, leaders and Oikos to bring improvement in the quality of living for those along the river. David joined Guillermo Friday morning; we drove to Santa Maria to pick up two representatives of the Sindica Intercomunal Rio Grande of San Miguel. They had traveled from San Miguel to be in solidarity with the residents of the Rio Grande living further downstream.

We pull off to the side of the road to wait for another person. When a car pulls up and a man steps out --- I say to myself, I know him. The National Assemblyman, Jorge Schafik Handal, is joining us today. He is named after his father who is a national hero to the poor of El Salvador and the leader of the guerrilla movement during the 12 year civil war. After greetings and pictures our caravan travels to the community.

We arrive at a site on the river, a mile east of the dike that was breached last winter now nearly complete with repairs. But this spot is absent a functioning dike and the flooding of this community is a just two months away.

A review of the meeting is on you tube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvI8X5X7KC4

He is given a petition from the Sindica Intercommunal Rio Grande of San Miguel asking Jorge Schafik Handal to assist these people with the flooding issues. This is read to Schafik at the meeting site in the presence of the community representatives.

He receives it with much applause from those present. He responds with a brief speech of acknowledgement.

When I speak with Jorge Handal, I tell him I am here for two years as a volunteer. I mention I will post the video of the meeting on You Tube. He replied “what’s that?”

The meeting concludes with the following action plan:
 The community will organize into work teams to fill and stack sand bags in the current void in the dike system.
 Jorge Handal will prepare a formal request to the National Assembly to build a dike in this section of the river.

While it seems meager, this is a solid beginning. We hope to follow this process and continue in this accompaniment in the successes and set backs of the residents of the Rio Grande.

David y Nancy

Romero

2011-03-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

With their ancestral lands lost to the Spanish conquerors, the indigenous were at the mercy of the plantation owners and their managers. The owners allowed the indigenous to live on the land for work. They were fed and received modest wages when profits surged.

During poor times if a field worker complained he or she received the wrath of the mayor who would dispatch troops to keep the workers in line by beating, dismemberment, death, disappearance. When the indigenous told their priest of their plight, the priest told the workers their rewards were in heaven and to accept their plight.

With the collapse of the coffee prices during the depression of the 1930’s, the situation deteriorated to the point of civil war. Communism was gaining popularity around the world and El Salvador was no exception. A communist FMLN led a rebellion in the West of the country. The government troops stopped this rebellion by killing the fighters, their families, their communities; it was an ethnic cleansing, 32,000 people were slaughtered. From this point forward the documented indiscriminate killing of men and women is common knowledge and recorded in many periodicals and museums. The church remained steadfast in its position.

A new breed of priest began to take the message of the gospel to the rural people. What they heard from the people and what they witnessed caused them to rise up and question what the church had been teaching. The church was receiving complaints from the plantation owners, political powers, priests and the common man. When it was time for a new leader, Romero was appointed to be Archbishop of San Salvador. The church, political and economic powers breathed a sigh of relief: “We can control him”.

With the assassination of Father Rutilio Grande, an activist priest, Romero is transformed. His passion for the oppressed and marginalized, the rich and powerful flourished within him. He was the Archbishop of all Salvadorans. Romero preached God’s Word in application: this is how God’s people should live together. Romero was more on the order of John the Baptist. Each broke the mold by breaking out of 500 years of silence and sharing good news.

In death, Romero’s popularity and message continue. Our hearts are touched by Romero’s transformation, his courage and the continued strength of God’s voice that flowed freely from his heart during his time of persecution. Romero is contagious, study with care.

David y Nancy

Rio Grande III

2011-03-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Currently, some of the most stunning civic lessons in the US and in the world are playing out daily before our eyes. With the internet we are able to watch the action live from our home. Witnessing protests and conflicts reveal much human and social turmoil along with an intense desire for change.

The cost of conflict is often a loss of income, family, homes and lives. We watch it unfold via the TV or internet where the voices of victims are muted from our ears to hear. We need to use all our senses when watching the news to fully understand the impact on the protesters, victims, and the innocent.

Civic activity in El Salvador has another aspect to it: fear. Many times the vulnerable are at risk of losing any security they have, regardless of how insecure it is. They may be squatters or without an official ID card, therefore they are insignificant in the eyes of the government.

The action plan from the last meeting for the Rio Grande communities included a delegation of 10 leaders meeting with a government minister in San Salvador Monday February 28. Oikos representative Guillermo indicated that the plans for 10 leaders meeting with a government ministry were not solidified among the community leaders and they were not able to organize themselves for the meeting on Monday morning. Instead Guillermo himself met with an Assemblyman of the national government in Usulután.

To visit the Assembly, one must sign a document and register their ID number, their home location, their signature or thumb print if unable to write. By fighting for the safety of the families and homes, they could lose everything--- by the government sending in troops and machinery to remove families and destroy homes resolving the problem for the government. This is possibly why the meeting planned for Monday did not happen.

Now the community leaders are being coached in “Plan B” which is to continue organizing to be an effective presence applying pressure for risk protection along the Rio Grande and to begin now with small steps such as requesting bags and sand to make barriers for their homes and roads.

Daily the weather grows hotter and more humid. Clouds are increasingly visible as they form to the north in the mountains between El Salvador and Honduras. The locals know that this heat brings the winter rains. Talk is already about when the rains will begin.

In two weeks, another meeting is scheduled with the leaders of communities and the government. We hope to be there to witness civic action on a simpler untelevised level as residents struggle for government agreement and movement toward safety.

David y Nancy

Rio Grande II

2011-02-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

This is the second in a series of our accompaniment with the vulnerable people of the Rio Grande San Miguel Basin.

Oikos Solidaridad held the second meeting of the 18 communities that reside along the Rio Grande San Miguel on February 21. We met in a different pueblo, a site centrally located. Approximately 37 residents attended, many new faces; many from the first meeting were absent.

Again the meeting was an hour long. Guillermo from Oikos lead the meeting and invited participants to express their comments. During the meeting Guillermo asked the leaders of the community directivas present to come forward so all could identify them, one woman and four men.

The action plan developed to send a delegation of 10 leaders to the government ministry in San Salvador Monday February 28. The group’s goal is to meet with the Ministry of Civil Protection and then invite the Minister to the area for a tour of the river basin.

With this phase of the plan presented and accepted, the meeting ended.

From the meeting site we drove deeper into the Parada communities, stopping to view a shrimp farm in Santa Rosa and getting a bag of freshly caught shrimp to cook at home. The farm was a project of the government to employ veterans after the civil war. It’s a huge area, waist deep water, next to an estuary. The tide was coming in and gushing water flowed through narrow channels bringing fresh sea water into the farm. The manager took us to his home and showed us his recent catch, a 12 foot, 500 pound crocodile that had been eating the shrimp and fish.

We couldn’t get out there fast enough! We then headed even deeper into Puerto Los Flores. With the tide coming in, it is obvious that most of Puerto Los Flores is a tidal basin. Some homes and sections of the road are above water level in this dry season, but the rest of the area is a lowland swamp. Debris and trash float on the surface; the area looks like a floating landfill.

It’s highly populated and why anyone would live or remain here is a mystery to us. We have seen homelessness, hunger, poverty, city ghettos, but we think this is the worst yet.

It’s dusk when we reach the city of Puerto Parada. It’s a little port with shops that are closed for the day, it’s getting dark, some people are milling around. The local ferry is pulling in to the port from the island in the estuary. It would be great to stop and take some pictures but Guillermo says it’s too dangerous - we have to keep moving.

We end the day with pupusas and beer in Usulután. We decided to continue in accompaniment with the leaders of Parada and will travel with them Monday to visit with the government minister. They are delighted that we will remain in accompaniment with them.

David y Nancy
To read the first of the series go to: http://oslcslinde09.blogspot.com/

Rio Grande

2011-02-18T04:59:00.001-08:00

When we returned home Sunday evening, we discovered a new hole in our roof. A large avocado dropped from the tree and into the living room. The winter rains are two months away and we observe many repairing roofs with metal sheets, replacing the former clay-like tiles that we have.

The residents of the area of Puerto Parada are also thinking about the rainy season. There are 18 communities in the municipality of Usulután along the Rio Grande San Miguel. The river zigs and zags its way through Puerto Parada. Last year the dike of mounded earth broke during the torrential rains. We saw where the water was three feet deep in El Limon for months, leaving the communities isolated, crops destroyed and families at risk.

Oikos Solidaridad was approached to help these 18 communities become organized to be an effective voice for the people. We attended the first information session conducted by Oikos. Forty residents, men and women, from 10 of the communities attended this first meeting.

Some community leaders shared their experiences of approaching the government to express the concerns. Their efforts went nowhere because they were just a small group - a small voice. The government responds to larger contingencies, therefore they are anxious to start again by building a united coalition of Rio Grande San Miguel communities.

While many attendees were listeners, they all share the same fear and desire for safety and protection. As community leaders spoke to the issues, a chart of strategies was developed and a plan of action for the next meeting was formed. The people were urged to contact the other communities and invite them to come to participate in this formation.

The major issue is that the federal and local governments are not maintaining the river banks, thus the threat of the dikes being breached is a high risk. While repairs to the breach are being made, the dike is not yet fully repaired. A new concrete wall has been erected in one area, but it needs an earth barrier behind it. Further down the river, there are simply dirt mounds and rocks not strong enough to withstand powerful storms.

Leaving the community we stopped to walk to the river and stand on the highest part of the dike, looking down at the calm Rio Grande San Miguel as it meanders its way to the ocean. When the rains come, the river rises 80 feet and is a violent swirling mass of energy that is capable of moving mountains.

We expect to have more information for you after the next meeting. Here is a 2 minute video clip of the river and the dike at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6gVoE54QNg

David y Nancy

Food Security and Income

2011-01-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

Our journals typically follow a past activity. This one shares about the future, for the Lord reminds us that his people perish without plans for hope and vision for the future.

While home in September we received donations of $38,000 for four projects. We have reported on two, the continuing Rotary sanitation project and the Christmas soccer tournament.

The third project is “food security and income generation” in the micro-basin of the villages of Joya Ventura and Candelaria. The food security and income generation is funded by Our Savior’s Lutheran Church of West Bend with our project partner Oikos Solidaridad. We have chosen Oikos as our partner because they have demonstrated over 20 years of sustainable experience in community development including growing and marketing cashews, tilapia farming, radio broadcasting, and chicken-egg projects. Their agricultural projects focus on erosion control, reforestation, food security and income generation. All these projects include gender equality and participation of community youth.

Our connection to Oikos is a blessing since we want to help the marginalized and now we can, knowing the Oikos structure is tested and effective. The staff of Oikos is engineers and when they need additional technical support they hire experts. Oikos also provides a project summary at completion and a disclosure on the distribution of funds.

The residents of the micro-basin are impoverished farmers who plant crops of corn and beans in traditional methods. Oikos has a management plan for the communities to increase the yields allowing the people of the communities to live better.

The farmers are hard workers but often lack social skills to work effectively with others. They must demonstrate a willingness to participate in the project by attending leadership and individual development training. After they have completed the training they are offered two and one half acres that will provide a consistent crop for the family table and an income stream from selling produce.

We are confident this project will provide food security and income for families now and in the future. The number of direct beneficiaries of this project total 42 family heads; including their families the total of indirect beneficiaries of this project is 210 people.

The project cost is $357 per household. In turn the project will feed the family of 5 for years and will generate an income for the family exceeding $50 per year. Over the next 20 years the income stream alone equals $42,000. The families are encouraged to use a portion of this income to support their children’s education.

Oikos has many requests from other villages and communities that need projects. It becomes clear why Oikos is endeared by the communities it serves. We are extremely grateful to Our Savior’s Lutheran for funding this project to benefit the residents for generations.

David y Nancy

Rotary sanitation project

2011-01-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

Student Engineers from the University of Wisconsin Madison (Engineers without Borders) arrived in El Salvador January 3 to continue construction of the Rotary sanitation project in the neighboring communities of La Granja and Nuevo Ferrocarril in the municipality of Nejapa.

The tubing is extended from La Granja under the new installed bridge (in background) into Nuevo Ferrocarril to connect the public school and homes along the path to the sewer system.

(Pictured) The mason is completing the first of many junction boxes.

EWB-University of Wisconsin Madison became the major partner in this project in 2005. After numerous assessment trips to La Granja, implementation began in January 2009.

The students have donated thousands of hours of pre trip planning and now they donate their interim break to work with and for the communities. They pay for their travel expenses. The mayor of Nejapa provides food, lodging and local transportation for the students.

The second week – the trench is dug from the bridge into the community. The team has checked the grade for gravity feed and is ready to lower the tubing into the trench.

In our first visit to the school in 2004, the children’s play area was covered with sewer water from the failed system, a health hazard for the whole community.

The funding from our two West Bend Rotary Clubs has provided for the purchase of supplies, construction materials and equipment rental for this community sanitation project.

This school connection phase of the project is funded by Nancy’s West Bend Sunrise Rotary.

The students have also provided several educational hygiene events to raise the awareness of good health practices for the children and all members of the family.

Engineers without Borders will continue with this project in 2011 and 2012, plus future projects of a bridge in Santa Maria (Usulutan) and a developing project with the Mayor of Conception Batres concerning a black water treatment system. They are truly dedicated and ambitious volunteers. You can follow this 2011 two week trip at http://www.ewbuw.org/taxonomy/term/13.

David y Nancy

Rolling in Christmas in Piedra Azul

2011-01-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

Oikos Solidaridad organized a two day soccer tournament for December 23 and 24 in the community of Piedra Azul. It included 400 youth working with Oikos community programs. The tournament began with a worship service on the 23rd with the Bishop presiding. Attendance overflowed onto the church grounds for family baptisms, confirmations and first communions. After service, a small group of us had lunch together when the Bishop and his entourage started singing. There’s nothing like the voices of Lutheran pastors who love to sing. It ended and the entourage left. It was a great way to close the year.

On the day of the tournament we returned to Azul passing groups of youth walking and bicycling to the futbol field. As we got closer we met a road block of flat bed trucks and pickup trucks dropping off their youth. After parking we walked to the field noting hundreds in attendance. The field is on a beautiful highland area. We are up a thousand feet or more. From this height we can see the ocean in the distance and the volcano to our backs. It’s cooler than Batres and a gentle breeze flowed across the futbol field all day

Justin, a recent confirmand from our West Bend church, raised $800 for sports equipment for the youth of El Salvador. Justin’s confirmation project provided baseball equipment for a church community of San Geronimo in the north and uniforms, soccer balls, and prizes for this tournament. As a result, 11 new teams including over 150 additional youth were added to this year’s program.

At 4 pm we left with Enrique. We know his family and have been to his home. On the way out of Azul he pointed to his cattle grazing in the pasture; we stopped at his garden where he picked fresh jicama for us and at his home for fresh papaya.

On the way we asked Enrique what is special for Christmas Day. Sandwiches, he replies. A Salvadoran tradition,
a super sized bun stuffed with chicken salad and garden produce. We ask what else? He says after sandwiches he has cattle and fields to attend. It’s another work day for the farmers and sellers of produce in this country.

We rejoice and are glad to be part of the action and the blessing for these two days. Thank you Justin for your vision; we look forward to more opportunities for the youth in 2011.

David and Nancy

Llano de Coyol

2010-12-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

We inquire of Pastor Julio and his leadership team if they distribute food to the very poor on holidays. The answer is no. In honor of our home church Our Saviors that has a strong ministry in the fight against hunger, we offer to sponsor the purchase and distribution of food for 45 families. Pastor Julio chose the rural mission community of Llano de Coyol.

In Usulután we go to a fascinating bulk food store with 100 pound sacks of dry items every-where. People purchase 1 pound quantities or 50 and 100 pound bags of rice, beans, and flour.

The church team has assembled bags before in the ministry of disaster relief so they have a good system. For $329 we will provide 45 families with 9 meals. These items and their daily bread of tortillas will last for many days.

At the Usulután church of El Buen Pastor, we repackage the bulk items into family size quantities. We sort rice, coffee, sugar, pasta, sauce, and cooking oil into strong plastic bags.

The next day, we are in Llano de Coyol on the side of a volcano, an area rich in trees and beautiful flowers, but of extreme poverty for the people.

As each family name is read a representative comes forward to receive their bag. Old men and women, teenage girls, 8-10 year old boys claim packages. There are some smiles but mostly serious faces. Each has a picture taken with their bag; then they come together for a group photo.

We hope and pray this small Christmas blessing brings joy into their hearts, lives, families and community.

David y Nancy

David y Nancy

El Limon

2010-12-22T09:46:00.001-08:00

Although the hurricane season has ended for El Salvador, the Central American countries continue to suffer the effects of the storms. Damage done to El Salvador’s infrastructure by Hurricanes Agatha and Alex are still visible. In July we visited the pueblo of El Limon in Puerto Parada with a delegation from Milwaukee. The Rio Grande San Miguel had breached the dyke flooding El Limon making entry impossible. The school and community were under 3 feet of water for months. The river has receded, the standing groundwater evaporated.

Pastor Julio and his leadership team received donations from Milwaukee area churches for distribution in this community. El Limon is a flat agriculture area where the sugar cane is nearing harvest. Both sides of the road have 8 feet high cane with beautiful white plumes that add another 2 feet of height.

On Thanksgiving Day, eight of us visited El Limon, working as two teams, each with 36 bags of 2 pairs of flip-flops and a large bag of tooth brushes. We walked the community calling into yards asking for permission to enter. We explain we are from the Lutheran church and have shoes and tooth brushes. The teams delivered to 36 homes.

The windowless homes are assembled from pieces of scrap: palm tree branches, pieces of wood and metal and black plastic.

The elderly look ancient, many are barefoot as they are throughout the county, their old weathered faces with missing teeth and their dirt encrusted feet with broken toes.

At one home a little girl is getting an afternoon bath in the yard, in another the children are watching the life of Jesus on TV. Beyond the bath and TV we see harsh rural poverty.

We move from home to home on the dirt road sharing space with ox carts carrying freshly cut sugar cane and fire wood. The ox carts look as old as the Christmas story, but they are very popular, still being made and in frequent use.

In late afternoon, the cows return home. A herd of 15 huge animals pass silently. We are watchful and stay clear of their horns which appear sharp and long enough to penetrate a concrete wall - 30,000 pounds of beef herded by 40 pound kid with a stick.

After a day of amazing accompaniment, we thank God for all the opportunities He has blessed us and with this experience that continues to keep us in awe of how much we do not know about the lives of our brothers and sisters in this world.

David y Nancy

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T06:40:00.001-08:00

In previous journals we have mentioned the small projects we implemented at the public school in La Granja, the community north of San Salvador where our sister parish children attend public school K-9. Earlier this year through the gift of a friend from our church in West Bend, we donated electronic equipment as well as English/Spanish dictionaries. The electronic equipment supports a new music and cultural program for the children of this school. The school leaders suggested we return in mid November for a fiesta.

We accepted the invitation and revisited the school. The children greeted us at the gate. They were all smiles and some in traditional costume. We were seated at a long table facing two raised areas that served as performance stands. Greetings were extended by the staff and one 2nd grader offered a 3 minute greeting and welcome in excellent English on behalf of the students.

The CD player provided the amplified music for the children’s singing and dancing. They had been rehearsing for days and were excited to give their performances. Mothers in attendance were equally excited and proud of their child’s performance.

The children were not in uniform today, wearing street clothes. Many of the girls were extremely thin, especially their legs, some signs of malnutrition and possibly of disease. The picture became clear that these are children from very poor families.

And yet, as part of their hospitality, we enjoyed an abundant lunch of fried tortillas piled with sauce, beans, cucumber, egg, lettuce and a tomato slice with a side of fried yucca, topped with grated cabbage.

After the fiesta we asked about their needs for next year but today was a day of thanks and not a day for asking. Thanks giving continued with picture taking and fond goodbyes. To be back at the school was a joy in itself and we were delighted to see the previous gifts generate the music, dance and language program.

This was a day of blessing. Everyday is a day of thanks. Gracias Señor!

We would like to dedicate a journal to answer questions. Please contact us with your questions concerning any aspect of our journey, past, present or future at slindeent@aol.com .

David y Nancy

Spring

2010-11-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

El Salvador and Honduras share a lengthy mountainous border. High in these mountains the air is fresh and cool. All winter this air remains suspended on the mountain tops until the early November winds push it down between the crevasse of this volcanic mountain range, down into the valleys and finally across the flat lands of Usulután. It is fresh; it fills the chest and lungs with long awaited relief.

We returned to milder weather. The sting of the hot harsh winter air has been exhausting. It prevented restful sleep and caused much stress with the continued need to launder often to keep clothes and bedding clean. We are more relaxed, feel strengthened, breathing in routine breaths of fresh morning air. The body is functioning normal again.

The winds also move a lot of dirt. None of the homes are sealed, thus dirt accumulates on the floor, furniture, kitchen area. Cleaning table tops and floors twice a day is a small price to pay for the comfort that the cooler winds provide.

Hot humid winter and its rains are ending as we head into hot dry summer. The frequency of rain has diminished with the second Sunday in November the end of the rainy season, but the official end of the hurricane season is month end. David finished his four month project of patching the leaks in the roof. No leaks with the latest rains; we’ll test the patch job next winter. Summer - winter, only two seasons in Central America.

There’s a lot of evidence of seasonal change with the budding of fruit trees. Our avocado tree has buds but not as many as three years ago according to Gabriel. He said our fruit tree peaked three years with an abundant crop and hasn’t been the same since. When the avocados drop, it’s too late. They need to be picked fresh from the tree. Avocado with egg salad is a rich and tasty treat.

Birds are building a nest in the roof of the porch. The schools are closing for two months. The campesinos are waiting for the harvest of coffee and sugar cane, back breaking work that makes them old before their time. The rural boys 10 and older join their dads in the harvest of coffee or sugar cane during their school break.

Schools closing, trees budding, nest building, fresh cooler air. It’s a time of renewal. We get ideas of doing great things that we can only imagine, like back packing to the bottom of an old volcano or canoeing thru a port canal. All this fresh air brings vigor to the mind, needed rest for the body and renewal of the soul.

This transition is a surprise for us. While we are enjoying these changes, our Salvadoran friends tell us they think this time of the year is “too cold”.

David y Nancy

Where’s the Reformation?

2010-11-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

On the way to Sunday worship we drive through the very heart of commerce in Usulután. Street vendors are selling from the edge of the pavement where large busses and trucks blow their diesel exhaust in the faces of women and children selling vegetables, CDs, clothing, and much more.

Two blocks along our route are packed with vendors selling flower arrangements. The city is beautiful with the array of colors. Two vendors have pine boughs for sale, stacked 5 feet high, offering a new fragrance of pine that we relate to Northern Wisconsin or the Black Hills.

The Salvadorans celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 2. Paint stores and flower vendors have added part-time help to accommodate all the customers preparing for the annual pilgrimage to paint and decorate the graves of the departed.

This is a busy weekend of commemorations in liturgical churches: October 31 is Reformation, November 1 is All Saints Day and November 2 is All Souls Day. We are looking forward to celebrating our protestant roots in the Reformation today.

As the sermon started we listened to hear familiar words like Martin Luther, Reformation, or his foundation of “Only Grace, Only Faith, Only Scripture”.
We didn’t hear any of that.

While there are over 140 Lutheran denominations worldwide, the Lutherans of North America view the Reformation as a second Pentecost. As in the first Pentecost, the Spirit of God prevailed. Luther couldn’t be stopped by the powers of the world. He wasn’t the first and he isn’t the only reformer. But considering the place, time and invention of the printing press, Luther’s teachings influenced the hearts of men and women of Europe against incredible odds that were working for his silence. It was indeed a miracle.

This year’s remembrance of Reformation is more reflective for us. How can all believers regardless of church affiliation be a part of the “reforming” of their individual faith and belief? While our North American culture promotes Halloween with emphasis of death and fear, reformation should reveal the tremendous love of Christ. After his sacrifice on the cross, His grace prevails through the continuing outpouring of his Holy Spirit.

This is a year of reformation for us. First living in a new culture and absolutely alone in a strange place; now experiencing transformation, being aware of God’s presence like never before, in total trust for our well-being in our coming in and going out.

Blessed Reformation and Transformation to you all

David y Nancy

Formation to Implementation

2010-11-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

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

The Return

2010-10-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

Our home church provided us an entire weekend to share about our mission. It was a good time for us to reflect on our past 10 months and our future VMM project, church programs, and how we can be intentional in our witness to our Christian faith.

We finished packing Monday afternoon to wait for the airport shuttle. We returned with many school and Sunday school supplies, thanks to the generosity of family and friends. Concerned about the additional cost and airline allowance of 8 suit cases, we hurriedly purchased the biggest suitcase available. After many adjustments, we had 2 carry-ons and 4 large suitcases. The monster came in at 49.5 pounds. We left for the airport to spend the night in the motel across the street.

Our day started Tuesday at 3:00 am. Security checked every item in our two carry-ons. Our tube of tooth paste and ivory soap bars made us suspicious characters.

As the plane left the gateway in Milwaukee, the pilot announced the plane would not steer. The runway was to the left but the plane would only turn right. It took 40 minutes to return to the gate. We deplaned and waited. After multiple announcements that contradicted the previous announcements, we were all completely confused with no idea of our fate. Two hours later we left Milwaukee for Houston. Of course we missed our connecting flight. Our US phone could not make international calls. With a 7 hour delay and friends waiting for us in San Salvador, we begged to use the Internet at the Continental President’s Club. We emailed our friends, but they were already at the airport. Later in the afternoon they called us confirming pick up at 8:30 pm. More protection and mercy for two exhausted travelers!

After waiting 7 hours we boarded and left for San Salvador. We landed at 7:30, the last plane that evening and low number of passengers; we got through immigration and customs quickly. With 6 suitcases, customs did not want to start something that could take hours. We were the last passengers at the airport when our friends arrived. They had decided we would sleep at their house in San Salvador and leave for Batres in the morning. A great decision for us since we had no energy left and just wanted to sleep.

Another early day, we got up at 5:30 and hit the road at 6. In Batres at 9:00 am. The house is still here along with all its contents. A week long wind and rain storm made it a filthy mess of dirt and leaves. After two hours of serious cleaning, it smells and looks fresh. Now we unpack and get organized.

Some can goods left for dinner and cold beer. It will do for us until we shop in the morning. We also brought with us worship CD's and familiar and loved singers. Right now Josh Groban is comforting us with beautiful gentle music. Another gift for our whole beings.

In other words, we arrived safely. We are well and once again adapting to a different environment. More updates when the action begins this coming week.

David y Nancy

From Home

2010-10-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

We are writing this journal from our home in West Bend. When we arrived home the first week of September, the leaves were green. Now we see a medley of yellow, orange, gold, green and red. As the foliage thins, the neighbor’s barn is in view. This week we had frost, a reminder that the march to the cold and white is approaching.

Our first 15 days were spent addressing fundraising for our food security project with Oikos and funding for programs with our 4 churches in Usulután. As we shop for items to take back, we are reminded of the abundance we have in the US. Nancy and I grew up in modest environments, but compared to Salvadorans we grew up privileged. We know we are a blessed couple, this is a blessed country, and we look forward to extending the blessing to our brothers and sisters in El Salvador.

We took a break from fundraising and supply shopping to enjoy our children as they arrived to spend time with us. The grandchildren are beautiful with another on the way in April. They all returned to their homes safely to resume their busy lives.

A young confirmand from our church in West Bend has been collecting money for a sports program in Usulután. When we mentioned it to the Salvadoran church leadership they were very excited about the possibilities and suggested that David be a player on the home team. The futball field looks mile long and a half mile wide. With the 100 degree heat and humidity, it might not be the appropriate exercise at this time of life.

The professional soccer (futball) field in Usulután is beautiful with lush green grass, bleachers, and scoreboard. On game days, the street in front of the stadium is closed to traffic. Street vendors line both sides of the street selling tortillas and pupusas. Thousands of people arrive by bus. The soldiers escort the referees in; when the game ends the referees and soldiers run for the exit.

Now we “gear up” for our return. Packing a few new clothes, our bags are flush with school supplies donated by friends and family, games, and educational materials. Nancy brings more than English to the class room, engaging the students in active participation in the lesson. Some merely memorize but we want them to think. While Nancy makes the classes stimulating and thoughtful, we also want to expand their confidence by providing materials that stir their creativity and thinking skills.

We return with peace in our hearts received from the encouragement of our friends and family of faith in West Bend. We are confident that God who has begun a great work for us will bring all things through to completion.

David y Nancy

San Julian

2010-08-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

Our NGO project partner in Usulután is Oikos Solidaridad whose mission is to accompany communities impoverished and vulnerable. We are working together to form projects for sustainable community development and protection.

Last Tuesday we viewed the reclamation and agriculture project proposed for the community of San Julian which is in the volcanic range of Chaparrastique. We drove to San Jorge and then entered the dirt and rock spillway system that drains the mountains of thunderous rains. The spillway is in need of drastic repair as we are 5 months into the rainy season, but it is the only means to travel in and around the entire range. The safest way to travel is on foot, for long distance by horse or for transporting supplies by ox cart. We traveled by truck and it is an understatement to say that it was rough! We drove up a long distance and then we walked straight up for another long and hot distance.

After the end of the civil war, settlers lacking any environmental awareness cut trees and plowed the soil with no regard to erosion control. The effect of 18 years of poor soil management is drastic. In other communities of this mountain range, Oikos Solidaridad has implemented reclamation projects to stop the environmental destruction and has made significant progress in improving the land for agriculture.

San Julian has 900 families living in poverty; over 4500 people would have significant impact in training, health, and nutrition. Reducing the amount of runoff would benefit 10s of thousands who live downstream (like us).

Early Wednesday morning we will on our way home. We return with items we don’t use or no longer need in order to preserve them. Because of the severe tropical conditions here in Usulután, our shoes, belts, clothing, watch, wallets, and camera have become moldy, rotten or rusty. These all need to be replaced.

Our children and grandchildren will be with us the third week of September for time at the lake. We might not swim, but we will be able to enjoy familiar smells, fresh air, the turning leaves and the unique smell of the lake.

While our bodies, hearts, and spirits will be in the states, our thoughts will continue on for El Salvador as we will work on lessons plans, project proposals, and purchasing supplies for our return. Plus we will be giving presentations, doing fund raising and happily receiving donations for our projects.

We will not have internet readily available, but our state side cell phone is 262-339-2570.

David y Nancy

Beautiful

2010-08-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

Nancy is teaching ESL after worship service on Sunday afternoons in the community of Puerta Parada. Puerta Parada is about one inch above seal level. It’s either soaked or under water most of the winter. As we drive in and out of the community we see homes having up to 6 inches of water in their yards and homes. The road is a muddy mess.

Many of the children do not attend school. Their families have them work in mosquito infested swamps to harvest shell fish. Our little church in Puerta Parada named My Good Jesus is a dank, dreary structure with a leaky roof. 50% of the time services and classes are canceled due to the rain.

The Bishop announced he was coming to celebrate the anniversary of My Good Jesus. We had a fundraiser to purchase paint. The day painting was an interesting experience as the children had never painted before. At the end of the day, the children and the interior of the church were painted in bright melon. After the paint dried, a youth painted a cross with the Lutheran seal on the altar wall.

The festive day arrived and it rained. The Bishop and his pastoral team arrived in Usulután for lunch at the church of the “The Good Shepherd”. It continued to rain while we ate and the question for the two hours was “can we make it to Puerta Parada?”
3 trucks and a van headed to the coast in the heavy rain.

The church had been decorated with pink balloons and ribbons for a traditional Fiesta Rosa. Balloons, fresh flowers and fresh paint made the mood very festive.

As the Bishop announced the worship service was beginning 24 beautifully dressed children and teenagers processed in. Our first Quincinera: the boys wore black pants and vests with red shirts. The girls wore beautiful mauve dresses, the younger girls in greens, pinks and yellows. The star of the day was appropriately named Estella, dressed in an elegant pink formal with a crown and bouquet of pink flowers.

The children sparkled with rain drops in their hair and on their faces and shoulders. It was a special service with the Bishop leading attended by 5 pastors and 2 catechists. They all blessed the young lady on her 15th birthday.

When they recessed from the church, pictures were taken in the rain and they processed to a pasture where a huge tent with a floor was erected for this festive day. We experienced a celebration of extreme beauty in the midst of overwhelming poverty.

David y Nancy

Fish, Shrimp, Stringray

2010-08-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Oikos Solidaridad, our partner NGO, invited us to join them in a fiesta on the beach to celebrate a major achievement on a project.
We returned to a beach where we previously had lunch. It was quiet back in March. The water was beautiful, the local buildings a mix of every building material you can imagine, including bamboo and palm branches. Children were in the water with and without suits. Fishing ships could be seen far off on the horizon. As we were leaving, the locals launched a huge 25 foot wooden boat loaded with fishing gear. This boat travels far into the ocean to join the larger fishing ships for exchanges of equipment and fresh catch.

On this night in July the atmosphere is different. Much of the beach and some buildings were destroyed by Agatha. The waves roll in brown murky water. The beach is filled with blobs of dead jelly fish.

The first of the runner boats comes on shore. A huge red bucket contains a sting ray. The entire bottom of the boat has shrimp that are scooped into buckets and carried across the beach to coolers in waiting pickup trucks. These larger fresh shrimp will be taken to the markets of San Salvador for top dollar revenue.

At dusk, another runner arrives with more shrimp and other seafood. Later we are served three different types of fish, all fresh and sweet - a meal well worth waiting for.

Traveling the roads at night brings a unique challenge. Some vehicles have no lights. Cows and dogs wander the streets and people on bicycles have no lighting or reflective gear. The mountain roads are not marked for curves and other cautions. It takes someone familiar with this route to return home safely. We arrive safe and satisfied after a joy-filled evening of food and fellowship.

David y Nancy

Seasons of life

2010-08-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Time off is not a part of our current vocabulary. We are working 7 days a week equipping ourselves to walk in solidarity with members of our church body in Usulután. In the midst of immersion and ESL classes, we took the opportunity and traveled to San Salvador for a 24 hour visit with friends and the family of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, West Bend, Wi.

Eight members came to El Salvador for a Habitat for Humanity build in July. Unfortunately the “build” was held at the other end of the country, making it very difficult for us to join in on the actual construction. They returned to San Salvador for a weekend of hospitality offered by the national Habitat for Humanity. We all stayed in the same hotel for two nights. The conversation, story telling and laughter reminded us of all that we miss about family, friends and community.

Late Sunday afternoon we traveled to Nejapa to worship with our sister congregation (FE), then viewed the current “fight against hunger” project. FE sits on a 15 fertile acre parcel of land. There have been 3 or 4 initiatives started at FE to fight hunger without significant impact. With new emphasis and support from the Lutheran World Federation, there is now an agricultural training center at FE. Seven women work together to learn gardening and are currently growing vegetables in a community garden.

At the end of the day we returned to the hotel for our last evening together. We were presented with a suit case of home newspapers, mail, personal care items, school supplies and sports equipment for our mission ---wonderful, thoughtful, appreciated gifts.

During the day Pastor Pam shared the news of the death of a friend, Todd Pruett. Todd received a bone marrow transplant and was receiving treatment in Washington State. A sudden infection changed everything. Todd is special to us having had him in our Sunday school classes when he was young. He would mention this on occasion, especially to his sons. It was always a joy to hear his remembrances.

Our friends left at 4:00 am Monday. If they knocked on our door to say good bye, we never woke up.
It was quiet, we were protected from the street noise with the additional comfort of air conditioning. We didn’t hear any dogs barking, ducks, chickens, or screaming roosters. (yes some roosters scream at night) No molino grinding away outside our bedroom window at 5:30 am. We enjoyed this needed break.

Time and life move on –every day holds joys, sorrows, life, death, hope and uncertainty. We are here in God’s presence to experience all of it.

David y Nancy

Another Bang

2010-07-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Projects, programs, possibilities, pastors, people - - - they all seem to pile up at once. After 6 months of waiting, moving and immersion, the mission began like the shot of a starter gun.

One Sunday afternoon, one of the pastors and his leadership team arrived at our gate. We had had a meeting at the church a week earlier to discuss their interests – education for Nancy and a business proposal for David were top on their list. They told us they had a meeting scheduled the next morning, Monday, with one community to determine their priorities. We received a phone call in that afternoon to learn they wanted English classes to begin TOMORROW!

One of the leaders came to our house on Tuesday afternoon to join us on the journey so we could know the bus route and arrival place. The location is in a yard under a tree along with the cows and chickens. Another great surprise was the class itself. We were told about 15 students ages 10 to 15 so the lesson was prepared with that expectation.

Actually, there were 30 students, ages 5 – 20. The first class could be viewed two ways: as a disaster or as a learning experience for the teacher and her assistant. We’ll choose the latter. Besides the heat and animals and terrified students was the incredible education range from K through 9. We all survived and we are bonding as we learn together. Another interesting component is that as I use my limited Spanish to teach them, often I get blank looks. Their leader explains “we don’t say that – our word is in Nahuat”, so we are also learning the native language.

The students came without paper or pencils, but we came with supplies. We have been purchasing supplies for the visual and writing experience. We also purchased a printer for producing ESL material. All material is custom made for each class. Think about prep time for each

We now have 4 classes that meet on Tuesday, Friday and 2 on Sunday in two different communities. We are proceeding slowly but surely. The sizes and ranges of the classes continue to astound us. We have a 21 year old who is in 4th grade, an 18 year old in first grade, and a 16 year old in 1st year of high school, a 17 year old in the 2nd year, an 18 year old in the 3rd and a 26 year old university graduate. There is also the usual mix of grades and ages. Talk about different learning systems and maturity. We are hoping that after we have a solid foundation of basics we can find time to split into more appropriate learning levels. At this time, we have about 120 students with more to come.

Time is a critical factor as now we are working with an NGO on a project for women, a business project for the church, a potential project with the mayor of Batres, and we are waiting to hear from two more zone churches about their interests. Everyday is a new experience and a new opportunity.

David y Nancy

Immersion Part III

2010-06-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

When we first met the Mayor, we told him we were Rotarians, community volunteers, and willing to volunteer in his community. He suggested we begin with a tour of Concepcion Batres which is a township the size of a Wisconsin County.

The center city of Concepcion Batres is on the far West border of the township; there are a total of 32 pueblos. The city roads are paved with concrete or cobble stone and a layer of cow plop on top of that. Outside the square mile of the city the roads are dirt, but in very drivable condition. The landscape is a beautiful variety of the color green that we enjoy in Wisconsin.

Heading east towards the Rio Grande, we drive through many streams of clean water. There are a number of natural springs in this area that produce these streams; we stop at one that was built into a park with swimming pool. Further into our drive, we pass through a rushing stream of highly polluted water from a neighboring community. The water contains chemicals, animal and human waste. The high level of pollution is contaminating the water table in Batres Township. The Mayor has a current water project to bring fresh water to every home, but wants to address this issue since it has broad impact in the human, animal and agricultural use of the water.

The primary crop is corn and sugar cane with many grazing cattle. 90% of the land in agriculture is owned by the people living on it. The Mayor would like the people to embrace new agriculture methods like crop diversification and rotation to increase productivity and protect the environment. His goal is to add an agricultural specialist to his staff to help the farmers implement these newer agricultural practices.

We drive through San Diego, La Pancha, Nueva Hacienda, El Guerrero, Canchilla and 9 more as we begin the drive to higher elevation to a “window” for a breath taking panorama of the terrain. The area before us is an environmental preserve. The Mayor is looking to encourage tourism by building an overlook to view this beautiful place with the hope of a restaurant to follow. The national government has a contest to promote tourism. This project will be entered in this contest.

We dead end at a place called Puerto Viejo (Old Port). This is a wilderness river area. There is no apparent access to the opposite side of the river that has the appearance of a tropical jungle. On our return we pass two men headed to Old Port who have new fishing nets they made, hand crafted paddles and a rebar anchor for their dugout. They catch fish to sell from this elevated environmental sanctuary.

Due to the frequent flooding of the major and smaller rivers, the Mayor has a project to relocate 140 families to a stable area. A family needs $1000 to apply for the “sub division”. If it’s $200 or $400 or $1000, it’s beyond their reach. The Mayor knows this but is hopeful that an NGO might help these people.

The mayor has a passion for his people. In a culture where power and leadership are often abusive, we find his sense of protection and service to his people uplifting.

David y Nancy

Immersion Part II

2010-06-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Guillermo picked us up at 8 am in a lightweight Korean truck. The three of us squeeze into the front seat. We meet Victor his associate for the day and are off heading east on Hwy 2 to join with 2 men from the Mayor’s office of Jucuaran.

The truck climbs the range that is the barrier between the plains and the ocean. Agatha was just a week ago and there are tree limbs and many washouts along the roadway. The drainage systems are full of mud and men with strong backs and shovels are removing the mud, clearing them for the next rain. At 9 we arrive in the small seaside community of El Cuco.

In El Cuco we turn west, backtracking. Our drive is high in the hills that parallel the ocean coast. It takes us another hour driving on a hilly stone road at 5 miles an hour over boulders and avoiding wash outs created by Agatha. Our descent into the community is as difficult as was the ascent over this boulder filled road. Finally we are at ocean level and the road abruptly ends in an area of trees.

A small group of leaders from the directiva of Agua Fria joins us for the brief but rocky and tricky walk to the ocean. This is an historic area from the war as this beach was the site where ships with arms for the guerrilla fighters landed to unload for distribution. Now Pedro says that it is an area of forgotten people. Jose tells us how the land on both sides of the road belonged to the people of the community but after the war, the government (military and Arena) took the land located on the ocean side for private and tourist use.

The mayor elected in 2009 is FMLN, defeating the Arena party for the first time. The mayor wants to assist the community in development and has introduced them to Oikos. There are ideas to develop a part of the bay for a shrimp or tilapia farm. This will take much training and supervision so this project will not start soon. Despite being in the bay, fishing is not a nutritional activity even though it is a major source of income and food in El Cuco, just miles away.

The adults are uneducated campesinos whose lives are hard labor in fields but with no agricultural training. Knowledge and skills are very limited. Oikos has begun a project with them for development of self-esteem and current farming skills. They are teaching the workers about crop diversification for better nutrition and care of the soil. In the past, the farmers have planted only frijoles and corn, getting only one crop a year because the extreme weather variations and usually wet soil. Introducing watermelon and other produce will benefit all. There are very few fruit trees in this community; mangoes are the standard tree.

Homes were not readily visible and part of Agua Fria is accessible only via a rough foot path. Other homes are off side paths from the main street. 53 families live here with an average of 5 people in each (265 population).

The school for grades PK – 6 is on this main road and the school yard is basically mud. There is no dry area of land – everything slopes toward the building from the hills behind. 81 children attend the school – some in uniform, some without shoes, all of them dirty. Many are light skinned with brown hair. Many have finer features than the Mayan or historical appearance. Facial expressions are bland but they watch us with curiosity. There are several dominant girls and much interaction girls with girls, boys with boys.

There is a female principal with one male and 3 female teachers. Each has a combined class PK-K, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6. The classes lack text books and dictionaries. The rooms are dark – the school is dreary. Fathers have helped with roof and fence repairs and are bringing rocks for an effort to change the flow of water and mud away from entering the school.

As we spend time at the school with community leaders, we sense they are hoping we will become project partners. They need $500 for a concrete mix to improve the school yard. They need text books. If any of you Sunday school teachers or Bible study groups are looking for a mission, Aqua Fria needs your help.

David y Nancy

Immersion Part 1

2010-06-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

Getting started

At our last meeting with three church leaders, Volunteer Missionary Movement coordinator Danny and NGO Executive Director Benjamin, Benjamin suggested we take the time to become familiar with the area before jumping into any projects. He suggested we begin with introductions to leaders of civil society (police, mayors, schools, procurdura HR); integration into cooperatives – ngos and organizations – local, national, international; and education about the territories – soil, education, weather, people

After we moved in, we visited the police, mayor, and schools. Then we experienced tropical storm Agatha. Eight miles away from our home, flooding of the Rio Grande San Miguel forced the evacuation of 43 people of a community in the Concepcion Batres jurisdiction. They were directed by the police to a Conception Batres school, a make-shift shelter with only basic provisions for the 43 people in its care.

After visiting the shelter we went to this section of the Rio Grande to witness the actual damage to their homes, fields, crops and orchards. Some people remained in their flooded homes with 12 to 16 inches of dirty and muddy river water everywhere.

We walked around and through previously flooded fields. Fruit trees have rotten fruit hanging from their branches. The new corn crop is now infected with mold. This is a substantial economic loss to the subsistence farmers who are very poor. We continued our tour with members of the directiva. They were still checking on the status of families to determine who had left and who were still in their homes. At the home of the leader of the directiva we met a 101 year old woman who while very fragile was sharp and talkative.

A man was paddling a dug out on our side of the river across the rapid flowing water to San Felipe. The dug outs we saw are familiar to ones we have seen in museums of the Great Lakes.

We left this area to head towards the mountains. We also saw storm damage here as a huge tree blocked the dirt road. Benjamin’s associate got out of the vehicle to help Benjamin maneuver around the obstacle. The road is very rough and we bottomed out on smaller size boulders sticking out of the roadbed. After traveling for 30 minutes by SUV we stopped at a level clearing where we noticed a number of bamboo and thatch huts. Benjamin informed us that these are drying buildings for the crops at harvest time. We continued up the mountain by foot passing many 8 acre fields and pastures. Cattle and herds of cows passed us coming down the mountain. We walked for another 30 minutes, greeting herdsmen who stop to talk with Benjamin and Guillermo. The cows wait impatiently as they are headed to a fresh pasture.

Oikos has developed the side of the mountain into an agricultural area by altering the terrain to provide safe rain water drainage, building spill ways to hold back the speed of the runoff. They have also planted hundreds of trees to provide for the absorption of rain water into the soil. We don’t see any homes. The herders we pass are soiled with leathery skin and missing teeth. There are no services in their community, there is no public school, committing the children to a primitive way of life for another generation.

To be continued:

Seed-Food Fest

2010-06-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

The first Friday in June is Seed-Food Fest in Concepcion Batres. (Not to be confused with Seafood Fest, 4800 miles away in West Bend, WI).

Seed-Food Fest is held in the central plaza of Concepcion Batres. The plaza is one square block of green space including soccer field, basketball court, bandstand, fountains and lots of benches to just sit and watch.

The festival is sponsored by Oikos and the mayor. Oikos is the German funded, locally operated agricultural NGO that has been active in developing agricultural projects with community members for over 20 years.

A stage with speakers, entertainment, dancing is a main focus of the festival. This one day event provides Oikos stakeholders the opportunity to showcase their products to area communities. Large tents cover vendors selling various plants, vegetables, coffee, honey, beans, roots and live chickens. There were different types of seeds for sale but a 50 pound bag might last longer than either of us.

Some of the vendors consist of large families, others are more formal cooperatives, and others individuals. Vendors included men and women we previously met in the various communities in the Usulután area. This was a pleasant surprise to us and them and it also provided us an opportunity to affirm our presence and commitment to be in solidarity with them. Warm greetings were exchanged and conversation followed.

Unlike Seafood Fest in West Bend, there was no beer. But often like at Seafood Fest, the rains started about 11 am and continued for the afternoon. It was a cloud burst and we walked home in knee deep water flowing rapidly in the streets holding on to each other. The weather man indicates that the rain will stop in October. Lesson learned: always have your umbrella with you – we did not!

David y Nancy

First days

2010-06-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

It rained the first night. The roof still leaks. We have been unpacking, repacking for two days. Most of our clothes remain in a suitcase since we have no dresser. A few items are on hangers. We planned clothing for the city, mountains and plains. When we return to the US in September we will bring the cool weather stuff home and bring back more appropriate clothing for 85-100 degrees.

Sunrise is 5:30; we wake early with noise from the corn grinder across the street. By 6 am people are in the streets and commerce is in full swing. A little later, the children are on their way to the 3 schools in the community. Delivery trucks, carts and men on bicycles are hawking their products and services.

It’s 7:45 am and getting hot - we are both sweating. We have been pushing water since we arrived in Usulután, but we use it all up by sweating. Breakfast is early, lunch is our big meal at 1:00 pm, with a lighter meal in the evening.

We do some of our toiletries at the pila in the back yard. This is the typical location of food preparation, washing dishes, washing clothes and washing humans. We are fortunate to have a shower. But with all the rain, look out for scorpions and tarantulas. Nancy was bitten.

It gets dark by 6:30 pm. The vendors shut down for the day and the streets are quiet. Most commerce comes to an abrupt stop except for a few tortilla venders and cyber cafe. I secure the gate since we are not expecting any visitors. A cucaracha flies in the front door and lands upside down on the floor, David sweeps him back outside.

We have our evening meal at 7:00. After eating, washing dishes, putting everything away, it’s after 8 and shower time. Then we lock the doors and retire for the evening to a good book or to catch up on emails and documents.

It’s very quiet. Maybe a brief dog fight and a rooster or two during the evening, but after a while we tune them out.

Rain again (it’s the season). We wake to check for more leaks and find a crab apple on the floor. In the kitchen we find fruit stems. We have bats. We’re going shopping today so we add garlic to our list.

Before we leave, we will spray the bedrooms with “Baygon” Ultra to control the cucarachas and rastreros (scorpions).

As we are writing this journal, a leaf falls to the floor from the center vent of the roof. With bats on our mind, we were startled, but just for a moment.

David y Nancy

The Drive

2010-05-28T10:20:00.001-07:00

Highway 2 runs across El Salvador east to west. We pick it up near the airport which is south of the capital San Salvador. It’s a 2 lane road with traffic markings similar to those in North American or Europe. The road is very busy with semi-trucks, pickups, buses, cars, cattle, men on horse back and ox carts. Passing through pueblos, vendors are on the sides of the road with locally grown produce, both domestic and wild.

We pass over the first bridge that spans a major river. There are always trucks in the river bed loading gravel to make bricks at a local brick yard. Off to our left is a range of volcanoes that extend to our new home town and beyond. It can be a clear day except for the clouds that paint the volcanic mountains with ever changing imagery.

The region becomes more focused on agriculture as we proceed east. We pass giant John Deere tractors, some with attachments, also some older Ford tractors. We stop for cattle that have filled the road. We beep and they moo, continuing slowly with their cow strut to the other side.

We near Usulután and slow down for speed bumps. Vendors approach our truck with candy, fruit and locally grown cashews. These nuts (here called seeds) are unsalted with a richer taste than the ones offered by Mr. Peanut. Locally made wood furniture is offered on the side of the highway here and across the country. Some of furniture is very ornate and others are very primitive.

In Usulután the highway splits into one-way streets. Many older buildings have survived the past earthquakes. In the old center are a town square park, a cathedral, and much commerce. We see a CITI bank and at the end of town a Wendy’s and a Pizza Hut. They are packed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are also hundreds of small cantinas.

We are still on Highway 2 heading east to Concepcion Batres. We pass large trucks filled with campesinos heading to the fields for a days work. The sugar cane whose harvest was just completed is already 6 feet tall in some fields. We pass over a bridge with the Rio Batres below, our marker that our community is just ahead and we make a right hand turn.

Children pouring out of school take over the street. We follow slowly behind. We make our final turn and follow a herd of cattle for a block. Then we are to our casa, our new home for the next 2 years.

David y Nancy

Project Update

2010-05-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

This writing is on Mothers Day in El Salvador (Monday May 10). Schools are closed and some businesses have the day off. As a national holiday, the pace and noise of daily life in the city is lessened. May 10 is also 6 months exactly of our time here in El Salvador.

Following is an update on projects we have been working on since we started in solidarity with the people of El Salvador.

Four years ago, the students of Holy Angels School, West Bend, WI collected $1,000 for books for the public school at La Granja. A year later, West Bend Sunrise Rotary donated another $1,000 allowing for each student in the public school to have the full range of text books for their studies in grades K thru 9. The benefit of these gifts has provided awesome results among the children, including their staying in school until graduation and some continuing to the second level, (high school) for professional development.

On Thursday we learned the text book program has become sustainable. With modest support from the government, they are able to allocate funds to replace older books or purchase a new series of texts. They could not have acquired the initial texts with their usual funding. But a hand-up (not a hand out) has allowed this school in a community outside the major city to greatly advance the education of rural children.

Five years ago, Our Saviors Lutheran Church West Bend implemented a scholarship program. On Sunday, we worshiped with our community at Fe y Esperanza. After service 14 families received scholarships for 39 children. This support has had significant impact especially with the young girls of the community who commonly drop out at the 6 grade to work, care for their siblings or have babies. This program provides the families alternatives so the children can remain in school and the youth can focus on careers.

Last week, Pastora Ana Rosa, the coordinator of the eastern region of the Lutheran Church, Danny, the local coordinator from Volunteer Missionary Movement, and the Slindes signed the agreement that binds us together into shared ministry for the next two years. What does this mean? We are missioners with Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM) which has placed us with the Salvadoran Lutheran Church (ILS) which has placed us in the region of the east to be in solidarity with all people in this region.

Volunteer Missionary Movement focuses on relationships before projects, thus we will begin in accompaniment with three pastors having multiple communities, missions and churches. While our skills and talents focus on education and community development, we remain flexible on providing support and encouragement for issues most important in the lives of the people of the communities.

Immigration

2010-04-26T10:01:00.001-07:00

We begin joyfully today with answered prayer:

Immigration: Friday, after three previous visits to the immigration office, our documents were accepted. Without this clearance, we would need to leave every 90 days for a 3 day absence from the country. We have spent four months on the immigration process with much frustration. For two days, we focused intensively on the documents with a lawyer to be sure everything was correct. We are so very grateful for her pro bono help. We returned to the government offices with a stack of sealed, notarized, apostilled documents for each of us. Three hours later, our paper work was approved. On Monday we pick up our temporary card and our one-year residency visa should be ready in 3 months. Thanks be to God!

Mission: This approval brings us another step closer to our move from the city and to the eastern zone where our work will be concentrated. We had a planning meeting last week and another planning meeting will occur this week. We look forward to more specific responsibilities. Right now ideas are abstract but shaping nicely --- another encouragement for us. Thanks be to God!

Our Rotary projects in Nejapa: For our new readers, we are Rotarians and our Clubs along with our Club District, Rotary International and Rotary San Salvador have supported two projects in El Salvador. West Bend Noon Rotary supported a hygiene project of appropriate sewer drainage in the rural community of La Granja.

The next phase of construction with support from West Bend Sunrise Rotary is a bridge to connect the two communities of La Granja and Nuevo Ferrocarril. This will provide continuation of the hygiene project, connecting another 3 thousand residents to the sewer drainage system. It will also allow safe passage between these communities over a steep and wide ravine. You can follow the progress at http://nejapa-bridge.blogspot.com/ with project partners Engineers without Borders Madison, WI, Club Rotario San Salvador and community volunteers.

Vision: “We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.” God has been graciously guiding, blessing, teaching and forming us. We continue to seek his will and to be obedient and not get ahead of his plan. We anticipate more growth experiences that will take us deeper in faith and appreciation of his kingdom.
We continue to be awed that we are here, that we are being stretched beyond expectation and that there is so much to learn. God is faithful and that’s what keeps us

concepcion batres

2010-04-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Networking has its advantages in El Salvador just like anywhere else. We met Benjamin “on- line” over a year ago. Benjamin is the Executive Director of an NGO with years of experience working with communities to improve the lives of its members through training and a well-planned approach to sustainable development. This NGO works in three specific areas: agriculture, environment and community organizing.

We asked for Benjamin’s help to find a safe community and home for us to rent. He suggested Concepcion Batres. Concepcion Batres is a lovely community with paved streets, a beautiful plaza with numerous food vendors and a recreation area.

Our needs for a home include features that complement our mission, that is, a large covered area for the members of our communities to meet and a yard for an agriculture demonstration. This is important to us since very few plant food gardens in El Salvador. We hope to generate interest in home gardening to help in the fight against hunger.

It’s a two story home (very unusual) with an open space on the second floor. The first
floor has a big kitchen, great room, 2 bedrooms and almost indoor plumbing. The house is
empty, thus we need to buy everything!

Another issue is security. The home does not have a security wall which is common practice here. To move forward, our advance rent money is helping the landlord have the wall constructed. As the wall nears completion, our move will finally be imminent.

We are 40 minutes from the ocean on very flat terrain. This area is known as the hottest of El Salvador and being close to the ocean, also the most humid. Benjamin suggested we lunch at the beach. On our drive to the ocean, we climbed a mountain passing kids holding live lizards the size of small dogs in their hand for sale (for dinner). From the top we could see the expanse of the blue Pacific Ocean.

The beach facilities are modest geared for local activity, not tourism. Homes, restaurants and shelters are made from bamboo and palm branches. It’s a weekday and we are the only visitors to the beach community. Walking on the scorching hot sand required wearing shoes but putting our feet in the warm water felt great. Our meal of fresh fried ocean fish was delicious, eaten under a palm thatched roof out of the sun.

As the tide came in, we watched local fishermen get their nets and boats ready to push off at sunset for their night time catch. Today the simple beauty of this remote community creates the feel of tranquility. Soon the people will be vulnerable to the forces of nature. Safety and security are concerns no matter where one lives. May we always be aware of those at risk.

David y Nancy

The rains have started

2010-04-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

Last night it rained. Trinidad, the house mother, said “its time to plant corn”. Next week begins the rainy season in Central America. It really does not rain here; it pours. The first heavy rain clears the streams of 5 months of garbage. Thousands of streams become raging rivers of swirling rapids that are loaded with paper and plastic causing the streams to back up until the pressure is too great. Then all everything breaks loose. The raging streams flow into the rivers and the rivers empty into the ocean.

This little country is not prepared for another rainy season. There are thousands of homes without roofs and many more with roofs that leak very badly. The infrastructure for the neighborhoods of San Salvador and San Vicente affected by Hurricane Ida last November have not yet been restored. These areas lost many homes and also property as landsides washed away neighborhoods and families. The city of San Vicente continues to have 4 feet of dirt in yards, streets, and pastures that will redirect this year’s flow of rain water into unsuspecting neighborhoods and streets. Thus the government and many residents anticipate more destruction of property this year.

When we arrived in November, we purchased $1,000 of roofing laminate to be distributed to church families needing roof repair or replacement. After the improvements were made, we visited the families to view their homes and roofs. Walking through their neighborhoods we were shocked by the hundreds of homes needing roofs and we don’t have any more money for this project.

When nature prevails, the April rains should be gentle allowing for the planting of corn and beans. The seeds should sprout before the heavier rains of May. However it doesn’t always happen that way. When the early rains are heavy and frequent. the seeds rot in the field and another planting is required. The second planting takes food off the table since the corn seeds were to be used for making tortillas.

There are no warehouses here of surplus food. When corn is in abundance they eat a little more and when food is scarce they are hungry. But yet God, corn, beans and rain all represent life and they remind themselves of God’s abundance by placing symbols of rain, corn and beans on their altar crosses, ever mindful that God is the source of daily life.

David y Nancy

Oscar Romero

2010-03-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

Rambling through the stores in San Salvador one is reminded that Easter week is also the time to visit the beach. Buy your supplies here the displays beckon. Big businesses and the government offices close for Semana Santa (Holy Week); therefore many have time to do other things.

This year, the week before Easter is the remembrance of the popular Archbishop of San Salvador Oscar Arnulfo Romero. Monsignor Romero served only three years starting 1977. On March 24, 1980, as he was saying a memorial mass at the chapel of the cancer hospital where he lived, Romero was struck down by an assassin’s bullet to the heart.

Romero, named Archbishop after the retirement of Luis Chavez, seemed to be a “safe” choice since he was ultra-conservative and endorsed by the ruling hierarchy. His prophetic voice began and grew bold after the assassination of Father Rutilio Grande who was ambushed and killed on his way to the rural poor community he served.

What is this prophetic voice that leads to assassination? During this time, 2 percent of the population controlled over 90 percent of the wealth. Up to 60% of the population was landless peasants. Romero publicly pleaded with the wealthy to change the economic system that kept millions in extreme poverty. His pleading was the voice of God. His public voice and his use of scripture were unequaled at this time, calling on all 6,000,000 Salvadorans to obey Gods call for justice.

Romero used God’s word in application, not theory: this is how God’s people should live together. On March 23, 1980, he appealed to members of the Salvadoran military to not obey orders contrary to the laws of God and to stop killing their brothers and sisters. His death was already planned; the assassin had been selected. This was the deciding message for those in power to stop this voice.

In death, Romero’s popularity and message continue. These two weeks before Holy Week are full of gatherings of global delegations to celebrate the life and ministry of Romero; to hold the government responsible for the continuing social injustices; and to demand that all the perpetrators of his assassination be brought to justice.

This morning on the 30th anniversary of his death, the historic and ecumenical churches of El Salvador declared him the Saint of Central America. The Catholic Church has not yet done so, but they are in process. Romero has already been sainted by the people and his death represents all the martyrs: fellow priests, catechists, community organizers, lay people, pastors, sons and daughters, who number over 75,000.

One week ago an attempt was made on the life of the Anglican Bishop of El Salvador. The risk to those in visible church and civil leadership is still prevalent, but it does not stop the work of Truth. The words and work continue because they are the call from God for his people and his Kingdom.

David y Nancy

Resource and recommended reading: Through the Year with Oscar Romero, Daily Meditations, translated by Irene Hodgson, St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2005.

Celebration

2010-03-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

READ BEFORE SHARING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

As we were reading on the corridor of Casa Concordia, a truck pulled in with a beautiful young steer in the back. We wondered why a steer would be in the heart of the city of San Salvador. The steer was unloaded, roped to a tree, and his legs were tied; he was brought down and a loud long moo expressed his final moment. A 10 inch knife was pushed into the soft spot at the base of his skull. The men lined up their simple tools of two long sharp knives and an ax.

It may seem strange to write about this in detail, but it bears comment that we live and work in a new culture where differences are becoming more striking. To ignore and not share these differences would cheat all of you from this amazing experience.

We decided to watch while it was butchered. Clarification: Nancy watched everything; David joined to watch when it looked more like meat and less like steer. The men butchering the steer worked quickly and quietly; they cut with precision indicating years of experience in this process. It all seemed very dignified with the proper respect for this gift of life and knowledge that this animal had a purpose in life and death.

The meat was being readied for the following night’s celebration for a youth choir from Switzerland performing in San Salvador. At this fiesta given by the Bishop, a barbeque pit of concrete block was built. Bamboo (a building material of the third world) was cut in 4 foot skewers for placing the chunks of meat. Carbon rocks (yes carbon rocks) were the fuel. They light fast and burn hot.

The meat was cooked and served. While we ate, the choir from Switzerland sang. After they performed, a local group of men sang and played instruments of the indigenous Mesoamerican tradition.

The men played for hours, but it got late and the fiesta needed to end. The evening was like the first balmy night of summer when you much prefer to enjoy being outside until the cool or damp of the late hour moves to closure of the day.

La Palma

2010-03-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Recently we participated in a retreat with 10 more missioners working in Central America and 5 VMM leaders from the US.

Together we boarded the bus to La Palma. As the bus headed north out of town, we recognized many landmarks along the way, identifying turns towards other churches we visited with Lutheran pastors. As we left the city, the bus windows were wide open. It hasn’t rained for months, the air is stale and with a lot of dirt blowing around.

An hour out of town, our bus begins to lose energy as we climb the mountain to the artistic community of La Palma. We travel for just less than an hour more to the colonial town, high in the mountains. The air is cool and fresh, it’s a joy to breathe again. We arrive in the late afternoon as the cool wind begins to blow down the mountains. We change from shorts and short sleeves to trousers and jackets. The hotel has thick blankets available in our room.

We skip lunch to walk the community. A carnival has been set up for a large festival for this weekend. Vendors with fried foods and merchandise are everywhere. La Palma celebrates its artistic legacy with wall after wall painted in the bright “La Palma” style created by Fernando Llort. The town survives on tourism, thus there is shop after shop selling hand crafted items. There are two shops in La Palma that offer higher quality items in unique ceramic art and wooden merchandise.

The missioners gather together to share, support, and learn about each other. Together we breathe fresh air filled with the power of God, energy and hope and together we exhale our disappointments and fears. We hear again the mission of VMM and specifically our call to be in solidarity with the poor and oppressed. Working with the poor requires a different skill set: to listen, not manipulate; to know their reality; to walk with them, accept their hospitality, hear their stories and await their invitation.

Missioners share how the gang problem is having impact on their mission. The gang influence is luring some of the youth away from programs and for others the gang violence is making it to fearful to venture out to continue in the program. Peter shares that his program for the women is having mixed results as some women will not contribute the care of the chicken, but want the money the project provides.

In light of all the set backs and disappointments with missioners programs and missions, we return from the mountain, refreshed and energized to do our work and leave the results to God.

Medical Mission

2010-02-18T10:16:00.001-08:00

February is fleeting – and on Saturday we will complete our first 100 days. God continues to expand our borders, to bless us, and to grow us.

Last week, we participated in a medical mission from Milwaukee. Thirty volunteers including nurses, technicians, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and 5 non medical support staff attended 800 patients during a 4 day clinic. Patients served were approximately 20% men, 50% women and 30% children under age 14.

The mission also included a pharmacy and an eyewear clinic. Each member of the group brought one suitcase of clothes and one full of prescription and over-the-counter medicines. The cases of medicines were seized at customs, but with the help of an attorney, they were released before the clinic began!

We joined them for 2 days. On the first day we worked in an older building in the central city. Conditions were not the best, but the team was superb in their care of the people. The clients are the poor; they are lowly and humble people, often uneducated, and some with serious psycho-social needs. Many are referred to a local doctor and dentist for continued treatment.

After 2 days in the central city, the medical clinic moved into the northern region to serve rural communities. Here again the families are poor, the clinic conditions very basic, and the medical care excellent and lovingly given. At both locations, treatment attended the body, mind and spirit. Old men and women, mothers with their children were able to receive shoulder and neck massage and prayers for healing and peace.

While these clinics were done in very difficult conditions, the medical team is already making plans for the mission next year. This is their 10th year of service and each year is well planned and very effective. 25 Salvadorans work closely with the North American Medical Team that includes Lutherans and non Lutherans, members from greater Milwaukee, Duluth, Minnesota and Arizona. This team continues to grow as the Salvadoran experience attracts and retains volunteers.

Our hearts were touched just being with these dedicated volunteers and the people they served. It was a meaningful experience for those who have done it for many years and for the first-timers as well. We are blessed to have been included.

Let's ride the train

2010-02-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

Join us for a ride on the local commuter train, but first a bit of history. The current railroad company is the result of a merger between two companies, one of which is the International Railways of Central American, a former subsidiary of the infamous United Fruit Company (of Banana Republic fame).
Thousands fled El Salvador during the civil war, hopping on freight trains headed out of the country. After the war, passenger traffic declined as the trains were routinely held up and passengers robbed. In October 2002, all rail transportation was suspended.
With El Salvador the most highly populated country in Central America and with a severe shortage of land, the former right-of-ways were settled by squatters.
In 2007 the rail company resumed limited service and required all squatters off their tracks. Thousands of people were forced to move. Hundreds of others merely shortened the size of their homes, allowing for passage of the train.
We arrived at the downtown San Salvador train station at 4:20 in the afternoon. At the platform we saw a modern diesel engine with two tanker cars and five antique passenger cars. We boarded and started our journey to Apopa about 20 miles away. The train traveled two blocks and made its first stop. In all we must have made 30 or 40 stops, each one about 15 seconds as people climbed on and off.
If the windows were without wire screens, we could have touched the homes, clothes lines, children playing and people walking along the tracks. The train rolled by their front doors, over their driveways, across patios and play areas. One can look into many homes, wave to the residents, see what they’re eating and what’s on the television.
As we picked up speed, the passenger cars heaved left and right and then across a ridge with a fantastic overview of the valley below. The steep hillsides are populated with homes and the country side is bright green reflecting the lush vegetation that grows wild in Central America. The Apopa train station was a 4-pole metal roofed open air structure with no amenities.
The whistle blew for 2 hours warning all that the train was coming. There are no street signals or crossing guard arms. The tanker cars wet the rail bed to prevent a cloud of dust from choking the passengers and the residents. Each passenger car has a National Police man on guard. The return trip back to San Salvador went a little faster because it was mostly downhill. Our 2 hour train ride cost 20 cents round trip. It was a great experience to see another view of the city and the country side.

Moving On

2010-02-05T10:04:00.001-08:00

Classes ended on January 29; on January 30, we moved again. This is our 4th or 5th move since arriving in November. We are not homeless but we sure are transitional. We are happy to enter the next phase of our lives. January was an intense month of study and supplemental learning experiences.

Recent educational trips have included Cinquera, an historic pueblo that was a guerilla stronghold during the war. Now their main feature is a beautiful nature preserve on a huge mountain on which we climbed a steep and winding trail. On the way up, we crossed a river on stone pillars and further up, across a suspension bridge.

At the top was a two story observation platform from which the view of the surrounding thickly wooded mountains and valleys was awesome. Nancy made it to the summit. David stayed behind to help a woman in our group who was suffering from heat exhaustion.

That night we slept in the scenic community of Suchitoto at a Center for the Arts. The Center is a place of healing for children and youth through art and music to work through the trauma of war and destruction in their lives and families. The facility is in the process of repair after many years of abandonment. The church connected to the Center dates to 1830 and is simply a shell waiting for new life. A gallery exhibiting children’s art borders a peaceful new garden. The dormitory in which we slept was a former convent, basic but comfortable.

Main features of Suchitoto are a beautiful lake and the grand architecture of another church built in 1852. The center plaza was full of people and vendors with their merchandise. Surrounding the plaza were restaurants, cafés and B & Bs in former residences and government offices.

On the way back to San Salvador, we met with a group of rural women who are operating a community business of candle making to supplement their family incomes.

February will be a month for us to refresh our minds, bodies and spirits. We will continue to define our placement, will be working to complete our residency process, and will visit more rural communities to learn about the resources and opportunities regarding the fight against hunger.

With our 12 hour days of school work behind us, we hope to be more consistent in our journal writing.

On the lighter side

2010-01-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

This week we want to share with you some enjoyable events and observations.

Seen on the highways (CA 1 – the Pan American, CA 2, CA 4) and the byways:

yoked oxen pulling carts with large wooden wheels and loaded with firewood, corn and other basic supplies; horses being ridden and herded, free range and herded cattle

beat up bicycles ridden by males of varied ages (unusual sightings – a man with a child about 2 years old standing on the center bar holding onto papa’s shoulders, a man with a propane gas tank strapped to the back fender and him holding onto a second on the handle bar as he steered with one hand, a family of 3 – mama on the back fender, child sitting on the middle bar and papa pedaling doggedly)

large and small buses, 3 wheeled mini-taxis, high sided cargo trucks filled with livestock or large items or bags of produce or people, pickup trucks full of stuff or people, flatbed trucks loaded with sugar cane stalks, semitrailers, farm equipment, men on motor scooters wearing German style WWII helmets, and of course cars, SUVs and minivans, and always much traffic

along the sides of the roadways – pigs, chickens, dogs; people of all ages walking, women carrying large loads in baskets on their heads, men carrying large loads on their backs or shoulders; long stretches of corn kernels spread out to dry, swept up and bagged at days end.

Seen in communities:

futbol (soccer) fields everywhere you go usually with games happening, either specific team competitions or just for fun; children running, climbing trees, playing futbol in flipflops; a teeter totter created from a sturdy branch placed in the Y of a tree stump with preschoolers having great fun, large kettles of food cooking over open fires, beautiful babies everywhere

Seen in cities:

houses freshly and brightly painted for Christmas and the new year (an annual custom for those who receive bonuses and choose to enjoy this luxury), cars with open baskets of bakery rolls or fruit on top, motor scooters delivering for Pizza Hut, Pollo Campero and KFC, more beautiful babies

Comfort cravings:

course ground pepper, oatmeal raisin cookies, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sunday edition, a juicy rib steak from Reis’ meat department, and more . . .

Civilized Slinde progress:

Nancy “invented” solar powered hot water by putting a full gallon water bottle on our porch in the morning and . . TA-DA! . . . in the evening we have hot water. Yes, hot water. Wash with cold, rinse with hot. Now we have two gallons heating for washing and rinsing. Such luxury - life is good!

First Christmas in El Salvador

2009-12-29T15:51:00.001-08:00

In November when we arrived, Christmas decorations were going up in malls and city plazas. Overall few homes are decorated with strings of colored lights. The malls and municipal parks and boulevards are the largest decorators for Christmas in the city.

Visible signs of Christmas disappear as we leave San Salvador. Absent big city budgets and large malls, the small towns of El Salvador look the same at Christmas as in the middle of August. Among the rural poor the best evidence of Christmas is handmade decorations for home and church.

On Christmas Eve, we joined Bishop Gomez, the Lutheran Bishop of El Salvador, and his family for their traditional celebration. It was a quiet conversation of adults until all of the grandchildren arrived. Then the action began with opening presents, playing together and much joyful noise.

Fireworks exploded throughout the neighborhood. As the night continued more family and friends arrived. Mrs. Gomez had sandwiches and beverages ready. There was lively music and dancing. At midnight we formed a prayer circle to thank God for his abundant blessings and mercies during this past year and to ask his protection and blessings for the coming year, very appropriate for all our lives.

The prayers were accompanied by loud fireworks. After the final Amen, we went out on the upper porch to watch the awesome multiple aerial and ground displays throughout the neighborhoods of San Salvador. This local custom is legal and very dangerous. The smell and smoke of gunpowder was thick. As the fireworks slowed down, we enjoyed a wonderful feast of turkey, rice, salad and cake.

What a great first Christmas; we are safe, healthy, well fed, and grateful to God for these blessings. But to be honest we missed our family and friends. We enjoyed new customs, but missed our Midwest traditions. We knew before we left that some things in life can’t be duplicated. Therefore, to all of you in “the old country” and in our hearts and thoughts and prayers, we love you and we miss you.

David y Nancy

A Difficult Reality

2009-12-26T10:39:00.001-08:00

Last week, we were invited to join a Salvadoran ngo as global representatives for distribution of building materials provided through international relief donations. This ngo recently distributed donated clothing and bedding to 150 families in La Libertad.

On Monday, we traveled to San Francisco Chinemeca above Lake Ilopongo with narrow winding streets on hilly terrain, 2100 ft above sea level, population 8575 spread across the hillside.

We began at the “command center”, a home where materials were stacked and small tables served as information desks. A community leader was preparing lists of names of those who would receive supplies. We were briefed on the families, the destruction, and the process of reconstruction of lives and homes.

Stacks of 2 x 4s and 2 x 2s for posts and roof supports, piles of corrugated aluminum sheets (3 ft x 8 ft) for roofing and siding, and bags of fasteners were being sorted for 12 families. Amounts supplied varied based on the size of the family needing shelter.

Then we visited the home sites. The devastation caused by mud slides is difficult to describe because it is so severe. Not only are homes lost but often the land under them is gone too, making rebuilding impossible. These families must seek new locations. The November storm had a multiple affect – continuous heavy rains compounded by rain pouring off roofs onto land and homes on the slope below.

One family willingly shared with us the remnant of their former home and their makeshift home on a neighbor’s lot. This shelter of branch supports and black plastic sides and roof measured 6 x 12 feet for a family of 6 and held a double bed, a cook top and 4 shelves of possessions.

As we passed the supply center on our way back to the city, teams were loading materials onto a truck for delivery. One man rolled laminate sheets and carried them on his back up the hill.

While there is devastation and sorrow, there is also hope for the future and new beginnings. Solidarity and respect are evidenced in the attitude of “it is not only your loss, it is also our loss.” Community members are working together, caring for one another, helping each other with temporary housing and rebuilding.

Being included in this project was an honor and experience that deeply touched our hearts and spirits. The forces of nature are beyond human understanding but response is within our created beings and capabilities. We assured the community leaders that we would share their stories at home in the US, that they would not be forgotten.

The effects of the storm are no longer significant in US newspapers but please know that funding for recovery is still urgently needed. Support can be sent through Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran World Federation, Catholic Charities, and the Center for Interchange and Solidarity (Los Olivos CIS, P.O. Box 76, Westmont, IL 60559). If you send a donation, clearly designate it for El Salvador Disaster Relief; otherwise it will go into a general fund and will not be put to immediate use.

Summer Break

2009-12-25T09:34:00.000-08:00

Mailed Dec 20 2009

Our first school term (4 week session) ended at 12:22 on Friday; 38 minutes later we were escaping the city on a mini bus to the volcano Bocaron near Nejapa. It last erupted in 1917. Evidence of the lava flow to Nejapa is still visible. The city of Nejapa celebrates the eruption annually on August 31 by throwing oil soaked fireballs at one another – not your typical commemoration or Main Street event. But the crowds love it!
(See http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2065504/fireball_festival_2008/)

On the drive up the mountain we passed crowds of workers on the sides of the road waiting for transportation for either themselves or for their daily pick of coffee beans. Further up huge flat bed trucks were coming down with full loads of coffee in sacks that seem impossible to lift, yet men carry them on their backs for long distances.

After a 35 minute drive up hill we stopped for coffee at the Miranda café on one of three coffee plantations on this volcano. It also offers canopy tours where you strap on a harness and slide on one of 9 cables between mountains over lush forests, either holding on for dear life or taking in the view (see www.elsalvadorcanopy.com)

At the top of the mountain, we walked through a tropical forest enjoying cool fresh air, brilliant plants, majestic trees and a clear sunny sky. At the edge of the volcano is a platform for looking deep and wide into the crater. There is evidence of the “cone” growing and while this volcano is dormant, it is not dead. Many fissures expel steam in and around the coffee plantations. Hearty adventurers can take a 2 ½ hour hike down steep and rocky trails to the bottom which also means a 3 hour hike back up. It is not on our to-do list!

Today is Monday, the first day of winter in the USA but just another summer day here. Last night brought an unusual hard rain and wind storm which we are certain frightened many people living in make-shift shelters as a result of the Hurricane Ida damage. We have an amazing story to tell you about our experience today but that will wait for another entry.

Four days until Christmas – God’s blessings to all of you as you celebrate with family and friends. We leave tomorrow morning for San Jorge, our new community, return on Saturday and will write to you then.

For our new journal recipients go to http://oslcslinde09.blogspot.com/ for prior entries.

David and Nancy

The Bus

2009-12-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

The bus is a window to the people and life of El Salvador. For 20 cents one can ride anywhere in the city. It is a great system with many buses and many routes. For each trip, we plan to travel light – only money and whatever needed for that day. This week we traveled to new areas in preparation of documents for our residency visa.

A bus ride in the central city includes vendors entering the bus to sell sweets, preachers who have a captive audience, beggars and petty thieves. This week a young man got on the bus and begged for money, walked down the aisle holding his cap out. Everyone put coins into his cap. The first time this happened, we did not. He approached us a second time and I noticed the smell of alcohol. Nancy had bus fare coins in her hand and dropped them into his cap. He thanked Nancy and left.

Attire on the bus has a wide range – old women wearing the seller’s multi-pocketed apron, well-dressed business people, women with bags and baskets on their heads either for selling or going home from shopping, casually dressed moms with children, poorly dressed people of all ages, young people in uniforms of banks and restaurants, and more.

The buses travel through zones of heavy traffic and raw exhaust pollution, zones of cooking and produce smells (even raw fish – that’s another story!), zones of street “hawkers” and noisy crowds, loud music, gang graffiti, and fascinating architecture – both good and bad.

Christmas decorations are evident everywhere; it is strange to have 95 degrees and see snowmen and icicle lights in stores and homes. We had two nights that got down to 70 and people were complaining of the cold. We saw sweaters, winter jackets and wool hats on the bus. We had on typical summer clothes and we loved it.

EXPERIENTIAL FIRST:

2009-12-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

The bus system had been a complete mystery to us. However on our first day of classes we took the bus to and from school. We now have used 5 different routes to get around San Salvador. It is important to plan ahead when riding the bus to have a couple of dollars to hand over if robbed and to only carry necessary money.
The bus trip from downtown San Salvador was a missed photo opportunity with narrow one-way streets filled with vendors and buyers. The driver maneuvered through tightly crowded passages as night fell. We returned home much later than planned.

We experienced our first earthquake last week. The tremor was long and hard. Everything shook, especially us. The internet reported the center just off the coast of Sonsonate 40 miles away as 5.9 on the scale. All of San Salvador felt the quake.

Having legal identification in your possession is crucial. Yet with the risk of robbery carrying your passport seems irresponsible. Recently police stopped our van as we returned to the city from our rural community. Nancy did not have her passport but our Salvadoran friends in the van clarified our status. We were allowed to continue, but now that we travel alone we make sure that we can prove that we are legal immigrants. Nancy could have been taken into custody.

The black rain has begun. The sugar cane fields are burned before the men cut the stalks and load the flat bed trucks with mountains of sugar cane. The cane stalk is dry, over ten feet tall and highly combustible. With the strike of a torch, the field becomes an intensive inferno with the flames spreading faster than a man, woman or child can run. The black powdery ash rises thousands of feet into the air, travels many miles and rains down when it starts to cool. Last weekend our city neighborhood was “rained” on and the season is just starting.

Our first Thanksgiving Day in ES was different. School and homework as usual, with a special dinner of beef roast stuffed with vegetables, mashed potatoes, spicy avocado salad, and rolls; very delicious and celebrated with our host family.

The rooster: Each neighborhood has a rooster that should be eaten. Our rooster is just one yard away. He begins his morning call at 3 am and continues at intervals until 1 pm. Nancy has a theory that the rooster knows everyone’s name. Each call by Mr. Rooster is directed to an individual by name. My wake up comes at 5:45 - Nancy’s comes at 6:15.

It has been a good second week of our lives here. We look forward to the next.

Starting School

2009-11-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

On Monday, school began with a bang – first an assessment test. We told them we were beginners but they wanted to know for sure. It was quite thorough – we convinced them! We have an excellent teacher and the rule is no English. We are her only students at this time. She gave directions and explained introductory conversation in a language we do not know. We learned personal presentations for 3 hours and then went to another class to introduce and tell about ourselves in Spanish. These adults have had 4 years of speaking experience and are at CIS for more skill development. They asked us questions (in Spanish) and then introduced themselves. It was an intense experience. Back to our room to begin learning personal pronouns.

Done at noon – lunch break – the next class began at 1:30 to study culture, personal health and safety, communication guidelines, and our hopes for this class. Usually this class is done in Spanish, but it is only us two beginners so we converse in English with Spanish where important for cultural understanding. We took trips this week via city buses to two ngo’s and a botanical garden, learning our way around the city.

This first week of learning has been intense emotionally and mentally. The pace is consistent, the expectation high and the method difficult. It is very difficult to learn to communicate when you do not know the vocabulary or the grammatical structure. We think of it as sitting our 4 year old grandson down, speaking to him in Spanish and expecting him to obey and respond. It can’t happen. Therefore there is much self study and nightly review of class work. The pronunciation and remembering are the biggest challenges. There is not enough time in the evening to process the day’s lesson.

But the good news is that we survived the first week and are preparing for week two. It can only get better!

The start of our new life

2009-11-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

The 6 boys from Casa Concordia loaded our 8 suit cases into the pickup truck, jumped in the back, and we were off to our new digs. We arrived 20 minutes later just outside San Salvador in Mejicanos, were greeted by Margarita, her university son Omar, and another student Casey is from New Mexico and is working on his Ph.D. in the political science and international relations of El Salvador. Most conversations are in Spanish and Casey is bilingual.

Our bedroom is on the second floor of the guest house (tiny but comfy) located in the back courtyard, with complete (cold water only) shower/toilet facility, meals and house keeping provided. It takes 4 keys to enter the house from the street to our room in the back court yard. The first door is the street door into the garage area, the second is the door from the garage into the home, the third is for the patio door and the fourth is into our room. Yet the neighborhood is safe. A large shopping plaza is two blocks away. There is a beautiful soccer/futbol field close that is used for many games happening at one time, and for national teams to use for competitions. In the early morning, it is used by walkers, joggers, runners and exercisers.

The side walk by the soccer field is filled with street-vendors selling food, clothing and house hold items. We are warned never to eat from these places since the food items lack proper storage practices. Some street vendors sell vegetables grown in the city along the river banks. The rivers receive all the city sewage and the growers water the plants with the river water. However local grocers have high quality fruits and vegetables to purchase.

We both sleep well, the street is much quieter than Casa Concordia, but we awake to our new alarm clock, the neighbor’s rooster.

Nov 22 09

2009-11-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

After the encounter, delegates visited their sister church communities on Friday and Saturday. Dinner talk at La Casa focused on the delegates sharing their stories about their time in the community, sharing achievements of the communities, and also opportunities for delegates to use their gifts and talents in these communities.

We visited our community on Saturday to celebrate the baptism of 7 boys and the promotion of 5 students to high school. We would consider this a graduation but in El Salvador that term is often reserved for higher levels of education.

It was an exciting time as the youth (4 girls and 1 boy) received recognition for their faithfulness in learning. They are all continuing on to high school, a major and more difficult step for learning, transportation, and risks. This is a major change for the community we first visited 6 years ago.

As spokesperson for the youth, Elmer told of the motivation and inspiration the students have received from their scholarship sponsors. He also said they were glad to be held accountable to earn good grades. In our world, $70.00 is a small price to pay for one year of education. Most of these students have been faithfully supported for 5 years by their sponsors. This is truly a successful and worth while project to empower poor families to send their children to school.

Let us all consider the ways we can encourage children, youth, and families to have a vision and hope for a better future.

In two hours, we move to our host family; we begin immersion school tomorrow. We are not sure of internet access so do not be surprised if you do not hear from us for a while.

Nov 20

2009-11-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

After we returned to Casa Concordia from San Jorge, our friends from the Greater Milwaukee Synod arrived. The somber atmosphere we have experienced was replaced with joy as hugs and laughter were shared in this festive reunion. Lay people from around the globe and Bishops from Mexico, Central and South America, and Europe arrived for the Encounter II held by the Salvadoran Church (SLS). The purpose of the encounter is to strengthen relationships with global partners to support the SLS as it continues its mission to uplift the poorest of the poor.

After intensive meetings Monday thru Wednesday, on Thursday we split into three groups and traveled to different communities in three different regions. David traveled to Cara Sucio which is a community with various global partners and various projects in members of the community, i.e sewing groups, raising chickens, corn grinding.

Another community David visited shared the current struggle they are having with the local political structure that wants to open a dump next to their water supply. We believe this is the 7th time our attention has been brought to the issue of dumps and mining poisoning the local water supply. Organized citizens can make a difference, but at the risk of their lives.

Nancy visited three communities with strong programs for youth and children. Two of the communities have concerns of no water source other than a gray river or water only during the rainy season when their cistern fills. Both communities need wells for a consistent and clean supply.

David y Nancy

November 16

2009-11-18T04:15:00.001-08:00

We need to move forward and leave the story concerning the devastation caused by the recent rains with this closing comment. Nick, a volunteer from North American, traveled with the Bishop on Wednesday to visit the epi-center of the mud and rock slides. He stated that this zone of this planet is “dead” and he would tell us more when he is up to it.

On Thursday we left for the Eastern agricultural zone to visit with communities for our future assignment. These communities of the east have the same mountain range as our Rockies that extend all the way through Central America. The terrain is rough with numerous rivers and streams beds. In one community, we parked the car at the edge of the road and walked through a pasture, down a steep grade into a river bed for a quarter mile to the community. In another, we rode in a 2 ton flat bed for 35 minutes off the main road to the community. In another, the paved road ended at the sandy river bottom and drove in the river bed for two miles to another community.

A meeting with the community members indicated a common interest for ESL and computer training. Neither of these is offered by the public school system in this zone, but it is offered closer to San Salvador. Time and time again we witness the dedication of the Salvadoran parents to the education of their children.

The Encuentro has started so we are into more learning about our new environment. We are well – we are busy - and we will right again when possible. Blessings to you all.

November 11, 2009

2009-11-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends

We arrived safely and with great peace. Our current home is Casa Concordia. This is a multi-purpose residence for college students, a United Nations safe house, a sanctuary from the local gang violence, and a guest house for visitors.

Trinidad is the manager of Casa Concordia. Her married son, Jorge, was assassinated last week. He was a self employed transport driver. Other drivers were jealous of his success and hired a gang member to kill him. It happened in a busy market where traffic was stopped. His wife was with him and witnessed his murder.

The immediate family is now living at Casa Concordia for the protection it provides. The wife is a target since she is a witness and their four children are targets for the family to remain silent.

With the immediate and extended family in mourning, the mood at the residence is somber. The facility also is the epi-center for the Lutheran Response to the catastrophic
loss of lives, homes, and livelihoods. Daily accounts of the dead, loss of homes, farms and livestock are reported. The prospect of going forward for the survivors when the future has been decimated is very sobering.

Tomorrow we go to Usulatan for 2 days and nights to visit our communities and begin learning. We will send news again this weekend.

2009-11-03T05:50:00.001-08:00

God celebrated the return of normal standard time with a beautiful sunrise. The sky was a brilliant red with gray clouds at 1000 feet. The brilliant red was reflected on the lake making the sky and water as one. After a few minutes, the sky above the gray turned gold changing the lake from red to gold. A few more minutes passed and the sky and glistening lake separated, just like at creation.

It’s a week from Tuesday when we leave for our mission. Our immigration papers are in order, banking arrangements are pending and our schedule from next Monday through the second week of January 2010 is complete. For most of November and December, we will be in a San Salvador Immersion School and living with a host family.

I just read a new book My Business My Mission by Doug Seebeck and Timothy Stoner. Their organization, Partners Worldwide, fights poverty through partnerships. They have a 20 year track record of assisting local residents establishing businesses in Africa and Central America. Their business plan is based on prayer, scripture John 15:1-15, hard work, never give up and take care of the poor. My prayer is for the pastors I will be working with, that I can clearly share this vision with them and that they can embrace “business for mission” for their members. This will provide members sustainable income to counter malnutrition and provide for better family hygiene practices.

Our blog is active again. If anyone wants to be deleted from the email and follow on the blog, it’s http://oslcslinde09.blogspot.com/. Get back to us this week.

David y Nancy

October 11

2009-10-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

It’s just under 30 days before we depart to El Salvador for 2 years. The days are full of excitement and anxiety. On August 1 we started a 90 day count down to departure that entails legal, financial, taxes, documents for residency, doctor/dentist visits and fundraising.

Last week we had a meeting with Julia, the executive director of Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM). We learned more about our placement. Our local VMM contact in El Salvador is Danny. Danny and Bishop Gomez of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church have a placement for us in the Eastern Region under the leadership of Ana Rosa.

Ana Rosa has responsibility for 6 churches that are served by Pastors Julio, Miguel, Alejandro Hernandez, Pedro Vigil.

The churches work closely with OIKO Solidaridad on environmental issues involving the watershed of the Rio Grande in San Miguel. They also have a chicken project and an agricultural project in Piedra Azul and a shrimp farm in Puerta Prada. The Germans have a strong present in this area having started NGO’s INKOTA and PROCOMES. The three names can be googled to view their web sites. They all have a focus on food security, environmental issues and education to mitigate the risk associated with the hurricanes, tropical storm and earthquakes.

We will also need to have a series of meetings with these leaders for our specific responsibilities for the next two years. It does not seem realistic to serve 6 church communities; therefore we need to commit to a set of written goals between us, the community and VMM. The church communities have housing options that we will investigate when we arrive.

For those of you receiving an email from us for the first time, our journey to El Salvador is our response to the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and his endless blessings on our marriage and family. We have two beautiful grandchildren who we will not see for a year. Our children have agreed to release us to El Salvador as they know this is a call from God. We are giving up our participation in an amazing community where volunteering is a way of life. We are also giving up travel, the arts, and many friendships.

On the other hand, just imagine what we will gain on this journey. Just imagine what God has in mind for the next two years!

David y Nancy

September 16

2009-10-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Our move to El Salvador is in November.

After a great deal of prayer, many meetings here in the US and also in El Salvador, Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM – our sponsoring organization) has a placement for us within the Lutheran Church of El Salvador. We will be in the vicinity of San Jorge in the state of San Miguel.

We will be working with Pastor Julio’s congregation and others of the Eastern Micro-Region. Bishop Gomez and VMM have worked together on this placement. Bishop Gomez feels that our presence can help strengthen the Lutheran Churches in the area.

Our plan is to travel to El Salvador the first week of November to visit the community. Then we return to San Salvador for an international gathering of Partner Churches, then eight weeks of Immersion School. We will be in our community in January 2010.

This placement is very exciting for us. While we have met Pastor Julio and Nancy has visited his church, somethings are familiar, but a whole lot more is unknown and offers much excitement.

The people of El Salvador are very gracious and open; building relationships should come naturally. The Lutheran Church in El Salvador ministers to the poorest of the poor. We hope and pray our time with them will bring improvement in their community through better health practices, education, job creation, and spiritual encouragement.

We will resume our blog as we prepare for departure. Touch base with us at http://oslcslinde09.blogspot.com/

May 7 Final report this trip

2009-05-09T07:01:00.001-07:00

This morning I woke up and my right leg was like Arnold Schwartzeneger's and my left leg like Jackie Gleason's. I don't know what bit me, but all was better by the end of the day. They both looked like Jackie Gleason's. Tonight Nancy and I had our farewell dinner with Dan and Toby, two missioners to the Salvadoran Lutheran Church. Dan from Illinois has served for two years and Toby from Germany for 6 months. They will be missed by the nationals and also by the visitors to Casa Concordia.This afternoon we met with the new mayor of Nejapa. Our goal was to secure her support for continuing the Rotary project. While waiting for the meeting to start, we were able to reconnect with many municipal employees who have become personal friends through this project. Church partners as well as Rotary partners came for the meeting, thus we had good representation from the project partners.The mayor agreed to continue supporting the project so can go full steam ahead. We are so pleased and relieved. Our next hurdle is securing the funding from Rotary International. We will work on the application during the next month at home.During our visit, one of the children here at Casa Concordia showed us her art work. Her talent was a wonderful surprise which we greatly admired. We learned that several more children here also are artistic. We wanted to purchase some of their work for fund raising at home for Salvadoran ministries, but the children would not sell it. Instead they gave it to us to use for that purpose. How gracious of them! We leave for the airport tomorrow morning at 9.30 am - arrive in Milwaukee at 10 pm. We are looking forward to being home again. We are very excited that our son Micah and his son Noah, our grandson, arrive in Chicago on Monday evening for a week long visit. Pray us home safely,David (and Nancy)

May 6 Report

2009-05-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

Hello family and friends. Another good day with much action. First a follow up from last night. The meeting with our partners of Club Rotario went very well with closure and a new beginning. We really enjoy working with the men and women of this club, both professionally and personally.Wednesday is the traditional day of the Bishop and the pastors. We look forward to these gatherings because we have many friendships with these pastors. We renew relationships, catching up on their lives and their ministries. Bishop Gomez told them of our move to El Salvador to be of service in a community. They are excited about this news and many have offered their spiritual and vocational support, even though we will not be in a Lutheran community. This is true solidarity.Today was an historic time for us. Two pickup trucks of people, both in the cabs and the back beds, traveled one hour to Peidras Tontas (close to El Paisnel), then off the highway about 15 minutes into a very rural setting. The country side is a beautiful open expanse, fertile land, organized development could be a reality. The land has not been tilled in 20 years thus many native trees grow in the fields with larger ones along the edges. The land is being made available from the government through an ngo. The community will have 180 homesites in this region with land reserved for a church, a school, a community center, and a clinic. We were greeted by a community leader when we arrived. We asked about the water. Years ago two wells were dug only to find lead dominated both wells. The lead is pollution left from past gold mining. A Chinese ngo provided help to construct 11 homes and also run a water line just under 2 miles from the mountain to the community. That is the current source of water for the current community. We don't know if this will be sufficient for the proposed additional homes. Much mining in the past has left contamination throughout the country. Mining continues to be a threat to the health of the people and the land. There is currently a $70 million lawsuit against the government because the people will not tolerate more mining and the mining company is suing the government for breach of contract. We have many questions about this development. We are looking at this through North American experience, laws and culture. Practices are different here. If one buys a piece of land, there is a risk of squatters settling and it is very difficult to remove them. Therefore purchased properties are wrapped in barbed or razor wire by the owner. This is prevalent throughout the country and it is disturbing.Tomorrow we meet with the new major of Nejapa, the municipality in which the Rotary sanitation project is located. The former mayor was a very supportive with manpower, transportation, equipment and lodging for the engineering students. We need the partnership with the new mayor of a different political party for the project to continue effectively and efficiently. Please keep praying.Then we pack for departure on Friday. We'll give you an update tomorrow afternoon about the meeting results.Buenos noches,David and Nancy

May 5 update

2009-05-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

As reported we moved to Casa Concordia, the Lutheran guesthouse, on Saturday. When we arrived, a Sunday school training program was under way. We joined the class and then had the afternoon for journaling and resting in a peacful environment.Sunday, the Bishop picked us us up and took us to the mother church, RESURRECTION. Here we reconnected with many friends and had lunch together. In the early afternoon, we traveled with Pastor Abelina to our companion church, Fe y Esperenza. This is also the community of the Rotary hygiene project.The public road needs much repair, the drive into the church and the grounds need much repair, and the plumbing has not yet been connected. Two soccer games were underway, one in the pasture having three cows grazing. The cows didn.t mind, neither did the kids. After an hour of soccer, the kids came into church for worship. They made the place very warm.After the service at Fe, we were invited back to San Salvador to Pastor Marina's home for pupusas. We returned to the area of Resurrection church. Resurrection is in the heart of the ghetto. The Lutheran community also operates a homeless shelter in this neighborhood. The Lutheran Church is the church of the poor and what better place than the ghetto. We are aware of the Lutheran Church protecting children and helping women turn their lives around. Glancing out the window of the bus, the streets are full of litter... the children, adults and street are visibility dirty. Some adults sit on the side of the street in a daze making one wonder if they are fully functional or maybe they should be cared for in a facility. Others are preying on one another for their own selfish interests or desires.We pulled in front of a gate which opened into a beautiful courtyard. We were welcomed and enjoyed the company of our hostesss and other members of the church family.On Monday morning, we attended the pastoral team worship service at Resurrection, which was followed by a special informational meeting about the repatriation of refugees to land in El Salvador which is being reclaimed by the campesinos.The government is slowly releasing land that it took from the peasants during the war and is making resettlement available. Tomorrow afternoon we will visit this land, now named Piedras Tontas, translated Stupid Rocks. We will walk this land with Pastor Chimita who is the head pastor of the churches in this region. We hope to learn of what the living conditions will be like when the community is built, their access to water, the forestation issue, and areas where outside support may be needed. While this community will not be established as a Lutheran community, it is the hope of the church to build a worship and gathering facility as soon as possible.Last night ended with a birthday pizza paryt for David at Casa Concordia. It was great fun for the children and the adults as we celebrated a milestone (65 years!). Tonight we go to another meeting to close the Rotary paperwork for La Granja and to begin the next phase of the bridge project.This morning at Rotary we learned that El Salvador has more suspected cases of El Gripe Procine. A comment was made that if someone sneezes and then oinks, there is a problem! Humor in the midst of fear can be a good thing.Updates follow tomorrow evening.David and Nancy

May 3 3rd upate

2009-05-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

Today the news confirmed two cases of swine flu in San Salvador. We also hear from friends that incoming flights from south america have all the passengers wearing surgical masks. We plan to purchase our own for the flight home on Friday.This week I have discovered the difference between city and county cucarachas. The county ones have a nice crunch to them when stepped on....the others you don't want to know.On Friday we visited 5 families in our community. Each one has a story that begins with the last civil war. All these families and thousands others were displaced during the civil war. Suchitoto and Morazan are two places that saw intense fighting. The soldiers killed guerillas well as civilians. Refugees moved to safe places provided by various churches. Los Jardines de Colon is unique in that it was started by the refugees and the Catholic church became involved later.The spirit of those people who moved and established this community remains today. They are strong in faith and in a commitment for a better life for themselves, their children and their neighbors. On their own, they have established global partnerships, constructed buildings, and developed programs for youth, women, evangelism, catechism, and pastoral ministries. Their first priest did not appreciate their chapel, their self sustainable programs, their independence. They are still in conflict with the regional Catholic hierarchy. Maybe having Lutherans in the community will go over big with the current priest! We visited 5 families, one of which is an elderly woman was one of the original settlers, one is the natural medicine lady, one is a church leader in her 70s who has 11 children with several and their families living with her. Many generations living together is very common here. Three of these 5 families have at least 3 generations in their home. VMMs representative Danny will continue to look for a house for us. Now that he has met the leaders of Los Jardines, he can work together with them to meet our needs and expectations.On Saturday noon, we moved to Casa de Concordia. By chance we found the same cab driver on the street who had taken us to Rotary on Wednesday. It was a good surprise and he has said he will be our driver any time we need him... just call. Isn't that divine protection!Tomorrow is a busy day but we will have time to write in the evening. Buenos noches. Hasta manana.David y Nancy

May 2 2009 2nd update

2009-05-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

Winter has arrived in El Salvador. Its terrible. Its only 90 degrees between 12 noon and 3, the rest of the time its in the 80s. Tonight the wind chill is 70 degrees. On Tuesday the rains started. At night it rains very hard causing flooding along the streams and low roads. Today Saturday it sprinkled most of the day, partly sunny and partly cloudy, very humid.We arrived in the community of Los Jardines de Colon on late Wednesday. Jardines is a mini San Francisco, having very little flat land and many steep grades with homes built into these steep grades. Entering the community we drove across a stream. That very stream washed away a number of homes during hurricane Mitch. While these homes are not rebuilt, there are shacks and shelters. The people have been encouraged to relocate throu government programs but they will not leave. They are in extreme danger from the next stormsWe spent two nights in the home of a single mom, Marta, and her 15 year old daughter, Marjori, who were gracious and enjoyable company. Marjori is in her first year in high school, receives a scholarship from their sister community in Cinncinati. She hopes to attend the university to become an administrative secretary. Her day begins at 5.30 to get ready for school, she leaves for the public bus stop at 6.30 for an hour ride to her school. She usually gets home around 7.30 for dinner, homework and bed at 8.30.Marta is around 40, works an 8 hour day leaving at 7.30, returning around 5.30. She works in a factory, sometimes working seven days a week. Her 19 year old son does not live with them but has a job in a city nearby. First nights dinner was eggs, beans, tortillas. Breakfast was beans, tortillas, coffee. Second nights dinner was pasta with bean sauce and a roll. Very basic but good meals. In order to keep her electic bill at $7.00 a month she does not have a refrigerator. It is important to realize that while life is frugal, guests are received with hospitality and warmth. The rain at night was so hard on the metal room that we could not even talk to each other and we briefly lost power. The roof leaked in three places. It was an exciting evening.We will write about other members of the community in our next message.We are safe ' we are healthy ' we are blessed. David and Nancy

April 28 2009

2009-05-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

We arrived Monday safely and on time to very hot weather. Two airlines arrived at the same time, ours from Houston and one from Newark, New Jersery. From a total flight population of 500, 8 of us were foreigners and the rest nationals. Our passage thru customs and immigration went quickly. We observed all the airport workers wearing medical masks as a prevention against the swine flu. It is not here but there are wisely taking precautions.We were able to talk about the political climate. The pending inaugurations are May 1 for the municipal and June 1 presidential.There is much distrust of the current governments transition to the new party. There is much tension. We will keep listening.This morning we were able to attend another Rotary Club meeting in the city itself. The Club is 15 years old, 30 members present, all are excellent English speakers and very gracious to us. Each of us was given the opportunity to share about our clubs and Rotary projects. It was a great moment to be an ambassador form West Bend. We will meet with them next week to discuss psrtner possibilities in the future. They have active Interact and Rotaract clubs and are eager for international relationships.It is only 10 am and we already have an amusining incident. The Club met at the Radisson Hotel, a large venue for assemblies and varied action. One event was a special training for hair coloring specialists. Two young women with the craziest hair styles and colors followed us as we left to invite us to come and be models for their skills. Based on what we saw, we thanked them for their offer but declined. We can only imagine what we would have looked like on our return home.Enough for now. Hasta proxima vez (until next time)David y Nancy This afternoon we join a fellow missioner Danny to his church and community for a large gatherinmg of all his sister parish and country partners . . . another great learning experience for us.Tmorrow we attend the Rotary meeting with our familiar Club and will work on documents for the final report of the Noon sanitation project. Then we leave for two days and nights in our new community.It is another very hot sunny day today. It is almost 90 as we write. Our bedroom last night got down to 80. We took 3 showers yesterday and we only have cold water. The effect lasted for a little while

Our El Salvador Journey

2009-04-11T04:59:00.001-07:00

Before leaving in January 2009, Nancy received $2,000 from the Sunrise Rotary for a support of a roofing project in El Salvador. The $2,000 was combined with other Fundahmer grant money and has provided for 16 new roofs for the homes of the most disadvantaged in a community of Morazán. What is remarkable is the neighbors are supplying wood and other materials to help their neighbors have new roofs. People who have little are sharing with others who also have little. Pictures attched.

More good news is the completion of the West Bend Noon Rotary and Engineers without Borders (EWB) sanitation project in La Granja. The student engineers mentored the residents of the community to carry on with this work after the students returned to school. Hundreds of volunteers completed the laying of pipe in March and have connected the facilities of the former Refugee Camp (Fe y Esperanza) to the system.

We leave for a brief visit in El Salvador at the end of April to work on several important concerns:

We now need to complete the documentation required by Rotary International for submitting a final report. This process requires details on the project outcomes and also an accounting of how the money was spent.

We will meet with the leaders of Los Jardines de Colon to learn more about the community and to begin building relationships before we move.

Because of the political party change in the January election, we need to meet with the new mayor of Nejapa to ensure the ongoing success of next phase of the sanitation project to be financed by West Bend Sunrise, District, and International Rotary.

We will take time to be with our brothers and sisters of the Lutheran community to deepen our friendships and our shared love of Christ, and to say goodbye to Tobias and Dan. Tobias and Dan leave in May after serving out their assignments. They will be missed by many.

We will also reconnect with fellow missioners of VMM - Danielle, Danny, Laura, Jennifer, and Angel and hopefully revisit some of their communities.

It will be a very meaningful trip. Please keep us in your prayers.
David y Nancy

March 12 Reflections

2009-03-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

42 days after returning from El Salvador, it is preparations, preparations, preparations.

With the reality of moving into the new community in El Salvador comes the responsibility of what will our presence add to the community and each of the 30 BASE families. When we arrive, our starting point is to begin discussions with the leaders and community residents to become aware of their needs. What are they looking for or expecting of us? Many of the older residents can’t read or write. Younger moms drop out of school to start families. Often times the men are working far from home.

If the women want to start a micro business, they need to learn to read, write and develop math skills. If the community wants to organize the youth into sports, technical skills or gardening, where do we get the materials to begin? If they want to start a chicken project, do we start with a chicken or an egg?

And for Nancy and me, how do we prepare ourselves to be able to meet their expectations. Nancy and I have started visiting the West Bend Library to identify books to read in many categories. The subject matters are many due to not knowing what the community will identify as their common needs. Yesterday we met with Kandi O’Neil to learn of resources stored on the shelves of the 4H. We hope this will be another major resource for us.

David y Nancy

February 19 reflections

2009-03-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sitting in church our first Sunday back, I realized it was my first worship in a month without a translator. Here I am free to enjoy God one-on-one. It made me realize how many of God’s creation still need translators to learn about the amazing death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether children, neighbors, fellow workers, or friends in America or El Salvador, all need a translator to understand the love of Christ. Be a translator for Christ.

Our weeks back at have been spent following up on emails from friends in El Salvador, new emails from Salvadoran NGOs looking for grant money, following the email updates from the Rotary project in La Granja, finding time to tell many interested friends and family about the January journey, making plans for our summer departure to meet the requirements in El Salvador, and making plans here for our home and personal matters. It’s all become overwhelming.

We have met with the Directors of the Volunteer Missionary Movement to continue developing plans for our departure. We do not have a solid departure date as yet, but we are all working towards that goal. One responsibility I brought back was designing the community lodge and kitchen for the community center. This will be our residence for the two years in El Salvador. Another responsibility is to begin our fundraising of $10,000 for our support of our service for the two years

When we left, I told Nancy I had quit all of my volunteer activities here in West Bend. What a misconception! I am busier than ever with all my organizations and have in fact taken on a new one. Withdrawal is going to be very difficult.

David

Fundahmer

2009-02-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

We leave this morning (Janaury 27, 2009 posted later) for Fundahmer and our visits to our potential communities and projects. We do not know if we will have access to internet, so if you do not hear from us for a few days. so not worry, just continue to pray for our needs and God's riches for our journey. Please keep praying about David's journal - still not recovered.RECAP: Our visit to the AgriCenter on Saturday was an excellent training experience for the church and community leaders as they develop their vision for their communities.Sunday was spent accompaning Bishop Gomez at worship in the city of San Salvador and then to a rural community to celebrate 8 baptisms and 3 confirmations in a small church packed to SRO. Then to dinner with him and his family at a pupuseria on the mountain overlooking the bright lights of the wide spread city of San Salvador.Monday we went to La Granja for a final look at the project to see its progress with community volunteers and a local selected foreman. It is amazing what an extraordinary accomplishment ordinary people can do when their hearts and minds and strengths are dedicated to its purpose.On this side of the highway, they are working in narrow roads at a deeper construction level with incredible obstacles. When the trenching began on the first lateral street, the road material was sand and dirt. At the first intersection at the main road, the content changed to large and huge volcanic boulders. If the trencher were not being used, it is doubtful they could remove these by hand. The pipe laying continues at a good pace with the end of trenching and the final manhole for the turn to the bridge line in sight. They must somehow remove all these boulders because they cannot go into the trenches - they would cruch the piping.Community volunteers seem to be very happy about this project for the health of their families because the men, women and youth labor together in the heat and the difficulties. Those who are waiting for the next part of the project in 2010 work to bring it closer to their homes because they have the hope and vision of this reality for their future.We are now getting goodbye hugs and blessings from the chilren (4 boys and 2 girls so far) at the Casa. They are so beautiful as they leave for school--- fresh and crisp in their white shirts and blouses and dark pants and skirts. They smell so good and we smell like Vicks and are in our pajamas. What a memory we leave with them! We have enjoyed living with them these past and fast weeks and treasure the interactions with us, their Casa family, and the other guests that have passed through.We need to close and finish packing up for our taxi. God bless you as you come and go. We{ll write if we can - if not, Hasta Saturday.David and Nancy

Home Again

2009-02-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

We arrived safely home at midnight after a long but uneventful day. Everything went as hoped – an easy ride to the airport, on-time and smooth flights, magnificent daytime cloud and evening ground lights displays. We turned on the water, turned up the temp setting in the house and went to bed. Our goal this weekend has been to sleep and we are accomplishing that. Slept 19 hours on Saturday - sleep and Superbowl on Sunday. We both feel a little energy returning today so we will tackle a month’s worth of mail and look at our calendars for February.

We did manage to bring some warmth with us to raise the temperature above freezing this weekend. Hope you enjoyed that - maybe it will happen again today.

On Thursday afternoon, we visited a community called Los Jardines de Colon, a city outside the city of Colon which is ½ hour from San Salvador. The city has 800 residents, many streets, houses packed close together. At 6:00, school children and men and women returning from work were pouring into the city. This community has access to bus lines and decent roads so employment is not an impossible challenge.

We saw the lot where the leaders want to build a community center and home for workers of the center. They have ambitious plans and are eager to get the building project started. We also visited several homes to look at the style of construction. The homes were the basic cinder block style with the kitchen on the front or back porch, a corridor living room, 2 small bedrooms, two windows to the front and an open entry to the back yard.

This city also has large homes and yards that are attractive. We did not get to visit those. So it appears that there is a variety of income in this city.

Because our visit was unscheduled, we did not have the opportunity to meet with community leaders to learn more about the women and youth programs that are established and what their goals and needs are. While there is still much unknown, we have accepted the request to live and work in this city. The main project will be the construction of the community center and the “guesthouse” which will be our home. Another project will be to begin an urban organic garden to teach about nutrition and self-sufficiency for food supply.

As we visited the rural communities, we realized the isolation these required was more than we could commit to. While a city placement is far from what we had expected, our desire continues to be to serve as best as we can. Our skills and gifts will be well used within this community. Our starting time is May. Many details here must be finalized in a short time. We thank you for your support on our January journey and ask that you keep us in your prayers as we move forward.

David and Nancy

Tuesday, January 27

2009-01-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

We leave this morning for Fundahmer and our visits to our potential communities and projects. We do not know if we will have access to internet, so if you do not hear from us for a few days. so not worry, just continue to pray for our needs and God's riches for our journey. Please keep praying about David's journal - still not recovered.

RECAP: Our visit to the AgriCenter on Saturday was an excellent training experience for the church and community leaders as they develop their vision for their communities.

Sunday was spent accompaning Bishop Gomez at worship in the city of San Salvador and then to a rural community to celebrate 8 baptisms and 3 confirmations in a small church packed to SRO. Then to dinner with him and his family at a pupuseria on the mountain overlooking the bright lights of the wide spread city of San Salvador.

Monday we went to La Granja for a final look at the project to see its progress with community volunteers and a local selected foreman. It is amazing what an extraordinary accomplishment ordinary people can do when their hearts and minds and strengths are dedicated to its purpose.

On this side of the highway, they are working in narrow roads at a deeper construction level with incredible obstacles. When the trenching began on the first lateral street, the road material was sand and dirt. At the first intersection at the main road, the content changed to large and huge volcanic boulders. If the trencher were not being used, it is doubtful they could remove these by hand. The pipe laying continues at a good pace with the end of trenching and the final manhole for the turn to the bridge line in sight. They must somehow remove all these boulders because they cannot go into the trenches - they would cruch the piping.

Community volunteers seem to be very happy about this project for the health of their families because the men, women and youth labor together in the heat and the difficulties. Those who are waiting for the next part of the project in 2010 work to bring it closer to their homes because they have the hope and vision of this reality for their future.

We are now getting goodbye hugs and blessings from the chilren (4 boys and 2 girls so far) at the Casa. They are so beautiful as they leave for school--- fresh and crisp in their white shirts and blouses and dark pants and skirts. They smell so good and we smell like Vicks and are in our pajamas. What a memory we leave with them! We have enjoyed living with them these past and fast weeks and treasure the interactions with us, their Casa family, and the other guests that have passed through.

We need to close and finish packing up for our taxi. God bless you as you come and go. We{ll write if we can - if not, Hasta Saturday.

David and Nancy

Wednesday, 21 January 2009

2009-01-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all you faithful friends,

We send an early message out today since we are staying around our base camp and resting. We have been experiencing some health issues that have concerned us but got relieving news, in a way. San Salvador is located in a low elevation, in an old volcanic crater, like Mexico City. Our US comparable would probably be a valley between two mountain ranges. The wind blows but the air does not really go anywhere except around and around. This time of the year, the sugar cane fields are being burned and harvested. There is much fine and large ash. The heavy pollution from the busses, trucks, and cars hangs in the air. The dry dust and dirt is everywhere. You can wipe a table and 5 minutes later, you can write your name on it.

We have been breathing in an unhealthy mixture that is affecting our throats, sinuses, and noses. We got advice today about a medication that will provide relief. We took our first dose this morning and are already feeling a little better. We plan to sleep today to regain energy. Dan, a US friend here, says this is a typical condition in January. We cancelled our visit with Club Rotario this morning since we did not think that blowing, sneezing and coughing would make for welcome company. We plan to attend next Wednesday.

We have been reflecting on solidarity and accompaniment - their similarities and differences. As we work in the communities, participate in the electoral process, talk with our brothers and sisters in faith, and experience life in the city, we are becoming more deeply aware of these crucial components as they relate to ministry and service in the Kingdom of God. We have much to learn.

We were able to catch a small part of the inauguration on tv yesterday. We are eager to go to the library and read all the news in English to appreciate this historical event. The people of El Salvador are very excited about this change in the US and what it might mean for the good of their country. We must all watch closely as policies and practicies are initiated for Central America.

We close with a wonderful encouragement that our West Bend friend Nancy sent to us this morning: I Samuel 7:12 - ''The Lord has helped us thus far.'' And we know that He will continue do do so! Thank you, Nancy. Thank you all for your responses and insights. Please feel free to forward our messages to those you think will be interested in knowing and praying. We appreciate your kove and prayers - we know there is an army of angels around us, both seen and unseen.

David and Nancy

Tuesday 1/20

2009-01-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

Our Greater Milwaukee Synod Election Observer delegation left the Casa this morning at 5:30. As you know, we have had an excellent time with them and many great experiences together. Tim was in much pain this morning but determined to make it home. They should be on their way from Houston to Milwaukee at this time. We look forward to hearing about their journey to the nort-land.

Before we left on this trip, we discovered a website that presented excellent information about sustainable agriculture projects currently going on in El Salvador. We shared this information briefly with the synod leadership team last week and asked if they would like to discuss possibilities. They were very interested in considering how these projects could help them strengthen their own for the communities. Eight of us met this morning for in-depth conversation and visioning. We will visit this particular farm in La Paz and then determine the next step of a business plan. So we will go on a field trip on Saturday! - does anyone know how to sing The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round in Spanish?

The Bishop is having a End of Election celebration for the national and international observers this evening. It should be a great fiesta, with food, music and many conversations (and hopefully some cervesa). We both are having sinus crazies so our throats are not as clear for talking as we would like. It won't stop us from enjoying but it might shorten our time at the event. We'll still be able to hear the music from our bedroom.

We want to tell you about a remarkable volunteer, Tobias, who is residing at Casa Concordia during his 6 month stay in El Salvador. He is 20 years old and from Germany. The government of Germany annually sponsors young people to visit ES for service work and relational experiences. This year because the January and March elections have had serious warnings of violence, the sponsoring organization said they would not stop him from going, but because of the potential danger, they would not fund his travel or stay. He did his own fundraising. and arrived 8 weeks ago. He has learned excellent Spanish language skills in that short time, speaks English very well, and of course his native tongue is a joy for the German Lutheran pastors located here. Toby volunteers his time translating documents, serving at Casa Esperanza, the homeless shelter in an impoverished neighborhood in San Salvador. His responsibility is to inteact with the shelter visitors and increase their self-esteem through simple human contact. He assisted the Lutheran Synod of ES with the preparation for the observers and he also was an election observer. We greatly enjoyed having him join our delegation for some of our special meetings and events. He is honest, innocent, very bright, and committed to making the world a better place in any way he can.

For those who are interested in the weather report - the weather is changing. The mornings are now very cool, almost chilly. By 3:00, it is very hot and uncomfortable and then drops quickly around 6 and requires a sweater or jacket when riding in the back of a pickup truck. At least for us it does - the locals are used to this and wear short sleeved shirts regardless of the change.

We'll keep in touch
D & N

Monday 1/19

2009-01-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

On Friday, our message concentrated on election observation. We continue that information today. On Saturday, our delegation visited the campaign headquarters of the major parties and also had an excellent conversation with the former ES Ambassador to the United States. He is a brillant and perceptive man who provided insight for us into his country and its hopes and fears. He is a true diplomat.

We also went to the polling sites where each of us would be working on Sunday so we could have a feel of the environment. As mentioned, we were assigned to city precincts. Our site (David & Nancy) was the fair and convention grounds, a larger facility with many buildings. Our building had 160 voting divisions with 450 ballots in each. The word division applies well because while it is not technically correct, it reveals an aspect of power and control. People cannot vote where they live - they must travel to places according to their last name. The husband and wife have two different last names, so they might have to go to the A place for one and the R place for the other. This requires transportation which is not always available and on a day when the city is congested with thick and slow moving traffic, it is almost impossible for both to vote. The Ambassador commented on this situation: for him and his wife, it is annoying but they can do it because they have a car and a driver and the time. Others do not have that privilege. He believes effective voting will not change until there is municipal/local voting.

We arrived at the fair park at 6:00 to witness the setting up of the voting tables. The polls opened late at 7:23 instead of 7:00 and thousands of waiting people poured in to find their poll table at which to vote. David calculated that 7,000 stormed in in 8 minutes. It was a constant flow until 4:00. Polls closed at 5:00 and closure of table documents and counting of ballots began. To our eyes, the stacks of ballots looked very similar for Arena, the power party, and FMLN, the opposition and peoples party. It was difficult to judge who the winner would be.

The other observers in our delegation were in 3 different city locations. Each reported that their polls opened late and were also a center of crowded activity, noise, heat, and political tension. While it is illegal to campaign on Saturday and Sunday, rallies continued both inside and outside the voting facilities throughout the country. It is also illegal to purchase alcohol from Friday through Monday of the election weekend, so those who know (not us ! ) stock up before.

The results this morning were surprising in one sense yet not in another. The well-oiled machine won the election and the big change for the country will not be happening. This has serious impact on our Rotary project as the new mayor of Nejapa is Arena, and not supportive of improvments for the life of the people. We do not anticipate him supporting completion of the project with provison of heavy equipment, lodging for the students, and staff members loaned to assist in many ways. Many of the FMLN staff people will now be losing their jobs and we can only imagine other ramifications. We will need to meet with the new mayor after he is installed in May to begin to develop a relationship with him.

A prayer request for all: on Saturday evening, one of our team members, Tim, fell and seriously broke his leg. He had surgery Saturday night, should be coming back to the Casa today with expectations of returning to the US tomorrow. Home will be the best place for him but travel is going to be very difficult. Needless to say, he is in much pain. Please uplift him all the way and the two women who will be travelling with him.

We must close now. You will hear from us again tomorrow.

D & N

Friday 1/16

2009-01-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

Our time here has now turned political - we are officially credentialed by the Salvadoran government as foreign election observers. To better understand the political climate, our Greater Milwaukee delegation had a meeting with theologian Dean Brackley of the University of Central America, a Jesuit university. Dean Brackely has been in El Salvador for 19 years. He volunteered for ministry here after the assassination of 4 Jesuit priests on campus. Dean is held in high regard in areas of history, philosophy, politics, and theology.

The ruling party has been in power for 400 years. They have gone by different names but it is still the economic ruling class. This structure rules by fear, threats, and violence. The polls of many different sources show that that the population is seeking change and this election will be significant for the future of the people of the country. The elections are two phased - the voting for the mayors and parliamentary deputies (6 parties) is this Sunday - voting for the presidential candidates is in March. If the March vote is so close it cannot be decisively determined, another election will be held in May. Everyone hopes that this will not happen. San Salvador is a pivotal area so all of the international observers have been assigned to precincts in this area. That will be another story on Monday. The mayors position was won by 44 votes 3 years ago and it was very controversial! The opposition party needs to win San Salvador on Sunday as this momentum will carry into the March election.

We have had two days of training for being observers. Observers have been taught to monitor the voting process with emphatic emphasis on areas of past and potential fraud. Many components of the training focused on the Salvadoran constitution, human rights, and their democratic process. We have been receiving history lessons as well as specific training. The important message we have been receiving is that our presence ensures that the voice of the people is able to be expressed without coersion or deception.

We have had many God moments today - we have met many new people who will be links for our service and ministry here. We have also reconnected with past friends and we are all happy to to be reunited, We met people from the NGO we will be visiting next week to determine our volunteer placement. It is amazing that in a crowd of more than 100 people, we have past, current and future relationships.

Vaya con Dios,
David and Nancy

Thursday 1/15

2009-01-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

This message shares with you recent activities important to us. Exciting things are happening in unexpected ways,

This week we visited the orphanage that we learned about from our seatmate on the flight here. It is along the main road between Nejapa and Apopa, tucked away behind an iron gate and a high stone wall. Once you enter, the environment changes dramatically. The basis or foundation for the buildings is an large old hacienda. Additions to this building include comfortable rooms for 7 babies and toddlers, 5 young children, 7 teenage girls and 8 teen age boys. There is a large dining room and kitchen. This is not an institution - it is a loving home. Rachel and her husband Mauricio began it 5 years ago for two or three children and it has grown. They have a continuous stream of volunteers from their church in Ohio who do the building projects and help care for the children. The children and facilities sparkle in very dirty surroundings. They have one special needs child, Kevin, born with cerbral palsy. He is almost 3 years old, skin covered bones, weighs about 20 pounds, has food allergies, but alert and observant. A family in Ohio wants to adopt him but the adoption process is long and difficult from here. He needs a home and family that can provide for all his physical and emotional needs. We appreciated our time there, found it very encouraging that the hearts of a young couple can be so strong and dedicated, and look forward to a future visit to observe the growth of the ministry.

Yesterday, we attended the morning meeting of Club Rotario, our host project partner. The focus of this meeting was leadership, service, and projects. This project is the Club's largest project so far. We learned from the lead engineer from the US that if this project were to be done in the US, it would cost $2,000,000. Because of the volunteer labor and donated use of equipment, the final cost should be just under $200,000. Overall, the material costs are right on budget!

Surprizingly, I had my first public speaking experience in Spanish. I did a banner presentation to the Club from the EWB team thanking them for their support. I was terrified but it went well and they all were very supportive of my amateur effort.

Members of the Club are visiting the project site today unannounced to see the work in progress and get a better understanding of the scope of the plans accomplished and yet to come. They acknowledged there is another phase to come in 2010 and they are committed to it.

The final trenching on the east side is still being filled and tamped. In La Granja, our community side, trenching is well under way on the first lateral road. This phase of the project will be more difficult because of the density of the homes and the narrow one-lane roads. The EWB teams work today and tomorrow. They leave for home on Saturday to be ready for classes to resume next week. Many of them have told us they will be be bored sitting in lectures and at their computers, and will be wanting to get out and do some hard physical labor. The project now has a designated community leader who is supported by residents of the community. We will stop back to the site occassionally before we leave to check with him on progress and needs to keep EWB informed.

We ended our evening sitting on the correadora, enjoying th evening breeze, stars, waning moon and dinner. SORRY - We just had to tell you that! Wisconsin weather is making a big hit here - many people have commented on the cold and snow at home.

David and Nancy

Wedesday 1/14

2009-01-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

Now that the students are back in the Casa because school has resumed, access to the computer is greatly lessened. We{ll do the best we can with messages.

Today we write about life in general. Action begins around sunrise with traffic of very loud pickup trucks and buses beginning their routes for workers and students. Voices and barking dogs add to the morning buzz. The women workers at Casa rise early and move quietly like shadows, preparing breakfast and getting ready for the day. They work past sunset taking care of family, house guests, employees of the Bishops office, and many others who come through during the day.

A truckload of food was delivered at the end of last week to prepare for arriving delegations. 50 and 80 pound backs of rice, beans, corn meal, fruit were unloaded into the kitchen. Sincce then we have frequently noticed guests of the unwanted kind in the bedroom and bathroom. We hope we do not bring any of them home in our luggage. Leaving our suitcases in the garage for a few days might help but we are not sure if these critters will die in the cold or if they are the hearty kind of pest.

Our drive to the community in Nejapa often confronts us with women, children and often the disabled begging in and along the busy city streets. The round-abouts are congested with commuter traffic. Pickup trucks full of noisy and active political campaigners add to the chaos with loud music, slogan shouting, and often jumping out of the trucks to run around in the trafic jams handing out party propaganda. They are travelling rallies. The campaign blitz increases daily as the election is on this coming Sunday. We have left one very emotional campaign behind us only to step into another intense one of a different kind.

Last night we went to the Radison Hotel to register with the TSE -Tribunal Supreme Elecciones - and receive our observer creditionals. Tomorrow the training meetings begin and we will receive our supplies and site of observation.

A closing word about the sanitation project - yesterday the final trenching to the Pan American highway was completed at 12.05 pm, the final pipe was laid in the afternoon to connect to the pipe under the highway and the east side of the project is completed! The west side in La Granja began simulateously on last Thursday so the project could continue moving. We will tell you more about the piping under the highway at another time.

We leave at 6.30 this morning to attend the Club Rotario meeting, then onto La Granja for a transitional meeting. The EWB team leaves Saturday so there is much information to share with the community leaders who will continue the work in their absence.

Adios,
David and Nancy

Thursday 1/8

2009-01-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

Rotary Project update from Wednesday

Nancy and I arrived at the sewer project in late morning. The 14 students and 60 community vounteers installed teh last of the plastic pipe they had on hand.

The trenching machine provided by the Mayor was taken off site to repair a water main break in the city of Nejapa.

The shipment of plastic pipe was being held at the border....not explanation given....makes you wonder if a bribe might help move this along.

The Rotary Club of San Salvador is holding up payments to our vendors citing some vague problem that needs to be revealed to us.

The volunteers are restless due to the lack of work and many took off from their jobs to participate.

The students engineers are starting contact with new vendors in the area to secure pipe for Thursday.

The volunteers have left the site. The students have crossed the pam american highway to to La Granja to work on some pre'trenching issues.

Welcome to El Salvador where the best planning can be tested by power and greed.

David and Nancy

Tuesday 1/6

2009-01-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

Nancy and I entered the work site today. It was a very impressive site. The 14 University students and two adult mentors organized the 2 communities into 4 work groups of 30 members each. WIth a back hoe digging a 4 foot trench and man holes spaced out every 200 feet the teams begin laying 10 inch pipe and connected one home to the sewer system. The organization and rapid movement of everyone was like watching a football game......a good one.

Women, men, young people working together to improve their quality of life. By Thursday the one half mile to connect the community to the main line will be completed. Tomorrow Wednesday the mayor will join all the workers and volunteers for lunch. Since the election is a week away.......good timing.

The tunnel under the highway to connect to the community was completed before we all arrived, thus a major concern or roadblock has been removed. I hope the pictures Nancy and I took tell a story that is close to the actual experience.

It is another hot day and our bodies are still in adjustment.

David and Nancy