Just Click: What will we see next?

Each time I head out into the streets of El Salvador I
see something
new...
check out these photos
from
my last visit...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Valley of the Angel

Image
This very morning, church leaders, water protection advocates, citizens and journalists are gathering in the Valley of the Angel.  This is the valley to the north of San Salvador, to the south of Apopa, and from which, on a clear day, one can see the surrounding circle of volcanoes, from El Boquerón (San Salvador), to the hills of Nejapa, to the ancient volcano of Guazapa, to the hills of Chalatenango, to the twin peaks of San Vicente.  At one time, this was forest.  Long ago, people recognized that this large inland plain with rich water resources was suitable for agriculture.  For a long, long time, sugar cane has grown in the valley.

With the construction of the San Salvador bypass, the valley opened up to traffic, especially truck traffic.  Small roadside stands popped up, as did gas stations.  A large customs depot for land transport and unsightly truck corral followed.  Nearby businesses, especially the famous Coca Cola, began extracting huge quantities of water from the aquifer…
Read more

Thanks to the Quilting Ladies

Image
My last story was about the sewing collective which makes Days for Girls kits in El Salvador.  Many of the women in the US who sew Days for Girls kits also sew quilts for Lutheran World Relief, create baby items for Newborn Kits and use their sewing skills for a variety of ministries in the church.  Fabric closets in Lutheran Church basements are filled with generous donations, and in our church network, some of those end up in El Salvador.  This isn't my first story about giving away fabric in our Salvadoran sister church, nor will it likely by my last, because this is one topic that people ask me about fairly frequently.

 How to do a Raffle:

Step 1:  Befriend the quilting ladies or at least send out the word to the quilting group that any fabric not suitable for quilting is welcomed in the El Salvador donation bin.

Step 2:  Sort out the wool and heavy fabrics which are not useful in El Salvador.  Sort out the too-small scraps and anything deemed not worthy of making the 2960 mile…
Read more

Little Marchers for Independence Day

Image
Blue and white.  September is the month of blue and white - from balloon arches and tissue paper streamers to little flags fluttering from car windows, El Salvador's national colors paint the month of September.


In small towns and municipalities, Independence Day celebrations are led by school administrators, teachers and band directors.  Parades and fiestas pop up throughout the month, but the big day is September 15th.  Streets are blocked off, big stages with giant speakers are set up in front of mayor's offices, Ministry of Education officials prepare their speeches, and little children practice the pledge to the flag.


This year, I marched with our community family circle (like a preschool for parents and kids from age 0 to 4).  The littlest marchers in Salvadoran Independence Day parades dress is costumes that reflect their future career choices.  They walk beside their moms or dads, and usually end up being carried for a good portion of the parade.  The creativity and s…
Read more