Walking With El Salvador

I often wear a cross, and I usually put a little thought into which one I choose to wear on a certain day or for a certain event.  Today is Good Friday.  Today is the day of the cross.  Today I chose to wear the one I wear most often - a simple brown wooden cross on a black string.  Papa Santiago made it and gave it to me a very long time ago.   I keep my crosses from El Salvador in a box.  Today, before I put the box away, I pulled out a handful of larger crosses.  I put them into my bag and brought them along to family camp.  Family camp is how my home church honors Good Friday. This afternoon we were sitting outside.  I laid the crosses out on the picnic table in the warm sunshine.  "What are these?" someone asked.  "Crosses from El Salvador," I said, "and each one has a special story."     The Cross of Healing  - the green cross with the blue flower emerging from the center was designed to mimic the ...

The botanical gardens near San Salvador offer a breath of fresh air, literally.  As you drive down into the base of the caldera, you discover an ancient lake bed (hence the name La Laguna) that was gobbled up by factories looking to locate near to the volcano-cradled capital where flat land is scarce.  If you have ever wondered where Bimbo  bread is produced, this is the spot.  The garden is located along the south side of the caldera wall and covers about 7 acres.  As you enter through the gate, you are greeted with a breath of fresh, moist and earthy air.  Walk a little deeper into the garden, and the factory sounds give way to quiet of the trees, the sweet songs of the birds, and the bright trickle of water. We especially like to visit the gardens before the Missions of Healing.  In the midst of organizing and getting ready to expend large amounts of energy listening and caring, we find that a wander through the gardens helps us to relax and prep...

On April 1, 2010, I started writing this blog.  When I began, I wasn't sure what the overall theme of the blog would be, so I called it "random stories" about my experiences in El Salvador as a friend, mom, church lady, and delegation leader.  Over the last four years, I have sometimes written prolifically and sometimes found it difficult to keep up with posting regularly.  Sometimes the stories have been tearfully written, other times joyfully.  Sometimes the photos have told the story.  I write when an idea hits me, or if something is happening in El Salvador which calls for prayer or attention.  Many readers have sent email messages to me asking follow-up questions, offering comments or sharing their own experiences.  Some readers have commented on the complementary nature of Tim's El Salvador Blog and Linda's El Salvador Blog, sometimes joking about potential competition between us.  We laugh about that a little bit.  He still has many m...