Walking With El Salvador

"Drop us off in Nejapa; we'll wander around; we'll figure out how to get ourselves back to Apopa; we'll be fine!" In the early years, our sister church pastor would not have gone for this idea.  Even 15 years into our sistering relationship he was a bit skeptical, but he was busy and we wanted to hang out and take in some everyday life, so with a little trepidation, he drove off and left us in Nejapa. Of course, this was not the first time for my friend Deb and me to experience Nejapa.  Over the years we have driven through the town center on our way to the nearby pool complex , and we often love to eat at the Pupusodromo  on the edge of town.  Deb and I (and a team of many) had just completed a week of holistic healing at the nearby Lutheran Church site at Fe y Esperanza. We drove into Nejapa early that morning to Unidad de Salud  (government health clinic) to express thanks to the director and all of the doctors and nurses who has assisted us during the ...

"Corn ... es ... vida." Our very first visit in El Salvador.  These words came carefully from the mouth of our pastor who was a little nervous while preaching in the tiny church in Los Héroes.  We all remember this moment:  the people were crammed into every corner of the space, our sweaty pastor holding an ear of corn out to the crowd and daring to try a bit of Spanish, "corn es vida," and the translator looking puzzled and finally blurting out, "maiz es ... vida" as everyone giggled. Corn es vida .  Corn is life. It was harvest time during that first visit.  We walked the pathways of our sister community for the first time, shyly accepting invitations into people's homes as we went along.  "Pase, por favor.  Come in.  Sit down.  Are you hungry?"  We were handed warm ears of corn, warm tortillas, or warm plastic cups full of sweet corn milk.  Corn es vida . "We are the people of the corn."  The Mayan story of creatio...

Tonight during worship, the pastor set 3 nails into a large wooden cross.  Members of the congregation were invited forward, and each one was given the opportunity to pick up a mallet and drive the nail deeper into the wood.  We could all feel the hesitation - the discomfort with acceptance of an invitation to admit guilt, to share in the crucifixion of Jesus.  One by one we went forward.  One by one, "bang, bang, bang" echoed through the sanctuary. On a day in 1989, the bishop placed a plain white cross in front of the altar.  Members of the congregation were invited forward, and each one was given the opportunity to pick up a black marker and write a sin upon the cross.  This was an act of confession - a confession of the sins that existed in El Salvador: hunger, persecution, violence.  Later that year, the cross was seized by the military as evidence of subversion, and the cross became known as "The Subversive Cross." The following litany is bas...

On March 24, 1996, a little group of people carrying a metal cross and palm branches marched up a dusty hillside, and a new community was born.  The hill was claimed for the church, the church was named "Heroes of the Faith" and soon the community became known as "The Heroes." Now, each March 24th, the community honors its humble beginnings. Throughout the night on March 23rd, the women stir a giant kettle of schuco (a warm beverage made of corn, ground pumpkin or squash seeds and beans).  At 3 am the directiva  president sets off fireworks.  Big speakers are set up around the church, and community leaders make inspiring speeches interspersed with musical broadcasts.  As the sky lightens in the east, the women serve up the schuco , which tastes so good in the chilly morning.  The children play with fireworks, with young mothers helping to keep the sparks under control.  After the sun rises, a big group from the  community organizes itself and ri...

Photo by Evelyn The owner is a big guy, super friendly.  He came out to greet us and to make sure we were comfortable.  He told us, "Everything is homemade and fresh." It took a little while to look over the extensive menu.  Most of us decided to order soup.  While we waited for lunch to be prepared, we took in the scenery -- this is quite a dining room!  The walls are covered with eclectic paintings and decorations, from beer posters to Salvadoran tchotchke to African savanna scenes.  There are two big aquariums bubbling with clear water and tropical fish.  Two of the four walls feature big screen TV's which broadcast a series of distractingly sexy music videos.  Of most interest is the ceiling.  Painted as view into outer space, there are planets and stars and clouds.  An astronaut taking a space walk proudly holds a Salvadoran flag.  A shark swims through space with the name of the restaurant, El Churrasco, tattooed on it...

At dinner on Wednesday night, I suggested to the group that Thursday might be the day I would need to get angry.  "Really?" someone said, "for me that would have been on Monday."  Pastor Conchi and I had managed to keep our focus, to support each other with patience.  Yet, I think we were both heading into Thursday with the idea that well-placed anger might earn us some justice. We arrived at the yellow gate in Ilopango a full 20 minutes before it opened.  Conchi and I spotted a woman as she got off of the bus - one of the women who works in the customs office, behind one of the four service windows.  Conchi nodded toward me.  I , wearing my very awesome aqua scrubs and lucky Lutheran cross, casually walked over to the woman and said, " Buenos dias."   She responded, with a somewhat surprised look on her face, "You are back again?"  I gave her the 3-minute version of our story, hoping she would have mercy on us once we were seated in the white ...

This story begins on a Monday, the first day of the Mission of Healing North, which took place in Nejapa.  The back-story  featured frustration.  This story is a lesson in patience. Opening devotional at the Mission of Healing North We arrived in Nejapa just after 7 am, and quickly dispersed our resources and people.  Doctors divided up among two exam areas.  Nurses set up triage stations close by.  A big kids' activity table was set up under the trees.  The dental charla (teaching chat), dental treatment area, reading glasses table and gynecology area were in one big room -- odd but true, and requiring creative curtain use.  Inside the church we set up the spiritual area (which this year included a mini-orchestra), the HIV-STD charla , the pharmacy, and the reflexology massage area.  As soon as we were set up, we gathered for the opening devotion.  It was beautiful - set up to include the 2 truckloads of patients/participants who ...