My son, Ryan, and I have been planning our trip to El Salvador for two years, so when the time finally arrived, it felt a little surreal. We were excited and admittedly a little nervous about what this adventure might have in store. And rightly so. When we arrived in San Vicente on Saturday, we stopped at the home of Stuart and his young family, who are here working with the church. We met him on the corner outside his home, a house like the rest of the houses sporting rolls of barbed wire all around and bars on the windows. He mentioned that our current location has the highest per capita murder rate in the world, gave us a few safety tips, warned us not to go anywhere alone, and then brightened to say, ¨"Welcome to El Salvador!"
With the formalities behind us, however, we have found the people to be some of the warmest, most welcoming people in the world. As we drove down one city street, 22 of us crammed into the box of a small Toyota pick-up, another truck just as full chased us down. They had recognized Valerie and the middle of the street was suddenly filled with hugs and laughter.
The next morning we set out to tour the sites where we would be building and to meet the "familias". We encountered story after story of husbands and wives who were taking care of their children the best that they could. But when working in the corn, bean and sugar cane fields pays $5 per day (that´s $700 a year), one can quickly see how the shackles of poverty keep them trapped. To buy even the simple kind of housing we are helping to provide, on their own, is an impossible dream. Nevertheless, story after story often concluded with sentiments such as Leyna´s: "My husband and I work hard but there is very little wood that is good for building. We have our eight children, and with each one, I do not regret a thing. I am content. We are happy. Now, to receive a new house," she said with a grin, "I´m not complaining! Thank you!"
So it was a real honour yesterday to come alongside these people with a strong work ethic (the only difference is we happen to have been born in Canada and they happen to have been born into poor families in El Salvador) and begin to build. We completed three houses and began two more yesterday. And we were amazed at the progress. Today was a little tougher, especially in the morning when we hit solid rock where we needed to to dig footings, and things were slowed a little longer due to a flat tire on our truck. The upside was that this gave us more opportunity to connect with the people - like the family in whose laneway we parked to repair the tire. And the teens, when they were not swinging a pick-axe, spent time with the children, painting their nails or making balloon animals.
This morning in our team devotional, Dave Morris challenged us to have an impact in One life today. And by day´s end, at our team debriefing we discovered that that is exactly what happened for many of us. Erica got to cook torillas with the women in one of the old mud-brick homes and to befriend them. Dennis caught the look of joyful anticipation in a new homeowner´s eyes with each new stage as his house went up. Del and I both were pleased with the friendship that we made with Eduardo and Pedro, who were surprised that we even remembered their names from yesterday. And Katie was moved when the children and teens said Thank You for coming back again this year. Ziggy found it was an honour to hold one woman´s arthritic hands while she painted her nails. And she shared God´s love with one of the wives we are building for. She was particularly reserved, somewhat awkward. So Ziggy struggled past the language barrier, took her by the hands and looked into her face. In a nutshell, she said, "You are beautiful and God loves you inside and out. He will never forsake you, and he will carry you through to the end." Dick was working at site #7, where he noticed not just the usual onlookers of friends and family, but also a man with a bandage on his neck. Dick went over to talk with him. "What happened?" he asked. Velio responded by removing part of the bandage to show him, and said, "I have cancer and I am going to the hospital tomorrow." Dick wanted to help in some way, when he remembered the Spanish Bibles we have with us. He gave one to Velio to take with him to the hospital, and then he and Valerie prayed over him, for healing and that God would work in his life. Ron was struck by another mother whose four children have aspirations to be a lawyer, a police officer, a teacher and an accountant. Mom has faith and peace and the children have learned from her sweet spirit. And she loves them and prays for them and wants them to be OK, just like WE love, pray and yearn for our children.
It struck me today that THIS is what Jesus calls us to do. Not sit through some dry church service, shake a few hands and go home feeling righteous. But to reach out, connect and share with people who are less fortunate - at least materially. Our interactions with the people here make me wonder who should really be seen as the "disadvantaged": these poor people who find contentment in living one day at time, as Jesus recommended, or we in the "developed nations" who are stressed as never before in our pursuit to be more, get more, impress more?
Tomorrow we will go out and do it all over again. Our goal is to finish the last three houses, so that we can do the medical clinic on Thursday, as well as visit another village to see how we can connect with and help the people there. Dave, may we take your challenge not only today, but all week - and into our lives back home. Jesus knows what he´s talking about.
