The Ground Prepared in San Jacinto

We were warmly welcomed in El Salvador in more ways than one!  This week we will be building in the community of San Jacinto, which is just past the community of San Felipe where many Bethany teams have built before.  But when I say just past, it means we travel down winding roads through mountainous terrain, up and down steep hills, on roads filled with rocks and holes.  You clearly get the impression that not much traffic comes through San Jacinto.  As a matter of fact, by the time you get there you feel like you’re pretty much at the end of the road.

This was a community waiting on the sidelines and wondering if help would come to them. But this is a community where one of the leaders fought hard to be noticed for their needs.  She, herself, lives in a beautiful home and doesn’t have the same need as her neighbours, but she was the voice that spoke up for them.  As a result, San Jacinto was chosen as the place where we will build this week.  This is the first time a team has come and built homes in San Jacinto.

Today we were able to meet the twelve families for whom we are building these homes.  Although we were only introduced and weren’t able to hear all of their stories yet, the extent of their need and their heartfelt gratefulness was evident.  

Community Leaders from neighbouring
San Felipe are helping and mentoring
the leaders in San Jacinto.

What impacted me most was seeing how the community works together for the good of all their people.  They sacrifice for each other and give even out of their poverty when they see a need that must be met.  

A number of these families had already torn down what they had of a house to make room for the new home to come.  In faith they removed what little they had to allow for God to bless them in this way.  Tonight they sleep covered in blankets and with no roof over their heads.  But hoping for what is to come.

And so the ground is prepared, the building sites are ready, and twelve families will receive a new home and a fresh start this week.  Our prayer is that their hearts are equally as prepared to received God’s love and salvation.