Could this be you?
Are you ready to serve in a mission of solidarity with the peoples of El Salvador? Our Sister Parish is searching for a Mission Co-Worker, who will live in El Salvador and enable communities in Iowa to build justice-centered relationships with cantons in El Salvador.
Designated Mission Co-Worker
Job Description
Working with the Pastoral Team in Berlín, El Salvador and Compañeros in the US
Employment Status: Full-time
Language Requirements: English and Spanish
Mission Statement:
Our Sister Parish is a faith based ecumenical effort designed to bring hope and social development to the poor of the pueblo of Berlín, El Salvador. Our goal is to raise awareness of and embrace solidarity by developing committed relationships between churches in the U.S. and our brothers and sisters in El Salvador. In the relationships that develop between U.S. churches and the poor of El Salvador, faith will grow and the love of God will be profoundly experienced for all involved. The Mission is administered cooperatively by Compañeros of Des Moines Presbytery and the Pastoral Team (Equipo Pastoral) of Berlín.
Description of Our Work:
• U.S. church/cantón relationships are the base of interactions between church delegations and people of the cantónes. At present, there are nine official church/cantón relationships. Churches covenant to visit their sister cantón at least once a year to know the people, their hopes and needs. From those visits the church commits to helping the cantón achieve the goals defined during the visits of the delegations. Projects include water, solar and construction of community centers and churches.
• Two university student delegations visit El Salvador each year for education and social awareness of the poverty in developing world countries. The Mission is open to more student delegations.
• Economic development projects include Don Justo Coffee with Dignity and a growing number of community-based economic cooperatives.
• Education support includes scholarships for students who want to continue on to high school and in a limited number of cases to universities. Support for purchase of student uniforms and infrastructure projects for marginalized schools are also provided.
• Some cantónes receive help with the purchase of fertilizer at crop planting time each year.
• A student internship program was developed recently which encourages University students to volunteer with the Pastoral Team during summer vacation.
• Compañeros is the ecumenical steering committee of volunteers from partner churches in the US working with the Pastoral Team to facilitate and support the Mission.
Description of Our Mission Partners
Our Sister Parish Mission officially began in 2001 in the Casa Pastoral of Berlín. Before that time the Pastoral Team worked informally out of the local parish church in social mission, but the resources were limited. The Pastoral Team is gifted with a theology that embraces Liberation for the poor, formed by living through a 12 year long civil war from 1980 to 1992.
The Pastoral Team believes in mission to the masses not to individual needs (though naturally many individual needs are met in the giving of food, clothing, and medicines out of the Casa Pastoral). Their commitment to provide social support is underscored by the fact that, though they work nearly full time in the effort, they receive very minimal compensation. They have committed their lives to this work, which is one of the huge gifts they bring to the Mission. All of the Pastoral Team members have a strong faith base, some serving as Delegates of the Word and Catechists.
Compañeros is the US-based group that coordinates the mission on the U.S. end and regularly visits the cantónes of Berlín. Most belong to a church that has a sister cantón or in some other way relates to the poor of El Salvador. They know and understand the justice needs of the people and live a faith that promotes projects supported by the church.
Our Theological Vision:
Our mission is reflected in the words of the Old Testament prophet Micah (6:8), “God has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” And in the words of Jesus from Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, as you did it to the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” The work of the Mission seeks justice in the form of a livelihood for the poor of Berlín. Food for the table, clean water, education, safe homes, medical care and jobs are among the justice issues that are defined by the Pastoral Team. Having lived through a civil war recently, the Team and those who work with the Team understand the fears and needs created by violence. Thus, non-violence is touted, a reflection of the kindness urged by the prophet Micah. Jesus, in identifying with the poor and oppressed, invites us into this same solidarity. And for all involved it is a walk with God … always humble in perception and nature.
Position Description
A. Major Responsibilities:
• Meet with the Pastoral Team regularly to build consensus in program and project areas. Work with the Pastoral Team and never alone.
• Provide schedules and budgets for visiting delegations. Ensure all resources are secured, including transportation, food and housing, translation. Meet the delegations at the airport and stay with them through the entire time of their visit.
• Provide communication (including translation of documents and letters) between the Pastoral Team and Compañeros and sister churches that have working relationships with cantónes.
• Be available to drive the manual pickup truck for transportation for the Pastoral Team as well as when delegations are visiting.
• Develop a working knowledge of sites and organizations that will assist delegations to understand the social, political and religious dimensions of El Salvador. It is important also for delegations to understand the history of violence suffered by the people of this land, and the continued violence that is exhibited from the deep roots of repression and injustice experienced by the poor of El Salvador.
• Itinerate to the U.S. partners for interpretation and fundraising.
B. Characteristics and qualifications needed
• Faith based, compassionate, able to live in and understand the Salvadoran culture;
• Capacity to speak Spanish and to become fluent if not already fluent;
• Ability to work as a team member and by consensus;
• Capacity to drive a manual car/pickup;
• Capacity to communicate to masses as well as to individuals both in written and oral
form;
• Ability to use a computer and keep accurate files and records;
• Ability to use a camera and share photos;
• Ability to use Social Media;
• Ability to use Microsoft Word and Excel;
• Computer skills appropriate for communicating between the US and El Salvador;
• A desire to love the poor of El Salvador.
Compensation and Housing:
The Salary is $18,000, with housing and meals in Berlin, El Salvador provided. We also provide monies for travel and supplies.
Contact for Letters of Inquiry, Resumes (or CIFs), and Questions:
D. Mark Davis
14300 Hickman Road
Clive, IA 50325
(515) 770-5601
email (preferred) davisfolk@aol.com
References:
Kathy Mahler Av. 14 Diciembre Berlín, Usulután El Salvador, Central America
011-503-7226 9193
Designated Mission Co-Worker in El Salvador kathymahler111@msn.com
Rev. Phil Barrett Presbytery of Des Moines 2400 – 86th Street, Suite 20
Urbandale, IA 50322-4306 5
15-276-4991
General Presbyter
pbarrett@dmpresbytery.org
Nancy Lister-Settle P.O. Box 333 Dallas Center, IA 50063-0333
515-992-3639 (home) 992-4127 (work)
Moderator, Social Ministries Task Force NeithertheCat@gmail.com
May 3, 2012
May has arrived – This is an incredibly important time of year for the folks in El Salvador. The rainy season technically begins in May and it is the beginning of the planting season. The last couple of weeks, people have been clearing and preparing their fields – waiting for the first and/or second really good rainfall to plant their corn.
Labor Day is May 1st
Holy Day of the Cross is May 3rd.
Mother’s Day is May 10th
May 1st was also the day that our newly elected mayor took over office. I just posted a blog about that so please check it out. I have another blog waiting in the wings so keep an eye open for that.
I want to officially say thank you to all our partner churches who supported their communities with the gift of fertilizer again this year. As many already know, the harvest is minimal without it. And we all know that the folks in the country rely on their harvest to feed their families all year long.
May God bless you all.
Kathy and the Pastoral Team
November 21, 2011
Message from the Pastoral Team - English first - Original Spanish text following:
“Martyrs are the testimony of a church incarnate in the people’s problems”
Words of Monsignor Romero
In this month of November here in El Salvador, we remember the martyrs of our people who struggled for justice and peace. Thank God here in El Salvador we have men and women who continue working for the dream of the martyrs - to make it become a reality in the story we are now living.
What we have lived again because of the 10 days of strong rains has shown us again how vulnerable our lands are.
Families in El Salvador continue to suffer under great poverty. I know this is how the great majority of families are living: they don’t have sufficient food or clothing to confront so many days of rain. As a Pastoral Team, we have the opportunity to visit house to house in each community so we can see the extreme poverty of the majority of the families.
The majority of families do not have enough beds in which to sleep, they do not have chairs to sit. I know that no one has a steady job to be able to buy what is necessary for his family.
So – families always need the hand of a friend who wants to be in solidarity with them. Who wants to share something. How beautiful it would be if everyone understood the message where it says: “He who has two tunics should share with him who has none.’ If your family has a house, work, food, clothing, health and other things, give thanks to God and remember each day that there are other families very close by that have nothing. If you can buy anything, be it food, clothing, etc … “buy what is necessary.”
How many times have we read the scripture of Saint Matthew 25:34-45 – At the end of our life, Jesús will say: “Because I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you attended to me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
Now before the Lord, he will ask us: Have we done all this?
November 7, 2011
“Los Mártires son el testimonio de una iglesia encamada en los problemas del pueblo”
– Palabras de Monseñor Romero
En este mes de noviembre aquí en El Salvador estamos recordando a los mártires de nuestro pueblo que lucharan por la justicia y la paz.
Gracias a Dios aquí in El Salvador seguimos teniendo hombres y mujeres que siguen trabajando para que el sueño de los mártires vaya siendo una realidad en esta historia que estamos viviendo. La experiencia que hemos vivido otra vez por las lluvias fuertes durante 10 días nos dé muestran otra vez la vulnerabilidad de nuestras tierras.
Las familias en El Salvador siguen sufriendo debido a la gran pobreza que yo se está viviendo la gran mayoría de las familias: no tiene suficiente comida ni ropa como para afrontar muchos días de lluvia. Nosotros como Casa Pastoral que tenemos la oportunidad de visitar casa por casa en cada comunidad podemos ver la pobreza extrema de la mayoría de las familias.
La mayoría de familias no tienen suficientes camas donde dormir, no tienen sillas para sentar – yo sé; nadie tiene un empleo fija para poder comprar lo necesario para la familia.
Entonces, las familias siempre necesitan de una mano amigo que quiera solidarizarse que quiera compartir algo. Que hermosa fuera que todos entendiéramos el mensaje donde dice ‘el que tenga dos túnicos que de una y se quede con una’ Si en tu familia tienes casa, trabajo, comida, vestuario, salud y otros dale gracias a Dios y recuerda cada día que hay otras familias muy cerca de ti que no tienen nada. Si tú puedes comprar cualquier cosa, ya sea comida, ropa, etc., “compra lo necesario” –
¿Cuantos veces hemos leído en el evangélico de San Mateo 25:34-45? – Al final de nuestra vida, Jesús nos dirá: “Porque tuve hambre y ustedes me dieron de comer, tuve sed y ustedes me dieran de beber, fue forastero, y me dieron alojamiento, necesite ropa, y me vistieron; estuve enfermo, y me atendieron; estuve en la cárcel, y me visitaron a ver.”
Ahora, preguntamos ante el Señor: ¿Hemos hecho todos estos casos?