We’ve had breakfast, I’ve packed for an overnight, I’ve scoured my map and I guess I’m ready to go.

I need to go to San Salvador to pick up our ‘student intern’ Alisha.  She’ll be here for a month and a half volunteering in the boy’s school up the street.  But since she is coming in after dark, I won’t drive.  We’ll spend the night at our usual little guest house and then drive up to Berlin tomorrow morning.  And Alfredo (our trusty delegation driver) will make sure we all get where we need to be safely. 

Before we get to Los Pinos though, Sandy and I will drop off Chon (our visitor from Spain) and Blanca to the UCA (University of Central America).  They have some business there. 

I’m worried that I will get us totally lost.   Looking at a map, it really does not look hard to get there.  But I know better. The city is so hard to drive in.  There are so many places you cannot turn left.  And you have to go way out of your way on a myriad of little side streets to get back to a main street.  Sigh.

But from the UCA, it is more direct and with fewer turns.  And it will just be Sandy and me so fewer eyes seeing how badly I get lost!  Haha. 

So we’re off soon.  And we’ll be back tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday).

Wish me luck!!

I’ve been very bad about posting even a brief hello to this blog space.  Many apologies to my faithful readers… if any of you are still around.  I’ve got the usual excuses … I got out of the habit during my 2 weeks in Iowa then came back to El Salvador with 3 back to back delegations.  From the last delegation, my sister Sandy and her husband “Jose” stayed for additional time.  (Since this writing, Joe has gone home, but Sandy is still here).  We have a visitor from Spain, and we have been working for the coming and going of 2 student interns (one coming, one going).  And all of these things, of course, were on top of the normal (normal??) every day stuff.  Oh yeah – and we have had our big monthly Team meeting to prepare for.

Friday, we took our guest from Spain to Talpetates so she could visit friends.  Me, Sandy, Chon, Blanca, Idalia and Aminta all piled in the pick up about 8 a.m. for the hour plus drive.  It was a relaxing morning of catch up time for Chon and Juanita and her family.  We stayed for lunch and left around 2.  It was a full day in the heat.  But it was a good day.  Juanita was a combatant in the war.  She has many testimonies.

Saturday was our long, almost 4 hour Team meeting (Sandy managed to get a nap on the hammock, read and she worked on her emails, etc).

So now it is Sunday morning and my next meeting is not till 9:30 (it is 6:50 a.m. as I write this).  The people from the UCA (University of Central America) are coming to talk again with the people of El Tablón Centro, Cerna and Muñoces.  They will be working with these three communities with 3 different economic development projects: laying chickens, frying chickens and honey.  Hopefully these projects will provide jobs and income for 30 families now and as the projects grow, perhaps more.

It should be relatively calm in the next few days.  Tomorrow Sandy and I will drive to San Salvador (about 2 hours away) and arrange a guest house stay because tomorrow evening, one of our student interns is arriving.  She is arriving after dark, so I’ve arranged our driver friend Alfredo to pick us up at the guest house, drive us to the airport (about 45 minutes away) and back to the guest house.  He will then take a taxi back home to his family and the 3 of us ladies will spend the night and then drive to Berlin the next morning.  I won’t drive at night in general, but in San Salvador and the lonely road to and from the airport – no way. 

Our visitor from Spain and Blanca will be joining Sandy and me on the trip to San Salvador.  They need to go to the UCA for something else.  So they will take advantage of our trip!  I just hope I don’t get too lost getting them to the UCA and then my sister and I back to the guest house!  I know where it is on the map, but so many of the streets are not very well marked, and there are so many places you cannot make a left turn.  Sigh.  Wish us luck!

Just so you don’t feel sorry for me – I did have a couple days of relaxation last week.  After the 3 delegations, Joe and Sandy stayed on.  We spent a couple days after the last delegation here in Berlin so I could catch up on some work, but then we took off for 3 days at the beach.   We went to Costa del Sol.  This beach area is touted as the nicest and most built up ‘resort’ area in El Salvador.  Well.  The beaches are beautiful: about 15 kilometers of gorgeous beach, perfect waves, sand dollars by the thousands … But resort.  No.  On the stretch of road that covers the peninsula there were three (count ‘em … three) what we would consider resort quality hotels (and that is a relative term, too).  We did not stay at any of those.  We found a smaller place with a decent room (the 3 of us shared one room to save expenses), simple but lovely grounds, beach front, hammocks set up on the beach and a simple little place to eat overlooking the beach.  The resort style hotels (all 3 of them) were VERY expensive…they all had manicured lawns, fancy pools (we did not swim in our little murky pool but we weren’t planning to anyway), fancy bars/restaurants, cable TV, lots of staff in starched white shirts … we had one man who made sure we had pop or beer and served us our meals.  But we’re simple folk, and were content with Tony – who was probably the manager and do-all guy.     

After our time there, we took Joe to the airport (the beach we were at is about a half hour away from the airport) and then Sandy and I came back here.  Poor Sandy has been basically ignored while I prepared for our big Team meeting and all the necessary ledger work… but we had lots of down time and together time at the beach.

Sandy leaves Thursday… and after we get back from San Sal with Alisha (our student intern) on Tuesday, we don’t have anything specific on the calendar.  There will be little things to do of course, but nothing like the last few weeks.  I’m hoping for some good ‘sister’ time.  And speaking of that…

I’m so glad Sandy came to visit.  She has had the opportunity to meet my family here: especially my sisters in La Casa Pastoral.  And she has seen the kind of work I do… and the people I work for … the folks in the community.

Sandy has always been supportive of me.  She jokes (half jokes) about me coming home… NOW.  But deep down I think she knew why I chose to be here.  And now, she can put faces to my stories.  And maybe even help others understand what this is all about.

I am so blessed.

Contrary to popular belief I have not fallen off the face of the earth. 

I spent a couple of weeks in Iowa with my family for Christmas and I don’t usually blog while I am there because it is mostly personal family stuff and I’m not sure that anyone would really be interested in all that.  I got back here on the 6^th of January and within the first 5 minutes I was inundated with things to do.  Most of those things in and of themselves were not very difficult nor time consuming, but there a few issues and tasks that I knew would be a bit more involved.  

Upon landing, and knowing that I had a dozen people from St. Catherine’s arriving in 3 days, motivated me to get right to it.  In between the little tasks, I unpacked and re-settled into my space.  

Also in between my tasks, we took a trip out to Las Delicias for an ‘act of thanksgiving mass’ for the completion of an altar table and some work on the churches doors that was done thanks to their friends at First Presbyterian Church in Des Moines.  We also had 22 students and their parents from El Recreo come to La Casa Pastoral to receive their high school scholarship monies and to have a ‘pep talk’ about keeping up their grades, writing messages to the folks in Iowa who are supporting them, finding ways to be of service in their community and making sure they take the time to go up to the St. Boniface delegation people to say a personal thank you.  We also had our El Tablón student’s meeting for the same pep talk (but to greet their Heartland Presbyterian Church visitors).  We also (are you noticing a lot of “we also” sentences??) had meetings with the leaders of El Recreo, El Tablón and Muñoces about a variety of topics.

Then the St. Catherine’s group arrived 3 days after me.  And as delightful as they were, there was little time for ‘every-day’ work.  They were only here for 2 nights – just one full day.  

When they left I continued on with the catch up.  And it seemed for every two tasks that got accomplished, 3 more came my way.  Sometimes that is just the way it is. 

St. Cat’s left Sunday morning.  Monday morning and afternoon we were busy delivering fertilizer to two communities. Tuesday morning was another fertilizer delivery.  Tuesday afternoon, we left for San Salvador in preparation of our St. Boniface delegation of 12 people. 

Oh – I almost forgot!  I arrived back in Berlin on the 6^th with a ‘student intern’ in tow.  Sam will be living here at the Pastoral House and volunteering at a local boy’s school every morning and possibly working at the High School in the afternoons.  Within an hour of his arrival to the house, he had a paint brush in hand helping Alejandro (Cecilia’s brother and our Auto Mechanic 2 year Tech school scholarship recipient) to paint the Pastoral House.  They are painting ALL of it inside and out.   

So while St. Boniface was here – time was limited.  I really like the folks from St. B’s so I probably spent more ‘free’ time with them than some delegations.

They left a mere 2 days ago and the time has been filled again with meeting after meeting and arranging other meetings and getting prepared for my next delegation which arrives tomorrow.

 Sigh.

 Good thing I like to keep busy!!!

Well – we went ahead and did it.  We committed to something we don’t currently have the funds for!  And if feels GREAT!

It’s called a leap of faith. 

Remember a while back I was talking about my English student Tito and his desire to go to university?  And my driving student Alejandro who wanted to go to a 2 year auto mechanic technical school? 

Well – I’ve sent flyers to those whom I thought might be able to help … and I talked quite a bit to several others … but as of yet, only a little has come in for that need: some from me and some from my friend Mike. 

We did get permission to use some of the funds from our very faithful “education fund” supporter Nick in Osceola.  And if we have to, we’ll use some Don Justo coffee profits to help supplement – but last year, those funds were minimal so we don’t want to rely on that!   Tito’s mom said they could help out with a small portion of his tuition.

But without actual ‘cash in hand’ to cover the next two years for these two young men, it’s kind of scary.

But you know what I’ve learned? – That when it is right … when the cause is good and the need is true, God provides. 

And that is where our faith is right now.  God will provide for these two. 

$115 is what we will need for tuition and transportation for each of them every month with an additional $60 every 6 months to register for the following term.  Doesn’t seem like much really.  And we have committed to the full two years for both of them.

So here is another offer:

If you feel so inclined – consider a one time gift or a monthly contribution to the Tito and Ale Education Fund.  You can send your donation to

The Presbytery of Des Moines

2400 86^th Street, Suite 20

Urbandale, IA 50322

Make sure you include a note or write in the memo section of your check specifically what it is for.

In total we need $3000.00 for the two of them for two years.

So far we have $400.00 –

It’s a start.  And God is wondering who the other angels will be – the angels that He will use to ‘provide’ this time!

:o)

Saturdays are often a catch up day here at La Casa Pastoral.  But today was a day for organizing and making gift packets.  We have a big community wide meeting on Thursday the 17^th and each Directiva person who shows up gets a gift.  And there is a raffle as well.

So we wrapped presents for the raffle (things gathered over the last few months… A juice pitcher with 4 glasses, 4 coffee cups and saucers, a ‘tea towel’ and 2 mugs … a year long ‘calendar planner’ (I had that in my stash and thought it would make a decent gift).  They let me wrap.  And Cecilia made homemade bows.  My mom taught me how to wrap presents really well.  And apparently the style and method are a bit different here… Idalia was watching me closely and commented to Cecilia… ‘she can really do that!’ – I told them about my mom and how I learned from the best and how it is part of our tradition in my family to spend lots of time in the wrapping.  And how it is more fun to do that work with someone … and especially fun if you can be sneaky and wrap someone’s present right in front of them and they don’t even know it…

Then Cecilia and Blanca went shopping.  The gift bags for the community folk consist of food ‘staples’ like oil, sugar, salt, rice, juice, cookies, etc.  We also bought a ‘juacal’ the water scooping container used here which are about 15 inches in diameter and 6 inches deep.  All the goodies would be bagged and put in this container. 

I got to help by picking up the goods in the truck after they purchased the stuff.  Then we hauled it all into the entry room and started sorting.

First thing we needed to do was to divide the 50# sacks of rice into 2 pound bags.  We had little clear bags, a scoop and a scale.  Cecilia and Otilia filled the bags, I weighed them (adding to or taking out to make them exactly right) and then we all tied the bags up.  Not a twist-tie in sight!  Overall we needed about 200 of those two pound bags.

After that, we started putting together the packets.  Cecilia and I started that while Otilia arranged and bagged the goods. 

By this time it was almost 3 p.m.  And I knew that there was a mass and a procession to celebrate the Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe.  I knew this because today is her special day and at about 4:30 a.m., the loud noisemakers were going off at the church and the pretty music could be heard from inside my room… this was for the 5 a.m. procession which I politely declined to attend.  Haha

I wanted to go to the 3 p.m. procession and felt bad about abandoning the work.  But I was told to go because I needed to see it.  I was told that lots of people dress up in indigenous clothing.  I figured it would be a great opportunity for photos.  And I was right.

I got there about 3:10.  Things had not quite started but there were lots of people in and around the church.  And most of the children were dressed colorfully and in heavy make-up and even some of the adults were dressed colorfully. 

I went into the church and took some photos of the front altar area which was very brightly decorated and then found a seat – I was able to take some photos from there as well. 

Mass finally started about 3:20.  Fr. Jacobo was celebrating so I figured it would not last too long.  But I was wrong.  It lasted almost two hours.  Afterwards, we all went outside to get ready for the procession.  It took about 45 minutes for them to prepare the float and to get the children secured in it.  There was a brightly costumed child representing each continent on the float.

Then there was the gathering of the procession leaders – the brass and drum band, a dozen altar children holding special candles… the ‘speakers on wheels’ to help everyone hear the singing and prayers … and it finally started around 5:45.  By this time it was beginning to get dark.  And I knew this would last a couple of hours.  So I walked with the crowd taking photos for two blocks only.  When they turned left to continue on … I turned right to go home.  I really didn’t want to walk back home in the dark.  And I didn’t have my phone with me to call the ladies to let them know I’d be home late… so I bailed out early. 

But the CROWDS!  Wow.   Picture two long blocks FULL of people.  This IS a big day here.  This is a special celebration that I learned is more typical to Latin American countries.  And it is also a day to celebrate the culture, history and traditions of the native peoples of each Latin American country.  

I’m glad I got to play!