Day 2 El Salvador 2015
Sunday was the first full day in El Salvador for our team of 24 people. We are also teamed up with another Thrivent team with 19 members, which includes team members from Minnesota, Iowa, Blair, Wahoo and elsewhere.We left our hotel in San Salvador and made the one hour drive to Santa Ana. It’s amazing to see how they plant corn anwhere they can — on the side of mountains and all the way to the road. They do all the work by hand.
We had the honor of attending worship in the new Cristo Rey temple. Last year, our group was one of the first to begin working to build a new temple for the congregation. We helped dig the holes for the foundation. Now, one year later there is a beautiful, large temple. The temple has a lot more natural light than the previous church, a beautiful concrete floor and windows on the side that let in a breeze. The members of the congregation worked with so many groups to help build the temple, and you can tell they are very proud of their new temple. They now have restrooms and a sound system.
It was great to see so many members of the congregation from prior trips here, and they welcome us with the most genuine hugs and smiles. When we arrived at the temple there was only a few members from the congregation there, but by the middle of the service the entire temple was filled with people in pews and the extra chairs they kept bringing in. Many from Cristo Rey must travel from a long distance, or rely on inconsistent bus service to get there. But they come.
Pastor Carlos thanked Sheridan several times for our partenership. During the service, Kelli Green helped lead music. Cathy Alley and Ronnie Green each read lessons. Pastor Greg gave communion, which many in our group appreciated.
Nila and Jody presented a gift to the church on behalf of the Sheridan community. It was a photo of the Sheridan church and a blessing for their church. This moment was a highlight for me. Nila was speaking to the church members in Spanish, and I could not understand her. But in the back of the room I watched two women from the congregation hooked on her every word, smiling and rising from their seat to see the presentation. I could tell they felt connected to us. The bond we share with this community here is a blessing to both sides.
Each member of our group has great gifts that make the trip a success each year, one of which is having Nila, a spanish teacher at a Lincoln high school. Through Nila, we hear stories and learn more about the families. We also get to hear both her and the people from the church laugh together as they share stories. It’s one of the most beautiful sounds you’ll ever hear. Pastor Carlos was very honored to have another pastor there. At the end, each Pastor gave the same blessing. It was a goose-bump moment.
After the service, Pastor Greg had a great message for our friends. Pastor Carlos asked for our continued prayers for the people in El Salvador. Pastor Greg said we (Sheridan) also need the people from Criso Rey to pray for us. Their faith is inspiring, and their joy is contagious.
We enjoyed a nice afternon at a lake. After two days here mostly spent eating great food, prepared with so much care for us, traveling and learning about the country and some of the challenges the people face, we are excited to get to work helping to build homes or other needed projects on Monday morning.
Brent Wagner