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Worldwide Trips
> Volunteer Journal > El Salvador Community pilot trip - Christy's Journal
El Salvador Community pilot trip - Christy's Journal
Christy Fellner - Thrivent Builds Worldwide Coordinator
Saturday, July 5
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| Patty Cordero and Willie Nemeth eating ice cream with no hands |
The team arrived Saturday afternoon to a humid day in San Salvador, El Salvador. We were quickly skirted to the side of the airport while the "real" stars of the week arrived - The World Wrestling Association and their hugely muscled men. It's too bad the wrestlers were coming for an event and not to help us haul dirt- we could have used their help this week!
After we rounded up the group we were escorted to a van by the lovely Patty from Habitat for Humanity El Salvador. Patty acted as our tour guide as we drove through the beautiful mountains and valleys of El Salvador. In addition to the lush countryside I saw more coconut, banana, and mango stands than I have ever seen. It felt like a tropical paradise as we headed to Santa Ana to begin our week of building.
Once we arrived in Santa Ana we were treated to a traditional ice cream in a pink cone bowl (no spoons allowed). In the evening we enjoyed dinner on the hotel roof near the garden and were able to overlook the city that we had briefly toured after our orientation. The city center was quaint, with a gazebo, a government building and a cathedral.
Sunday, July 6
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| Christo Rey Lutheran Church |
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| Patty Cordero at Lake Coatepeque |
Because folks were tired from traveling, we decided to have our first team discussion at breakfast rather than Saturday night. The focus was on why we had decided to come on the trip. Answers ranged from a desire to see our faith in action, to a desire to see a new country, experience a new culture, and an appreciation for the discount received by being a member of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. We also discussed the idea of equality and the Bible passage 2 Corinthians 8:12-14 "for if there is first a willing mind…" anything is possible. I remembered back to junior high school and the first mission trip I ever went on with Faith Lutheran Church. We went to Mexico to help build an orphanage and brought down small terracotta pots that we painted with the community. Before we left, I remember thinking "who would want a stupid painted pot?" But once we finished painting them, a woman from the community spoke up and said "Thank you so much, now I finally have something for my front porch." It was then that I realized how much it means to people to have something that they can call their own. That is why I go on these trips. I want to do my part to ensure that one more family has something that they can call their own - a home.
After breakfast we loaded up the van and headed over to Cristo Rey Lutheran Church for their morning service. From the street you would not have known it was a church, with its crumbling walls and muddy courtyard…but once inside, you felt the presence of God in an immense way. One of the first songs we sang had the chorus "déjame sentir el fuego de tu amor aqui en mi corazón Señor - Let me feel the fire of your love in my heart Lord." I prayed that I would feel God's presence in our work.
The church service, though I could not understand everything because of my limited Spanish abilities, was well received and inspiring. The woman who sat next to me helped me find page numbers in the song book throughout the service. She, along with many other members of the congregation, was very welcoming as they shared their communion table with us. After the service, which had been about the cross as a symbol of hope, the pastor presented each of us with a wooden cross that we could wear around our necks and the children sang for the congregation. It was very moving, and hard to say goodbye, but after a round of handshakes and hugs we headed to a lake for lunch.
Lake Coatepeque was beautiful. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, it boasts a legend that once there was an earthquake so great beneath it that the water was completely sucked away…only moments later to be shot straight up into the air like a geyser before finally resettling as if nothing had happened. I'm not sure if the story is true or not, but the lake, the traditional Salvadoran food, and the opportunity to meet one of the partner families made for a great afternoon.
Before calling it a night, we decided to take a stroll to the city center. Santa Ana Cathedral was open so we went inside and looked around. The pews were not full, but the singing of a hundred or so people filled the enormous sanctuary and brought a tear of joy to my eyes. As we walked home that evening I was once again humbled, this time by the people of El Salvador. I loved the way that everyone on the street smiled and waved - it brought a beauty to the worn down crumbling walls and littered streets. These people are beautiful and I am humbled to be among them.
Monday, July 7
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| El Salvador Community Team: Jed, Christy, Richard, Willie and Joe |
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| Walter and Mario |
Monday was the first day at the build site. It was interesting to see the homes that had already been finished in the community and the families who lived there. At the end of the main street, in their beginning stages, we also saw the three duplexes that we would help to work on. At first we all looked around as the masons began to work, none of us exactly sure what we should do and timid to try our limited, if non-existent Spanish speaking skills. Willie, our team leader, was the first to dive in and start communicating. He got Joe and Richard hauling cement blocks to the site while Jed and I began with sifting sand. But as the day went on the work and the interactions between "us," the volunteers and "them," the masons and local workers, became more integrated. We were all working side by side on the scaffolding, filling mortar where the masons laid brick, using sign language to communicate and laughing the day away.
The key phrase I learned today from Willie was "nececitas ayuda? or ¿Can I help you?" This simple phrase opened up many doors and allowed me the opportunity to work beside the local masons and helpers. In particular, I was able to work with Jose Napoleon, an older gentleman who was a bit quieter than the rest of the crew but who was extremely hard working. He took great pride in his daughter who was currently working in a bank. It was amazing to see how this community of Habitat for Humanity homes – which will hopefully inspire a full Thrivent Builds Worldwide Community - was not only helping the families moving into the homes, but also families of the men working to help build the homes. The community ensured a work load that allowed them the opportunity to help their children succeed, and in the case of Napoleon you could tell he was more than moved by the partnership that was helping to raise the El Salvador Community and ensure that his daughter would have an easier life than he had.
Another blessing of working in the community is the kids around the site. We had many curious onlookers, in particular two young boys Walter and Mario who kept peeking in the windows and giggling. As I watched them, I wondered what their lives had been like before their families had moved into the community. Had they known each other or had their friendship grown as the walls did around them? Had they laughed and smiled in the past like they could now, knowing that they had a secure roof over their heads? In the end it didn't matter what the before answers were, the end result was two playful, giggling, boys who would have the joy of growing up together in a safe community. The Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip I was on would ensure that six more families with kids just like Mario and Walter would grow up in a better way, too.
Tuesday, July 8
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| Patty and Willie: making friends |
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| Willie hauling dirt |
Tuesday's work was a bit more intense than Monday's work had been. We had reached a more crucial stage in the block laying, which meant that the more skilled mason labor was required. That also meant it was time for our team to do a little more grunt work. We spent most of the day moving dirt and sand in wheelbarrows inside the home to form the floor foundations. Joe was our hauling mule. He never seemed to stop with the wheelbarrow, even when I felt my shoulders were about ready to detach from my arms. Richard shoveled dirt the entire day. He reminded me of when Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox competed against the electric saws and the train. I doubted that a back hoe could have moved dirt much faster than Richard did today! I was glad that I had been given the task of taking photos and journaling since it not only gave me a break from the work, but also allowed me the opportunity to walk around the site and connect more with people.
At the end of the day we talked about how exhausted we were and how excited we were about what we had already accomplished in only two days. We also chatted about how nice it was to see the families in the community taking pride in their yards, gardening and keeping the areas tidy around their respective homes.
Wednesday, July 9
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| Christy enjoying a Salvadoran meal |
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| Breaking the piñata |
By day three the masons were joking with us, showing us their muscles and telling us how we were VERY STRONG, even though the 16-year-old kid Alfredo could run a wheelbarrow twice as full as mine down the road that I barely could walk down after two or three trips. The masons also were beginning to trust us more and were asking us to help them more than they had the first two days. Antonio, one of the head masons even traded hard hats with me and began calling me "El jefe - the boss," and laughing.
The afternoon we were in for a treat: a cultural festival with food, families, community interactions and even a piñata. Many of the families in the community had prepared traditional Salvadoran food for us. Papusas, beans, fruit, and pastalitos - which we learned how to make! Everything was delicious and the interaction with the families was wonderful. We met one woman who was hoping to partner with Habitat for Humanity in the future. Her story made me truly understand the necessity for Thrivent Builds Worldwide to partner with El Salvador to create a community. In El Salvador, a family must own land to be eligible for a Habitat home. But land is expensive and difficult for many families to purchase. The community model allows families who do not own land - like this woman's - to have a chance to partner with Habitat since the land is already available and the costs are built into the home cost. Thus, families usually unable to purchase land or get bank loans now have the opportunity to get a loan through Habitat and start building for their future. Her story was very touching and I pray that this pilot trip turns into a community in the future so more families in El Salvador will have this same opportunity.
The woman, even though she herself currently did not have a home, welcomed us, shared her food with us and treated us like her sisters and brothers in Christ. Her story reminded me of Mark 12:41-44: "They all gave out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on." Here we were, the five of us coming down to help build homes and strengthen relationships, giving of ourselves and here we were met by a woman who possessed far less, but who was willing to give just as much.
Once the eating and story sharing had started to slow, the piñata was hung and the bat swinging began. The children of the community were the first ones to start swinging. With each hit, a mob of children dove for the few sweets that fell from the clown. It was so fun to see the kids laughing and the parents smiling as they shared their traditions with us. We also had fun smashing cascarones- confetti eggs - on each other's heads. It was a day of fun, laughter and cultural interactions. In short, it was a BLAST!
Thursday, July 10
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| Volunteers are VERY STRONG |
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| Enjoying a nice dinner out |
Today was another good day. The masons and helpers were asking more questions, telling more jokes and we were all working together more closely than we had on any of the other days. In addition, we finished moving the dirt and sand into all the rooms. Jed finished stomping it down and smoothing it out so that it was ready for cement to be laid and tiles to be placed down to form what would be the family's floors. We also did a lot of work clearing the area around the home of stumps and roots. The progress made this week has been truly amazing.
In the evening we had the joy of a traditional dinner in town with Cristina, the Habitat for Humanity architect, and Fernando. We had a traditional meal of papusas, beans and a fried plantain with a vanilla custard - YUM! The small group interaction was really nice and gave us the opportunity to hear some great stories about El Salvador as well as the area Habitat for Humanity program. It was wonderful to hear people talk so passionately about their country.
Friday, July 11
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| Aberto and Christy saying farewell |
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| Mariachi band |
The morning devotional was given by one of the partner families today. They taught us how to sing two Christian songs in Spanish. While it was difficult to keep up with the words, it was quite powerful. Glenda, their daughter, sat next to me and sang her heart out. What a beautiful child. The words shared were also very powerful and made for a great start to the last day on the worksite.
It was a bittersweet feeling working today, as we wanted to get as much done as possible…and at the same time didn't want it to end. After the tools were put away, we joined together for a farewell ceremony. Jose Napoleon, who had been one of the most reserved masons on the build site, was the first to cry as he bid us farewell and thanked us for our work. He blessed us and thanked God for the time we had shared together. But it was I who felt I needed to be thanking him, thanking all of them for the opportunity to work together. Thanking them for sharing their stories. Thanking them for renewing my faith in humanity. Thanking them for reminding me why I get up and go to work in the morning, for reminding me what it is all about, for reminding me the difference a small group of dedicated people can make to impact the world and make it a little brighter. I hope my tears and my hugs let them know how much they had meant to me, as well.
The somber mood of the farewell was lifted when a mariachi band showed up and began playing to celebrate the birthdays in the month of July. I had never seen a real mariachi band before - they were great! And the community jumped right into dancing and singing with one another. It was a wonderful sendoff.
It was later, during the ride to the beach for a little rest and relaxation, that I was able to really begin to process all that had taken place during the week. While reflecting, I came back to my initial thoughts of what I had expected or had desired to get out of the week. I wanted to show my faith in action, and like 1 John 3:16-18 states "…Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action." This week was truly a profession of my faith in action and it most definitely lived up to and exceeded any expectations I had before I came.
Saturday, July 12
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| Salvadoran sunrise |
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| Cows on the beach |
Ah, what a perfect way to end the week - a day at the beach. I got up early so I could watch the sun rise over the ocean. It was breathtaking. Except for the herd of cows that seemed to follow me and the few stray dogs, I basically had the beach to myself. I picked up sand dollars and shells as I meandered barefoot down the beach. Once I reached the point, I saw fishermen heading out in their small boats or throwing nets into the surf to see what they could catch. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and playing in the waves. What a wonderful, wonderful experience!
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