Category: Blog

On Thursday, January 18 at 2:45pm I received a telephone call that I will never forget. Peter DeSoto a long-time friend and ENLACE co-worker had been shot in the neck. Peter and four ENLACE staff members were assaulted while coming home from a field visit with a long-time church partner in Abelines.

I burst out in tears as I waited to hear more news regarding Peter’s condition. My wife and close friends rushed to be with Dara, Peter’s wife, as we prayed and waited together for more news.

News slowly came in that Peter and the other four passengers in the car had arrived safely to the regional Hospital. He was stable, moving his arms and legs and talking. We continued to pray and wait for Peter to be moved by helicopter from the regional hospital to one located in San Salvador. He arrived and then was rushed to surgery.

At 1AM the doctors came out of surgery and told us that they had successfully removed the bullet and reconstructed his esophagus. They were amazed that the bullet had not damaged any major vein, spinal chord or the trachea. A group of his friends and co-workers thanked God for Peter’s life and prayed for his quick recovery.

Over the following week, we saw the body of Christ care for Peter, Dara, their children, and the ENLACE staff in the most amazing way. Peter’s parents and good friends have rallied around him and his family. Friends of ENLACE have called, emailed, prayed and sent flowers. Church and community leaders from various different communities have visited and prayed for Peter and Dara and for the ENLACE staff. I have all felt God’s presence every moment as have Peter and Dara and to the rest of the staff.

Even so the ENLACE staff has been stunned, afraid and overwhelmed. We have been traveling to Abelines for close to 8 years and nothing has ever happened to anyone. We listened to each other and gave each other the grace to speculate and fear, but knew we had to respond immediately to the church and community leaders in Abelines. We knew we had to return to assure our commitment to the church and community leaders and affirm their amazing work over the last 8 years.

One week after the shooting, several of us from the ENLACE staff returned to Abelines. A church leader met us at the bottom of the mountain, and we went up together. We met with leaders from two churches, a community association, health committee and representatives from the public school. We were all very happy to see each other. We prayed for Peter and thanked God for his powerful intervention and protection. We then began to talk about the event. They were extremely concerned for our team. They began to suggest a series of strategies to prevent future attacks. As a result, in the future they will escort us on different routes up and down the mountain. They also suggested police escort for teams.

The discussion then went from protecting our team to a general awareness that the violence in Abelines was a risk to their entire community. They began to discuss that there is no way that a small group of violent burglars could destroy or set-back all the positive changes they had worked for over the years. They stated that the majority of the community still has an incredibly positive vision of what the community could be and were willing to continue to invest time, effort and money to make it happen. As they talked, you could see the excitement they had about creating a community security plan that could help the entire community and help fulfill their shared vision for their neighbors.

We were all energized by the conversation and vowed to take concrete steps to build together a safer Abelines. We agreed to invite the leaders from all the four churches, community associations, health committee and three public schools to the next meetings to discuss the risks and possible solutions. It was truly incredible to watch the community leaders go from a sense of hopelessness and sadness to one of encouragement and excitement. It confirmed in us God’s call to equip the local church to transform their communities. It is such an honor to work alongside the church and community leaders of Abelines and El Salvador.

Please continue to pray for the DeSoto family as Peter recovers and rejoins his normal family life routine. Also pray for peace, rest and strength for Dara and the children. As well, we ask that you pray for the ENLACE family and church and community leaders as we listen to God and to each other each day. Thank you so much for all your care and support.

Ron Bueno

Co-founder and executive director of ENLACE

Peter (center) with his parents (far left) and church and community leaders from Las Delicias

LINKS:

CLICK HERE TO SEE A VIDEO OF PETE, THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, DESCRIBING THE CLINIC EXPANSION IN ABELINES

CLICK HERE TO SEE A HEALTHY COMMUNITIES INTERVIEW IN ABELINES– Blanca and Elena, original members of the Abelines health committee, tell what they have learned over the years and how it has affected the health of their community.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A CHURCH AND COMMUNITY INTERVIEW IN ABELINES– church leader Isabel Romero and pastor Victorio Paz of the Abelines Assembly of God church describe how five years of training and biblical reflection through ENLACE’s church and community program has impacted their church and community.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PHOTO GALLERY OF ABELINES

CLICK HERE TO SEE AN ABELINES COMMUNITY PROFILE

check out our latest additions to the website.

SAN JOSE EL NARANJO VOCATIONAL WORKSHOP INTERVIEW

CREDIT RECIPIENT INTERVIEWS

Kate Joslin, a friend from California, writes about San Jose El Naranjo

Leaving the hustle and bustle of San Salvador in the rearview mirror, our jeep bounced along roads to the rural town of San Jose El Naranjo. The sights were common for my companions but pigs roaming the streets and old men strolling with machetes in hand were not something I was accustomed to in California. During my two-week visit to El Salvador, I was blessed with the unique privilege of visiting a local church ENLACE has been building a relationship with and training for the past five years.

Upon arriving at the Jerusalem Church, sparks flew as many teenagers welded iron bars together. Pastor Marco Antonio Melara informed me these teenagers were part of a vocational training program launched in November 2006. With twenty-seven local students enrolled, I assumed this was one of the many projects ENLACE helped organize. How surprised I was to learn that ENLACE had no direct role in the initiative, but that the Jerusalem Church had designed it on their own. Resources were pulled from within the church and contact was even made for government funding through the Mayor’s office and Ministry of Education. Instructor Elio Adonai Moran Lopez explained the reason for his involvement with the students, “I’m doing all that I can so that later they can fend for themselves.” This training program, complete with a certificate of completion, will help young men learn a skill they may potentially use in the workforce.

The ENLACE workers and I were greatly encouraged to see the Jerusalem Church reaching out to their local community. Pastor Marco explained, “as a church we have the responsibility and a mandate from God to help people however we can.” I felt very fortunate to be able to witness firsthand the fruit of ENLACE’s ministry. This church was applying the training provided by Enlace to serve their community in new ways.

As we left San Jose El Naranjo my thoughts drifted back to the buzz of the welding torch. The love the Jerusalem Church displayed toward those in their community was clearly evident. These were believers in the same God I worshipped and yet they were doing so much with the little they had. I was greatly challenged to serve those around me in California with the same unselfish and focused commitment. As a Christian, I say I believe a lot of things. But if my life is not radically different because of God’s transforming grace, then what do I really believe? My actions either confirm or deny the words that come out of my mouth.

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” Matthew 25:44-45

-Kate Joslin

check out a video testimonial of the project:

Our annual pastor and church leader’s retreat is the highlight of the year for our church and community program. It is a three day retreat that included seeking God together in prayer, sharing experiences from their contexts, Biblical training on servant leadership, and planning for next year’s initiatives. This year, we invited pastors and church leaders from our four most committed communities.

click here to see video testimonials about the event

click here to see the photo gallery of the event

TESTIMONIALS

“We are now actively fulfilling the integral mission of the church… our goal is that there will be restored relationships between the church and community; relationships of friendship, confidence and trust.”  -Marcos Melara. pastor, san jose el naranjo

“I learned how to be organized in my church and community. With what we have learned here, we will increase the work of the lord in our community.”  -Victorio paz. pastor, community of Abelines

“My leaders and I are now thinking how to expand and promote the integral mission in other churches while getting more involved with our community.” -Miguel Duran. pastor. las delicias

“I have learned how to be better united with my community and how to be a better leader through service.” -Marleni Gonzalez de Mendez. Church leader, el tinteral

“The church and community program provides the core inspiration and training for all the church and community initiatives to happen.” -Alfredo Vargas. director of operations, ENLACE

OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE

This Christmas help support ENLACE’s church and community program so that we can respond to the fast growing opportunity to support local churches in El Salvador.

For more information, please contact us at partner@enlaceonline.org or call Peter DeSoto, Director of partnership Development, at 949-269-2200. We would love to hear from you!