Category: Blog

Maybe we were seeing through a blindfold…We managed to distinguish some needs, but it was not clear at all. ENLACE helped us remove this. Now we can see. -Pastor Juan Ramírez

Chantusnene, a village located in San Juan Bautista in the department of La Libertad, was founded in 1996 by a group of 64 families fleeing the devastation of war and seeking a new life. Juan Ramírez was just a boy when he came as part of these families, but he and his new community worked together to build Chantusnene from the ground up.

As Juan grew to adulthood, he became a respected leader in this community even though he wasn’t a Christian at the time. Once Juan met his wife, Yanira, and they began a family that would eventually grow to include seven children, her prayers that he would begin to follow Christ were answered. In 2006 he became the lead pastor of the Casa del Alfarero Church, Chantusnene.

Even though Juan was taught that his ministry did not include community service, his good relationship with the mayor and strong relationships with the community that had been built over 16 years, made his community involvement a given. It was not uncommon for Pastor Juan to be asked to intercede during conflicts or help with charity projects. In this way, Pastor Juan believed he was well aware of the needs, desires and challenges within his community.

In 2011 Pastor Juan attended a conference in which he learned of ENLACE from an inspiring presentation given by Pastor Rafael González from the Nueva Jerusalén Church. Pastor Rafael spoke about what his church had been doing in the city of Comecayo. After Pastor Juan began to partner with ENLACE he said, “I thought I knew enough about my community to help them. But ENLACE taught me and my leaders techniques that opened our eyes the real needs and our church’s potential.”

As their vision of service changed, Juan, his leaders, and the community identified more than 30 needs. Of these needs, the church prioritized five projects that would enable them to significantly connect to their neighbors. No longer would the church simply provide chairs for wakes or financial help to mourners as they had in the past. They were excited to discover that they as a church offered much more than that.

This new vision of transformation began when the church surprised the students and teachers of a local public school by repaving their dilapidated courtyard in a weekend. The church managed the project from start to finish which included masons, materials, volunteers and a tight schedule. This experience brought both the church and students so much joy that the church has moved on with gusto to their next projects. These projects include securing and distributing wheelchairs from an international company and providing the space for workshops that help single mothers acquire new, marketable skills like sewing and baking.

Gerson DeLeon was only 19 years old when his pastor noted his hard work ethic and asked him to lead a small congregation. During that time, he found that his heart was most burdened for young children and youth. That burden led him to an opportunity to work for one year with a project with The Samaritan’s Purse. After that work concluded, he joined the staff of Compassion International where he worked for the next seven years. According to Gerson, both experiences were very rewarding and allowed him to learn much about working in rural communities.

When the contract with Compassion International ended, Gerson began looking for a job that would support both his wife of three years, Ada, and their year-old son, Esteban. Even though he had a degree in International Relations, Gerson found work as a school teacher. Soon, however, the opportunity to join the ENLACE staff as a Church Coach appeared. Gerson believed it was God’s leading and said, “God has led me on this path for years.”

Over ten years have gone by since Gerson pastored a small group of believers. Now he serves as a Church Coach to five churches in the Santa Ana Region. Explaining his experience he says, “I believe the role of a Church Coach is vital because he spends a lot of time in the community and can see not only the community’s needs but also the opportunities that exist for the church to collaborate with its community to bring about solutions…And I like to be where there is need.”

Two small, rural churches in El Salvador are making a huge impact in their communities. They are listening to their neighbors, walking with them and helping to create sustainable projects that alleviate poverty. The very humble congregations are installing tilapia farms, planting home gardens, building eco-stoves all the while demonstrating God’s love in both word and deed. You can join this momentum and change lives in radical and life-giving ways!   

 The ENLACE staff in El Salvador surprised the Bueno Family with a video of appreciation during the 20th Anniversary Gala. The Buenos were incredibly moved by this and especially loved the soccer-cheer at the end! Ole!

Antonia and her children in front of their crumbling adobe house.Antonia and María Trinidad are two hard-working and courageous women living in El Triunfo, El Salvador. Like many other rural women, their lives have not been easy; the long days of working in the sun are etched on their faces. Making ends meet for themselves and their children means farming, cooking, cleaning, gathering wood and hauling water every day.

Antonia, has four children. Elmer is 11 years old and attends school. Jefferson Isaias and Jefferson David (eight-year-old twins) remain home with little sister, Keiry who is seven. Their father has long since left the family and they survive from what Antonia can make farming, which is about $5 a day.

Similarly, Maria Trinidad (photo) is a single mother raising two children, Jaqueline (13) and Eldi (10). Maria Trinidad has raised them on her own since they were very young. She works from sun up to sun down trying to make ends meet.

The dwellings that both families lived in were terribly run down. During the rainy season there was always a strong fear that the houses would collapse. The daub and wattle was so old that the walls would crumble at a mere touch. The rusty aluminum sheets and plastic roof provided little in the way of protection from small animals and the rain.

As ENLACE helped the local church work with community leaders to respond to the needs in their community, the need for adequate housing was identified as well as possible beneciaries. These two women and their children were among the first on the list. Many members of the church live in similar situations but they were excited that they could show God’s love to their neighbors who were living with such extreme need. Both women worked alongside the church volunteers as their new homes were built and they established new and deep friendships.

Antonia’s new home. She and her children are healthier, safer and more connected to their church and community!Antonia and Maria Trinidad were so appreciative that even though they are not part of the church, they have joined the church team that is creating an eco-stove project with the community. This development of friendship and connection has dramatically changed Antonia and Maria’s experience of life and the possibilities for their children. Truly, a home is more than a home! 

(Antonia and Maria are just two of the many beneficiaries to receive new homes in El Triunfo. A complete picture gallery is coming soon!)

Projects such as these wouldn’t be possible without ENLACE walking alongside the church and community providing technical assistance and support. Click here and Let Your Light Shine this holiday season by making a donation to families like Antonia and Maria’s!  

In rural El Salvador, the lack of income-generating opportunities make it a huge challenge for many men to remain rooted to their locality and to their families. Other challenges such as the lack of education and health care along with poor access to nutritious food sources, create situations of chronic stress and anxiety.They often have to leave their homes to find work in a city or in other countries. Many men, unable to provide for their dependents, leave the family altogether.

Some, like José, turn to alcohol as a way to escape these realities. José, now 33, described his life as a “lake of sadness” wherein he smothered his despair in alcohol. His dependency grew and despite being a part of a loving family, he believed there was no hope for him. Out of desperation in mid-2011, he reached out to Mauricio, a pastor of a local church to ask for prayer. Mauricio and his congregation welcomed him in with open arms, and José, finding in the church a place of refuge, ceased drinking.

Soon after, a church member and neighbor invited José to join him in a home garden project that ENLACE had helped the church to start. Since José had no land and no consistent way to provide food for his family, José joined the project with gratitude and hope. For the last two years, José  has not only planted and harvested a variety of nutritious vegetables with his neighbor, he’s remained sober and become a leader of an another ENLACE development project where he teaches community members how to build and use eco-stoves.

The story of José and the Cristo Vive church is not an isolated one; in fact, all over El Salvador rural churches are straining towards their communities, desiring to minister effectively to their neighbors. ENLACE is currently walking alongside over 69 churches which are transforming the lives of thousands. These churches are reaching out to their neighbors through home garden, eco-stove, home building and community safety projects, meeting both physical the spiritual needs.

Nohemy’s entire family used to get sick from the smoke from the open cooking fire they used to cook in their home. With the eco-stove, now their home is a healthy place to gather. 

Cooking with wood on open fires inside their homes has caused illness, deforestation and loss of income in poor communities around the world. A $200 eco-stove is a simple and appropriate technology solution that directly addresses these problems in El Salvador. ENLACE works with local churches, helping to train leaders to serve those of greatest risk and need in their communities. You can help a family breathe easier and live longer by giving to the Cooking Up Love campaign!

To celebrate this Mother’s day, ENLACE interviewed a mother and daughter who came together to El Salvador on a service team. Their story is one of courage and healing. ENLACE wishes Marlene and all courageous mother’s around the globe, who set amazing examples of love for their children, a Happy Mother’s Day!