Reflections...

We have been home for over a week now...back to work, our families, and our everyday life. But for all of us, things are just a little bit different. We have come home revitalized, with a renewed purpose and spirit. We bring home a bit of El Salvador with us- the families, the children, the masons, the language, the food, and our new friendships with each other. These are the thoughts of the trip from our group:

Gayle- I enjoyed being part of the team and sharing this great journey with everyone. Looking forward to the reunion!!

Mel- It was such a blessing to spend another week in El Salvador, building friendships, homes and hope. Me encanta la gente de El Salvador!

Meg- I’m thankful for the opportunity to meet some amazing people and make new friends, all while doing God’s work. I feel like I brought a little piece of El Salvador home with me.

Jane- It was a time of faith, family and fun...to spend with our brother and sisters in Christ. What a great experience that we all touched each others lives...and spread little of God’s love throughout El Salvador.

Paul- It was a time of building relationships, homes, community, friendships, faith, team, memories and hope at the Villa Esperanza and now back home at Christ Church.

Laurie- Villa Esperanza offers more dirt, sweat, good food and fun than anyone could possibly imagine...

Brad- I had a fantastic time. The Salvadorians were/are incredible people. Between that and the evolving friendships; we all built a lot more than just homes.

Al- Words cannot convey the experiences, friendships, the emotions, the love that was given by the wonderful people of El Salvador. It was truly a life changing adventure that I will never forget. God bless to all of my new friends both here and there for taking care of the old guy. I hope that when you look at an outdoor septic tank and drainage ditch you’ll remember me.

Kevin- I am thankful for the opportunity to travel to a different part of the world to build relationships, make new friends, work hard, and in the process enable families to purchase decent and affordable houses.

Diane- The experience was so much more rewarding the second time around...I felt like I was going to visit family. The smiles and hugs and love are felt through the language barrier. It was great to share the experience with some of my dearest friends, and I enjoyed the new ones I made along the way. See you next year, El Salvador!

Gracias a todos por su apoyo y oraciones!

Sunny Saturday (8/21)

I think it's safe to say we thoroughly enjoyed our weekend of rest and relaxation following our week-long build. We were staying at the Pacific Paradise Hotel, right along the Pacific coast (aptly named...) The cabanas had two double rooms each, a patio, and we looked right over the pool out to the beach. It was very quiet and relaxing.

We started the day sleeping in (of course!) and off to breakfast. We wouldn't want to miss a meal, since we were used to being fed 4,000 calories a day, plus we had to make up for lost food poisoning time. We all spent the day doing our own thing. I promptly returned to bed to read and sleep- one of my guilty pleasures, and others took advantage of the location. Brad and Tag took an estuary boat tour. There was a long walk on the beach, some pool time, lunch with a coconut cocktail, jumping the waves in the ocean and more pool time. There must have been a Gringo-alert to the beach lifeguard, because he waved us back in...I don't think he wanted to rescue any inexperienced ocean swimmers that day.

We decided to end the afternoon with a communion service on the beach at sunset. The Seven Sisters joined us and it was a great way to end the week with reflections of gratitude in the reflections of God's beauty. Paul led the service and we had five readings...

Confession: Romans 7:14-20 I have sinned and can NOT do better, I need a savior.

Prayer: Romans 8:26-27 Spirit intercedes for us

Word: I John 4:7-12 Love is proof that God exists

Meal: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Do this in remembrance of me

Sending: John 20: 19-21 Peace be with you ... so I send you

The setting was just so beautiful and it was the perfect way to end the week. We also sang "Here I am Lord (I, the Lord, of sea and sky)". Very fitting.

We went off with just the 11 of us to finish our last night's devotional. We had another great discussion, talked about readjusting at home, and shared a prayer.

We had dinner together and topped the evening off with some karaoke. Thankfully, it was mostly just us, but a few Salvadorans popped in and stayed awhile. They were privy to us singing a range of songs from ballads to dance songs to sing-alongs. The staff was thoroughly entertained by us.

The highlight of the evening was Laurie's send-off. She was leaving early in the morning, so the rest of us girls stopped by to sing her goodbye. It was an impromptu singing of "So long, farewell" from "The Sound of Music". The icing on the cake was Jane picking up Gayle at the end of our little ditty and walking her off the "stage".

We did rest and relaxation Salvadoran-style. One more night in our adopted country until we head for home!

Farewell Friday (8/20)

We had a great last day at the worksite on Friday. We started with our usual devotion, with Ricardo leading us in prayer. Al read from 1 Corrinthians 3:10-15, "...but each should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid...", and Kathleen, on of our Seven Sisters' friends, read a beautiful devotion, reminding us that we came to El Salvador because we needed a healing in our lives, and being here allows us to see our lives from a different point of view.

Cristina spoke next- telling us that giving our time without pay is to show future generations in this community how it came to be, that there is a print in each of the homes that shows it was built with joy and strength.

Oscar, one of the masons, spoke next. Oscar told us that everything has a beginning and an end. He thanked those of us who came before and reminded us that each of us stays in El Salvador in their hearts.

Ricardo finished the devotion with his thoughtful, spiritual words. He told us that when Habitat gives keys to the family, the masons and volunteers realize how big a part of a good deed we all are. He wished us many blessings, that God brings us home safely, and finished with "Thank you and God bless"- in English!

Next we heard from Maria, a resident and on the community's board of directors. Maria is wheelchair-bound, and this is the first home that she has lived in that is handicap-accessible. She asked each of us to sign her volunteer log. She shows the log to the children in the community, to remind them that volunteering is important and wants them to follow that example. She is a wonderful role model in the community and very inspirational.

After our great inspirational morning, last bit of work, we had a fiesta after lunch! This group really knows how to party. The children in the day care center put on a show for us. They dressed up and sang and danced and were the hit of the party (which, by the way, someone might want to check Mel and Jane's suitcases- they may have tucked a nina in there...). A mariachi band came in and the dancing begun. I played the cowbell so well with the band, I was offered a job. We started a conga line and broke more of a sweat than at the worksite. After the dancing winded down (only because the music stopped...), we said our goodbyes to our new friends. It's so bittersweet to leave, but there is so much joy...amongst the masons, families and us.

After quickly packing up at Hotel Sahara, 19 of us headed to the beach- the 11 of us, and our Seven Sisterhood friends. The Ohio group opted for another weekend. We had a three hour drive down to Costa del Sol, on the Pacific coach. We made a stop in San Salvador and drove past the very large US Embassy. Upon arrival to the resort, we checked into our rooms and met up for dinner. After dinner we had our team meeting and evening devotion. It was a great way to wrap up the week. We read from Matthew 25:31-45, "...I was a stranger and you invited me in..."

Off for a good night's rest, then relaxation on the beach in the morning...

Welcomed home!

It's late, but just a quick note to our faithful followers (all 8 of you!) that we made it home safe. I will continue with some blog posts to let you know how the trip ended, but it's off to bed for now!

Tour of Santa Ana

Just a quick little note about Thursday...I have just a few minutes before we board the buses for our last day of work. A little wi-fi difficulty last night and trouble uploading pictures has put me behind a little bit.

We enjoyed a bit more than half a day at the worksite, doing the same jobs as the day before. We had some heavy rain in the afternoon that caused us to stop work a bit earlier than expected. We've been very lucky, though, for being in the rainy season, the rain has not stopped us from working. It alwasy seems to rain when we're inside.

In the afternoon, when it was sunny again, we took a walking tour of Santa Ana with Alex. He showed us the Cathedral, the Municipal building, the theatre, and the Centre for Arts. We snuck in the see the art and music lessons, and he surprised us with a little of his opera singing.

In the evening, we went to Lover's Steakhouse where we were treated with a delicious dinner and some singing with the band. It was a flashback to the '70s with Air Supply on the video screen and the band singing some Karen Carpenter. We did get a little "New York, New York", and we had a little kick-line action for entertainment.

Off to our last day at the site today. We'll say farewell to the village and masons, have a celebration and pack up for the weekend. We'll head to the beach tonight, and heading home on Sunday.

Not sure if I'll be able to blog at the beach, so if you're still awake after reading all of this, then congrats on making it through. We certainly look forward to sharing all of our stories with you when we get home.

Adios, amigos!

Pupusas and Pinata

We had another great day at the worksite today. All 11 of our team members were back to work, nearly all of us at full speed. There was some rain this morning, but it did not delay us in getting to work. We had our morning prayer by Rico, one of our masons, and Alex helped lead us in devotion. He discussed Mark 12:28- the two most important commandments...Love the Lord your God with all your heart...and love your neighbor as yourself. It put us in the right spirit to start the day.

It's amazing to see how quickly the houses have been coming along this week. As they say, the houses get built with or without us, and it's tough to determine if we slow the process down or not (my guess is yes...) The bricks continue to get higher, the septic holes keep getting deeper, and there are endless piles of sand and dirt to move from one location to another.

A little bit about the houses... Most of the houses are duplexes, and there are occasional single houses. The houses are 450 sq. ft, each with 4 rooms. There are 2 bedrooms and one large room divided by a half-wall. The front is usually a living area, and the back a kitchen area. However, many neighbors run small business out of their homes- a hair salon, and office store, gifts, etc. One woman has a washer in her back room. All of the houses have electricity and running water. There is a back porch that has a 3-basin sink- used for dishes, laundry, etc. There is a small bathroom off the back porch that has a shower stall and toilet. Each house has it's own septic system, which is where a lot of the hole digging comes into play. The septic system has three parts- a septic tank, a sink water run-off, and a cistern of sorts. All of these holes are dug by hand, and often large tree roots or rocks are encountered. This can make it tricky. Each house costs $7,000 to build from start to finish, including labor and materials.

We worked just a half day today and enjoyed the afternoon of cultural exchange. After lunch, a Salvadoran crepe of sorts, filled with chicken and vegetables, we played futbol with the masons. They are so good! There is a large futbol field close to the worksite that we can walk to. They mix up the gringos with the Salvadorans, and it is a little confusing as to who's on who's team. And the field is huge. Most of us had some good field time. Laurie brought her shin guards (good intimidation factor), Tag played in his soccer sandals, and Kevin defended the goal with his steel-toed boots. Al was our dark horse- he ran that ball down the field. It was a great release of energy.

After our futbol game, we returned to the community center. There was a traditional Mayan quartet that played for us. A lot of the music is South American inspired. There were multiple flutes, guitar and drums. They taught us how to dance, too. After the music, the neighborhood children took turns swinging at the pinata. They are pros! During that time, two neighborhood women were making us traditional Salvadoran cuisine- pupusas (cornmeal patties filled with beans and cheeses), pastelito (an empanada-like goodness filled with vegetables) and lechepoleada, a warm rice pudding with cinnamon. Our favorite phrase has been, "Comme se dice 'Yum' en espanol?", which means, "How do you say 'Yum' in Spanish?" The answer, "Yum." Bueno.

After our workday we returned to the hotel for the evening. Some of us splurged for a massage. Lesson for those of you getting a massage in El Salvador- they use lots of oil. I literally slipped on the floor when I stood up.

We had a great team meeting on the rooftop deck tonight. Al and Mel led us in our devotions, discussing hospitality- how we give and how we accept; and culture- differences and likeness. We had a great discussion on how we can bring that home with us, share it with all of you, and invite you to join us on our next trip.

"Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:1-3

Buenos noches, amigos.

Nearly back to full-strength!

All of your prayers must have worked! We had 7 of our 11 return to the worksite today, and all 11 of us came to dinner. After a day of rest, hydration, and over-the-counter ciprofloxacin (yes, over-the-counter- this could have some street value in Baltimore...), we're getting back on our feet. It's amazing what a full day and a full night of sleep will do for you.

Despite only 15 volunteers at the worksite today, it was a productive day. Mel and Meg painted, Brad worked on the rebar frame, Kevin and Al worked on digging out one of the septic holes, and Jane and I worked on the chispa. Chispa is a cement/mortar mixture that is used in many capacities in the house-building production. For this function it is used as mortar. It's mixed very specifically and purposefully and needs to be used quickly. The masons lay down the bottom layer of the bricks (smart move), level them off and let us go to town. We're convinced they fix all of our errors during our break time. Perhaps that is why they let us break so often.

During our break, we had to pleasure of visiting the children's center, which is on the back half of the community center. The children come from 730a-1130am, and we caught them during their break time. They were very open to having visitors and an audience. Their teacher kept them on task, and after their snack was over, they diligently went to pick up their toothbrushes and headed out onto the porch. They were lined up in front of a plastic cup of water with their name on it, and the teacher came by and put toothpaste on each of their toothbrushes. Then we got to see how far they could spit. All I can say, it was wise to stand to the side.

Mel and I took a walk down the road where we built last November. We knocked on Ana Victoria's door, and she welcomed us in. We worked with her and her family (daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter) in building their house. They moved in it in December, in time for Christmas. Their gardens are beautiful, and they have a puppy named Ranger. It was so great to see them settled in their home.

We ended the day at mid-afternoon break. We were taken to the Mayan ruins- Tazumal. The ruins date from AD 100 to AD 1200. It's main excavation was mid-20th century, and it's believed that only 10% of the structures are revealed. It is said to be the best preserved ruins in El Salvador.

For dinner, we headed to the country club. Somebody must know someone, and it was a nice peaceful way to spend the evening outside of the city. It's likely not a country club by US standards (although I don't think I've ever been to one to compare), but it has a pool, tennis courts, gym, futbol field, etc. We took a dip in the pool and had dinner outside under a canopy of trees. We were joined by our Habitat friend, Cristina, and her husband, Juan Alberto. We had traditional Salvadoran cuisine- papusas, beans, cheese, slaw, plantains, and cornbread dessert. Delish!

We enjoyed another team meeting up on the roof tonight, and finished our evening prayer just in time for the rain to start. It's hard to believe the trip is half-over now...

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people..." -Galatians 6:9-11

Epidemic in Santa Ana

Well, this was a very interesting day in Hotel Sahara. On a personal note, it started in Room Dos-Dos-Dos at 1am. I woke up with the aches and chills, headache, nausea, Jane not far behind me. It was a sleepless night, even after ibuprofen, Pepto, Dramamine, Cipro. At 6am, there was a knock on the door, and Paul told me we had another man down. In the next hour, there was word of 14 of our 27 people sick, all with pretty much the same symptoms. I made rounds on some folks, offered some pills and advice of rest and hydration, and made my way back to bed. It should also be noted that they were working on the roof all day long. At noon there was word that one of our women came back from the worksite- her symptoms were delayed. This was not good- total now at 15. All of our medical personnel were down- this was not good.

Luis Fernando, our Habitat liaison, contacted the office to let them know the situation. They have never seen anything like this. They had a doctor come to assess all of us, and her guess, as was ours, that this was some sort of food poisoning. We cannot figure out the common denominator. Now it was just on to manage the symptoms.

We were spoiled a little today. There were deliveries of Gatorade, soup, toast and fruit. We had our first doctor house-call. I think most of us are on the mend, with hopes to return to the worksite tomorrow.

In my brief communication from those who went today, the day at the worksite was productive, despite the small number of volunteers. Unlike Saturday, with lots of volunteer teams, the rest of the week will just be our 3 volunteer teams of 27. I'm sure the masons wondered where we all were today. And I'm sure there were many prayers said for our speedy recovery. I think the prayers worked- Jane and I are back to drinking our Coca-Cola lights.

You'll see only one picture from today. It sums up the feeling around the hotel.

Hasta manana.

Worship and Water

We enjoyed a day of rest in El Salvador today. Some of us chose to sleep in a little, while the true die-hards enjoyed a 20 minute workout DVD. Six people actually showed up for our workout on the rooftop deck! I'm sure the hotel staff thought we were nuts. Not so sure if we'll do it tomorrow.

We went to Sunday service at Iglesia Cristo Rey here in Santa Ana. Cristo Rey has two pastors- Pastor Carlos and Pastor Wilma. Pastor Wilma's congregation is about 30 mins. away. She holds 2 services during the week, then her congregation joins Pastor Carlos' on Sunday. There were about 30-40 congregants today, and about 30 of us. The congregants are mostly women and children, as the men in the household will relax and play futbol on Sundays, so they are not normally in church. The service was a traditional service- hymns, readings and a sermon. The hymns were acappella and in Spanish, so we had our work cut out for us. The children had the songs memorized and sang with such joy. The congregation was very welcoming to us, and offered us hugs of peace as we departed.

For lunch and our afternoon activity, we went to Lago de Coatepeque, this beautiful crater lake at the base of a volcano. It was a bit of a treacherous drive down a dirt road to get to lake-level, but once there, it was well worth it. The crater lake is 800 feet deep in the middle, and the hillsides have coffee and corn growing up their sides. We had lunch at a lake restaurant and took a couple of boats out to a small beach. The water was cool and refreshing.

On our drive back to Santa Ana, we were going uphill for the first fifteen minutes of the drive. Suddenly our driver, Eduardo, stopped, and when he did, we noticed some smoke coming out of the dashboard. Not a cigarette to be found...just a little electrical difficulty. We got out of his way and headed into a cliffside restaurant for a cerveza. After using his machete and some electrical wire, we were in good shape again. After that, it was an uneventful ride back to the hotel.

Dinner tonight at the hotel, and then our evening team meeting. We spent time reflecting upon the day and discussing the history of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated during mass in 1980. His mission was to serve the poor and underserved, and that remains his legacy. He has a great presence here in El Salvador, and is honored by many faiths.

Off to bed now and back to Villa Esperanza in the morning!

First day at the worksite- Saturday

We had a busy, productive, fun-filled Saturday here in El Salvador. We started the day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel- rice and beans, fried plantains, mango, watermelon, pancakes, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Full bellies to start the workday.

We had a 20 minute drive to Villa Esperanza (Village of Hope). The village was bustling with all sorts of activities. Along with our 3 teams, there were three volunteer teams- 2 National Volunteer teams (such as Embassy volunteers or University students), and a volunteer team from the church where will be worshiping tomorrow. There was also a group of teenagers from the village who volunteered to work for the day. We started with introductions and a devotion and prayer by one of the masons, Ricardo. We were then divided up into teams and sent off to work.

The construction site has a chain of command- Emma is the construction supervisor; there are 10-12 masons (like a foreman), each which manage a house or part of a house; and mason helpers. Each mason will have 2-3 of us to manage for the day. We report to him and have him assign us tasks.

The workday is divided into 90ish minute blocks. After the morning devotion, we go to our site. We break mid-morning, where the local women have prepared snacks for us. Back to work, then break for an hour lunch- again made by the local woman. Today we had chicken and vegetables, rice, potatoes, and hot tortillas. After lunch, it's back to work (although we wished for a siesta!) There is a mid-afternoon break, then we finish work at 4pm.

Villa Esperanza is in it's final stages. The plan is for 75 houses, which will be completed in the next month or so. Today there were 4 houses in progress and ground-work on 3 more. Our jobs were varied- moving bricks, mixing cement, sifting sand, painting, making re-bar frames. Lots of shoveling, moving things in wheelbarrows, and sweat. LOTS of sweat.

There were hugs and exchange of kind words as Kevin, Mel and I were reunited with some of the masons, mason helpers, and families that we met last November. I was impressed that they remembered us. There are volunteer teams to the site nearly every week, and it was a great feeling to know that we were recognized. There is a lot of love in that village.

When we returned to the hotel, there was a wedding in the main dining room. The bride and groom let us peek in and take pictures of their celebration. We had dinner at the hotel, and afterwards, headed to the 3rd floor for our team meeting. There was a quinceanera- a "Sweet 15" party. After our team meeting, Maribelle invited us in to dance with her family and friends. It was so fun and festive, and I think we learned a few new moves. I'm sure they were very entertained by all of us gringos.

We all had similar, yet different, experiences at the work site today. We struggled with the language barrier, but realized certain sentiments are universal. We have worn ourselves out today, and look forward to a day of rest tomorrow!

We have arrived in El Salvador!

It has been a long day of travel and we're winding down our first day in Santa Ana. The day started with an early flight, a quick layover in Atlanta, and a three hour flight into San Salvador. Upon our descent into San Salvador, we flew out over the Pacific Ocean and enjoyed beautiful views of the coast line and farmland. The land is so green and lush.

We were greeted at the airport by Luis Fernando, our Habitat Assistant and translator for the trip. Kevin, Mel and I had the pleasure of meeting him last year. He is an extremely motivated, friendly young man, who is working on his college degree, works for Habitat and owns his own IT business. His laugh is contagious and he is so much fun to be around.

We drove about two hours from the airport to Santa Ana, which sits on the NW side of the country. We enjoyed views of the landscape, the beautiful peaks and valleys, winding through San Salvador during rush hour and admiring the brave pedestrians that walk on the side of the road or hop the cement dividers to cross the highway. Santa Ana was bustling upon our arrival to Hotel Sahara.

Hotel Sahara is a fairly modern hotel, about fifty years old, that sits not far from the public square in Santa Ana. Our rooms have 2-3 people each and a private bathroom. The rooms are on the second floor of the hotel and the third floor is an open-air rooftop patio and an indoor conference room. We sit high enough in the city to enjoy beautiful views of downtown Santa Ana.

We had a Habitat orientation led by Luis Fernando and Alex, another Habitat assistant. We were joined by two other Habitat groups- one from MN, naming themselves "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Hammer", and another from Medina, OH. There are 27 of us total. We will work together at the worksite, however, we will maintain our small groups for the end of the day discussions. We have a diverse group- age and professions. Our age spans from 18 to early 60s, and our professions include graphic designers, social worker, teachers, IT, physical therapist, nurses, PA, and the list goes on. There are so many talents among this group!

After our orientation, the large group headed to Pollo Campero for dinner. PC is a local favorite among Salvadorans. To an American, it can best be described as an upscale KFC. There is such love for PC, that upon returning home to the US last year, we noticed many people with boxes of PC to take to their family back in the States. Because of our large group, we ended up in the playland room. Yes, the children were playing all around us. It was organized chaos, and it was nice to sit and mingle with the rest of the group.

Back to the hotel now, just finished our team meeting, discussed the timetable for tomorrow, and now it's off to bed. We're two hours behind EST here, and with only a few hours of sleep overnight for each of us, the day has been very long. Unless, of course, you are a good plane sleeper, then the deficit isn't quite so much.

We have a full workday in store for us tomorrow. However, let it be known that it has been raining pretty much nonstop since 6pm. I hope this isn't a sign...

To all of our friends and family at home- thank you so much for your support. We bring you all with us in our experience while we are here. We look forward to sharing our stories upon our return.

Buenos noches.

El Salvador Facts

Some facts about my favorite Central American country...

• El Salvador is the smallest (about the size of Massachusetts) and most densely populated country in Central America (6.1 million people)
• El Salvador is on the Pacific Ocean, bordered by Honduras and Guatemala.
• El Salvador started using the U.S. dollar in 2001 along with Ecuador and Panama to curb inflation.
• Last week, Santa Ana was nearly 9 degrees cooler than Baltimore!
• El Salvador is prone to natural disasters, and had two major earthquakes in 2001, resulting in over 1000 deaths. The remnants of the earthquakes can be seen throughout the country.
• Approximately 25% of El Salvador's population lives in the United States, working here to support their families back home. Large populations of Salvadorans live in LA and DC.
• El Salvador's religious population is Catholic 52% and Protestant 27%.
• The El Salvador beaches are known for great surfing conditions.
• Traditional Salvadoran cuisine includes pupusas- thick corn meal stuffed with cheese and beans. The food is not spicy, consists of rice and beans at each meal, and it is delicious!

Getting ready....

We are getting ready for our trip. As of today, we leave in 18 days. Last month we had a BBQ at Kevin's, which allowed some of us to meet for the first time. Since then, Paul has been sending out weekly team building questions via email that allow us to get to know each other better before we meet again in El Salvador.

Our group spans 3 states, with 9 of us being from the Baltimore area and worshipping at Christ Church, a friend from Michigan and a friend from Florida. Three of us were part of the group that went to El Salvador last November. All of us are looking forward to being part of this experience.