Shekina responds to national emergency in wake of record-breaking flooding and landslides in El Salvador

Over the past week, El Salvador (and all of Central America) has been hit with disastrous flooding from a tropical storm.  We ask you to join us in prayer for our friends at Iglesia Bautista Shekina and all people affected by this record-breaking natural disaster. 

A record rainfall of more than 4 feet (with the rain still falling) has been measured since the rains began in El Salvador on October 11th.   This is the greatest accumulation of rain since record-keeping began in 1960, surpassing the previous record set during Hurricane Mitch in 1998.   There have been hundreds of landslides and mudslides which have closed roads.  Flooding has wiped out bridges.  Homes have been destroyed.  Access to many communities has been cut off.  Earlier this month, many farmers were expecting that this year would be their best harvest in years; however, much of this crop will now be lost.  

Reports in the past few days include:

• 150,000 people have reportedly been affected in some way by the rains.  
• The official death toll has risen to 32. 
•  More than 32,000 people have been evacuated from 149 communities. 
•  Some 21,500 are living in 223 shelters across the country. 
•  More than 18,400 houses have been damaged by floods and landslides.
• At least 576 landslides have been recorded
• 10 bridges have collapsed. 

In the midst of this overwhelming situation, Iglesia Bautista Shekina has been responding to immediate needs in their community.  They quickly began collecting clothes and basic food supplies to deliver to an emergency shelter in Santa Ana for families who have lost homes and been evacuated from marginal communities threatened by mudslides.

 Using their experience leading children's outreach programs in their neighborhood, Shekina's young adults stepped up to organize games and activities for children who are staying in one of the municipal shelters.

 To view additional photos of Shekina's volunteer work helping the affected community, visit their Facebook photo album here.  For more news about people and events at Shekina, http://www.facebook.com/ibShekinaSantaAna. 

Please join us in celebrating the strength, confidence, faithfulness, and resilience of the people of Shekina, even as we pray for the many victims of this natural disaster. 

If you would like to make a donation to support Shekina's community outreach programs and other ministries, please use the secure form in the sidebar on the blog to pay via PayPal or credit card.  To donate by check, please make payable to "TSW / Cielo Azul Fund"   and mail to:   Cielo Azul Fund / PO Box 211 / Wayne, PA  19087

Packing Recommendations for El Salvador

One of the challenges of traveling overseas is packing. Some people are able to pack in a minimalist way and only take a carry on even when traveling for multiple months, others pack a whole lot of stuff. I wanted to post a blog entry about what all I thought was worth bringing and share how it was used. Hopefully you might find this helpful. You can click the link to read more.

Day 7 [Oscar Romero]

We spent the last day celebrating the life of Oscar Romero and visiting the major locations where he impacted the world. Our journey began at the small chapel where he lived even after he was promoted to Archbishop. Sister Mercedes gave us a tour of the famous chapel where Romero was assassinated while leading Mass and invited us to the platform where he stood and looked at his murderer. She described in detail what part of the Mass he was and how a red Volkswagen pulled up to the front doors that were open. As we were educated about what happened the sister invited us to share our word that defined how we remember Oscar Romero. We remember him to be a champion, a prophet, pastor, a true follower of Jesus and someone who is not afraid to cross borders.

Day 6 in El Salvador [Gold Mining]

We spent day six being educated about the struggle to keep gold mining out of El Salvador. Our time was spent in San Isidro where the Canadian based mining company, Pacific Rim went in without permission and began exploring for gold after the 1992 Peace Accords. They successfully found the precious metal at a value around 200 million US dollars. The organization we were able to sit with is called ADES which stands for, The Association for Economical Development.

Day 5 in El Salvador

Alex Orantes is the husband of Ruth who is the pastor of the Shekinah community. Ron described Alex as the best teacher he has ever had because Alex takes him to see what Alex is talking about. One piece of wisdom that I may always hold onto was how Alex described that Ruth is the pastor for the people of Shekinah, but he feels called to the people of their city outside those walls. In America we have a very difficult time with religious language. Pastors are sometimes considered the person you see on the stage addressing a crowd, or the visionary leader who is responsible for entire communities, the person who makes decisions, the leader etc. However, in my understanding I have learned that pastors are the leaders who walk with the people in their journey pursuing Jesus. They listen and share in conversations and love well. Alex feels called to walk with the people outside of the building. What a beautiful expression of “Body Life”, two theologically trained individuals who are reaching out in different ways. This is something I have loved seeing.