Memories of El Salvador 2018 … by Marilyn Dudley

I feel humbled to have been asked to speak to you on behalf of our entire mission team. 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your gifts, your support throughout the year -- the concert, the coffee and jewelry sales, the painting class, and the silent auction and dinner.  And most especially for your prayers.

 

I feel blessed to have been able to return for a second time on this trip to assist in building homes for people living in inadequate housing in a beautiful part of God’s world.  

Getting to know the wonderful people of El Salvador:  Francis and Douglas and others from Habitat; Pastor Velma and the members of Cristo Rey Lutheran Church, the Getsemani Co-op women and children, the masons, the neighbors, and the host family.  We were also fortunate to reconnect with last year’s host family.  Their graciousness and hospitality are amazing.

I was blessed to have been in the company of ten other Good Shepherd members and friends who were dedicated to this mission.  I want to say thank you to them and to recognize each one of them: (in no particular order)

·       First, Jim Hack, our courageous leader, who kept track of us during travel, advised us, encouraged us, lead our devotions, cared for us, and provided Band-Aids!

·       Nicki Kyle who kept us on task and looked after our physical well-being by watching for signs of heat stroke!

·       Gordon and Lisa Hack with their engaging smiles, hard labor and rebar tying skills.  After 2 days, Lisa earned the title of Rebar Queen!

·       Laurie Johnson with her winning smile, perseverance, calm demeanor and her ability to add things up for us!

·       Bob Clark with his strength and stamina, worked tirelessly and then worked some more, inspiring us all.

·       Dan Corkery with his persistence and encouraging words, a very enthusiastic newbie!

·       Dean Olson with his incorrigible manner, his interpreting skills, picture taking, and writing the blog for us.

·       Tolu Perrin-Stowe, a student from St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church and Campus Center with her youthful strength and vigor, her good humor, and for putting up with me as her roommate. 

·       And last but not least, Pastor Tom, who while working very hard and praying for us, was also practicing his grandfathering skills with all the children and discussing the sometimes not so serious theological questions with Douglas.  Don’t be surprised if you hear a sermon or two based on their discussions!  You can do it.

When we left Champaign, we were a group.  When we left El Salvador, we were a team.  

We learned to work as a team quickly, as our first task was to assemble a shelter which would shade us from the sun during breaks.  It took every one of us to position the four corner posts and lift the tarp to cover the top.

After we were introduced to the head mason, Miguel, and his two assistants, Nelson and Wilbert, they gave us our first construction task: moving a mountain of sand which had been dumped some 200 yards away from the building site because of soggy ground.  Everybody pitched in, shoving sand into wheel barrows, moving it across the bumpy field and dumping it near the construction site.  We did get that mountain of sand moved into place. 

 

I don’t have time to tell about all the work we did.  But I can tell you that everyone participated to the utmost of their ability.
 

Monday morning when we first arrived at the work site, I was stunned because this house was nothing but a trench outlining the walls! Quite a contrast from our house last year which was nearly ready for the roof when we arrived. 

 

Since it rained nearly every night, we drained the trench every morning using buckets first, and later after the rebar had been installed, using plastic water bottles for suction. 

 

Mixing the concrete for the foundation was an art form in itself--requiring stepping and shoveling in a circular rhythmic movement around the pile of ingredients.  Once mixed, a bucket brigade was formed to move the concrete to the mason who poured it into the foundation.

 

We tied endless rebar, moved hundreds of cement blocks into position, and stuffed chispa into the blocks.  Chispa is a loose concrete made with sand, cement, and small stones, and usually put inside cinder blocks.  By the time we left, the foundation was at ground level.  The head mason estimated another 6 weeks of work to complete the house. 

 

We all have more stories to tell, so please ask us to tell them.

On a personal level, I took a stack of Spanish language children’s books to give away.  Two neighborhood children who lived next door to the construction site, Jennifer and her brother Justin, selected books one day.  The next day they were on-site reading to each other from one of the books.  The following day, Jennifer asked me (through Francis, our Habitat host) if she could select one for her friend!  The father of the family we were building for, Carlos (who worked with us on site), selected books for both of his children, Melvin and Sofia.  The remainder of the books were given to the Co-Op women who would loan them out to the children to take home to read.  So all the books have found a new home!

We may not be able to change the whole world, but in the name of Jesus, we can make a difference in one little corner of it.  

I thank God that I was once again able to join in this mission of helping build houses for these wonderful children of God who just happen to live in El Salvador. 

Thank you again for your support!  I invite you to join the adventure.