News on Thrivent and Habitat for Humanity - Plus, A Package from El Salvador

By Dean Olson, Chair - Mission and Youth Fund Committees - 28 Jan 2023

Over the several years we traveled to El Salvador to work on Thrivent Build projects with Habitat for Humanity International, we always had the same local host, Francis Padilla.  Though occasionally supervised for brief times by one of her co-workers (Carla, Douglas, Flor), it was largely Francis who was at our side, helping us along and showing us what to do.  Unfortunately, during Covid, the Thrivent-Habitat partnership went idle, and Francis was laid off.  But, she used her time to take classes in theology and pastoral training, a matter she is still prayerfully considering.

We are pleased to pass on two pieces of very good news.  Francis recently revealed she is returning to work for Habitat in El Salvador!  That’s good for her, and it also means that Habitat is resuming activities there.  In addi­tion, the new build program is now called The Habitat for Humanity Thrivent Partnership.  Its domestic trips have been restored, but not yet the international build projects.  We’re keeping in contact with Francis often (myhopeisgod@gmail.com), and checking the Habitat-Thrivent Partnership web site for any new developments:  

https://www.thrivent.com/about-us/membership/habitat-for-humanity  

Meanwhile, an unusual package showed up at Good Shepherd in December.  Arriving a bit beat up and marked with a shipper you’ve never heard of (EMS), it was from Habitat in San Salvador, the capitol city of El Salvador.  The contents included a letter, hats, tee shirts, bandanas, a photo, a hand-made card with dried wildflowers, and commemorative plaque, all sending Christmas greetings in honor of the 30th anniversary of Habitat El Salvador, and their 50,000^th family housed since work began in 1992.  The hand-crafted plaque is composed of metal and stained glass, and the nameplate marks the role of Good Shepherd in helping Habitat El Salvador achieve this remarkable milestone. 

The floral card contains a hand-written greet­ing and thank-you.  Good Shepherd’s work began in El Salvador in 2010 when Jim Hack and Don Block went on their first build trip.  Annual trips continued until Covid curtailed them after 2019.  Over the years, more than 65 Good Shepherd members and friends journeyed to El Salvador on a mission build trip to construct housing for needy families.  The Good Shepherd Mission Fund significantly supported the trips, one of which in 2014 was dedicated to the construction of Cristo Rey (Christ the King) Lutheran Church in Santa Ana.

Items can be seen in the Narthex on February 5, then will be moved to the display case near the Fellowship Hall.  You can read the complete card and letter at the Good Shepherd Lutheran blog:  https://gslc-cu.blogspot.com/   

If you are thinking you would like to go to El Salvador when the opportunity arises, please voice your interest to Dean Olson (DeanLOlson@gmail.com).

Meanwhile, keep praying that Francis and Habitat El Salvador get back on their feet, and into their work gloves.  Additional items in the box appear below.

"With housing, we build strength, stability, and self-sufficiency."