Day 2, heading west, and up and up...and up

Day 2 started with us all getting a much needed night of sleep in some great hotels in El Salvador.  After packing, we all met together and took our bus over to La Resurrection Lutheran Church for their service in the morning.  It is an old building that they are planning to break ground one year from now, to build a brand new place of worship. 


There is so much history that surrounds El Salvador, as well as the church.  As the country developed, the military ran the country up until the 90's when there was a civil war.  Over 30,000 civilians have been wiped out from the 30's until the civil war, with the majority between the 70's and the civil war.

This band was a family that led our music in the worship (in Spanish)

We were able to meet the congregation, and when we said peace be

with you, we met and shook hands with about everyone in the church.

 

As a special bonus, Pastor Mark was asked to be a part of the service in Spanish.

 

After church, we were able to sit down with Pastor Gomez (in all white) and learn loads about how Christians were persecuted and killed for their beliefs over the past several decades.  The church has even lasted through two separate bombings during the civil war.  During this time, Pastor Gomez actually had to go into hiding, because the military/government wanted him killed.  Luckily for all involved, that time is in the past, and the community is working towards a new future.

 

From the church we took about an hour and a half ride to Lago de Coatepeque where we enjoyed our late lunch.  The leaders of habitat El Salvador rented a property for us down here to enjoy some fellowship in a beautiful location.  There are 4 groups of Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity down here for the week, which is more than normal, but great.

Being at this location for the afternoon, really showed the difference in the people here.  There are the wealthy, and the rest of the people.  Minimum wage here is $259 per month, with around 40% of the population that doesn't even earn that.

This lake has formed from an inactive volcano.  When we had asked, no one knows the depth of the lake.  Also, back in 2004, a volcano erupted nearby, and changed the face of the land again, with some of the lava making its way into the lake.

 We were able to grow together as a group, and continued to get to know each other, as we look forward to tomorrow, where we get to work with more locals here, and do some heavy lifting.

 

 

Now that we had some great food prepared for us, and enjoyed such a beautiful day and place, we departed to our final destination for the day, Hotel Alicante, in the department of Ahuachapán.  After arriving safely, we enjoyed a dinner prepared for us, and met as a group for more history.  Jesus, Alex, and Miguel, our interpreters from Habitat, had sat us down after dinner to give us some more history about El Salvador, and how the country has changed over the past century.

 

Now that today is over, some of us are looking forward to tomorrow, and some of us are dreading the day tomorrow, but it is the reason we all came down here.  It will really let us experience the difference between the luxury homes on the lake, and the majority of the people in rural areas, that live in less than adequate living conditions (to our standards, and to most).

 

 

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