FeatureLine: EL SALVADOR: LAND OF PRECIOUS THINGS

Debbie Meroff

The people who first settled the tiny, mountainous area lying between Guatemala and Honduras called it Cuzcatlan: "The Land Of Precious Things". Later Spanish conquistadors renamed it “The Province of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Saviour of the World.” Not surprising that this unwieldy title was later reduced to the Republic of El Salvador. But dedicating the country to the Saviour could not, unfortunately, shield it from major disasters like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes. El Salvador was also torn apart by civil war. Twelve years of brutal violence ended in 1992 after the deaths of 75,000 men, women and children.

Salvadoran Mauricio Hernandez started representing OM in this smallest Central American country back in the 1980’s, and led short-term campaigns to neighbouring countries. He is now a well-known pastor with many contacts, which helps to make OM well-accepted by all denominations. In 2007 Mauricio was also named President of COMISAN, a network of church leaders in the country.

In January 2008 Mauricio suffered a heart attack. He has made a good recovery, but still needs prayer that God will enable him to deal with his many responsibilities. Right now OM is an all-volunteer team. Yet their progress in building God’s Kingdom in El Salvador is nothing short of extraordinary.

The three main ministry events each year are the all-Central America Easter outreach which is held in different countries; a campaign during August holiday week; and a missions conference or campaign, usually in a neighbouring country during November or December holidays. This August, Salvadorans will be involved in a “Love Honduras” short-term exposure programme.

LOVING THE ELDERLY

In addition to annual events are weekly ministries. “Every Friday afternoon we work at a community centre for 400 elderly people,” related Karen Mejia. “The first time we gave out tracts, and the people told each other not to take them. But we began to celebrate their birthdays, holding a program every three months with a simple gospel presentation and giving a small gift to each person who had a birthday. We also celebrate Christmas with them. And this year we have offered English classes in the centre. Up to 30 attend and they are very good students! Now when we come they greet us with hugs. They know we are Christians--we pray at the beginning and end of every class--but even though they are Roman Catholics they accept us.”

LOVING THE CHILDREN

After their time with the elderly each week the team takes programs in the schools, teaching values and AIDS prevention. Karen said they once took three busloads of kids to the cinema to see the Narnia film, and about fifteen of them came to the Lord! OM also partners with an organisation called “Crusaders” (now “Urban Saints”) and works with evangelism teams from the U.S. four times a year. “Once,” she remembers, “we took their medical team to three islands in the Gulf where there are no roads and only one basic clinic. Some 1000 people came for treatment and heard the gospel before picking up their medicines!

Since May this year a team has been visiting a very poor community in San Salvador called “The Rosary.” Every Saturday they share the love of Jesus with 25 to 30 children, and provide a small snack. A church has also donated clothing, shoes and toys.

LOVING THE HOMELESS…

The team has also spent two evenings a month slowly driving through the city and looking for homeless people. “Many sleep under bridges every night or in train stations when it’s cold,” explained Karen, “some lying on cardboard and some without any protection. We give out bread and coffee—sometimes a full meal—and share the gospel one on one, sitting and talking with them while they eat. About 50% of these homeless say they were Christians once but slipped away from their faith because of alcohol. Maybe ten people have accepted Christ during our outreach.”

...AND THE HELPLESS

For their August campaign in 2007, OM El Salvador adopted a poor area very high up in the mountains, called Sanisidro. While driving to the place the first time with eight people, the team very nearly went off a cliff when the pickup brakes suddenly stopped working!

The target community has about one thousand residents, some families living in houses of mud with palm leaf roofs. There is only one school and the principal, a Catholic, told the team the first time they came that they weren’t allowed to speak about God. The people were also very resistant. But barriers came down when they held a program in the school and gave a party for about 500 kids and adults, distributing food, clothing and medicine.

Six or seven times a year a team also travels to “El Boqueron”—“The Forest”—on a mountain near a volcano. Sixty or so kids there had no school so a lady started teaching them. Then an evangelical church got involved. OM contributes aid like clothes, soap and other basics, and plays games with the children.

TRAINING THE CHURCH

Since one of OM El Salvador’s goals is to mobilize national Christians, it offers training to churches in many ministry areas. Many believers want to reach out to their communities but don’t know how. So they welcome OM’s workshops in child and youth evangelism, and the creative use of ropes, mime, sketchboard, balloons, and other tools. Occasionally some of the people in the workshops aren’t Christians, and end up accepting the gospel themselves!

Pray for El Salvador. If the Saviour that this country is named for—and who died for its seven million people--still regards it as a land of precious things, then so should we!

www.omcentroamerica.org

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