San Salvador

The church is alive and well down in El Salvador. Today we joined the Lutheran Church to celebrate their existance. Hundreds of Lutherans marched 3 plus miles through the streets of San Salvador together. The pastors vested, the bishop with miter and crook was at the front of the parade and we began to a recording of Mighty Fortress! Ivy, Anna-Kari and I all had our clerical shirts on to represent our churches in the USA. We completed our march by the National Church of El Salvador. It is located near Hope House in a difficult neighborhood but has remained. We had a service outside amidst the people of the street, the people of the church in a beautiful blend of the body of Christ.

We have also spent time at El Milagro de Dio, a mission start outside of San Salvador. They had their third anniversary this week and we were able to be honored guests at their celebration service. Spending four hours in a church with a tin roof in very hot conditions was a recipe for dehydration but we managed and they provided drinking water for us. Ivy and I were asked to join Anna-Kari, Mattias and Bishop Gomez in the procession, and remain up front. The church was filled to capacity with people leaning in from the windows. We were able to lay on hands for a woman who is now a deacon, two catechists and an ordination. The call comes from the church and we were able to represent the body of Christ... not just of El Salvador but of the world. It was beautiful.

Other than that... we travel everywhere in this giant open bed truck... hanging on is a must but you sure do see a lot with no roof over your head to impeed the view! We visited the University of Central America where the 6 Priests and 2 women were killed in 1991. The government still denies it. In the chapel next door the stations of the cross are pictures of people being tortured because when someone is tortured that is Christ. They 14 pictures will remain until El Salvador is trully peaceful.

This is a country in which the treasure is its people.