la comunidad

written: June 16, 2010

I was given the chance to explore some other possible ministries. Christ for the City has been really awesome about working with me, and letting me try all the ministries and then choosing the one I felt most connected to. Today we went to “la comunidad.” This is a newer ministry that CFCI is starting, and I am excited to be a part of it. It is an improvised community in the Altavista sublet of San Salvador. They are trying to set up English classes and guitar classes there so that the children have the opportunity to do something else. Only some of the children attend school, and the rest feel destined to follow in the family’s footsteps of unemployment, illegitimate children, and poverty. We are trying to give them the chance to see outside this. If they can learn a trade or even English they could be destined for something better and rise out of poverty.

It was my first time at La Comunidad and I was very excited but a little nervous. When we first arrived I was surprised by how small the area actually was. It was only 2 rows of houses on one side of the street that has a small dirt path that runs between the two rows, which is only 3-4 blocks long. We have it set up so that we teach a class in the morning and a class in the afternoon. This morning, during the guitar class, I took the time to meet some of the children. They are wonderful children who just spend their day playing out in the sun in the small patch of dirt in front of one of the area we have set up to house classes, which is really just a makeshift tent made from tarps with some old chairs. It was a wonderful morning of running and playing and trying to remember the children’s names while trying to understand the games. We played some form of hide and seek and ran all thought the neighborhood.
When we returned in the afternoon for English class, I was excited to explore their little village more. I ran into some of the kids from the morning and we continued to play the games and talk about “futbol” and what we should name their tiny plastic horse. We decided on Lousia el caballito, (Louise the baby horse).

This community has already started to affect me, and I want to help them more. One of the interesting things going on here is that they got a grant or some sort of help to build 2 pelas, or wells. This will be very beneficial to the community because currently they only have 1, and I believe that it is leaking or is in poor condition. So the construction of these wells is not done by hired help, the supplies were just kind of dumped and the whole community is working together to build it. I was fortunate enough to get the chance to talk to a few of the adults who were carrying the supplies to the site. They weave their way through the tiny crocked sidewalk, avoiding puddles and dogs, carrying bricks or other supplies on their heads. I just kind of walked up to one of the ladies and started talking to her. Her name was Doris and she had lived here for 5 years. She told me that the whole community pitches in so that the work can get done quicker and then afterwards it benefits the whole community. It makes sense and I was impressed with the team work. I asked another woman and walked with her while she carried her bricks to the site, 4 blocks away. (I may mention that this was probably not the smartest idea to just wander back into the houses with newly met strangers…) She told me the same thing, if we work together the job gets done quicker and we all benefit.

Additionally, I made a new friend, her name is Ceci and she is 15 years old. I don’t believe that she is going to school, even though there is one very close. I asked her what she thought about living here and if she could show me around her neighborhood. She agreed, but said it had to be quick because she needed to help finish the work. An interesting side note about the work being done was that the majority of the workers were the women of the community. There were few men to be found. She showed me where the pelas were being built and where they had to carry the supplies from, the local “store,” which really only had garlic, tang, and bananas, the new litter of puppies, and finally her house. Her house was built with metal roofing and the door was held closed with wire. When we entered the house I was surprised to see how much stuff was there. There were piles of stuff covering the only table and couch in this tiny 15’ by 15’ foot house. It was mostly garbage, bags and newspapers, a few clothes and a basket. They had a tiny table stove and 1 bed that she shared with the rest of her family: her mother, 2 brothers and possibly a cousin. After a brief tour, she returned to working, carrying the supplies back and forth, and I had to go. I was both excited and overwhelmed by what was going on in the community. I am excited to start really getting to know the residents of this small suburb and am excited to see what the Lord has in store.

I ask that you pray for this community and the people who live there. That they can be lifted out of oppression and see the joy of the Lord, despite their worldly conditions. They are such a lovely and welcoming group, and I feel blessed that I have the opportunity to get to know them.