We arrived safely in San Salvador last night. Our trip from Iowa was uneventful. The 10-hour lay-over in Houston gave everyone time to relax, walk, sit in the sun and share humor and stories. Aside from our long lay-over, there were no plane delays, no lost luggage and only one person was momentary delayed by the red “Alto” stoplight as we progressed through the Custom’s process. All in all, a great travel day.
We spent our first night at the Casa Antigua guest house in San Salvador. Tuesday morning dawned with a gorgeous sunrise and we started the morning with a traditional Salvadoran breakfast of huevos (eggs), arroz (rice), frijoles (beans) and frito (fried) bananas. Mucho delicioso!
Our journey today had our delegation visiting historical sites in San Salvador. All of us piled into the Microbus and Alfredo, our driver, took us to the Divina Providencia, Parque Cuscatlan, and the the University of Central America (UCA).
The Divina Providencia is a Catholic cancer hospital. Monsignor Oscar Romero lived on these grounds and it was in the hospital’s chapel that he was assassinated while blessing the host during a special mass. We spent time in the chapel and his home, reflecting on his life’s work of addressing oppression. Though he served all, his heart was with the plight of the poor.
Back in the microbus, we then headed for the Parque Cuscatlan to view the Wall of Memory and Truth. The wall depicts the history of El Salvador and the names of those who were killed during the period of unrest and including through the war that ended in 1991.
The wall sits within a beautiful park setting. The park was busy. It was such a beautiful day to spend time in the park. Foliage is lush and green. Poinsettias (which are as large as trees here) and other flowers are blooming. The grass is green.
We climbed back into the microbus and headed for the UCA. The campus is bustling with students and many visitors. Here we spend time in the museum learning more about the role the UCA played during the Civil War and the eventual massacre of 6 Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter. We will return on Saturday to participate in the March to commemorate the lives of these Jesuits.
Our last stop in San Salvador is the Artisan Market for lunch and a little shopping. It is a two hour ride to Berlin. The Pastoral Team was waiting for our arrival and greeted us warmly.
We settled in and met with the women of the Pastoral Team before dinner. Listening to Blanca, Cecilia and Otillia eloquently share their passion for their work and their devotion to God was very moving. It is an honor to be able to work with this great team.
There were many emotions today. Thankfulness, excitement, sadness, tears, humility, laughter. Tomorrow there will be more as we experience the war museum in Perquin and the memorial site at El Mozote.
Posted by,
Carla Yeager
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