Trinity UPC Delegation & Friends - Day 7

Day 7 – Trinity United Presbyterian Church El Salvador Delegation ,
by Larry G. Lepper

The day began with a wonderful breakfast prepared by Cecelia of the Pastoral staff. It consisted of scrambled eggs, fried plantains, beans and tortillas. Being Valentine’s Day, there was a card and small turtle toy at each place setting. They were from Betty Dyer to each of us. It was very thoughtful of Betty. The Pastoral team marched in with a gift for each of us. Each of us received candy and a small gift. It was a great breakfast.

Our schedule for the day was to visit two schools in or near Berlin. We gathered our gifts we had brought for the schools and prepared to leave. Before we could leave I went with Kathy Mahler to put gas in the truck. There are two gas stations in Berlin. The first one we visited is very close to the Pastoral House. As we pulled in the station attendant shouted “No gas!” So it was off to the other station where we purchased gas. One does not say “Fill ‘er up” but tells the attendant an exact dollar amount to put in the tank. Yes, it is full service. Kathy asked for $40 of gas. That $40 put 10.61 gallons into the tank. That’s $3.77 per gallon.

Then it was off to two schools. At the both schools we visited kindergarten, and first and second grades. Students either go in the morning or afternoon. Mornings were the younger children and afternoons older children. The first school had about 45 children in the morning and 45 in the afternoon. Kathy first introduced us with our Spanish names. Then Kathy asked each of them their name. They were a bundle of energy, just like kids everywhere. They counted 1 to 10 in Spanish and then we did also. Then they sang a song to us and we returned the favor with a simple rendition of “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands….” We then presented the teachers with gifts for the school consisting of white board markers, glue, permanent markers, jump ropes, crayons, craft supplies and coloring books. The children at the first school led us on a very short walk to their soccer field where they would play at recess. Being the dry season it was dusty and a little worn from all the little feet running over it. They were more fortunate than the second school which was right in the city and had a small paved play ground.

The second school had about 125 students. We visited both morning classes with the same procedure as the first school. Not as many school uniforms were evident in this school as the first. We assume the lack of uniforms was due to personal finances of the family.

We were struck by the dedication of teachers. They were trying to do so much with very limited resources. The children were like most random groups; some were natural leaders and others were quiet and reserved. The children were bursting with energy which we enjoyed.

After the school visits we returned to Casa Pastoral for a wonderful lunch of chicken, beans, fresh pineapple, fresh papaya, rice, onion salad and tortillas. Then it was off to the coffee finca (farm) to learn about growing, harvesting and processing coffee. Senor Evers was the coffee foreman who showed us around and explained the process. Not much was happening on the finca as the harvest was completed a couple of months ago. We saw the nursery where new coffee plants were being cultivated. Shade trees as well as cocao plants were also being raised. Some of the areas of the finca had both coffee and cocoa plants.

Coffee is grown in the shade of other trees. The larger trees protect the coffee plants from too much sun. The manager of the finca has to know the proper amount of shade required to produce the best coffee. Each coffee plant produces about 10 lbs. of coffee beans. Buds were now on the plants waiting for the rains to begin in April-May when they would bloom and produce this year’s crop. The crop can vary widely with this past year’s crop being about 3 times the previous year.

The coffee plant produces a fruit called “cherries”. Each cherry generally has 2 coffee beans although it is possible to have three. The first process is to pick the cherries, and this is done by hand. Only the ripe cherries are picked and harvest generally takes 2 pickings. The land where the coffee grows can be very steep so workers must walk around the plants to harvest the cherries. The cherries are taken to a central processing site where the hulls are removed leaving the beans. The beans are then spread on a concrete drying bed, where it takes about seven days to dry the bean for either roasting or storage. The dry beans can be stored for up to one year before roasting. We did find some cherries and put them into our mouth to taste. We chewed and did not detect a hint of coffee flavor. We also did the same with the dried coffee beans with the same results. The flavor we associate with coffee doesn’t develop until the bean is roasted.

After the finca visit we returned to the Casa Pastoral to rest before taking the pastoral team to a nice dinner in Alegria, as it is our last evening here. Alegria is located up the mountain from Berlin. Along the road up the mountain is a beautiful view of the Lempa River Valley. Several volcanoes could be seen in the distance. There were seven of us travelers plus six from La Casa Pastoral. We had all worked very hard together and shared many experiences during the week. Several toasts were made and a few tears shed as we will miss our new friends greatly. Tonight we pack for the trip home and head to the international airport in San Salvador in he morning. We have so many wonderful experiences we are anxious to share with the people of Iowa.

Trinity UPC Delegation & Friends - Day 6

Day 6 - Sunday at Casa de Zacate

This is the sixth day of our adventure in El Salvador, Betty "Lizbet" Sandy reporting. In case you are wondering why the unusual name, there are two "Bettys" in the El Salvador Delegation. It was confusing to call out Betty and get two responses at the same time. Since Maurice Dyer is here with his wife, Betty, I decided to use my legal given name, Elizabeth which is often "Lizbet" in El Salvador. So that's who's writing here.

Our schedule has been very full all week. We get up at 6 a.m., breakfast at 7 a.m., and today, we were on our way to the market in Berlin at 8:15 a.m. We walked the streets of Berlin about three square blocks and everything in the middle. There were stores, vendors, and farmers all selling their wares. Three-wheeled taxis were weaving in and out along with buses and large truck transports that were bringing people into the city from the villages. They have been up since dawn to cook and do chores and then walk to church and market.

At 8:40 a.m., we walked over to San Jose Catholic Church. We participated in the Mass as much as we could. We even sang two familiar songs including the chorus to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" entitled "Gloria, Gloria, Hallelujah", and the chorus to "Amen" at a slower tempo in response to the conclusion of the Lord's Supper. It was beautiful to see the church fill up with people throughout the Mass before the Lord's Supper. It started out with about one quarter of the church filled, but by the time of the sacrament, the pews were full and totaled about 200. The service ended at about 10:45 a.m. Then we went to the market and bought a few things including pineapple which we ate at lunch.


Lunch started at Noon. We drank a fruitie drink with finely diced apples, pears, watermelon, and other fruits in water. It was delicious! We also had beef, potato and cheese casserole. The white cheese used is called "quesillo". It is delicious and lends itself to a rich but mild taste.

We regrouped and then left for Casa de Zacate. It took 45 minutes to an hour to drive seven miles over tarmac, cobblestone, and dirt roads with huge potholes and uneven ground. Riding in the back of the truck was a real challenge for us "gringos" who are not used to walking these mountains. The trip included a drop in altitude from 3,300 to 1,200 feet in seven miles.

Upon our arrival, we were met by Miguel, the President of the "Directiva" or Town Council. We were greeted and welcomed by the council. Miguel led us to the peoples' homes. They were nicely laid out in adjacent plots of land. It was rather quick and easy to reach the rest of the homes today. We met with 14 yesterday and about nine today. We also took a census on the people in each home to be able to determine who lived in each house, which children went to school and what grade they are in. We gave each family a hat for the man of the household and a homemade apron and card for the woman of the household. They were very grateful for our gifts of friendship and love.

After visiting all the homes, we again met with the Directiva and all the families. They thanked us for coming to visit them in their homes and learn about their people and customs and wants us to come again. Miguel said that we were the first group to visit them that were not a medical team. Again they thanked us and prayed God would get us home and back to our families safely.

We came home, had a delicious dinner. Then we had our devotions and then worked on decorations for a Celebration of the Completion of the Water Project and Electrification Project in Alejandria.

I'll end with a quote that I have heard Miguel and others say this week: "...these are my words, and that's all I have to say."

Trinity UPC Delegation & Friends - Day 5

Day 5 - The Ministry of the Poor.

I have the privilege of blogging today. My name is Maurice Dyer and I have the honor of being a member of the Trinity United Presbyterian Church delegation that has a sister parish relationship with Casa de Zinc. Even though I have been attending Trinity for 52 years this is my first trip to El Salvador. I have heard the stories and seen the pictures of previous trips by our delegations. I felt I was as prepared as I could be short of becoming fluent in Spanish.

I was not caught off guard nor by surprise by what I have seen. I was aware of the abject poverty of the people with which we were connected. The pictures and stories from previous delegations were accurate in their depictions.

Jesus spoke of the poor. His was a ministry to the poor. Sell all you have and give it to the poor he told the rich man. He spoke of women. His was a ministry to women, whether they were married, divorced, widowed, Samaritan or prostitutes. His was a ministry to women in a male dominated society.

Today, during our trip to Casa de Zinc I witnessed ministry to the poor. We met with the Directiva, sort of like a city council, to discuss progress they have made. Our delegation was party to a discussion, maybe a pep talk is a better way to define it delivered by Blanca, a member of the pastoral team. (She's pictured below with Betty.)

Blanca talked about the importance of communication, the need to support the members of the Directiva to help pay their expenses to attend meetings in Berlin, home of Casa de Pastoral, "The Pastoral House". It was decided that each of the 14 households in Casa de Zinc would pay $1 per month to help defray the costs for Directiva member.

But Blanca also talked about helping the poor because there is always someone who is worse off than they were. Each house in Casa de Zinc comes equipped with a dirt floor. Each house does not have running water. Each house does not have indoor plumbing. Each house has chickens or turkeys or cows or horses or hogs sharing the same dirt yard surrounding the house. A mangy dog or two is usually scrounging for scraps or simply lying in a depression to seek some coolness. Dust, dirt, weeds, trash and manure is all mixed into that area surrounding the house.

Chickens walk into the house were there is a wood burning stove that may or may not have a vent to the outside. Regardless the house usually has smoke filling the space. Laundry is hung outside on the barb wire fence. A dependable source of water may be miles away and must be procured daily. Yet, there is always someone worse off than they are, said Blanca.

Blanca talked about improving the life of each person in Casa de Zinc. She talked about getting out of the dust. She talked above improving the quality of life if, as brothers and sisters, they could work together as a family. Blanca spoke to the women telling them there was more they could do than simply gathering water, cooking meals, doing laundry and keeping quiet.

She knew this because she had at one time thought the only thing a woman could do was to care for the family, the laundry and prepare meals while carrying water. Today she was standing in front of the families telling them they could do better. The key to the success of this program is not so much telling people what to do but rather listening to their needs and then designing programs they can do to make improvements.

In each case people are empowered. In each case people are validated as a person, an individual. People may come to understand they have the ability to a make a difference in their lives. In this case this is ministry of the poor by women who volunteer their time. They do this ministry because they are dedicated and compassionate. In the course of their ministry they become empowered. The ministry of the poor. Remember, as Blanca says, there is always someone worse off that you.

In the United States non profit organizations sometimes fall under scrutiny for their lack of directing money to its intended purpose. The Pastoral Team watches very closely to insure contributions end up where they are supposed to. They watch for those individuals who may trying to milk the system in an attempt to get something for nothing. They watch the dynamics of the meeting of the Directiva attempting to see if anyone or any one group is attempting to run the show. They establish some expectations for the members of each community in a relationship with a congregation. This is truly mission.

As the women of the Pastoral Team conduct this work they are empowered. They gain confidence. As they gain confidence the mission of the church is enhanced. The ministry of the poor administered by women who display God's love daily in their work.