Planning for a 2016 Delegation to El Salvador has begun. Union Church and the Berea community have a long history of involvement with El Salvador, going back to the dark days of the twelve years long civil war.
The last delegation with Companion Community Development Alternatives (CoCoDA) was in 2013. We worked with the local residents of the village of El Roble to tear down their school which had been bombed during the war. We stayed in the villagers’ simple houses and ate their delicious home cooked food. This resulted in a deep interaction with the people and their culture.
Going on a delegation to El Salvador offers us an opportunity to get outside of ourselves and appreciate a different approach to life. We experience a fresh sense of what is valuable in life and in our faith. We walk for a short time in other peoples’ shoes and see the world from their point of view. We get a fresh perspective on our own country and see how what we do affects their country.
The title of a book by Father Jon Sobrino challenges us: Fuera de los pobres no hay salvación. “Without the poor, there is no salvation.” This is an opportunity to explore this.
There are a number of options under consideration. Those with any questions or who might be interested in participating in the planning and/or going should contact members of the Mission and Service Board. Also CoCoDA’s Board members Paul Smithson, Board Chair, and Jenny Bromley.
We will hold a meeting to explain what is involved in a delegation and how we will prepare for the experience & present a short orientation to El Salvador and answer questions.
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