“Man proposes, God disposes…” is a Spanish saying.
This trip was for just ten days, over two weekends. Some plans worked out nicely – I must have had 14 conversations with individuals, for encouragement, mentoring, and gather perspective. They were all the way from a 24 year old youth who desires help in moving up from peddling popsicles, to clothes, to make more money and study to become a doctor (or failing that, to come to “El Norte”!); to a lawyer /pastor in his office in the Supreme Electoral Commission… and in between.
I met with representatives of four very small “denominations” who all aspire to being “reformed.” But the overweening aspect of the time there, was the tremendous storm at the airport and later in the capital on my arrival; with only a three day pause, it spun off the Pacific tropical depression and hung on for another week. In a word, it is a disaster for the country (and region)(go to GlobalDisasterWatch.com and see the “tropical storm” section) in loss of life, crops, and to some degree hope. No, you can’t imagine 42 inches of rain in six days, but that record came in the town of Huizucar where I was to preach on Tuesday evening. The service was cancelled and I sent home by daylight; good, because I had to drive around a mudslide; those and flooding rivers have killed over 30 people in El Salvador, and over 100 in the region. In the Reformed Calvinist church in San Salvador on Sunday morning the service also had to be cancelled; buses were scarcely running.
Time and space just now limit what I will write. Tonight I show the film Return to El Salvador in a local theatre, and will comment this documentary that shows people who had to flee during the civil war and now return, to visit or to minister. (you can see the “trailer” at ReturntoElSalvador.com)
Below are pictures of a meeting held in Santa Tecla last Sunday afternoon, with rain flooding in the doorway.
This meeting was with the Word and Deed Project group of the CRC ES “Directiva Nacional,” held during the downpour of Sunday Oct. 16, 2011 We came to an agreement for another year continuation of the Project. On the table with the agreement is the $2,000 that was to have been an “advance” on the projects. Mutually we decided to share the money between the two congregations for emergency basic non-perishalbe food supllies for families of greatest need in their communities.
Pastor Lou Wagenveld with the leaders; on the right in the brown jacket is Huizucar’s pastor, Rev. Joaquin Ordonez. He is currently President.
I don’t seem to be able to import the pictures of the foodstuffs and supplies that were purchased and distrubuted. I have already received some reporting and accounting. (Jan. 2012)