Thursday... Pretty Tough Day

I knew (from my experience in Guatemala) that we would have days like today.

• We began by going to CO-MADRES, an organization begun to advocate for the families of those assassinated and those who disappeared.  Graphic images and stories left us devastated, but since they still have hope, we have hope.  Here is a photo of the women that spoke to us:

Magdelena, Patricia and Sophia

• We then returned to the hotel for lunch, and listened to our host (the hotel owner) tell his story of the war.  You can read more about that by clicking this link.
• Then we went to UCA (University of Central America, a Jesuit institution pronounced oo'-kah), where we met with a very interesting man who teaches theology there (Dean Brackley), followed by a visit to the museum which commemorates many of the martyrs during the war, most notably the six Jesuit priests and two laypersons who were assassinated in 1989.  Here is a rose garden that marks that site:

•  While driving around we saw a couple of interesting things.  Here is a protest outside the Canadian Embassy, protesting a Canadian company that is pushing to do large scale mining even though NO ONE here wants it and it will have disastrous effects on the land (especially the rivers).  Here is one link, and here is another and another if you want to learn more.  Here is the photo:

• And here is the sculpture, "El Salvador del Mundo (the Savior of the World)"

Today, I felt overwhelmed by the violence in a few hours and can't imagine how one would get through years, or decades of repression and violence.  We are all very tired, and I need to go to sleep, so even though there was a little more to tell of today, I am going to sleep.
You are all in my prayers.
Dios le Bendiga,
Gregg