El Salvador: Day 8 - "Politicians, The UCA, the MUTE Museum and Santa Tecla"

Today is Friday, and we have been in the country for exactly one week now.  This morning we went to the National Assembly (El Salvador's Legislature) and toured the building.  Take a look:

We also had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the two main political parties here in El Salvador.  Our first meeting with a politician was with Rolando from the FMLN and here are some pictures:

We then met with David, a young politician from the Arena party (the party that was in power throughout the civil war from 1980 to 1992, and all the way to 2008 when the FMLN elected their first president). Here are some pictures:

This whole room was basically a shrine to Roberto d'Aubuisson, the founder of the Arena Party (who was trained and supported throughout the civil war by our US military) and the military mastermind that began the US-trained "Death Squads" during the civil war.   Here is the portrait of Mayor d'Aubuisson that stood behind David throughout his presentation, among other mementos:

(i will admit I was physically anxious sitting in that room and seeing the presence of a man who was responsible for so much evil being lifted up as a hero)

After our lunch we went to the UCA (University of Central America) where six Jesuits and two women were assassinated in an overnight surprise attack by the Salvadoran government's army in 1989:

The rose garden that stands as a memorial to all who died that day: 

After spending some quiet time on the campus and in the chapel, we went to a former army prison that had been abandoned after the war before being turned into an art museum.  I have to say that it felt eerie to be in the same place where human rights abuse occurred, but it was also interesting to see that space now filled with beautiful art: 

The very small and haunting "torture room":

We then ate dinner and hung out in that community of Santa Tecla.   It is an artistic, bohemian kind of place with lots of bars and small businesses.  They also closed off the street for booths to sell stuff, tables and chairs for outdoor dining, and many, many bars and restaurants.  It was a good night hanging out with my friends:

And Sarah getting her first taste of Elotes Loco (boiled corn on a stick, with mayo, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, and bits of cheese.  Do you think she liked it?:

This evening, I would say that the picture I would offer for how God is moving among us looks like the Book of Genesis.  I feel like God is hovering or vibrating over the deep chaos that is "pregnant with being."  There is a lot of creative power brewing, but not a lot of clarity at this point.  We'll see how God continues to use our experiences here.

Hold us in your prayers when you think of us.

Paz, 

Pastor Gregg/Gregorio

El Salvador: Day 7 - "Hard Stories with Hope"

Today is Thursday, July 25th and today had a different tenor. After the heaviness of yesterday, we spent today once again meeting with incredible people and wonderful witnesses to God's grace, justice and mercy.

We started off meeting with UNES (in English it translates loosely to "United for the Ecology of Salvadorans") who mainly talked to us about the issues of metallic mining (with its' humongous economic and ecological exploitation of El Salvador) and water quality.  For instance, when a foreign company comes in to mine in this country AT MOST 2% of the profits will stay in this country.  Also, this country is already second to last in the western hemisphere in access to water (about 1, 300 Liters/person/year here vs. 700,000 L/person/yr in Belize not far to the north and using 900,000 Liters/day (the amount an average family uses in 20 years) for the 5-10 years that the mines are usually open.  The other huge ecological issue is the use of cyanide to break apart the rocks and the possible/probable poisoning of the water supply is unconscionable!  When mines close, the land in that place is just done.

Here is a poster showing the actual red color of a few of the rivers that have to suffer the consequences of run off from the existing mines:

Those rivers that run red are full of arsenic and other chemicals that cause all manner of disease and distruction.

I am so grateful for the passion and energy of these two amazing people working hard on this, along with many others.  Here are Alejandro and Alexandra that spoke to our group.

(They also shared stories of workers and organizers who are disappearing and being murdered for their involvement in helping the people of El Salvador)

Then we went to the CRISPAZ office (it is new since the last time) and met with a few groups, but first, here is a picture of Gail taking a picture of a picture of our last delegation in 2010:

(I had to wonder if someone was also taking my picture of Gail taking a picture of a picture)

Here is the picture itself:

After meeting with local artisans, and having lunch with them and the whole CRISPAZ staff, we met with a group called COFAMIDE (in English it is the "Committee of Family Members of Migrants Who Have Died or Disappeared on the journey through Mexico on the way to the USA to find work to take care of their families (or possibly reunite with their family members or escape the violence in their home country: 

And here is Luis (with Elba):

Our last stop of the day was at a home for street children run by the Delores Medina Foundation, and Sister Claudia is an amazing example of the incarnation of the love of God!  She is as proud of her kids as I have ever seen any mom:

All in all, today we again heard some hard stories, but also had an air of hope for things to be different.  In order to get there THEY will need to band together as Salvadorans, but we will ALL have to band together as human beings and children of God.

I truly believe that our world is tiring of cowering to the god of capitalism and the almighty dollar, and I hope and pray we are experiencing a shift in our human will.  

What will it take to change all of our structures to lift up people over of profits?  

What is God calling me to do? You?  

Does a revolution always have to be violent? What would a revolution of God's grace, justice, peace and mercy even look like? 

Does it even matter?  Or will I/we have the courage to follow Jesus come what may?  

We are all wrestling with huge questions, and probably / hopefully won't come up with easy answers soon.  Easy answers never work for complicated issues, do they?

Paz, 

Pastor Gregg (o "Pastor Gregorio" porque es lo mismo, mas o menos)

(BTW I am still not sure why  it is somehow easier for native Spanish-speakers to pronounce, "Pastor Gregorio")

El Salvador: Day 6 - "CoMadres and brokenness"

Today is Wednesday, July 24th, and it was (as expected, since I have been here before) a tough day.  We started off the day with Co-Madres "The Committee of Mothers of the Disappeared, Murdered, Detained and Political Prisoners of El Salvador.

It was SO great to see Patricia again, now that her cancer is in remission, and to hear, once again, her powerful witness that absolutely should ruin me for the rest of my life (just as it did three years ago).  

Here is Patricia:

She is just a little bit of a thing, but she has more courage, grace and faith than you could ever imagine would fit into that small frame:

One powerful quote from her, when recounting the life of Monsignor Romero and how he was initially fearful and disengaged with the struggle for human rights at arms length: "But God gives you a moment..."

We then stopped by the Truth and Memory Monument in Cuscatlan Park, where we ended with a group prayer before heading to lunch:

After lunch, we stopped by a mall for ice cream with Marvin and Yenix (from El Paisnal) at a local mall, and then went to the Museum of Word and Image that displays many different kinds of exhibits (Salvadoran poets and photographers, testimonies of women, children and men of struggles during the war, a display of Msr. Romero's personal photographs from about 1950-1975, and a display related to struggles of migrants:

All in all, our hearts are broken as they should be.  Prayers are much appreciated, but not only for us but for everyone that we have encountered and will encounter in the coming days...

Paz, 

Gregg ("Pastor Gregorio")