El Salvador

Earthquake badly damages original church, 2001

Committee formed at St. Boniface, 2004

Barb Arkwright, a core team member, coordinates the visit’s itinerary and budget with Milagro and Andres on a day to day basis. “The main goal for delegations is to provide lessons in the history of oppression of the poor in El Salvador and their simple way of life,” stated Barb. “We schedule visits of interest on the life of archbishop Romero and those whose lives were lost fighting for their freedom. We visit schools, Daycares and other places of interest such as coffee fincas where many work long hours for little pay. Words and projects do not adequately describe how our hearts are changed by the beautiful people of El Salvador.”

El Recreo is the selected village, 2004

Following the lead of the Heartland Presbyterian Church in Clive, which was already working with a canton in central El Salvador, a committee of 25 St. Boniface parishioners was formed the fall of 2004 to determine what, if any, involvement St. Boniface wanted to have in this impoverished region. “The prerequisites were simple,” recalled Father Vince Rosonke, “if enough interest could be found within the parish, we would move ahead; if not, the idea would be dropped.” Fortunately a significant amount of enthusiasm was shown by the committee, 14 of whom traveled and met with a pastoral team in Berlin, El Salvador in June of 2004. The group flew into San Salvador, and then took a two-hour bus trip to their compound in Berlin, the base for this and following trips. A compound is basically a home where the volunteers stay and from which their activities are based. After touring several cantons (a Spanish term for a small unincorporated village) near the city of Berlin, the village of El Recreo, a village of 88 households (which has now grown to 152) was selected and a five-year commitment was made. Unlike an Iowa town, often built outwardly from a central square or rail yard, most cantons in El Salvador are usually just a home or two deep and a mile or two long. El Recreo fits this description and is situated along a road that runs along a ridge top.

The first Mission trip in 2004 would determine the interest and possibility of a partnership with a village in El Salvador. Rev. Bob Cook introduced the St. Boniface delegation to the history and culture of El Salvador. Several villages were visited to meet the people and understand their needs. The canton of El Recreo was selected as a partner for St. Boniface, and it was decided that we would visit twice a year.

First stay at the Casa Pastoral, 2004

St. Boniface provided bags of fertilizer for the families in El Recreo, all of which would be spread by hand. Jerry Burger, a Waukee area farmer who has made several trips to the area stated, “We’re used to farming hundreds and hundreds of acres with tractors that nearly drive themselves. Here you see people working depleted soil with a stick. People in our country have no idea how important that small bit of ground is to each family. When we can provide fertilizer that doubles their output, that’s a huge benefit to those families.”
 

88 200-gallon water barrels supplied to housholds, 2005

In April of 2005, eighty-eight 200-gallon water barrels were provided to households for the use of rainwater collection. Through a system of makeshift gutters, rainwater is collected from the roofs of homes and stored in the barrels. Water is then taken from the barrels and boiled for cooking and drinking or used to water their animals. In the dry season, when the barrels run dry, the barrels are filled with seed, sealed and stored to keep out rodents. Prior to the donation of these water barrels for each home, children spent their days walking back and forth from the nearby river to their homes carrying water in round containers with handles on each side. Since they were needed for this chore, these children were unable to attend school. With the placement of these barrels in each home, more children were available to attend classes.

Land for soccer field purchased, 2006

A three-acre parcel of ground was purchased in 2006 for use as a soccer field and playground. In 2010, St. Boniface commissioned a male and female cement-block bathroom built next to the soccer field. In 2015, the delegation donated nearly 40 soccer balls to schools and individuals in the area. The El Recreo community now has teams of adult men, young men, and women who play teams from neighboring cantons.

First corn delivery,
2006

High School Support started,
2006

El Recreo museum created, 2007

The museum is run by the community and has several artifacts found in El Recreo. Some of the artifacts were found when they were excavating the land for the new church and others are from families in the community. The artifacts include grinding stones, arrowheads, pottery, lanterns, winches, shells, and anthropomorphic figures.
 

Construction begun for building the new church, 2007

St. Boniface provided funds for the construction of a 1,200 sq. ft., block-walled, tin-roofed church, with construction starting in 2007. The previous church, an adobe structure, was badly damaged in an earthquake in the 1990’s and was no longer safe for use. Handcrafted wood benches, reclaimed from the previous church, serve as seating, and a handsome tiled floor embellish the structure which had its dedication ceremony in February, 2008. Luckily the church, called the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was able to tie into one of the rare electrical lines in El Recreo, even though the majority of homes do not have power. “The church was built by the village’s master craftsman,” recalled Father Vince. “When we asked him where the plan was, he simply pointed to his head.”

Soccer field created, 2008

First visit to the homebound, 2009
On each trip members of the delegation visit a few older, homebound people in El Recreo. The delegation brings small care packages to give to these families and individuals. On one trip the delegation visited a 94 year-old man in a wheelchair. He had significant hearing problems, but members of the delegation stayed to chat with him and his family. He told them that he is lucky because most of his family is nearby and he has 40 grandchildren. In 2012 a few St. Boniface parishioners, using private funds, had a clinic built in El Recreo. The 10’x30’ cement block building consists of three rooms: one for reception, another for exams, and a third for storage. The clinic was constructed by the people of El Recreo and hand-painted by villagers Hector and Carlos. Interestingly enough, the murals they painted of their countryside on the outside of the clinic depict houses constructed of cement block, while their own homes are built using sticks and corrugated tin. The imagery of the cement block homes is not what they have, but what they wish for in the future. The municipality of Berlín is made up of an urban center with a population of about 12,000 and 17 cantons, or villages, with an additional population of approximately 30,000. The urban center is located in the mountains of eastern El Salvador, with the territory extending to lowland cantons (zona baja) on the Lempa River and to highland cantons (zona alta) at as much as 1,500 meters above sea level. The city boasts two high schools, a coffee processing plant, a bank, a credit union, a thriving municipal market, a youth community center, numerous small businesses, a Catholic church, and several Evangelical congregations. Much of the daily commerce is conducted in the downtown market . In 2010 funds donated specifically for El Recreo were used to buy a corn sheller that could be used by all the families in El Recro. After two years of drought, the 2016 crops around El Recreo were so good that the sheller has been put to near continuous use. Families pay $1.00/day to use the sheller. If families outside the village that want to use it El Recreo charges them $1.25/day. Villagers recently built a small chest to store tools to fix the sheller when needed. With the funds from the corn sheller residents purchased two new tables to use inside the church. Sheller funds are also used to help needy people in the community so they don't have to request our assistance. El Recreo currently has 164 families in the community. When St. Boniface first visited there were 81 families. The villagers want to build and add a blower onto the sheller so they don't have to use the chaffing machine. They believe this addition will earn more income for the community. This year everyone in the community is using the sheller. Five families a day can run it and it has been being used since December 20th, 2016. When the St. Boniface delegation visited in mid-January of 2017 only four families had not yet used it.

Computers installed
in computer lab
next to church,
2013

$500 donation to city of Berlin for playground equipment at park, 2014

A donation of $500 was made to the City of Berlin for playground equipment at the central park.

First serving of luncheon to the poor, 2015

The idea of serving lunch for the poor and homeless in Berlin first began over 10 years ago at the St. Joseph Church in Berlin. The lunch was called St. Peter’s Poors Dinner. Several years ago the dinner was moved from St. Joseph’s Church to the Black Christ Church. The Lunch for the Poors is served three days a week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. There are 6-8 groups who each take one week to shop, cook and serve the meals for one week. Some of the groups are the Rosary Prayer Group or the Women’s Prayer Group. Other churches have different groups that serve. The people who attend the lunch generally live in or near the location of the Black Christ Church. They come, carrying small containers; some have only lids from containers. They walk to the church. Some eat outside others take the food home.

Christmas Baskets Delivery,
2015

Fall corn delivery to El Recreo, 2015.

Our sister parish in El Recreo, El Salvador suffered a twofold catastrophe; a damaged drinking water pipeline and a drought. The lack of rainfall decreased crop yields by 50% to 90%. Since most families in this area are subsistence farmers with corn being the predominant crop, a poor yield means less (or no) food on their tables this fall and winter. In October of 2015 we sponsored a parish initiative titled From Our Heart to Their Table. Through this program we raised enough funds to supply each of the 167 households in El Recreo with four 100-pound bags of edible corn, which has been delivered. Enough funds were raised that another delivery will be made in December. It is extremely gratifying to see how funds can be raised one week and then two weeks later we put corn into the homes of our friends. Not only is corn the main food staple, but it can be used to pay land rent and barter for necessities. In addition to help feed families in El Recreo, we position them to plant a crop next year.

40+ soccer balls donated to area schools, 2015.

40+ soccer balls were donated to schools in and around El Recreo. The soccer balls were purchased with private fund and no tithing dollars were used for this purchase.

Water chlorination system installed, 2016.

In January of 2016, at the same time our delegation visited El Recreo, two members of a non-profit organization that installed over 500 water chlorination systems in Nicaragua.
The team was able to install a low-cost chlorination systems and teach people on the water committee in El Recreo how to maintain the system. The community of El Recreo once again has safe drinkable water.

Purchased and distributed $10,000 worth of roofing lamina, 2016.

During the 2016 delegation trip to El Recreo, more than 1,500 sheets of lamina (corrugated exterior metal sheeting) were purchased and distributed. Each of the 169 families at El Recreo received nine sheets.