AR2011%20Santa%20Ana%20Final

Santa Ana RegionANNUAL REPORT 2011

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equipping churches to transform communities

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

PARTNER CHURCH PROFILES Nueva Jerusalén Church, Comecayo

Nueva Jerusalén Church is a committed and �ourishing congre-gation of 800 members. Its pastor, Rafael González, overcame incredible adversity in his life. An orphan at age 12 and later a widower with two infant children, he became a well-respected leader and regional presbyter. He �rst learned about ENLACE while working with a medical clinic that was used by students from a Christian school sharing his church building. In 2008, Pastor Rafael asked ENLACE to develop a strategy that would help his church reach out to its community.

With ENLACE’s help, the church strengthened existing relation-ships with school parents, teachers and students and also estab-lished new relationships with the mayor’s o�ce and the Commu-nity Association. As a result, the church implemented many

projects--most recently a pedestrian bridge (pictured on the cover) which allows residents to safely cross the Pan-American Highway. The church's strong leadership and great capacity for outreach has extended its impact to neighboring communities like El Ranchador and Porvenir.

The goals for 2012 are to continue to strengthen the church’s leadership through ongoing coaching and training and to implement health, infrastructure and development projects.

Santa Ana is a region located in western El Salvador, Central America and has a total population of nearly 700,000. Approximately 300,000 people live in or near urban centers and the remaining 400,000 live in semi-rural or rural communities. Recent reports1 state that 23 percent of the population or 161,000 people live in extreme poverty (making less than $1 per day) and 46 percent of the population, or 332,000 people, live in severe poverty (making less than $2 per day). The region is diverse and has complex challenges. The urban areas are densely populated and face security issues, household waste problems, and unemployment. The rural areas are also densely populated but face critical challenges such as dilapidated roads, inadequate housing, poor health and struggling economic development. These challenges are evident at di�erent levels in the communities with which ENLACE works.

Existing US PartnerNew US PartnerNo US Partner

1 Flasco: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales


Arca de Dios Church, Ranchador

Zurisadai Church, San Jacinto

The Zurisadai Church is an energetic and active congregation of 170 members. In 2008, its pastor, Jaime Mauricio Alvarado, heard about ENLACE through conversations with Rafael Gonzalez, a pastor from Comecayo. Pastor Mauricio, a dedicated leader who constantly seeks opportunities to grow, along with his wife, Yanira, who is also a talented leader, were encouraged by Pastor Rafael to lead their church into a new vision of ministry.

With incredible excitement and speed, Pastor Mauricio and many church members joined the local community association and helped to make the group more representative, organized and inspired to serve. Since that time, a myriad of projects such as road repairs, the construction of dozens of homes, an improved water system and home gardens have gone forward, transforming the landscape of San Jacinto and the hearts of hundreds of its residents.

The goals for 2012 are to continue to strengthen the church’s leadership through ongoing coaching and training and to facilitate the development of infrastructure, health, and economic develop-ment projects.

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The Arca de Dios Church is a semi-rural congregation of 200 members. In 2010, the church’s pastor, Francisco Javier Mendoza, heard about ENLACE through conversations with Rafael Gonzalez, a pastor from the nearby community of Comecayo. One of the greatest challenges facing this community is the presence of gangs. Despite this, the church is committed to being a place of love and care for all the people of El Ranchador.

As a result of working with Compassion International, the church already had a close relationship with its community. ENLACE strengthened their community ties by helping them to become better organized and more integrated with other leaders and families in the community. ENLACE also helped to establish new relationships with other organizations. While most residents have access to clean water and electricity, they su�er from other mala-dies such as inadequate housing, infrastructure problems, malnu-trition, and lack of development opportunities. By the end of 2011, the church, together with the community, implemented home garden and home construction projects.

The goals for 2012 are to continue to strengthen the church’s leadership through ongoing coaching and training and to facili-tate the development of projects such as home gardens, an expanded water system, latrines, a medical clinic, a new bridge, and more housing.

Cristo Vive Church, La Bendición

Puerta del Cielo Church, El Progreso

The Puerta del Cielo Church is a rural congregation of 65 mem-bers. In 2008, its pastor, Mario Ernesto Mejía, learned about ENLACE through conversations with Pastor Mauricio Alvarado from San Jacinto, who encouraged him to reach out and serve his community.

Pastor Mario, a man of great passion and faith, successfully motivated his congregation to join him in service. The church established new relationships with several community organiza-tions as well as the mayor’s o�ce. Along with helping to address signi�cant health and security issues through projects such as healthy eco-stoves and housing, the church has created strong friendships with community members and other church-goers from di�erent denominations. Pastor Mario's dedication to outreach has helped him become a well-respected leader in the community. Residents trust him, and now turn to his congrega-tion for help and guidance.

The goals for 2012 are to continue to strengthen the church’s leadership through ongoing coaching and training and to facilitate the development of health initiatives such as latrines, health-friendly eco-stoves, and home gardens, as well as infra-structure projects such as housing and road improvement.

The Cristo Vive Church is a congregation of 95 members located on beautiful Lake Coatepeque. In 2010, their pastor, Mauricio Rodolfo Reyes, learned about ENLACE through conversations with Pastor Rafael Gonzalez from nearby Comecayo, who invited him to attend a seminar about how a church can work e�ectively with its commu-nity.

Pastor Mauricio and his young and dynamic leadership team found a way to inspire and motivate their congregation. They strengthened existing relationships with the local public school and the commu-nity association. With the help of ENLACE, they also improved community organization, and are building new relationships with other community organizations. They have implemented projects such as eco-stoves and home gardens. The name of their town, La Bendición, means ''The Blessing'' in English. Through their outreach, Pastor Mauricio and the church are a blessing to their community.

The goals for 2012 are to continue to strengthen the church’s leader-ship through ongoing coaching and training to implement health, infrastructure and development projects.


Monte Horeb, La Reforma

The Puerta del Cielo Church is a semi-urban congregation of 130 members. Pastor Francisco Javier Portillo was the pastor of one of ENLACE's �rst local partner churches in the hamlet of El Cambio, El Tinteral. Pastor Francisco moved to San Juan Buenavista and contacted ENLACE in 2011 to continue creating a vision for his church and community with this new congrega-tion.

Pastor Francisco and his strong and diverse group of leaders have accomplished tremendous things in a very short time. They've built strong relationships with many community organi-zations and implemented health projects such as home gardens and the construction of healthy eco-stoves and latrines. With every project, they strengthened ties with the public school and the community’s water board and increased their own manage-ment capacity and organizational ability.

The goals for 2012 are to continue to strengthen the church’s leadership through ongoing coaching and training and to facilitate the development of health projects, such as eco-stoves and a water �ltration system, as well as infrastructure projects, such as road repairs.

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The Monte Horeb Church is a willing and well-connected congre-gation that has 150 members. In 2010, its pastor, Elman Alfonso Melendez, learned about ENLACE through conversations with Pastor Rafael Gonzalez from the nearby community of Comecayo.

The church already had close relationships with its community as a result of having collaborated with the Ministry of Health in past projects. Through ENLACE’s training, the church improved their management of projects and strengthened relationships with other organizations. Together the church and community have implemented health projects, such as home gardens and latrines. They also e�ectively and quickly coordinated relief e�orts in response to a tropical storm in October 2011 which unfortunately took the lives of three church members.

The goals for 2012 are to continue to strengthen the church’s leadership through ongoing coaching and training and to facili-tate the development of projects such as a water system, healthier eco-stoves, walkways and street lighting.

Puerta del Cielo, San Juan Buenavista


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NEW PARTNER CHUCH PROFILES

Juan 3:16 Church

Location: Milagro de la Rosa, Sitio del niñoChurch founded: Pastor: Milton Obed Gutierrez RiveraPastoring church since: 2004ENLACE partner since: 2010Introduced to ENLACE by: Nueva Jerusalén ChurchChurch members: 300Number of families impacted: 800 Community projects implemented: Retaining wall, water project, house roo�ng, food assistance and clean-up campaign

El Buen SamaritanoChurch

Location: Estorague, El LagoChurch founded: 1986Pastor: René MartinezPastoring church since: 2000ENLACE partner since: 2011Introduced to ENLACE by: Cristo Vive ChurchChurch members: 50Number of families impacted: 80

La Voz de Dios Church

Location: Los Planes, El LagoChurch founded: 1979Pastor: Marvin Ernesto Rivera HerreraPastoring church since: 2008ENLACE partner since: 2011Introduced to ENLACE by: Cristo Vive ChurchChurch members: 116Number of families impacted: 2500Community projects implemented: Road repair

Roca de Los Siglos Church

Location: Santa Rosa, El LagoChurch founded: 1976Pastor: Amadeo Alfonso HérnandezPastoring church since: 1985ENLACE partner since: 2011Introduced to ENLACE by: Cristo Vive ChurchChurch members: 150Number of families impacted: 100

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY PROGRAM

In 2011 ENLACE trained and equipped over 134 church leaders on a monthly basis in seven churches in the Santa Ana Region

“When Christ calls us, he invites us to serve and that is not limited to the four walls of the church.”

William RodriguezYouth Leader, Cristo Vive Church

CHURCHES: CURRENT AND PROJECTED

PROJECTS ACTUAL COMMENT2011 2012 GOAL

Identify new partner churches

Train and coach committed partner churches

GOAL

6 6 8The number of interested churches continues to grow, and we should be able to identify at least two new interested churches in 2012.

We plan to be working with 8 committed churches by the end of 2012.7 7* 8

*The Tres Hebreos Church elected to ceased its work with ENLACE, but the Puerta del Cielo Church in San Juan Buenavista became a committed partner church.

PROJECT REPORTS 2011

"I had faith that someday we would be helped. I had faith that someday I would have my little house, an adobe block house. I asked God to help me and thank God for this miracle that God has given me." -Nuria

The construction of a pedestrian bridge on this important stretch of the Pan-American Highway allows 5,000 residents to cross safely.

Home Construction

Pedestrian Bridge The bridge is now in use providing safe passage over the Pan-American highway for 2,000 students, 1,000 church members and 5,000 community members.

Built 2 more homes than originally planned because of additional funding.

PROJECT GOAL ACTUAL COMMENTS

Complete

10 Homes 12 Homes

Bridge Construction

Integrated Waste Management System

Completed the design of the bridge and organized the community. The mayor’s o�ce has approved the project but has not dispersed their portion of the funding required to start construction which is scheduled to begin by March 2012.

Complete

New eco-stove technologies reduce the amount of wood-use and smoke inhalation, especially by women (who are the primary cooks) and children (who remain in the house most days).

Nueva Jerusalén Church, Comecayo

Complete After extensive study with the local church and discussion with donors, a replacement project was identi�ed. A separate report is available upon request.

10 Homes Repaired 10 homes bene�ting 49 people.Home Repair

Complete

Pending

Nueva Jerusalén, Arca de Dios, Los Tres Hebreos Churches, El Ranchador

Pending Construction*

10 Homes

*ENLACE helps the church and community to identify potential projects but does not commit to the project implementation until local and international funding is received.


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Nueva Jerusalén, Arca de Dios, Los Tres Hebreos Churches, El Ranchador cont.

Home Gardens 35 Gardens Provided technical assistance to start 32 gardens bene�ting 151 people.

LatrinesExceeded their goal and built 124 pit latrines and 17 composting latrines bene�ting 703 people.

Water System ExpansionCompleted the design of a water system that will bene�t 300 people (60 families) construction will begin by March 2012.

Home ConstructionConstructed 31 homes bene�ting 151 people. Two of the homes from this project were built in El Progreso.

Road Repair (Velveredes) The project is pending funding.

Road Repair (Clinic Area)

Culvert Construction (El Copinol)

Built 20 stoves bene�ting 98 people and plan to �nish the remaining 30 stoves in 2012.


Water System Expansion Completed the construction of an additional water tank and the design of the distribution system bene�ting 2,954 people. The installa-tion will be completed in 2012.

Home Gardens Provided technical assistance to start 30 gardens bene�ting 149 people.

94 Latrines

Identify and Design

Complete

31 Homes

Complete2nd stage

Complete

Complete

Eco-stoves 50 Stoves

Tank andDesign

35 Gardens

Integrated Waste Management System

Complete Pending

30 Gardens**

After extensive study with the local church and discussion with donors, a replacement project was identi�ed. A separate report is available upon request.

32 Gardens**

141 Latrines

31 Homes

PendingFunding*

PendingFunding*

The project is pending funding.

PendingFunding*

The project is pending funding.

20 Stoves

Complete

*ENLACE helps the church and community to identify potential projects but does not commit to the project implementation until local and international funding is received.**Due to the unprecedented amount of rain in October 2011, approximately 80% of all crops were destroyed. New mitigation techniques are being implemented in 2012.





Home Construction

Street Repair

Latrines

Improved Stoves

Home Construction

Water System

Home Gardens

Home Repair Identi�ed recipients and prepared for the repair of 6 homes in 2012.

Identi�ed recipients and prepared for the construction of 6 homes in 2012.

Provided technical assistance to start 30 gardens bene�ting 149 people. Training and inputs will begin in 2012.

Completed the design of a water system and. Identi�ed donor to �nance and build the system in 2012.

Identi�ed 25 recipients to receive latrines bene�ting 120 people. Construction begins in March 2012.

Built 33 stoves bene�ting 166 people. An additional 17 stoves will be built in 2012.

Completed the design to improve 2480 feet of road bene�ting 1,125 people. Construction begins February 2012

Identi�ed and organized home recipients and work teams for 5 homes bene�ting 24 people. Construction begins February, 2012.

Monte Horeb Church, La Reforma

5 Homes

Identi�ed in 2011

50 Stoves

25 Latrines

Identify and Design

Identi�edin 2011

Identi�ed in 2011

Identify and Design

Complete

DesignedandFunded

Designedand Funded

33 Stoves

Designedand Funded

Designedand Funded

Latrines

Eco-stoves

Identi�ed 50 recipients to receive latrines bene�ting 250 people in 2012.

Built 10 stoves bene�ting 48 people. An additional 40 stoves will be built by April 2012.

Identi�ed in 2011

Identi�ed in 2011

Designedand Funded

10 Stoves

Complete

Complete



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Immediate Response

From October 9 through 20 of 2011, torrential rainstorms caused extreme �ooding all over El Salvador. Nearly half of the country’s 262 municipalities were e�ected. Along with landslides that caused the deaths of 33 people, 35,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Roads and bridges were washed out submerging almost 10 percent of the countryside in water and leading to an enormous loss of agricultural crops.

ENLACE �rst responded by supporting the e�orts of our local church partners as they provided immediate relief in form of food, water, tempo-rary shelter and spiritual counseling. In the months that followed, ENLACE continued to help churches reach out to 1,610 people with various supplies, including basic food staples, water, blankets, mattresses and medicines, in eight communities.

The Cristo Vive Church in Lake Coatepeque provided food and beds to e�ected families in the area. Due to the rain, many lost their crops and were unable to �sh in the lake because of contamina-tion.

The Monte Horeb Church served as a relief shelter for 52 familiesin Ciudad Arce.

A landlside in Ciudad Arce buried seven homes and killed three people. Church members were amongthe �rst on the scene and helped to save dozens of people.

PRODUCT UNIT QTY PRICE TOTALRice Lbs. 2000 $0.45 $900.00

Beans Lbs. 2000 $0.75 $1,500.00

Sugar Lbs. 1200 $0.38 $450.00

Corn �our Lbs. 2000 $0.41 $820.00

Powder milk Lbs. 1500 $2.89 $4,341.83

Co�ee Bags 500 $2.51 $1,253.33

Toilet paper Rolls 1200 $0.44 $529.20

Cooking oil Bottles 250 $1.40 $350.00

Salt Bags 114 $0.05 $5.50

Sardines Cans 1016 $1.86 $1,890.00

Water Bags 8900 $0.05 $403.65

Blankets Units 120 $2.50 $300.00

Mattresses Units 120 $17.00 $2,040.00

$14,783.50


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IDENTIFIED PROJECTS FOR 2012

Road Repair (Velveredes) Complete remaining portion of the road repairs with 164 feet of curbs and drainage system bene�ting 600 people.

Complete $6,432

PROJECT GOAL BUDGET COMMENTS

Road Repair (Clinic Area)

Culvert Construction (El Copinol)

Complete

Complete

Culvert and bridge construction on primary road bene�ting 1,700 people.

Lay stone foundation and pave road near public health clinic bene�ting 1,700 people.

TBD

TBD

Expansion of Clean Water System

Eco-stoves

Complete

100 Stoves

Funded

Funded

School Wall Stage 1 $30,000

Install distribution lines connecting 410 people to the water system.

Construction and training on use and maintenance of 100 stoves bene�ting 500 people.

Design and build the �rst section of a perimeter wall around 328 feet of the public school’s property.

Provide training and technical assistance to start 25 gardens bene�ting 150 people.

Construction of 1 home bene�ting 6 people.Home Construction

Home Gardens

$6,5001 Home

$7,65025 Gardens



Road Repair

Home Construction

Home Gardens

Latrines 50 Latrines

Eco-stoves

FundedCompletePave about 2,500 feet of primary roads to provide access in and out of community for 1,125 people.

50 Stoves $10,000Construction and training on use and maintenance of 50 stoves bene�ting 248 people.

Provide technical assistance and agricultural inputs to start 20 home gardens.

Identi�ed and organized home recipients and work teams for 5 homes bene�ting 24 people in 2011. Construction begins in February.

Build 50 latrines, provide preven-tive health education and train community members on mainte-nance bene�ting 240 people.

Funded

$12,500

5 Homes

20 Gardens $6,400


50 Stoves $10,000


Latrines

Road Repair Complete

50 Latrines

Build 2,500 feet of curbs and drains to protect the street and properties from erosion.

Build 50 latrines, provide preven-tive health education and train community members on proper maintenance.

$12,500

TBD

Bridge Construction, Ranchador

Home Gardens 20 Gardens $6,400

Latrines 40 Latrines

Complete

Complete

Complete

Funded

$28,448

Build the �nal 40 latrines to complete 200-latrine project started in 2010.

Bridge construction of more than 320 square feet along the primary road into El Ranchador.

Home Gardens (Empalizada)

Home Gardens (El Porvenir)

Road Repair

Gutter and Culvert Construction

Eco-stoves

$6,40020 Gardens

$5,15015 Gardens

100 Stoves $20,000

Build curbs and drains to protect the street and properties from erosion bene�ting 3,000 people.

TBD

TBD

Eco-stoves


Nueva Jerusalén Church, Comecayo

Nueva Jerusalén Church, El Porvenir, Empalizada

Construction and training on use and maintenance of 50 improved stoves bene�ting 250 people.

Culvert and gutter construction on primary road bene�ting 5,000 people.



Construction and training on use and maintenance of 100 stoves bene�ting 500 people.



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300 People Funded


Culvert and Bridge Construction

TBD Culvert and bridge construction on primary road.

TBD

Water System

Home Gardens

$110,360

Retaining Wall

Home Constuction/ Repair

Pedestrian Bridge

Road Repair

Water System

Water Filters 25 Filters

Eco-stoves

TBDComplete

Funded14 Homes

$126,966

Design and Fund

TBD Design, organize and fund a water system that will bene�t 2,500 people.

Construction and training on use and maintenance of 100 eco-stoves bene�ting 500 people.

Provide 25 families with water �ltration systems as a pilot project.

TBD

$2,000

100 Stoves $20,000

Eco-stoves

Street Lights 25 Street Lamps $2,772

$10,00050 Stoves

Arca de Dios Church, El Ranchador

Monte Horeb Church, La Reforma

Puerta del Cielo Church, San Juan Buenavista

Water System ExpansionCompleted the design of a water system that will bene�t 300 people (60 families ) in 2011. Construction begins in March 2012.

Complete design and seek funding for a pedestrian bridge that will bene�t up to 10,000 people.

Repair and pave nearly 900 feet of primary access road.

Design and build retaining wall to prevent erosion.

Construction and training on use and maintenance of 50 eco-stoves bene�ting 250 people.

Build 6 and repair 8 homes bene�ting 74 people.

Rural Extension Clinic $30,000

20 $6,400Provide technical assistance and agricultural inputs to start 20 home gardens.

Build clinic to provide primary healthcare services for more than 3,000 people.

Complete

Replace 1800 feet of water piping.Design and Fund

Design and Fund

Design and Fund

Provide lighting on the primary streets for added security and safety.


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Church Coach Pro�le: Felix Orellana

"If we only focus on the spiritual aspects of the gospel we diminish the power of the gospel."

ENLACE Church Coach in Santa Ana Region

Felix Miguel Orellana Romero is a passionate and talented young minister whose vision and call for ministry came to full fruition working as an ENLACE Church Coach. After a childhood full of challenges, Felix became a Christian at a Franklin Graham crusade in El Salvador at the age of 18. He quickly became involved serving in his local church, and says he felt "desperate" to learn about the Bible and equip himself with the tools necessary for ministry. It was this desperation that led him to leave his growing career in food service to study at La Universidad Cristiana and become a missionary.

Midway through his studies Felix was o�ered a pastorate in a small, but growing church near Santa Ana. Without hesitation, Felix accepted, and he reports that pastoring this congregation has provided him with invaluable ministry experience. However, since he became a Christian, he has been fascinated by the idea of missions and drawn to the notion of mobilizing experi-ence gained from one area and translating it for use in another. When he heard about a posi-tion opening with ENLACE, he was eager to work with an organization that worked with churches all over the country.

Felix started working in the Abelines region and is now working in Santa Ana. He has seen wonderful changes in the churches that have recently begun partnership with ENLACE. He says that some churches are often only focused on the spiritual aspects of the gospel because they simply don't know how to get connected to their communities. But according to Felix, "If we only focus on spiritual things we diminish the power of the gospel."

Felix enjoys getting the chance to take that belief one step further. “We [at ENLACE] are also able to help [churches] get organized to complete initiatives…But it's not about being the protagonist of the church's process. We must allow God to lead."

While working with ENLACE, Felix is also �nishing his studies and will graduate with a Masters degree in Theology with a concentration in Missions Studies. He says his work with the churches in the region of Santa Ana has inspired him to continue to help more communities overcome the obstacles they face. According to Felix, “When the church looks beyond its walls, it becomes an unstoppable force.”

Church Coach Pro�le: Marvin Sanchéz

“God challenges our interests with His desires. It's so amazing to see how He moves our hearts to His interests. He could let us go down the road that we want to take, but God knows that His plan is better. Living out His plan will bring the fullest potential to our lives."

ENLACE Church Coach in Santa Ana Region

Marvin Sanchez became a Christian when he was 18 years old. In the process of searching for direction in his life, he began to study law. However, his heart and mind continued to pull him toward the mission of the Church. This persistent calling led him to seek full-time ministry. He is now in his fourth year of studying Theology at the Assemblies of God Christian University in San Salvador and will soon graduate with a specialization in missions. He has recently joined the group of ENLACE church coaches who work day after day with the pastors and leaders of partnering churches to share the biblical truths that are the foundations of the mission and vision of the Church.

“When the call of God comes to a person’s life, it is very di�cult or even impossible to ignore because it is a �re that consumes your heart. As Jeremiah said, ‘I tried to su�er it, but I could not.’”

Before coming to ENLACE, Marvin worked as a counselor for adolescents with Compassion International in El Salvador. In this role, he enjoyed helping young people to discover and develop their true potential.

Marvin brings his life experiences to his church coaching, but is also excited about taking on a broader role with ENLACE. This role, one that re�ects God's call for all of His Church, is to encourage one another towards an integral mission demonstrated by Christ himself. This is a mission that Marvin is so excited to share, one that includes preaching the good news, healing, feeding, and caring for our neighbors.

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Bridging the Gap

The tra�c accidents that occur on the highways in El Salvador cause an alarming number of injuries and deaths. In the past 10 years, �ve children near the Nueva Jerusalen Church in Comecayo lost their lives while walking along the highway or trying to cross the road. The tragedy of these losses moved the church and the community to consider it a top priority to construct a pedestrian bridge across the busy road to protect the lives of more than 10,000 people that must walk through this area daily.

Seeing the need and grieved over senseless deaths, the church asked ENLACE to help them create a strategy that addressed the problem. ENLACE provided technical assistance and church training, which resulted in forming a Pedestrian Safety Committee made up of church and community members who oversaw the project and lobbied the mayor’s o�ce to help complete it. After a design and plan were created, the Nueva Jerusalen Church and the community provided construction materials, water, storage and tools, as well as skilled and unskilled labor. In December 2011, the mayor’s o�ce provided the cables and the bridge was �nally complete.

Felix Orellana, ENLACE regional church coach, believes that along with providing safety, the bridge has created a possibility for greater unity, which lubricates the momentum of change in the community of Come-cayo. “The church and the community have de�nitely created new bonds of friendship which have brought greater motivation, strength, and unity to serve.”

The new bridge in Comecayo can be seen from many locations in the community. It stands as a memorial to those who lost their lives and a memorial to the commitment of the church to reaching out to their neighbors.

In the last ten years �ve children were killed trying to cross the road, which made the bridge construction a priority for the whole community.


MOMENTUM STORIES

PROFILES OF TRANSFORMATION

Hope is Made Flesh

“This house represents security and peace, a gift that could have only come from God,” said Pablo Chacon as he mixed concrete to set the roof for his new home located in San Jacinto. Neighbors from the local church worked alongside him, glad to be a part of this grand blessing. For Pablo, this new home has not only given safe and secure shelter to him and his family; it has given him new hope.

For at least 35 percent of rural Salvadorans a decent home is only a dream. They live in homes made from sheets of torn plastic, rusty aluminum, crumbling walls and dirt �oors. A six-month rainy season adds to the problems as rain and humidity seep into cracks and holes causing property damage and chronic illnesses. Such homes are often built on mountainsides and marginal areas prone to danger as excessive rain makes roads impassable and landslides a constant threat.

For Pablo, his wife Rosa, and children, building a home had been impossible. Pablo, a landless farmer, could no longer make enough from farming to rent land. Eventually he found work at a local bakery, but the pay was never enough to build a home. The best he could do was to maintain their old home, which was com-posed of scraps of wood and aluminum.

The situation was even more dire for 90-year-old Erlinda Garay and her daughter NAME . They lived in a dwelling made from pieces of wood and plastic. At their age, they cannot work and rely only on a small sum of money given to them by a relative. When it rained, they would move and cover their meager possessions no matter if it was noon or past midnight. During the dry season, their uneven, dirt �oor was di�cult to navigate; Erlinda is almost blind. And when it rained a stream of water turned their �oor into a pool of mud.

The Zurisadai Church in their community of San Jacinto has worked with the community association to identify cases like Pablo and Erlinda. The church recognized that addressing the need for adequate housing was a great opportunity to serve its neighbors. They helped to identify both Pablo and Erlinda’s families and 23 others in most need. ENLACE technical sta� helped the church and community to design a two-bedroom, electricity-ready, improved adobe block home which cost no more than $6,000 to build. Church members worked alongside bene�ciaries (if able) to o�set the cost of labor.

Having a decent roof over your head and a clean dry �oor under your feet is nothing short of a miracle for families living in poverty. However, knowing that God is at work through your neighbors who reach out in sacri�ce and love is the seed of a community-wide transformation of spirit. In this and many other ways, hope is “made �esh” in Santa Ana, El Salvador.

MOMENTUM STORIES

PROFILES OF TRANSFORMATION

Beyond Expectations

“...If I was just given some plastic for the roof, then I would be happy..”

This was Nuria’s yearly hope anticipating each rainy season’s approach. Six of her eight children shared a one-room home covered with plastic tarps that had been worn to holes in places where the sun’s heat had burned though. These openings became chan-nels for the rain. The few possessions they owned had to be moved around constantly to keep them from becoming soaked. The dampness also increased the likeliness that they would become sick.

Nuria’s husband works random jobs all over the country and only returns home when and if he can bring food or money to his household. Nuria, who once lived in a bigger city, decided to move to San Jacinto as a way to cut costs when she inherited a small plot of land. Even so, her savings didn’t go far, and their new home was built of bamboo sticks and plastic tarps. She always prayed for the day when she would be able to improve their situation.

Nuria has no running water so she and her children walk to the nearest well about 25 minutes away. A neighbor allows them to share her latrine. With these conditions it comes as no surprise that illnesses like bronchitis are experienced frequently by her children.

Nuria says that she could hardly believe it when the church approached her with the possibility of build-ing her a safe and secure home. “I told them it’s not even necessary to put a cement �oor, the roof and walls would be enough.” But thanks to the San Jacinto community and the Zurisadai Church, Nuria’s home was completed just before the rainy season started and included a roof, walls, cement �oor, front porch, electricity, doors and windows.

According to Nuria, “I had faith that someday God would help me. I had faith that someday I would have a little house, an adobe block house. I asked God to �nd a good person to help me and I thank God for this miracle that He has given me. It’s a miracle from God.”


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