El Salvador is full natural beauty that is
often scarred by the work of human hands, This was brought home clearly
upon my first visit to the Romero Community. The people are beautiful in
both body & spirit, but they are living in the most inhumane conditions.
In the U.S. we would not accept such poverty as the norm, and most often,
we would have a "safety net" here to help us achieve a better life.
In the city of San Salvador, there are many
people, crowded conditions and pollution. The governing bodies there do
not seem to care much about the human or environmental condition. A visit
to the National Hospital Rosales confirmed my observation about the lack of
care for the poor of this country. The facilities there were dated to the
likes of a post World War II setting. No window screens, air
conditioning, or hygienic instruments.
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| Romero Community Univerity Scholarship student |
The graciousness & generosity we received in
particular from the Romero Community was humbling. Their will to strive
& thrive seemed even stronger than our desire to help. A visit from
the President of ISTA
was a highlight and a hopeful sign that land titles cannot be
far behind.
Overall, I am touched, as always, when the human
spirit is moved thru love & prayer to help another person in need. We
met so many wonderful people doing just that...Leslie, number #1! Fr.
Antonio, working with gangs; Fr. Tojiera at UCA; and of course, our own
Padre Jerry. It was a wonderful experience that will hopefully carry on
into the future for all of us.
Despite the obvious lack of resources, many of
the people we met had a heart-warming gleam of hope in their eyes. For us
to give audience to the witnesses of their lives was truly a gift they warmly
received. The students who worked so hard to better themselves despite
adversity, were an inspiration to us all. It gave us great satisfaction
to believe we could be part of making a difference in the lives of these people.
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After the meeting with the ISTA president, the delegation and
ISTA is looking over the plans for the community |
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| Children from the Romero Community |
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| After a meeting in the ISTA President's (left) office, he went to the community with his daughter. Together with the families of the Romero Community they celebrated mass and shared lunch together. |
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| ISTA president with members of the delegation and the Romero Community |
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| Delegation in the Romero Community |
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| Part of the Delegation worked with the Clean Water Program |
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| Visit to Hospital Rosales |
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A dentist member of the delegation shared his knowledge
with the Romero Community children |
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A scholarship student from Estanzuelas, graduated in January
with a University degree in Architecture. |
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| Delegation meets with Father Antonio |
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| Scholarship students from Estanzuelas |
