by Michelle Zuñiga
Pastors, leaders and ENLACE staff holding on to miracles.During my first year as an ENLACE volunteer, I had the opportunity to travel to dozens of communities. It was obvious that most of these communities were poor, with high crime rates, and often distant from access to resources. Despite these challenges, pastors and church leaders are involved in daily efforts to bring reconciliation, justice, and help their neighbors in transformational ways. Their hard work is encouraging to say the least, but I sometimes ask myself, “What keeps them going? How can they continue all of this hard work in the face of such adversity?” The short answer is passion. A God-given passion for service seems to be the key element that these pastors and leaders all seem to have in common.
As 2010 drew to a close, more than 140 pastors and church leaders from all over El Salvador came together to commit their lives to serving God and serving their communities with this God-given passion. At one point during a session I could see Pastor Santos from El Espino, Pastor Miguel from Las Delicias, and Pastor Orlando from El Triunfo, all from very different areas of the country. As they heard speakers, each one was attentive, writing notes diligently, and worshipping with all of their hearts. This retreat was a time of camaraderie, spiritual refreshment and renewal of their passion for service. The pastors and leaders recognize that it takes enthusiasm and momentum to motivate their churches to continue serving in the face of adversity.
As we begin a new year I can see that it is with this contagious passion that churches truly become agents of change in their communities. A good example is the Good Samaritan where Pastor Miguel Duran has persisted for many years with a water project that will provide three communities with clean water. At the retreat he shared his experience with this initiative. His experience encouraged other church leaders to face with confidence the obstacles their initiatives may encounter.
Michelle smiling for the camera during the retreatOne of the most powerful moments was near the end of the retreat when everyone stood together, holding hands. We were connected with one another and we prayed as we squeezed our neighbor’s hand. We held on tightly knowing that we were holding onto miracles. As we look ahead to 2011 and beyond we know that for many communities in El Salvador, nothing short of a miracle will do. Money seems scarce, resources are hard to come by, but these pastors and leaders continue to strive to lead like Jesus did, with a God-given passion for service.