Category: Blog

Since 2002, ENLACE USA director, Larry Kasper, has seen God’s dream put into action through local churches in El Salvador. During one of his many visits to El Salvador, Larry got a chance to share a little of his story with us. 

Larry grew up in a Christian home and says he was shown what it meant to be a follower of Christ through the example of his father. “My dad was a Christian with very strong values and principles,” said Larry. For much of his life, he strived to be like his father. However, he found out that it was not about the efforts he could make, but about obedience to God in his life. This process encouraged him to serve God as a pastor.  

Through many years of pastoring and planting churches, Larry’s passion for missions increased. However, he always wondered if going on a mission trip once every few years could really make a lasting impact on people’s lives. During this time of contemplating missions, Larry was introduced to ENLACE through his son-in-law, Mark Orphan. He was motivated to go to El Salvador and be a witness to the work of the local church and its community. “My appreciation for ENLACE increased much more seeing it first hand,” said Larry. 

“What really got my attention was seeing ENLACE as a Christ-centered organization that promotes the church’s sustainability by empowering them to serve their communities with what resources they already have,” said Larry. His search for making an eternal impact through tangible actions found its answer in ENLACE. Larry describes ENLACE as an entity that walks alongside the church and community, helping them identify opportunities that will bring sustainable solutions to poverty. He says,

“The best thing about this process is that it enables churches to demonstrate God’s love in practical and enduring ways.” 

Larry has worked for ENLACE for eight years and thinks that the institution has grown tremendously due to the fulfillment of God’s vision for His church and also because of the hard work of pastors and church leaders in El Salvador. Without the hard work and dedication of the local church none of this would be possible.

Everyone who knows Larry describes him as an approachable person, someone who cares about people, who values relationships deeply, loves his family and is fulfilled in serving others. Larry remains faithful to his passionate call for genuine transformation of communities in need.

Below is a six-minute version of a documentary by Rose Anderson found on hubwitness.org about the water situation in El Salvador. The site has this to say:

While there is no shortage of water in El Salvador, almost 60% of the rural population has no access to a reliable water source, forcing women and girls to walk long distances and pay high prices to obtain water of dubious quality. In cities, water is almost never lacking in wealthy neighborhoods where pools are common, while in poor areas where water is available only a few hours a day or during the night, the price can reach 10% of a household’s income.

The communities where ENLACE works are certainly not immune to these problems. In communities like Las Delicias on average residents pay 30% of their income to buy dirty water from water trucks during the six-month dry season. However, great strides are being made to bring clean water to the nearly 10,000 residents in the area (www.projectmilagro.com). 

Since 1993, ENLACE has already helped local churches and communities implement five water projects benefitting nearly 15,000 people. 

Just $50/month for 10 months or a gift of $500 will bring water to one household for generations to come. Donate now to project milagro and be part of the miracle!

In a year of global economic hardship, Project Milagro made considerable strides towards providing water for 10,000 people in the hills of Las Delicias, El Rosario, and Las Animas. As 2009 closed, stage four (of seven) was near completion in which the first 100 families will receive access to clean water! It has been quite a journey, and here are some of the miracles that brought us this far…

• Cornerstone Church (Simi Valley, CA) contributed a significant gift in February and provided the necessary funding to begin construction of the first pipeline of the project. 
• ANDA (the national water company) donated over 1 mile of piping and provided technical help for the installation. 
• Starting in March, over 80 people from the various communities worked on a daily basis to dig the piping by hand.  Within six weeks the piping was installed. (see video)
• The Orange County (CA) chapter of Engineers Without Borders helped fund, design and construct a large water tank in Maroquines (between Rosario and Las Delicias).   
• Willow Creek Community Church signed on to provide the filtration system (to be completed by March 2010) which will clean the water supply of iron and manganese. 
• The necessary infrastructure has been built at the well station. 
  • First pumps installed 
  • Electrical system installed 
  • First re-pumping tank constructed 
• A number of U.S. churches and organizations have come alongside the project this year including the following: 
  • San Diego First Baptist 
  • The Crossing (Costa Mesa, CA) see video
  • Crossroads Church (Temecula, CA) 
  • Meadowbrook Church (Champagne, IL) 
  • Foothill Christian Schools
  • Engineers Without Borders
  • Samurai Enterprises 
  • Vanguard University 
  • AJA Charitable Fund 
  • Cornerstone Church (Simi Valley, CA) 
  • Willow Creek Community Church 
• Approximately $250,000 was raised in 2009 from U.S. partners and individuals. 

LOOKING AHEAD

In 2010 there is still a huge hill to climb. In the coming weeks we will describe in more detail the goals for moving forward. We hope to raise at least the same dollar amount as 2009 and begin construction on stages five and six.  

God continues to perform miracles in the communities of Las Delicias. Please continue to pray for more miracles and for the protection and provision of all the incredible people in the three communities who press forward in their goal for clean water.

By Ron Bueno 

With hands bound by his own belt, Apostle Paul is shown a live demonstration of his future should he return to Jerusalem in Acts 21:10-14. This future looks so grim that many of his friends plead with him not to go. Nevertheless, Paul goes; the suffering the Jerusalem Christians were enduring was a reality that required him to act, even if that meant his own imprisonment and death.

Now, I know this is not an upbeat image to start off the new year, but after ending 2009 amidst great hardships (chief of which was the cancer diagnosis of Jenny McGee) and upon entering 2010 and the five-year mark of exponential growth and challenges at ENLACE, Paul’s example is both salient and encouraging.

As in Paul’s time, fear and despair are common responses to suffering. So is retreat. We often want to close our eyes and hide from the challenges we face. As Paul journeys toward his uncertain future, he writes to the church in Rome (Romans 15:22-29) and conveys a different response. I believe his example encourages us to face the new year, with all its uncertainties and challenges, with our eyes wide open. 

Let’s examine Paul’s story more closely.

First, while never underplaying the impending danger, Paul bravely goes to Jerusalem. His friends urge him not to but he steps out in courage nonetheless. 

Second, Paul commits to helping those who are suffering. Even as his future is uncertain, he knows the Christians in Jerusalem need help and resolves to go to them.

Third, Paul humbly asks his brothers and sisters to pray for him and knows he can’t accomplish his task without their prayers. 

Finally, Paul finds hope in God’s peace. It’s while awaiting a sketchy future (one that ultimately ends with his imprisonment and death) that Paul writes the Christians in Rome and reminds them of the power of God’s peace. For many of us, relying on an idea such as peace while we’re marching toward impending doom feels a lot like entering a bloodthirsty battle with a squirt gun. But Paul knew that the peace of God, the active work of unity and love in our lives, is what brings true victory (Romans 16:19).

The best part of 2010 will be to see how God brings victory into the lives of those who are suffering. We can only witness this if our eyes are wide open. I encourage you to open your eyes by being brave in the face of trails and great uncertainty, by committing to your God-given tasks, by clothing yourself with humility and participating hopefully in God’s peace.

On November 7, Hurricane Ida dumped 14 inches of rain in twelve hours on El Salvador, severely damaging the central and coastal regions. To put that into perspective, the last major hurricane that hit Central America was Hurricane Stan which dumped over 15 inches in a four-day period. The sudden massive downpour caused rivers to overflow and triggered deadly landslides. Across the country over 200 people died and 13,600 people were forced to find refuge in 118 temporary shelters. The landslides destroyed 158 homes and damaged an additional 1,500 (for more information and pictures regarding the effects of the storm visit NY times article and our gallery).

In the communities where ENLACE partners with local churches, church and community leaders immediately visited the families most effected by the hurricane and began addressing their needs. Leaders moved displaced families to nearby shelters, salvaged  possessions, and cleared roads full of mud and debris. Tragically, the leaders in Las Delicias accompanied their neighbors as they conducted funerals for six children whose lives were lost in landslides. 

In eight partner communities in San Salvador and La Libertad, the church and community leaders identified 151 families (over 600 people) in desperate need of basic food, personal care items, and water. Thanks to generous donations, ENLACE was able to provide a month’s worth of supplies for the church and community to distribute (for additional pictures visit ENLACE’s website here). As we prepare a second round of donations, the church and community leaders are evaluating the next stages of their intervention, which may include reconstruction of damaged/destroyed homes along with help for grieving families. 

Thank you again for your generosity and support. We will provide future updates as the church and community’s course of action develops.

As many of you already have learned, the central part of El Salvador was hit by a devastating rain storm last weekend.  When Hurricane Ida moved north, a Pacific low pressure system was drawn inland over the Departments of San Vicente and San Salvador, and dumped as much as 14 inches of rain Saturday evening.  That amount is approximately 1/5 of El Salvador’s annual average rain fall.  View more photos of the extent of the damage.  

Fortunately most of Enlace’s communities were not affected by this intense act of nature.  However, severe mud and rock slides caused significant consequences in our “San Martin” communities of Las Delicias, Colonia Santa Maria, El Espino/Mi Floras, and Las Loma.  The following are preliminary numbers, but they are likely to be higher.

• 15 Fatalities (mostly children)
• 20 Homes totally destroyed and another 30 homes severely damage
• 400 Individual homeless or temporary displaced
• Temporary  and permanent damage to “public ways” that will need cleaned up/ restored and many are at the risk of future slides

One of the hardest hit areas occurred near in Las Delicias. Around midnight, a mud/rock slide destroyed a row of homes and killed 6 children.  See photos. 

Having evaluated the damage, Enlace plans to provide assistance on two levels.  All donations will be directed as follows:

A)    As the aid from “first response” organizations disappears, we will support our church partners to provide “intermediate” assistance” to those families and individuals that have been displaced from the homes and are living in temporary shelters.  We anticipate that this will cost as much as $10,000.  This will include the ongoing purchase of staples such as beans, rice, corn meal, diapers, and other supplies they will need. 

B)    In 2010 we will begin a number of land mitigation and property renovation and has funds become available we would hope to provide new housing on a “most in need” basis as determined by the communities 

In the meantime, we ask you to pray for the pastors, members and individuals they serve of our church partners, El Buen Samaritano, Principe de Paz, Tanbernaculo Bibico Salem, and Igelesias de Asa.

To give towards this effort, you can give online, here, or mail a check to our Irvine office.  Mark most “Most Urgent” and write in “Hurricane Ida” in the comments section.  Thank you!

Engineers Without Borders, an NGO based in Boulder, CO, is involved with projects in over 45 developing countries around the world. Five of its 12,000-plus members are working with ENLACE on a holding tank a few kilometers above the well site of this project. A week or two ago, the tank site (Rebombeo #2) was a collection of scrub brush and sink holes along the side of a mountain between Las Delicias and Las Animas…

Click here to read the full article…

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTO GALLERY WITH QUOTES FROM CHURCH AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE ABELINES REGION.

ENLACE began working in the Los Abelines region in 2000 with the Cornerstone Church. Since that time, this small church has made amazing progress. In addition to many other initiatives, they formed an active health committee, are managing a health clinic, installed hundreds of latrines, built pedestrian bridges, and implemented a clean water project serving thousands of people. Over the past two years, more than 10 churches in the region have also expressed interest in working with ENLACE, desiring to get involved in community transformation. We recently took a few days to ask some members of these new churches what their experience has been like. Click here to see photos and read some of their quotes.

Take a minute to listen to a few local pastors and church leaders explain what ENLACE is all about; equipping churches to transform communities. We always welcome your comments.

CLICK HERE to become a Friend of ENLACE and support ENLACE’s growing ministry of equipping churches to transform communities in El Salvador.