In El Salvador, especially among people from rural areas, there is a common response to the question “Que tal?” or “How are you?” People often say, “Por aqui, siempre en la lucha.” Translated literally, they are saying, “Here I am, always in the struggle.” And from my experience, as a hopeful observer and missionary volunteer, a difficult struggle it can be indeed.
In the communities in which ENLACE works, the lives of the poor can be of constant labor and toil. The result, despite their hard work, is often poor housing, unclean water, lack of basic health care and decent roads. Such living conditions wear down even the most valiant rural resident and bring with them fatalism, selfishness and fear. Communities struggle to survive as its residents often struggle between each other for survival.
Time and again, governing bodies such as mayors’ offices, government ministries and federal departments often create public policies that do not respond to the needs of or capacity of local communities to respond to their visions of change.
As an organization that sees its role to come alongside local churches to help them to transform their communities, ENLACE has increasingly been led to help local churches connect with their local public entities. We have learned that if the local church is serious about wanting to transform its community, it will confront the political realities of injustice and expediency.
It is critical for ENLACE to accompany churches to build just relationships with their local governing bodies so that they respond to the needs and vision of the local community. In our experience, community transformation begins with restored relationships that ultimately lead to effective local organizations and governing bodies that truly respond to a community’s identified needs and ability to manage sustainable initiatives. As ENLACE helps the church to connect to its community institutions, we are continually aware that it is only through just relationships that just policies will be birthed.
Pastor Miguel Duran and Ron Bueno signing agreement with a government-funded water company
