Our Habitat/Thrivent Trips to El Salvador, Central America Annually

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Our Habitat/Thrivent Trips to El Salvador, Central America Annually 2011-2017 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

1 Our Habitat/Thrivent Trips to El Salvador, Central America Annually Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Prospect & Devonshire Champaign, Illinois Presented by Jim Hack and Dean Olson

2 Where s El Salvador? Due South: Central America, Pacific Coast 3 hours 45 min (If you flew direct) 1800 Miles We flew from Indianapolis, to Miami, to San Salvador, the capital

3 What do We Know About El Salvador, CA? About as big as Massachusetts

4 What do We Know About El Salvador, C.A.? The tiniest non-island country in the Americas The highest population density (6.3 million) Spanish-speaking; uses US dollars ($1 coins) Republic of the Savior is about 33% evangelical protestant, and 47% Roman Catholic Average income $5900/yr; Literacy rate, 84% Unemployment rate = 6.1%; Poverty rate = 70% Biggest industries: textiles, coffee 12 th of 20 Latin American countries in the human development index Average schooling = 7.5 years

5 In the last 10 years: Habitat has hosted 750 build teams Organized 9500 volunteers Raised over $4,000,000 Constructed 750 houses (and one church!) Housed 3750 Salvadorans 70% of the teams return for a repeat build El Salvador housing deficit exceeds 944,000 units 58% of the population lives in substandard housing Annually Habitat for Humanity El Salvador 1200 volunteers from outside El Salvador 2500 local volunteers

6 Support and Finances $660* or $1160 Covers all expenses Each Individual Fees (max) $11,600 Thrivent $8,000 To Habitat $19,600 $ People American Airlines $800 Thrivent Builds *Thrivent Member Discount

7 Helping others is the way we help ourselves.

8 Our Habitat Build Family 2017: Francisco, Jaquline, Josue

9 Francisco Diaz and his Mototaxi which he drives daily.

10 The small store that Jackie runs from her mother-in-law s home to make a little extra income.

11 The family s present back yard.

12 The chicken coop.

13 It is evident that Francis Padilla has been working out with shovels and wheelbarrows all year long. She was the primary Habitat staff person in charge of our group. They work on sites year-around and with groups often 7 days/week, except Thanksgiving to New Year s. Francis usually works western El Salvador.

14 Flor is from Habitat and worked with us in She usually works eastern El Salvador.

15 Julio, the head mason on the job site.

16 Alex, assistant mason Oscar, apprentice mason

17 Nicki Kyle Bob Clark

18 Angela Walker AJ Hack

19 Marilyn Dudley Lorraine Stamberger

20 Oscar Lorraine

22 Our hotel in Ahuachapan

25 Francis Dinora Lolita Beti Members of the Getsemani Women s Co-op

26 Dinora Griselda Beti Verlise Getsemani Women s Co-op Members and Goods

28 Adriana

29 Beti s niece, Adriana. We gave her a Beanie Baby duck we said was named Pollo (Spanish for chicken )

30 Jaunita Lolita Beti Glenda Tania Adriana

31 Anna Maria Montoya, Head of Habitat for Humanity, Santa Ana.

32 Sofi and Al York, among many others, fixing us a Friday farewell dinner of shrimp & rice; 2014.

33 A Mariachi Band makes a surprise appearance at the Friday night dinner at the Habitat Offices; 2014.

34 Artwork in the artful town of Ataco

35 The boys from our 2016 Habitat Build family, spotted on the streets of Ahuachapan, Jason Filipe Dean Javier Jim

36 The kids of the ladies in the Women s Co-Op

37 Coffee Plantation Visit 2016

38 Rene and Dean. Rene is that guy who is always at Church.

39 Maria Teresa Martinez, Vdo, and Marilyn at Cristo Rey Lutheran Church. Maria is that woman who is always at church.

40 Lorraine Jaquline Friday Thank-You Ceremony

41 The Thank-You Certificate we all received. We were also given a pin with the Habitat logo on it. 2017: Our 7 th Annual Trip.

42 The 2017 El Salvador Mission Trip Group and Family

43 Jackie and Josue at their new Habitat house

44 Thanks Habitat and Thrivent! Building houses, communities, and hope

46 The Next Trip July 28 August 5 (Saturday through Sunday) We had a party of 11 in 2017 and we d like to send at least 10 in 2018 Youth 16 years and up can go Guests are welcome of course!

com/ If you want to find it, look up Good

47 Visit our Trip Blog If you want to find it, look up Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Champaign), and click on the Service tab Learning More

48 The Value of the Trip What was accomplished? We met, worshipped, and worked with people from El Salvador, and we know each other well We learned about Habitat for Humanity Int l, and the vital importance of Thrivent support

49 Was it worth it? The Value of the Trip Yes! We were all impressed by the hope people took in our mere presence. They made us hopeful. Someone cared about them enough to work with them; that mattered; they were grateful We delivered hope in the form of just being there as co-workers We were extremely impressed by the work ethic and pride shown by the typical Salvadoran; nothing phony; just genuine, sincere people trying to get ahead the best way they know how; they are surely succeeding.

50 What We ve Learned What Zack Meyer taught us

52 What We ve Learned What Zack Meyer taught us After meeting Habitat employees, families, masons, kids, and the women at the co-op (including our shallow presumption about them), something important occurred to Zack. The label poor is just a convenient platitude to put people in a comfortable category. The people we met have strong families, churches, communities, work ethics, and they are rich in spirit and determination. Yes, they have little money nor formal education. People in El Salvador are not poor and in many ways have riches greater than ours.

53 Yes, poverty is all around but there is no poverty of spirit

54 What We ve Learned What Nathan Hack taught us Filipe Javier Nathan Nathan & Adriana

55 What We ve Learned What Nathan Hack taught us After meeting a number of local kids, he began to have a new perspective on his role as a future educator of youngsters. There is a little kid in every single young person regardless of their background. Despite your personal biases, that inner kid was always present. He did not initially think this was true of poor kids from a third world country. Nathan left El Salvador knowing it was his job as a teacher to bring out that special kid in every one of his future students.

56 A boss says: Go. Julio A leader says: Let s go.

57 What We ve Learned What I Finally Figured Out after Four Trips Over the years, I wondered why Habitat mixed building activities with community activities. Coffee plantation, restaurant outings, shopping trips, walks around town, church services, co-op presentations, Habitat talks, hot springs, orphanage, beach trips, Friday farewell dinner, etc.

58 What We ve Learned What I Finally Figured Out after Four Trips Over the years, I wondered why Habitat mixed building activities with community activities. Coffee plantation, restaurant outings, shopping trips, walks around town, church services, co-op presentations, Habitat talks, hot springs, orphanage, beach trips, etc. I finally figured out that: Just being there is as important as building there. You aren t there to just help build a home. You are there to help build a community. Homebuilding is just one part. Participation is the greater part. You are there to give as much as to receive. The people of El Salvador already know this.

60 The sun sets over the Pacific coast of El Salvador as Montano the lifeguard watches intently.

Baja Beach Festival 2017

Baja Beach Festival 2017 Republica de Gozo Festival + Humanitarian Mission Vision: A festival project to reach 65,000 nationals with message of Christ, targeting 60 colonias (neighborhoods). Pre festival