Building a Road
Image: Jeff Gill

El Salvador

Until recently, the majority of connections in El Salvador were facilitated through Episcopal Relief and Development and its many on-going projects. Currently, Bishop Barahona and the Diocese of El Salvador request that mission teams coordinate their efforts through Cristosal (www.cristosal.org), a not-for-profit corporation organized to support the work of the Episcopal/Anglican Church of El Salvador.

For suggestions and assistance in thinking about a service trip to El Salvador, it is recommended that groups contact The Very Rev. Richard Bower, Executive Director, Cristosal (rabvt@tds.net or 802-228-5452).

To contact the offices of the Diocese of El Salvador, speak with Miriam Romero de Palma, the Bishop’s Secretary at 503-22-23-2252. Also check the Diocesan website at www.elsalvador.anglican.org

There is currently a fascinating project going on in the country called "Hasta La Cosecha" (Until the Harvest). This is a well-designed development project for sustainable agriculture involving three communities in the eastern part of El Salvador. It is co-sponsored by Cristosal and three salvadoran Episcopal parishes in the communities. Check out the project plan at www.cristosal.org/Hasta%20la%20cosecha/informefinal.pdf (PDF format).

In addition, two missioners, Noah Bullock and Jeff Hammond, will be working during the next year to write a book on El Salvador. The goal of the book is to create a resource for the bettering of our understanding, and partnerships, in the shared challenges presented by poverty, inequality, and community. For more information on this important project, see www.cristosal.org/THATAMOREHUMANEWORLDMIGHTBE.pdf (PDF format). Also, be sure to bookmark the authors' new blog at http://elsalvadorproject.wordpress.com.

A short-term mission team recently visited El Salvador for a week in June 2009. View their blog describing the trip at http://elsalmissiontrip.blogspot.com.