Day 1

Today we arrived in San Salvador to be greeted by our delegation facilitator, Allison,  from an organization called CRISPAZ, or Christians for Peace in El Salvador. The paragraph below shares a little bit about what our delegation and other delegations similar to ours experience during a trip to El Salvador:
"El Salvador Encounter is a faith-based delegation experience where participants learn from the Salvadoran people about their lives, histories and hopes for the future. Encounters are 7 to 10 days long and offer the opportunity to explore a different reality while focusing on a theme chosen (ours was Youth: Current Struggles, Future Hopes.") by the group. Participants learn directly from the Salvadorans about issues such as the impact of war, neo-liberal economics, U.S. foreign policy and a tradition of liberating faith"

Check out the CRISPAZ website to learn more about the organization.

Day 2

Today we visited the Devine Providence (Hospitalito), where Mons. Romero lived as Archbishop, and also where he was shot and killed in 1980. This was the first time many of us heard about the influence that Romero had on the people of El Salvador. He advocated for the peace and rights of the poor during his life, and risked his life fighting for what he believed in. Unfortunately, Romero was murdered while saying mass in 1980, which was a turning point in the conflict between the military-led government of El Salvador and the FMLN and the civil war began soon after his death. The pictures below show the home where Romero lived, and the church where he was murdered:

We also visited Casa Hogarand had a meeting with a leader of the Dolores Medina Fundation. This is an organization that works with kids who live on the streets. We learned that one of the major issues that the country faces today is the amount of gang violence and gang activity that exists. Gang activity has led to homicides, and other violent crimes, including robbery, extortion, and kidnapping, making El Salvador one of the most dangerous countries in the Americas. The government, unfortunately, hasn't established a plan to address this problem. Fortunately, there are organizations, like Dolores Medina, that works with the youth to keep them out of gangs.

We had the opportunity to speak with one of the young boys that lives in this home and he explained some of the horrible circumstances that the youth in El Salvador must face on a daily basis. The problem that arises is that young boys who join gangs risk their lives everyday by the types of gang activity that they are involved in. Sadly, the youth that stays away from joining gangs are also at risk for being killed, because when gang members see a boy who is not part of their gang, they automatically assume that they are part of another group. This has become the case for many individuals in El Salvador. The young boy that we spoke to expressed this concern with us.


Many children and young adolescents become involved in gang activity at a very young age and this has a

Check out their blog: Fundación Dolores Medina.

Day 3

Today we left San Salvador to explore a small village called Chiltiupan, where we attended mass and spoke with Sister Rose, who helped us to begin to better understand the unique history and culture of the El Salvadorian people.

Day 4

Today we visited CoMadres, the Committee of Mothers of the Disappeared, to learn about the history of the organization, their struggle for human rights and justice, before, during, and after the civil war. We listened to 2 women talk about their personal experiences of being brutally tortured by the military during the war and about their family members and friends who were murdered/disappeared during the war as well. While it was extremely difficult to listen to the graphic stories that these women told, we were able to see the hope, strength and courage that these women still portrayed, despite the losses and terrifying circumstances that they experienced during the war, and that they still experience today.

By forming an organization like CoMadres, these women were able to provide others with support and hope when a family member or friend has "disappeared," both during the war and after. The organization was started in 1977, when repression increased in the country. By 1980, the number of disappeared and assassinated citizens increased dramatically (ALMOST A THOUSAND PERSONS DISAPPEARED PER MONTH) and CoMadres worked  hard to share stories, facts, and pictures with those who had missing family members.

By 1981, the government began to realize the work and support that CoMadres was doing for the country and saw this work as a threat. Multiple times, the government sacked the offices, used bombs on the headquarters, kidnapped, raped, and tortured CoMadres members and heir families. This type of violence continued towards the CoMadres and towards THOUSANDS of other innocent individuals throughout the country.

When the war ended in 1992, the organization continued to work to find the victims and families of the disappeared and assassinated. They also work with the U.N and other human rights organizations to help bring peace and rest to their country.

One of the most disturbing parts of this story is that many members of the El Salvadorian military, including the DEATH SQUADS, were trained right here in the UNITED STATES, at the School of the America's in Georgia. The United States, during the civil war, actually supported the work of the El Salvadorian military! The School of the America's trained these military leaders to massacre the over 75,000 innocent civilians (including nuns and priests) that were killed between 1980-1992.

Day 5

Today, our group met with COFAMIDE, The Committee of Family Members of Migrants who have Died or Disappeared. (Visit the website to learn more about the organization.)

Day 6-9

Today, our group went to the town of La Ceiba to stay with families for 3 days. It  was a great experience to be able to learn more about the culture, language, and history of El Salvador through the unique stories that each of these families shared with us. Each family discussed the struggles and losses that they experienced during the Civil War. Most, if not all of these families, had lost family members, neighbors, friends, and their homes during the war.