Wednesday, June 12
We have arrived! We gathered at the Des Moines airport at the unholy hour of 4:30 AM for our 6 AM flight to El Salvador. We had a contest to see whose bag could get closest to the weight restriction of 50 lbs. without going over. (We are carrying to El Tablon the supplies you generously donated). Phil “The Packer” Nicholson won with fifty pounds exactly. All hail to the champion!
The flight down was uneventful and when we arrived and had gotten through customs, we were greeted by our own Kathy “La Loca” Basset. She piled us into the air-conditioned mini-bus, and our first stop was a Papusa stand (surprise!). Just ask Ethan “Mango Man” Giles about the frozen fruit drinks.
These first few days of our trip will be learning about the history of El Salvador. In order to understand the current context, we need to understand the civil war, the struggle of the campesinos, and the structures of injustice that have existed for generations. There is a great sadness in hearing such stories but also a glimpse of “la Lucha” for a better world.
Grace and Peace,
P. Alex Thornburg