Frequently Asked Questions
About Traveling to El Salvador with a Heartland Delegation
Where do we stay?
Delegations stay at a place called the Pastoral House. It is a home in the town of Berlín, El Salvador. It is within walking distance to the open-air market, the Catholic Church, the town square, and a great ice cream shop! The “compound” has four buildings and a garage. There is a small chapel with a 2nd story dormitory that can sleep eight people. The dormitory has its own bathroom.
In the backyard is a small building where the Pastoral Team sleeps (the Pastoral Team is the local staff of Our Sister Parish) and has their private space. Also in the backyard, is the Mission Co-Worker’s office with a small bedroom/bathroom attached for the co-worker (currently Heartland member, Kathy Bassett). There is also another bedroom/bathroom attached to this back building for additional guests. The main building was the original house. There is a kitchen, a front-room for gathering, a dining room, an office for the Pastoral Team, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. All the bedrooms can comfortably sleep two people each. You will have regular beds that were purchased a few years ago by Central Presbyterian Church.
Linens and towels are provided. The bathrooms have flushing toilets, sinks, and showers (sometimes with warm water), and a water reservoir called a ‘pila.’ Also in the backyard are two large water collection tanks which are connected to the house. Since city water doesn’t run every day (usually it runs two days on, then two days off), having the tanks means that there is running water even when city water doesn’t run. There is electricity (same plugs as in the U.S.) as well as internet access for all.
What kind of food do we eat?
Over the years, the Pastoral Team has figured out what delegations (Americans!) like best. We eat buffet style, so everyone fills their own plates with what they like. If you don’t like beans, you don’t have to take them!
A typical breakfast will consist of an egg, beans, plantains, yummy French bread rolls, sweet rolls, pancakes, etc. There is always coffee, tea, and orange juice available (though that is more like Tang). And there is always pure water.
Typical lunch and dinner items include chicken, beef, rice, beans, fresh veggies such as broccoli, green beans, a couple of varieties of green squash native to El Salvador, street tacos, spaghetti, seasonal fruit such as watermelon, pineapple, papaya, bananas, street tacos, pupusas, French bread rolls, pan dulce, etc. Nothing is too spicy, but if you like, you can add a hot sauce. There is salt and pepper on the table. Drinks include water, pop, coffee, and tea.
Things that are available at the Pastoral House all day long include: French bread rolls, pan dulce, random seasonal fruit, water, tea, coffee, pop, Gatorade.
Bread is baked in the wee hours of the morning at a local bakery and delivered to the Pastoral House by 6 a.m. Meats and veggies are purchased the same day they are consumed. There are no canned or frozen veggies. Everything is fresh. All of this is included in the cost of room and board, which is $50 per day per person.
If we know ahead of time of an allergy of dietary restriction, we can easily accommodate.
Bottom line, you will be well fed!
What if I get sick?
There is always basic medicine at the Pastoral House. Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, antacids, Imodium, aspirin, anti-itch cream for random mosquito bites, antibiotic cream/band aids, etc. Since 2002, this has been enough to combat the random ailments that have occurred over the years. If something more serious were to come up, there is a clinic about four blocks away which is staffed 24 hours a day. There are many pharmacies, dentists, and private doctors in town.
What is the weather like?
From mid-November to about mid-May is the dry season. It is hot and dusty. In Berlín, which is about 4000 feet above sea level; it is hot but not crazy hot and it usually cools down a little at night. During the dry season, it is in the mid 80s during the day and might get down to 70 at night. It is a bit cooler during the rainy season. From May to June, the rain is not so intense. There are short showers during the day with more overnight. The rain is more constant mid-September and October. It is lovely to fall asleep to the sound of the rain on the lamina roofs.
In El Tablón Centro and Cerna, it is farther down the mountain so it’s a bit warmer. People always tell us to get out of the sun so we don’t get burned. (Bring sunscreen if you are sensitive to the sun).
Do the citizens of El Salvador like Bitcoin? Do the delegates see it used?
Well … there is a billboard as you enter Berlín that says: “Berlín, the City of Bitcoin” and there is an office in Berlín staffed by 11 foreigners. There are some stores that accept Bitcoin in Berlin, but the reality is, it is complicated and difficult for most people to understand. To use it, people need to have a good phone and internet which is costly. If people are barely able to buy food for their families, how can people afford what is needed to use Bitcoin? As Cecilia, of the Pastoral House, says: “It’s absurd.”
Is there a dress code?
There are suggestions and items people should not wear but it is pretty broad. Men can wear pretty much anything that is clean and in good shape. Lightweight clothing is best since it can get hot. Shorts are ok. Some like lightweight button-down shirts because they are cooler. Polo shirts, t-shirts are fine but avoid any inappropriate sayings/designs. Women should dress relatively conservatively. No short shorts, no spaghetti strap tank tops, nothing too revealing or overly skin-tight. Knee length shorts, capris, jeans, and lightweight pants are all ok. Simple knee length skirts are ok but you’ll want to wear biking shorts under them because we climb in and out of the back of a truck a lot. For both men and women, wear shoes that are really comfortable to walk in. The terrain can be a bit rough: dirt, rocky paths that are sometimes a little steep.
Are there cultural differences that one should be aware of?
A few but nothing too crazy. People don’t belch or pass gas in public. But they will do the ‘farmer’s nose blow’ and spit. They give a gentle, open-handed hand-shake rather than a tight grab. Our families will either reach in for a hug or happily accept your hug. People don’t typically kiss unless they are family or very good friends. People are very polite for the most part. NEVER say the word ‘stupid’ because it is very offensive. Even if you are referring to a situation.
Is the crime rate high in the area we visit?
No. Berlín and the cantons (villages) have always been pretty calm. It’s the big cities that typically have the problems. The president of El Salvador has imposed what is called the “State of Exception” which is kind of like Marshall Law. They have reinforced the police and military who have, and are, rounding up suspected gang members and putting them in jail. This has been a very effective way to eliminate gang activity. Whole communities have been liberated from gangs. People are free to go to the market, sell their wares, go to school, go to church, visit their friends, etc. Violence and extortion are all but gone from everyday life! Sadly, some innocent folks have been swept up and sent to jail along with the gang members. But again, this has never been an issue in Berlín. It’s a relatively small town in a cooler and more tranquil environment.
Things never seem to improve. Why should we continue to support El Salvador?
I hear that. Originally, the idea was that we could help our partner community get going in a way that would enable them to ‘not need us’ anymore. In hindsight, that was pretty naïve. We wish we could change the systemic issues that make life in El Salvador so difficult. But we cannot. So, we do what we can. We do what we are able.
Perhaps we continue to work and help people in a country where nothing is changing precisely BECAUSE nothing is changing. We cannot change the practices of a government who talks a good game, but in reality, does very little for the poor. Especially the rural poor – the families we serve. We cannot effectively change the systemic injustices suffered by the poor: lack of jobs (livable wages or not!), food sovereignty, access to water, health care, education, etc. But as ‘first world’ humans who enjoy all those things – perhaps we should express our compassion for those who may NEVER enjoy the pleasure of running water (hot, cold, drinkable), livable wages via viable employment, abundant grocery store options, education, access to health care…
We pray that God will continue to motivate us – and open our hearts to express our love and compassion in a tangible way: funds for: fertilizer, scholarships, water tanks to collect rain, food relief baskets, lamina (roofing) to stop the rain from falling on folks as they sleep, latrines, etc.
But we give more than material goods. Perhaps more importantly, we love and accompany – even from a great physical distance.
How do you communicate?
For meetings and door to door visits, we hire a translator for our delegations. During any kind of meeting, everything gets translated. When we visit families, there will always be a translator to allow us to be able to communicate. Sometimes, no words are really needed: a hug, a smile, gestures, facial expressions, and a wee bit of laughter convey a lot.
“As Jesus said: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
May we continue to share the love of God with our sisters and brothers in El Salvador!