Next to the last day...

Visit to Radio Victoria, community radio fighting for community rights against the corruption in the political system and against the mining companies that threaten the environment.  The station and staff have been harassed and received death threats for their community involvement. 

http://www.radiovictoriaes.org/

Meeting with Oscar and Elvis to learn about the role of the radio in the community.  The radio is run by the young people in the community and is used by some to send messages to people living in the surrounding areas. Programming includes women's program, children's program, theology program and of course music.

On the way upstairs for our meeting we came face to face with local Anacortes artists Phil Elverum and Karl Blau.  We saw four posters on the stairs advertising shows to benefit Radio Victoria in Olympia in 2000. Hey that house looks a little familiar to those of us who travel the Campbell Lake Road....Maybe it's time for another benefit show?

In the studio, live on the air...

We meet again!...we were so happy to see Bishop Barahona again at San Andrés Apóstol in Soyapango,  just outside San Salvador.

Carol with the women's group at San Andrés Apóstol.  The women make jewelry and candles to sell to supplement their incomes.  They also return a portion of the proceeds back to the church.  The church has run a school in the past that they were forced to close last year.  They hope to re-open the kindergarten and pre-school this year.

Last Day

Leaving our gracious host Sania's guest house in San Salvador

Swimming at the beach

El Zonte beach

Lunch at the hostel

Sunset stroll on the beach, our last night

Day 4 - 2nd day in San Salvador

Chapel at UCA (University of Central America)

Mons. Romero & Martyr´s Museum

Artist: Fernando Llort

Photos of several martyrs including the four American nuns who were raped and killed.

In the Hall of Martyrs.

Artifacts of Ratilio Grande who's assassination

was the catalyst for Mons. Romero´s activism.

The rose garden where 6 Jesuit priests and a mother and child

were murdered by a military death squad. 

The garden was planted by the husband and father in honor of ALL victims of the atrocity.

Lunch at the soy cooperative (AS IF  we had any appetite!)

Our group with Representitive Lourdes Palacios at the National Assembly.

She is perhaps the strongest voice for the people's rights

and a former freedom-fighter for the FMLN (the party who fought against the military junta)

Day 3 - 1st day in San Salvador

 

Our visit to Divina Providencia, the chapel on the hospital grounds

where Mons. Oscar Romero was assassinated in 1980.

This was the event that galvanized the people into a bloody unrest

that continued until the peace accords of 1992.

 

 

The altar inside where he was shot through the heart while celebrating holy communion.

 

 

The doors through which the sharpshooter fired.  We went through an exercise in which we envisioned what he was looking at... (his death), as well as the trajectory of the bullet.  We were challenged to remember the values that he stood for, and how we might help make them a reality.

 

 

At the home of Mons. Romero (across the street).

"Profit and martyr...this is what the people called you, without waiting for church sanction"

 

 

In Oscar Romero´s garden, with Hannah from Cristosal

 

The Palacio Nacional next to the cathedral,

where the people were fired upon (from the roof) 

and 40 died during the funeral for Mons. Romero

 

 

Oscar Romero's tomb beneath the cathedral

 



 

The Diocesan office of El Salvador

 

 

In the courtyard with Daniela, a physician employed by the diocese.

Back at the guesthouse, listening to Fredy Granillo, a local musician

who incorporates human rights into his music.

 

 

 

 

 

El Carmen

Mode of transportation in "El Campo"

This is BEFORE we got incredibly dusty!

 

This is the community center that functions as a school, church, clinic,

and meeting hall for all of the El Carmen residents and guests

This is the INCREDIBLY steep (and dusty) trail that leads from the community

that lives up on the ridge down to their water source... a river.

 

 

Here are our gracious hosts, most of whom are leaders in the community

and/or members of the water committee

(that is taking responsibility for maintenance and management of the water supply)

 

 

 

Here we are inspecting the gravitational pump that is somewhat functional at this time.

 

As soon as we entered the cool water to remove the dust, a herd of thirsty bovine joined us

for a drink and a pee in these refreshing waters.

 

 

 

Pure heaven for our hot and sweaty bodies.... too bad it floods in the wet season!

 

 

 

Kai Perschbacher, Will Sladdich and friend after a vertical trek up the ravine

to rest atop the water storage tank

 

 



 Grace Hill and our interpreter Olivia getting the inside scoop

on the chicken cooperative in El Carmen



 

 

 

 

 

Easter Morning

 

Easter morning at the church in San Juan de Latrán with Padre Miguel. He is risen!

View from the church yard.

Exterior of the church with Cristosal photographer Lynette.

Easter Vigil

This is the first part of the Easter Vigil.  The bonfire was representative of burning away of all of our sins, bad feelings, things we wanted to forget. Padre Antonio asked us to remember something for the coming year that we want to change. We lit candles from the fire. Then we processed, singing Esto es la luz de Cristo, through the village to the church.

 

 

 

Padre Antonio at the open air church in Los Calix.

Jo and Carol assisting.