Referred to as the “Cincinatti Teacher’s Group”, a hodge-podge of mostly University of Cincinnati alumni, met up for a week in El Salvador filled with both hard work and fun.  Joining them was a team from Vineville Baptist Church, ranging in age from 14-76.  Each group brought different experiences, strengths, and talents that made for a fun-filled week for all.

After a time of worship and fellowship at Union Church, the teams headed out to do some sightseeing at Bocarón volcano for the afternoon.  They enjoyed a delicious lunch with an incredible view of the city before heading up to hike the volcano itself.  The day was a wonderful opportunity to bond for each of the teams, who took the chance to both strengthen old relationships and to form new ones.

The week was filled with a sense of fellowship and service as the two groups worked side by side on each of the tasks at hand.  We started out with the difficult tasks of clearing, weeding, tamping, and leveling the floors inside of the duplex.  This procedure was one that required the participation of every team member, as the constant shoveling of old dirt out and bringing new dirt in can easily turn into a monotonous process.  We greatly appreciated the way in which both teams brightened the work site with their positive attitudes and willingness to serve.

In an effort to combat some of the exhaustion that set in for the last group, we decided to take Wednesday off to relax. The epic U.S.-Algeria game was a perfect beginning to the day and put everyone in good spirits.  After heading over to a local artisan market to pick up some traditional crafts and souvenirs, we continued the day with a hike up to Puerto del Diablo, a popular site for Salvadorans to go with their families.

We ended the day with a sight that had special meaning, the University of Central America Oscar Romero exhibit.  Oscar Romero was the Archbishop of El Salvador who was assassinated during mass, an act that in many ways is attributed to sparking the twelve-year civil war.  The museum tour was an emotional experience for many, and brought a reflective mindset over the group as they began to gain a little more insight into El Salvador’s history.

Once our spirits were renewed by a day of fun, it was back to the worksite.  In the next few days, concrete floors were mixed, shoveled, poured, and leveled for both sides of the newest duplex.  The work of the two groups marks substantial progress towards finishing the first of 10 houses to be a part of the Legacy Build.

The abundance of volunteers this week allowed us not only to make progress on construction of the homes, but to work on a less glamorous part of the process: the septic tanks.  This process involved digging a total of eight holes and setting them up with new dirt and rocks before the tanks could be placed in the ground.  Once the tanks were in, measured, adjusted, and covered, we were able to sit back and admire a job well done.

During the week, the volunteers took the opportunity to engage the children of the community in games, songs and photo shoots.  The company of the kids brought both entertainment and a nice break from the work throughout the day.  It was heartwarming to see the kids of the community once again welcome in the volunteers with hugs and questions and their unquenchable desire to play more soccer.

The groups made sure that the week was filled with work, play, laughter, relaxation and love.   We ended the week with a visit to our “finished” communityin Soyapango where we painted a wall in preparation for a mural.  The kids of the community were anxious to help out and we had a great time collaborating with the community and groups on one final project.  Both groups had a great time and many members hope to return in the future.  We look forward to that time and are thankful for their servant’s hearts throughout the week.

A group of 10 UC students from the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity made their way down to El Salvador June 11^th-19^th for a week of working with concrete, concrete…and more concrete.  Quickly settling into the jobs of shoveling, lifting buckets, and transferring concrete into the molds, the group put in a hard day’s work pouring walls.  Every member of the team was willing to serve and help anywhere they were needed, and their ability to do some of the harder tasks was a huge factor in getting the work done.

Besides physical ability, they brought good attitudes and their constant joking around kept the worksite light-hearted and entertaining.  Their work paid off Monday afternoon when the last four walls of the most recent Villa Fuller duplex were poured on their first day at the project.  This duplex is the first of 10 houses that are a part of our contribution to the Legacy Build, a celebration in honor of the late Millard Fuller.

The quick progress gave them time to help out in another area by working on a Greater Blessings project in the town of Chiltiupán.  Located over 1,500 feet above sea level, the ocean view from the mountains of Chiltiupán is an incredible sight, appreciated all the more after a day of hard work.

Sister Rose is an Ursuline nun and a member of the Cleveland Diocese who lives and works in Chiltiupán.  She is a joyful, kind woman who shows Christ’s love to all she meets.  Walking around with her and experiencing the love and respect the people of the town have for her only affirm this observation.  This year she will be celebrating her 50^th year as a nun, years that have brought her experiences both hard and rewarding that have made her the wonderful woman of God she is today.

We enjoy any opportunity to work with Sister Rose and she recently identified an opportunity to help out a family by pouring a new concrete floor.  Upon arrival, the team discovered that the awe inspiring natural beauty of the town is sharply contrasted by its poverty.  On the first day of work, we discovered the heartbreaking reality that thirteen people lived in the house, crammed into small rooms made of mud, clay and sticks.

After clearing the house of a majority of the family’s belongings, the group got to work leveling out the floors to prepare them for concrete.  The location of the house posed a unique problem in how to move the concrete from the top of the long staircase down to the house itself.  An impromptu shoot was formed and the group was able to work on the various tasks of maintaining the shoot, making the concrete, and moving it into the house once it reached the bottom.  In two days, they managed to pour the three rooms as well as spend some time hanging out with the kids of the family.

The group also got the chance to walk around with Sister Rose getting to know the community of Chiltiupán.  She arranged for the group to make tortillas with a local woman, try making bread at a local bakery, and spend some time with the local people.  There was even an opportunity for a soccer match before a delicious dinner prepared by women of the town.

After the project in Chiltiupán was completed, the group was back to work in San Luis Talpa.  By this point a few of the group members were a little under the weather, but the rest of the group was able to get to work removing the molds poured at the beginning of the week.  On their final day on the worksite, the group was able to get a significant amount of work done, in spite of the inevitable exhaustion that had begun to set in after a long week of hard work.   We appreciated the time spent working and hanging out with the group, the entertainment they provided, and the opportunity to experience the community in a renewed way through their eyes and insights.  They were a great group with positive attitudes through a rough week and we look forward to working with them again in the future.