Report on Mike, Sue and Hannah Quantick’s visit to El Cordero de Dios Baptist Church - December 2017
Our visit to El Cordero de Dios in December was again very good and encouraging in so many ways. We conveyed the decision of the church (DBC) that they wanted to maintain the relationship with El Cordero de Dios and to explore ways of that being strengthened. As of this month we will be sending electronic copies of the church magazine and prayer diary to them. You will also find a new link to the El Cordero de Dios official Facebook page here
Pastoral situation
We were pleased to discover that since she graduated a few months ago, Pastor Cecilia Montis is now employed by the church on a full time basis and they are very appreciative of the funding received from Didcot Baptist Church (DBC) which has enabled them to reach the point of being able to employ a full time pastor.
Pastor Cecilia
Cecilia is now being supported in this role by David Rodriguez and Claudia Munguia who they have recognised as youth pastors and Sister Virginia Quintada (one of the few ordained Baptist ministers in El Salvador) who oversees the education, children’s ministry and Music and English programme for children.
Sister Virginia
Pastor Tito
We were pleased to see Pastor Tito (former Pastor of El Cordero de Dios) several times during our visit and learn that at long last he will be ordained as a Baptist minister in El Salvador on 3 March. This has been an extended process which was initiated by El Cordero de Dios but had to be supported by his current church in Santa Ana together with ABES and FEBES (the two Baptist church groups in El Salvador).
Children’s holiday club – San Pedro Perulapan
Following the first team visit in 2002, El Cordero de Dios have maintained contact with the small rural community in the mountain area outside the town of San Pedro Perulapan. However since the escalation of gang related violence in 2014 they have not been able to make regular visits to the community. We were excited therefore to discover that a visit to San Pedro had been included in our programme for this visit.
The church were expecting around 30 children to come down to the town by bus, as it was still considered unsafe for us to travel up to the mountain community. However when we arrived with the team from the church there were already children waiting and soon around 70 had arrived. It was very encouraging to see that a number of the older children remembered us and David and Carman who had been leading that ministry prior to 2014.
The children of San Pedro
Following the activities with the children there was a meeting with the leaders of the community, representatives from some of the families that had been re-housed following the earthquake in January 2001 and ladies that had been part of the women’s sewing consortium.
It was good to meet families now living in homes that have been built with the help and support of El Cordero de Dios with financial and practical help from members of DBC.
Family provided with a new home in 2006
The same family in 2017
Children’s holiday club – El Cordero de Dios
Over the last year the church have had an English and Music School on Saturdays for the children of church families and their friends. It was initially planned that those who participated in that programme would be invited to a Children’s holiday club at the church and an English style Christmas party organised by Hannah and Sue. However on arrival we discovered that in addition they had arranged for a mini bus to collect a group of children from the San Roque community. This is a community situated on the slopes of the San Salvador volcano and again an area affected by the gang violence so it was great to see them and some of the mothers at the church.
Children’s holiday club
Student’s sponsorship programme
Although they haven’t asked us for ongoing support for the students sponsorship programme they indicated that they were continuing to support a number of the young people during further education as they see the value that has been to a number of young people from that church. Currently there are still three young people being supported in this way.
Hospital ministry
It was good to visit the Divina Providencia Hospital again during our visit and meet with the Mother Superior and hear how the work at the hospital has developed since previous visits. She indicated that now that the hospital was recognised by the authorities they are receiving funding for patients on social benefits. They are now using five wards and external ramp access has been provided to the first floor. It was great to see the difference at the hospital since our first visit in 2007.
Mother Superior indicated that there are two projects they would like to undertake and I (Mike) will be exploring the possibility of grants from a UK charity. The current area used as a pharmacy is inadequate and needs to be made into a larger and air conditioned area for the secure storage of medicines etc. Secondly the hospital is now a centre providing radiography treatment for day patients and they need a better means of providing transport for them, maybe a four wheel drive ambulance.
The team from El Cordero de Dios continue to visit two Saturdays a month to support the staff and patients. However they have recently commenced a new initiative to develop part of the land as a vegetable garden. This will provide fresh vegetables for the kitchen, food for the patients and savings in purchasing them from local markets. It’s also enabling some of the men from the church to be part of the hospital team. It was good to see several new members of the hospital team and some of the church children already starting to share in the ministry
The church gardening team
During our time there we shared in a Christmas celebration which included music from a Salvadorian Choir and visiting patient’s bedsides to distribute gifts whilst the choir sang on the wards. We were delayed slightly from leaving as Pastor Cecilia had been asked to pray with the family of one of the patients who had died whilst we were there. Again very encouraging to see how Pastor Cecilia has moved so seamlessly into that role.
Christmas celebrations at the hospital
Church building
Following plans previously drawn up for developing the area at the rear of the premises, they indicated that they now have sufficient funds in hand to progress with another phase in their longer term vision and improve facilities for their children’s work and have a secure storage area for church equipment. Their longer term vision includes adding a second floor to the rear of the church and improving the entrance area to provide disabled access.
Main concerns
We met with the church council/leadership team before we left, when they shared their hopes and concerns as they look to the future. They are committed to maintaining their existing projects and to continue to support the rural communities of San Roque and San Pedro however they can.
The situation with regard to access to funds in their bank account remains a concern which they hope to resolve soon and once their former church treasurer is able to return from the USA, so that the signatory can be transferred to the new treasurer and they can satisfy the bank regarding income received from outside the country. David Garay’s illness is also an issue as he is responsible for their legal affairs. This is also preventing them getting access to their funds to undertake the next stage of improvements to the premises.
Conclusion
There are a number in DBC that have been part of the three teams that have visited El Salvador since 2002 and more that will remember those from El Cordero de Dios that have visited DBC. This is a relationship that has been strengthened by such visits and it would be good for these to continue in future years.
Michael J Quantick
El Cordero de Dios Partnership Co-ordinator
January 2018