El Salvador and Nicaragua 05/15/2010
Our contact information for El Salvador was a little outdated, however after getting lost in the capital city of San Salvador (which is not the best place to be lost in) we accidentally stumbled across The Salvation Army which happened to be just starting their weekly church service. Some things are just meant to be! We wheeled our monstrous bike into the hall with our spandex on and were kindly welcomed to join the service by Major Wilson and his wife. While in El Salvador we learnt about a new Salvation Army that opened in Nicaragua in January. There was no email or phone number contact but we were given directions to the office as there are no addresses in Nicaragua. I.e. go south from the bus station two blocks then turn left at the petrol station etc. Managua is a large, sprawling city, yet fortunately our host’s house was located in the same neighbourhood as The Salvation Army. On our first visit there no one was home so we left a message in a bottle in the hope they could decipher our broken Spanish and call us. It was successful and so we walked back and met Major Enrique and his lovely wife. They are originally from Costa Rica and are in the early stages of setting up a new Army. They have two church services a week and Belinda was able to attend the one for women only. Roland came along afterwards with cookies he’d made to contribute towards the fellowship and supper time. Although it didn’t work out doing specific volunteer work in both El Salvador and Nicaragua; it was great to meet and talk with the Majors and fellowship with some of the people that are attending the churches. It was evident they are very committed to the communities they are working in.         Reflection Our idea of what volunteering encompasses is slowly evolving as more time passes. Maybe early on in the piece we were more focused on project-based services. Things that have an end result or are more tangible. Although there was always the ‘fellowship’ component, we are appreciating more and more the value of it. We are learning that this idea of what “we doing for them” is very much a self centred and possibly a western viewpoint? Many times we have gone into volunteer in Mexico and other Central American countries and been asked to simply spend time with children and often there has been a point of sharing a meal with the staff that may take up an hour or two. At first, we were always in a rush to get back to our assigned task to ensure we completed it but we are realizing this was more for our gain than theirs. Conversation and time with one another to encourage and share are sometimes more important and can be just as helpful as painting wall. Our intentions have always been good but maybe misdirected due to our lack of understanding. We are learning that our volunteer time needs to reflect the country, the culture and community we are currently in. Not only have we been exposed to the work of The Salvation Army but many other initiatives (through people we’ve stayed with) challenging our views on volunteerism and how to best meet the needs of a population both immediately and long term. We hope this makes sense but this idea has been a hot topic of conversation recently and also been rumbling around in our brains a lot too. It’s still very much a malleable thought but one we are very interested in and want to know more about….. CommentsJo 05/16/2010 03:24:42 You guys are amazing, I couldn't never in a million years do what you guys are doing, let alone the cycling! Supportalk 05/16/2010 15:34:29 So appreciate the depth of your thinking. From our European "work ethic" we often think "doing" is the best, however "being" - as you are finding - is often better. Learning to be with people how they want- without doing what you want is one of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone. Thankyou so much for sharing your hearts - and the people and situations you are experiencing - with us all. Jo Wilson 05/27/2010 02:57:21 That is so interesting! Sounds like you're learning heaps about the various cultures you're encountering and doing such great work, even if it is simply spending time with people. Robert Ross 06/07/2010 08:20:21 Hi Friends Mike 06/10/2010 15:53:35 Hi Guys, Sina Lologa 07/16/2010 04:53:31 Bro this is deep... I think volunteering is another way of serving... to serve to the needs of the people.. share your talents, your unconditional love, your laughter... yourself! I miss these discussions... note to self must come and visit your reflections much more. Leave a Reply |  Volunteer work with the Salvation Army
Part of what we wish to accomplish over the next year is not only the cycling, but also giving back to the communities which we will pass through.  ArchivesJanuary 2011 Categories |
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