COVID-19 Opportunity in El Salvador

Miriam Sanchez served as the ministry coordinator for several CULTURELink teams and is one of our primary contacts in El Salvador. In 2016, she started a ministry and resource center called the Samaritan House to serve some of the most destitute and at-risk in her community. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to all of us in some way. However, countries with greater financial and security challenges like El Salvador are being impacted especially hard, and the community around the Samaritan House is no exception.

Ryan Hurlburt and his wife, Katharine, have been exploring a possible return to El Salvador later this year, but the pandemic has put everything on hold. They have been in contact with Miriam and her coworker, Raquel Gonzalez, to learn how COVID-19 is disrupting life in their country and hear about other ways our ministry can assist the Samaritan House. El Salvador’s government issued a very strict national quarantine in March and, as of this writing, are debating an extension of the State of Emergency declaration. Many more businesses are shutting down in El Salvador compared to the US, families are struggling to pay bills or buy groceries, and churches & nonprofits are stretched to the max. On top of all this, the gangs have taken it upon themselves to “help” enforce quarantine measures with threats and acts of violence.

The government has offered some assistance but it is very limited, slow, and complicated. The vast majority of churches have more needs than they can handle within their own congregations and are not able to respond to requests from the community. Nonprofits are doing what they can, but are limited in funds and resources, as expected.

Miriam and Raquel started to look into providing food baskets for families that cannot afford groceries. The Samaritan House has gained a tremendous reputation for serving the community by responding to practical needs and word spread quickly. Already, 300 families have requested food. Miriam has a supplier lined up to buy in bulk, instead of purchasing from a grocery store, to assemble bags of food. A single bag costs only $15 and will feed a family for 2 weeks—containing rice, beans, spaghetti, oil, salt, sugar, and other food staples. She asked if we could help spread the word in hopes that a few people would sponsor one or two bags of food. Unlike our future travel plans to El Salvador, the hunger of these families wasn’t something that could be postponed, CULTURELink immediately wired $1000 to feed at least 60 families who need food the most.

An hour after we made the decision to respond, God faithfully brought a gift to CULTURELink that equaled what we sent. The funds came AFTER we stepped out in faith (just as it happened when the opportunity arose with the “Kiln People” last month). Faith is ALWAYS forward!

Miriam and Raquel are already distributing food to the 60 families we gave toward, but 240 more families are still in need. Will you consider giving to allow the Samaritan House to serve these remaining families? CULTURELink is absorbing any processing fees and international transfer fees. Our hope is that another 60-100 families would receive food before the end of May. If you would like to give, just click on the button below and designate your gift for “International Projects.”

CULTURELink’s mission is to make disciples of those who make disciples of all nations. Whether the world is open or shut down, we remain focused on our mission. Our board of directors is encouraging us to continue being generous with our ongoing international commitments and with new opportunities. We will not stop because of fear when God tells us to move toward ministry. Instead, our prayer is to have the faith to be immediately obedient to His voice. God is opening doors for His Church in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and invites us to be a part of His work.