The small town of Suchitoto would be our destination for the day. It was a little less than 2 hours drive from San Salvador (depending on how fast Hernal drove). After an hour on the busy freeway we turned off onto a narrow two lane road that weaved up to Suchitoto. We passed these smoking stone huts and found out that they were kilns for brick making.Suchitoto was a rebel stronghold town during the Civil War. There is the typical white cathedral, cobblestone streets, whitewashed stucco walls in a variety of light colors, and sidewalks that are three feet above the streets. Apparently when the huge tropical storms and monsoon rains hit, since there are no sewer systems, the streets flood. Thus, they build the sidewalks 3 ft above the street. Below is a photo a woman in Suchitoto cooking on the typical smoky wood stove. Above is a photo of Sister Peggy's house.
Sister Peggy O’Niell (a wonderful ex-professor of theology who has lived in El Salvador for almost 2 decades) welcomed us to the Centro para el Arte with a lovely talk about rebirth. There are three of her points I’d like to leave for people to ponder. The first is how the only difference between a grave and a rut is 3 ft. I’ll let y’all think that through on your own.
The second point was a question she asked each one of us to share with the group “You were born once. Each one of us though goes through a rebirth. What’s your most recent rebirth?”
Her third point was that we should all try to be good virgins. This one requires some explaining. Sister Peggy explained that virgins are woman that are strong in character and are not afraid to stand up for their morals.
During our visit to the Centro Arte para la Paz, there was a flute class happening in the old church when we arrived and we left with an impromptu concert from a beginners guitar class.
They also have a small museum, art scattered throughout the centro, a hostel (where a convent used to be before the civil war), and a whole new building with classrooms and a large meeting area opening soon. What exciting plans Sister Peggy has for the Center! They have so many neat programs there including classes for teenage boys to help them deal with being recruited by gangs as that is a fact of life. If a male refuses to join a gang, he risks being killed. On the other hand, we saw stamped letters on houses throughout the town that read Violence against women is not in this house.
Lunch was at Sister Susan’s house in town. Some of us walked the couple blocks to the town’s plaza and cathedral to do some shopping from the local artesenia street fair. Other’s relaxed in the shade of Sister Susan’s house as it was moderately humid and in the high 80s.
Returning from a short walk through town, I sat down to chat with Richard and his mom Maria. Richard had received a heart valve replacement thanks to the mission and was healing well, doubling his weight. Maria told me that she worked as a policewoman. Her husband had been killed by local gangs and she daily fears for her and Richard’s lives. Can you imagine daily facing the threat of gang violence on you and your loved ones? I will not forget her story even though we finished our chat with a discussion on how to get Richard to eat more meat with Dale, the pediatrician who had originally diagnosed him with the heart valve.On our way back to Suchitoto we dropped them off at a make-shift bus station along the side of the freewa. All I can say is “Que Dios les bendiga.”
Our time in El Salvador was coming to an end as we held on to our seats as Hernan raced us towards San Salvador on the bus ride of our lives (He is such a talented bus driver). For many of us, our energy was spent, our hearts heavy, and our perspectives challenged. Returning to Sister Peggy’s question on rebirth, this experience in El Salvador was a rebirth for me in diverse ways, some that will take time to process. May we all never forget this trip: the faces, the names, the love, the pain, the result of violence, and the possibilities of kindness.
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