Update from Your Missionary in El Salvador

Grace and Peace in the name of Christ, Jesus! 

It is with a happy heart that I write to you today!  But, first I must explain my long period of virtual silence.  I have been horrible at keeping you all updated during the year of 2016.  It was a whirlwind year for me.  I was asked to help the church by teaching English at the Methodist School in Ahuachapán.  So, I have been a first-year teacher for the second time around!

 

Summary of 2016

The Methodist School (Colegio Metodista) is about a five-minute walk away from my home.  Last year, 2016 was its third year in existence.  Colegio Metodista served 139 students in the 2016 school year.  The school years here in El Salvador run from mid-January to mid-November.  So, it’s on the cycle of the traditional calendar year.  Which was strange for me at first, but actually pretty great!!!

The school currently doesn’t have a specific curriculum for English, so I basically made things up as the year went along.  I used a lot of videos from YouTube to teach songs and explain vocabulary.  I served students from grades Pre-K through 5^th.  During the year students learned vocabulary for basic getting acquainted conversations.  Such as – What’s your name?  My name is ___.  How old are you?  I’m ___ years old.  Where are you from?  I’m from ____.  How are you today?  I’m _____.  They also learned vocabulary for talking about the weather, as well as animal names, numbers 1-100, colors, and quite a bit more.  At the end of the school year, I was truly amazed by how much they had learned and retained from our lessons together.  Even the youngest children in the school (4 year-olds) learned quite a bit of vocabulary.

In 2016 I also continued with my responsibilities of serving as Christian Education Coordinator for the Evangelical Methodist Church here in El Salvador.  In this role, I serve 11 church communities in developing Sunday School Curriculum and equipping church leaders to put that curriculum into use within their local church settings.  In 2016 I led two Sunday School teacher trainings and provided them with 6 months of curriculum.  But mid-year, the weight of being a first-year teacher caught up with me and I had to step back to regroup in the area of writing curriculum.  I plan to pick that up again this year.

Me with some of my students on the last day of the 2016 school year.

Dreaming into 2017

In just one week, school will begin once again.  Students of Colegio Metodista will begin on January 23.  This year we have expanded the school building by added a second story – housing three additional classrooms and office space.

In the 2017 school-year we will serve 250 students in grades Pre-K through 6^th.  We are adding a second classroom of Kindergarten 5 and Kindergarten 6 (an extra year of kindergarten before entering 1^st Grade.) 

I’m excited to be serving the students for a second school year.  I was a pre-k teacher when I felt God calling me to serve my local church in NC as Children’s Minister.  I cried and cried over leaving the classroom setting.  I am so thankful that God has now given me the opportunity to serve in the classroom setting again.  Not exactly as I had planned, but His plans are ALWAYS so much better than mine!!!

I love getting to know the students and seeing them grow in maturity as well as in the English language skills.  For children in El Salvador, education is a hope for a better future.  Colegio Metodista serves many children from families who have little hope for the future.  Like all parts of our current world – darkness fights to stifle the bright possibilities of the future for our youngest treasures.  With an education, children have a chance at getting a job outside of gang-life.  And with English skills, they have a chance at an even better job that may provide for the family.  Family life here it tough.  I will try to expand on that concept in my next update.

Also, for 2017 I am dreaming about creating more Sunday School curriculum and serving the leaders in that ministry with more training and equipping events.  Sunday School is such an important ministry here because it is another means in which we can talk with children about hope for a beautiful future.  And that hope is found alone in our risen savior, Jesus Christ.  Children have such joy, but it can easily be quenched by the harsh realities of everyday life…no matter where you are located in the world.  But here in El Salvador, children deal with some pretty ugly truths daily.  Hunger, murder, and the circumstances of extreme poverty.  For example:  I am completely baffled by the fact that so many people in the country have very limited access to drinking water.  It’s just shocking to me.  And it seems the main reason is because of corruption passed down from many generations.  Without accessible water, what chance to people have of ever getting ahead?  So much time is spent on securing water for the household. 

The truth of murder is a direct impact of gang-life here in El Salvador.  Currently, the police and gangs are at “war” with one another.  It is not at all uncommon for murder to touch the family life.  One 6-year-old recently said to me, “I hope my mom is safe at work and hasn’t been murdered.”  Not a statement I have ever heard before.  But a good indicator of a common fear among children living in El Salvador.  

With that said, I feel generally feel very safe here.  I am careful about which communities I enter and with whom I enter into those communities.  The general public of El Salvador, even within the gangs, are good, friendly people.  People who must make difficult choices to simply survive.  I have most certainly met a few angels here.  We had some wonderful neighbors who recently moved to another community.  This family extended God’s grace and love to me daily.  And we rarely ever talked about God or religion.  

In closing, I’m so sorry for my long silence.  But, I am so thankful for your continued support as I journey this life as missionary serving in El Salvador.  I love my work and love my place of assignment.  I am continually thankful for your support in so many forms.  You guys are my encouragement on difficult days.  Thank you for the ministry of supporting me in ways that are so much greater than the limits of finances.  You pray for me, you pray for the people of El Salvador, and you live life in a way that brings God’s Kingdom here on earth.  I believe each time we gather in His name, we are helping to bring His Kingdom closer to this earthly home.  

Thank you for all you do in Jesus’ name!

With hugs from El Salvador, 

Your missionary, Ellyn Dubberly