Por Que Aquel Mero Pais?

I just got an email from some missionaries in El Salvador, confirming what had been going through my mind off and on through the past week. I'd heard that the largest volcano in El Salvador blew last week, and wondered if it affected anyone I know. Thankfully - no, however that part of the country is the coffee producing part, and a large chunk of the coffee crop was lost. But... what we didn't hear in the news was that there were two sizeable earthquakes last week as well. AND that the floods/mudslides that were on the news as happening in Guatemala also are tearing up El Salvador. (Thankfully, I'm in frequent contact with my hondurans, they are fine! Just a little extra rain...) I heard from Elsy (my salvadoran friend) on monday, and she didn't mention any damage in her area, but that was before the largest earthquake. In 2001, when there were quakes there, her family slept outside for a long time for fear that their house may fall down. When I was there last summer, I saw that behind their home - where the pila (centralamerican sink, or the most wonderful invention ever made), outhouse, and shower are - there's a cement wall with a window-shape cut out of it that is like hanging off the edge of the drop off behind their home. I'm assuming that it is a wall of what used to be their neighbor's home. The land slides that are happening now are disturbing, especially knowing that my best-salvadoran-friend and family now live on the edge of that drop off.

Why is it always El Salvador getting slammed with natural disasters? I mean, there a lots of other places that get it too (like the southern US), but it seems like every year something bad happens that's weather related. They just had a huricane-ish thing (either tropical storm or cat 1 hurricane) pass through in May. The difference I saw in that country between going there in 2000 and then again in 2001 (post quake) was amazing. Last year, there was still a lot of damage that wasn't fixed from the quakes! I wonder if it will be even worse off this Christmas... or if I'll have a home to go to there?! Aren't I optimistic?? (<-- insert sarcasm here) But seriously, stuff like that just doesn't happen here. For one, my home most likely would've suffered minimal damage in a 6-6.5 quake, where thousands of homes on El Salvador were leveled in that! But come on, we're not in danger of floods (even though we've had them), hurricanes (when I was 14 we had cat 1 force winds), tornadoes (non-existant), blizzards (ha!), and our earthquakes have been minimal in comparison to our building standards. I guess there could be worse countries to have disasters happen in - like the Tsunami where hardly anyone is saved. El Salvador is probably the most Christian country I know of (if you're saying "oh no, the US is!" I hate to break it to you, but you're on crack.) The Lord works there. I'm guessing that more missionaries per-capita leave from El Salvador than from the US. It's really easy to find an evangelical church in pretty much any part of the country. There are some frustrating riffs between denominations there - more than I see here - and that's really lame. But people are hearing and accepting the gospel there. I know salvatrucha members (can I say that on the internet?!) who are saved and are now preachers! I know young adults who go to the north country (the bad part that Suyapa (for good reason) won't let me take a bus through) where the left-over sandinistas congregate, with just the clothes on their back and some Bibles, and they spread the gospel. It's Salvadorans who I've thought on occaision that I'd be embarrassed if they came to my home because they'd wonder why we only go to church once or twice a week. Maybe satan is trying to send a message for Salvadorans to quit taking the Word to the streets! Ha! They won't be deterred! They'll push forward despite the volcano/earthquake/flooding. I'm proud to know guanaco Christians! Now, I just wish I could go there everytime a disaster happens and help out...

Ruth and Krissia - girls from the earthquake ravaged Candelaria Cuscatlan in 2001