The Reluctant Missionary

So I’m back in the states, and have seen many of you, but I wanted to share some experiences of my last month in El Salvador. A few highlights of the past month: sitting in a tin shack kitchen, with a dirt floor discussing the oppression of the poor, imperialism of the US, and human rights with my host-dad (in Spanish… yeah me.) Driving my sister, nephew, and brother-in law to the airport with half the luggage tied to the roof, and having to climb through the window to get into the car because Vince tied the door shut. Harvesting and eating cucumbers I grew in my project. Celebrating Thanksgiving with 40 plus Salvadoran campesinos. Watching my sister anoint her son with holy oil during his baptism, “marked as Christ’s own forever.” Being the only one on the most perfect beach in the world. Seeing pine trees, black sand, and volcanoes all in one weekend. Learning how to clean fish and immediately following consuming the aforementioned fish. Experiencing other people’s realities.

As many of you know, I’ll be heading back to El Salvador in January to continue my work with the Episcopal Church of El Salvador. I will be volunteering through an Organization called Cristosal (www.cristosal.org) that supports the Episcopal Church in El Salvador. I will be working in the same area I have been working in these past three months and hopefully implementing some of the things I have been learning about sustainable and organic agriculture. Specifically, some of the projects we have in mind are: a Juertos Casero (house gardens) project, with a demonstration garden and agriculture classroom for workshops. I’m also excited about doing some leadership and team building trainings with the jovenes (all that FFA training!) and doing some diagnostic work for a cattle project.

So, I think I might write a book called the reluctant missionary. Yeah, but seriously. When people ask me if I’m a missionary or if I’m on a mission, I hem and haw. “Uh, sorta” I reply. Why? Why don’t I own it? Although both my sisters and some of my closest friends are missionaries, I have a preconceived notion of the word. I think of someone who is evangelizing or someone who is going to help the poor people learn how to not be poor. And in my mind I find this condescending. I know for a fact that in the last 3 months I have learned more than I have shared. I have been totally schooled in agriculture knowledge, humility, patience and basic communication.

Mission to me means accompaniment. It means learning about and sharing other people’s realities. It means building relationships, learning from each other and walking together on a faith journey. This is the kind of missionary I strive to be.

Over the past three months I have tried to experience impossible realities. I had friends who shared war experiences with me, that were impossible to deal with. A good friend’s son-in-law was murdered by a gang; impossible to reconcile. The people in my communities struggle everyday to feed their families. These aren’t my realities; I cannot truly experience them. But I can be there, I can sit and talk, learn and support. We call it solidarity. And that is my mission work. And it changes me. My mom asked me how all this has changed me. I don’t know exactly, but I know I’ve been stretched, broadened and broken. And I hope it changes people I walk with, I hope it validates them and their experiences and makes dealing with these impossible realities a little more possible.

Currently I am looking for people to help support my work as I live in El Salvador. I need to raise about $4000 to live and work for the rest of my year. If you feel pulled to financially support my mission and the development of the communities I’m working in please see below. (And I’m tax-deductible!)

Thank you for walking with me these past three months, for sending your emails, thoughts and love. Hey, if you want to hear more stories or talk more let me know… I love to share.

Que le vaya bien,

Audrey


If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to my work you can make a check out to Cristosal and put “Audrey Denney mission fund” in the subject line. And mail the check to:

Fundación Cristosal
681 North Hill Cross Road
Ludlow VT 05149

802.228.5452 or info@cristosal.org


Anything I raise above my budgeted amount will go to purchase supplies and help support the projects I will be working on.