Day 1: The Journey Ends, The Trip Begins

I have now been awake for approximately 20 hours. When volunteering earlier today to type this first blog post, I did not consider the effects that sleep deprivation might have on my writing; bare with me as I recount the day's events.

Thanks to the parents who volunteered their driving services so very early this morning, the group arrived with plenty of time to catch our 6:30 flight to Atlanta. Having arrived in Atlanta according to schedule, we ate a quick brunch in the airport, bid goodbye to our United States of America, and loaded on to our international flight to San Salvador. 1,400 miles later, we touched down in El Salvador.

After stepping out into the hot and absurdly humid Salvadoran air (as evidenced by Mr. Dane's instantly sweaty face), we shuffled through customs without a hitch, retrieved all of our luggage, both personal and donations, and stepped out of the airport to meet our International Samaritan appointed guide, Andres. He and others from the retreat house loaded us and our luggage into a bus and an SUV, respectively, for the forty minute drive to our retreat house.

Upon our arrival at the retreat house (near 2:30 Salvadoran time), the journey had ended, and the trip could finally begin.

Replenished by a simple lunch, comprised of steak and rice on corn flat bread, we piled back into our bus and rode to the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Savior downtown. This historic landmark is well known as the site of former Archbishop Oscar Romero's funeral, as well as the demonstration and killings which corresponded with that event. Romero's tomb is found underneath the Cathedral in an open chamber, which includes a chapel and monument marking the tomb. Andres functioned our informational guide at this site, providing details surrounding Romero's life and death; we then spent a moment of prayer encircled around the monument. 


We then ascended into the Cathedral itself, taking time to observe the layout and decor. Notable was a painted representation of the Salvadoran people which adorned the inside of the Cathedral's large dome, located directly over the altar. Given time to ourselves, each member of the group sat and reflected silently, in thought and prayer, in pews all around the main chamber. When ready, we left the Cathedral in silence. 


Transitioning from this sobering experience, we ventured into the streets to try our hands at market shopping. Andres provided a short tutorial on the art of bartering, and then sent us on our ways. We wandered in groups through a large market building, densely packed with all sorts of goods: clothing, hats, paintings, bags, purses, shoes and more lined the walls of tiny departments, each with a dedicated vendor eager to show off their merchandise. Items purchased included ponchos, hats, t-shirts, a slingshot for $1.50, a guitar for $20, and a painted piece of tree for $10. Reminded that more opportunities for shopping would arise, we chose conservatively and departed without leaving too large of a dent in our collective pockets.

We returned to the retreat house, taking some time to settle in before gathering for a potato-and-beans-filled dinner at 6:40. The final event of the day was a time of group reflection in the chapel, initiated with a reading from the words of Oscar Romero and the Bible. Included in the discussion were answers to the questions:

What "seeds", or ideas/goals, do we hope to plant in ourselves and others during this trip?

What do we expect to get out of our time in El Salvador before travelling to Guatemala to work?

And, what is a martyr?

Group members were each able to share their responses, made in light of the day's events and our own impressions of the trip thus far. After ending with a prayer, we retreated to our rooms for the night, myself and my roommate, Greg, excluded...we got to stay up and write this!

It was a long and tiring day, but we've made a good start and there is plenty to look forward to. Tomorrow will be filled short trips around the area, to sites related to Romero and others who supported the cause of the Salvadoran people; check for the next post relating all the events as they happened.

Now it's time for me to get some sleep. I plan to be up early tomorrow...rumor has it the sunrise is beautiful down here!

Goodnight, God bless, and Go Titans.

Jacob Dziubek