Visited  an organization in Santa Anna near San Salvador dedicated to walking with the poor and marginalized. Unbound was founded by a man from Kansas named Bob Hentzen and his wife. They walked a LONG casino from Kansas City to Chile. Yes… The country Chile!!! And I thought my caminonin Spain was long, being only 500 miles. 

We were taken to two homes of families who have been helped by Unbound. Essentially, one helps by becoming a sponsor, or “padrino/padrina, for a child or an elderly person. The sponsor donated $30  dollars per month for a period of time solely determined by sponsor and Unbound. You receive photos and letters on a regular basis telling you what specifically your donation helped to fund in areas of education, health, recreation, nutrition and clothing. All purchases and their receipts are kept, registered and complied to safeguard transparency. 

At one of the homes, ( see photos)  the mother was so happy and grateful for her own  house,  made from plywood and metal “walls.” This was given to her and her husband by Unbound.  She welcomed us inside, which was both beautiful and humbling. The photos and religious articles on the walls indicated people who love  family and their catholic faith. We all walked away quite taken aback. 

 How am I to respond to this experience, and the experience of standing in the spot where Oscar Romero was killed and the experience of the women organizing to empower women who suffer in domestic violence and the experience of seeing the workers on the cashew farm and the experience of talking with Emilio who gave up a lucrative career in the world of finance and the list goes on. 

How does christ wish me and you to respond,  in gospel fashion, to the poor and marginalized? SEE…JUDGE…ACT is the mantra. It is the third one that causes the most difficulty.