The automatic doors slid open smoothly and a rush of hot air hit me in the face. I rolled my bag outside to wait, weaving my way through families and tourist groups, women selling lottery tickets and kids proffering bundles of roasted cashews. Perching on top of my suitcase, I settled in to wait for my ride outside the arrivals gate. Right on (Salvadoran) time, about an hour later, the familiar truck rolled up, the door opened, and out clambered several familiar faces.

I hadn’t expected a welcoming delegation quite so large, but as we all squeezed back into the car,  I couldn’t stop smiling. This is true friendship. Picking right back up where we had left off over a year earlier, laughing and joking, piled on top of one another and eating pupusas with salsa dripping down our fingers. These friendships that span distance and time and language and all likelihood are some of the most precious relationships that I have.

When I came to El Salvador as a volunteer in 2017, I had no idea what to expect. I had hoped that I would be able to share myself in some small way to further the work that many people before me had begun. I definitely did not anticipate the deep friendships that I grew during my time working at Fundahmer.

This Thursday, February 14th, on the Día de Amistad, almost two years after I first visited El Salvador, I will be celebrating in a special way the love, friendship, and confianza that I share with my Salvadoran friends, and looking forward to the next round of pupusas when we see each other again.

• 

Post by former FUNDAHMER volunteer and current FACES board member, Eva Mergner. She is pictured with Salvadoran friends Laura and Angela (left to right).

Do YOU feel the call to accompany the Salvadoran community in a personal way? FUNDAHMER, one of our partner organizations, is looking for in-person volunteers to support various aspects of their work including accompanying delegations. Please contact Maria Elena (en español) at malenadecruz@fundahmer.org.sv.