El Salvador Mission Trip Deposit Due – March 31st

We are putting together a wonderful team of people for the adventure of the lifetime. Might you be interested in a journey of faith and self-discovery? Join us August 10th -17th as we revisit our sister congregation, Concordia Iglesia, in San Salvador. This will be a tip of historical and cultural learning while engaging the people and countryside of El Salvador. Information flyers can be found on our website and in the church narthex. We are asking for a $200 deposit by March 24th so we can reserve your spot on our team. For more information reach out to Pr. John.

Global Mission Trip to El Salvador FAQ

What are the dates of 2024 trip?

June – Orientation Retreat – [Saturday half day]

August 10-17 Travel time in El Salvador

What is the Cost of the trip?  What does it include?

The total cost of the trip is $2,000 with a $200 deposit due March 24th.  This includes airfare, 7 nights lodging, all in-country transportation, and food. The Gethsemane Memorial Foundation will subsidize each participant $200 towards the cost of their trip. The group could decide together to do a fundraiser to help offset the cost of the trip.   

Where do we stay?  

We will stay in a very nice guesthouse, Las Magnolias, located on the side of a volcano overlooking the city of San Salvador. Our host, Christian and his partner, provide breakfasts and some dinners. Each room includes a bathroom (with a shower) and will be shared with 2-4 people depending on the size of the room. 

What will we do in El Salvador?  

Our trip will be a combination of visiting with our partner congregation, Iglesia Concordia, their pastor Gloribel, and members of their congregation. There will be time to visit the homes of some of the members, share how ministry and the community has changed in the past four years, and learn about their challenges and hopes for the future. We also will visit sites around the city of San Salvador to lean about its history, the culture, and the civil war. We are planning three day trips, one to the rural village of Guaymango, a partner congregation, another to the coffee fields that support the Lutheran pastors in El Salvador, and a day of rest at the beach on the Pacific ocean. There will be some less structured times that include meals in restaurants, visits to marketplaces and time for fellowship and devotion with fellow travelers.

What is the required retreat?  

We are planning a half day retreat in June for all the travelers to get to know one another, learn final details of our trip, as well as some cultural and historical pieces about the country so we can journey there with grace and humility. 

Who will we be leading our trip?  

Both Pr. John and Pr. Amy will be traveling with us and organizing the trip. Sophie Yakes will be our group translator for those who don’t speak Spanish. Our “In-Country” host will be Christian Chavarría Ayala, who works for the Lutheran Church of El Salvador and who’s guesthouse we will be staying at. Michele Lehmbecker will be our “experienced traveler” as she has made the trip several times.

How is this trip part of Gethsemane’s global mission efforts? 

During the pandemic it was not possible to travel to El Salvador for several years. Last year a small delegate returned to reconnect with our sister congregation. During that visit they begged for us to return with a large group of Gethsemane members so that together we could see the joy the church is bringing to the people in El Salvador. Our partnership is one of “Accompaniment.” This means, mutually journeying alongside one another in mission and faith. Our gift is not to bring something, or do something, our gift is to recognize that we cannot “be” the church without one another and we each have wisdom to share.  

The Lutheran church in El Salvador is in the process of electing a new Bishop, just as we are electing a new bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod. We will participate in conversations about our ongoing partnership and brainstorm ways that both sides can contribute to the mutually edifying relationship. 

As a traveler you should be willing to serve as ambassadors of Gethsemane, and upon returning, an ambassador of our mutual partnership with Iglesia Concordia. As we continue to build on our partnership, we will need people to tell the story and help to recruit future travelers and other participants. 

Gethsemane El Salvador Mission Trip Schedule

August 10th-17th

Leaders: Pr. John, Pr. Amy, Sophie Yakes, Michele Lehmbecker.