El Salvador Convivencia

It was once again a joy to be at the school with the brothers, sisters, and young people. There were more than 80 of us in attendance.

At the end of each year, there are two Bible schools in Central America: one in Costa Rica and one in El Salvador. Each year, alternatingly, one of the two countries hosts a larger international school, inviting brothers and sisters from neighboring countries to participate. In comparison, the other has a smaller school, mainly for the members of that country. This year, it was El Salvador’s turn to host the smaller Bible School.

It was once again a joy to be at the school with the brothers, sisters, and young people. A few visitors came from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the US, so including the Salvadorans, there were more than eighty of us in attendance.

Bre. Cristian Mamani and Sami Borja from La Paz, Bolivia, led the young people’s classes. Their topic was “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God,” dealing with themes such as social media, career choices, appropriate friendships, and the importance of finding partners in the Truth. As one might imagine, there was plenty of interaction during these sessions! The young people were in discussion groups. Afterward, each group chose someone to report on what they talked about. 

The younger children studied the life of Joseph, immersing themselves wholeheartedly in the drama of the story. Salvadoran brethren gave the main adult classes on “Not losing our first love.” The men’s class was on the importance of the family in the ecclesial structure, while the women focused on the passage in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus tells us, “Leave your gift before the altar, and go: first be reconciled to your brother.”

Other activities included sports for the young folk and Bible bingo for the less agile. In the evenings, there were daily readings, traditional Bible quizzes, and skits by the children and young people. One of the skits was a modern rendition of the Prodigal Son. A group of girls entertained us with Jewish dancing, and later, everyone gathered around the traditional bonfire until midnight.

For our members and young people scattered around Latin America, gatherings such as this play a critical role in establishing and maintaining a similar experience of widespread fellowship and friendship to that which we have in North America. We are all very grateful to the CBMA for making these events possible.

Jim and Jean Hunter,
CBMA Links for El Salvador