CITALÁ, CHALATENANGO
EL SALVADOR
Citalá is a small, tight-knit community nestled in the mountains of El Salvador. It is full of stunning views, vibrant wildlife, and warm-hearted and generous people who are always looking out for one another. Citalá is the perfect place for anybody who wants to get away from the rush of everyday life, but this level of isolation offers a unique set of challenges as well. It is a challenge for many children to receive a quality education, resulting in a high percentage of illiteracy in the community. There is also a lack of access to job opportunities, healthy hobbies, and proper healthcare. Our goal is to clearly model Christ's love and desire for the community and therefore be the bridge that may connect them to the hope they have been missing.
OUR VISION
​Our desire is to share the good news of Jesus, make disciples, and make way for the Holy Spirit to transform the lives of the families in Citalá. The Word of God is the foundation of everything we do, and we hope for each project to be a constant reflection of what The Lord has done for us. We know that God has great plans for this community when they choose to follow the path that Jesus has laid out for us all, and recognize the joy that comes with serving a God who turns brokenness into beauty.
SPORTS MINISTRY
We have found that sports tend to tear down walls and create community in a unique way. The kids in Citalá love playing soccer, basketball and softball, and we love having opportunities to mentor them. We are playin two times a week, the kids after spending time in devotion. We see emotional walls come down during this time as the kids feel free to be themselves and fully express all they are feeling. In the future we hope to implement sports clinics multiple times throughout the week, in order to teach the children healthy hobbies, discipline, and further show them the ways of Jesus.
ENGLISH CLASSES
The ability to speak English is a priceless skill to have when it comes to opportunities in El Salvador. Being bilingual opens up so many doors and brings hope for community members and their families. Not only are English classes often expensive in El Salvador, it is incredibly difficult to have this opportunity in a rural area such as Citalá. Fran and Jeicsy Ruano teach weekly English classes at "C.R.E.A | LIFE DEVELOPMENT CENTER" to children and adults. Aside from simply learning a new skill, these classes are the perfect opportunity to spend time with the community, get a glimpse into their lives, and share with them what a life serving Jesus can look like.
C.R.E.A
LIFE DEVELOPMENT CENTEr
“CREA” (Creation (Creación), Restoration (Restauración), Hope (Esperanza), Love (Amor) ) has a double meaning in Spanish. It could be used to mean “create” and it could also be used to mean “believe”. This is a great reflection of what we hope to foster for the community of Citalá. We want this to be a space where people can feel God’s love, and freedom to create something great for themselves and their community.
​The space is being used to provide one on one tutoring for children who are struggling to learn how to read and write. Many of them belong to parents who are also illiterate and therefore are unable to help teach their children in this area. While El Salvador currently does not have a "reading culture" we hope to change that in Citalá. We want to work with the local schools and welcome individual classes to the library once a week. It is then that we will give lessons on how reading can not only be beneficial but fun as well
COME AND SERVE WITH US IN EL SALVADOR!
​If you would like more information on how to serve El Salvador you can reach out to us: johana@bridgeofaithcc.com