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Pilgrimage to El Salvador – March Break, 2024

March 8, 2024 - March 15, 2024

Are you interested in joining a partnership that has blessed people across North America since the 1980s? Is the Spirit urging you to discover Christ’s work in communities that look dramatically different from your own?

During March break 2024, 30 people (26 pilgrims and 4 leaders) from the East Central Ontario Regional Council will travel to San Salvador to be guests of our global partners at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Through this week together you will learn about Salvadoran history, perhaps help build a school, community centre or church in rural El Salvador, learn about peace making initiatives in a country with a violent history. In short, your life will change.

Are you ready for this?

Then please consider joining us March 8-15, 2024, but before you complete this application, please consider some important, practical facts:

  • El Salvador has a tropical climate, with especially high levels of pollution in the urban areas
  • Much of the terrain is volcanic and very steep. We will walk a fair bit on this trip.
  • We sleep in dorm rooms with 8 to 10 people.

 

While our hosts are well connected and make our safety and health their priority, it is important to understand the political situation in El Salvador:

  • El Salvador remains under a state of “Special Emergency”, whereby some legal rights remain suspended.
  • This has resulted in mass incarceration, which many believe has reduced the activities of the gangs and significantly reduced the murder rate.
  • However, there are reports of false arrests and difficulty extracting young men from prison once arrested, including citizens of other South and Central American countries.

 

For more information, which includes an information session in September, please view our POSTER

Please fill out the application below if you are interested in joining us!

2024 ECORC/ IBE Partnership Program

  • Please begin registration here

  • Which pronoun(s) do you prefer? Please use the space below if you are comfortable sharing.
  • For Applicants under the age of 18

  • Privacy information and consent

  • The East Central Ontario Regional Council (ECORC) protects your personal information by adhering to all legislative requirements with respect to privacy. The collection of information on this registration form is for the purposes of the East Central Ontario Regional Council (ECORC) only.
  • About Me:

  • Getting Ready to Go

    Visiting a partner takes preparation, and the following activities are planned. Fall gatherings, likely by Zoom, in October, November, and early December, of approximately one hour. An in-person gathering in January 2024. Up to two additional Zoom gatherings (February and/or one week prior to departure) of approximately 1 hour. You will also need to spend some of your own time learning about El Salvador and what it means to be in partnership.
  • Travelling Expenses

    Traveling to El Salvador is expensive. At the time of writing, the cost of the trip is estimated to be approximately $2,000/person. In addition, we will be raising funds and collecting various school and medical supplies to bring with us as gifts for our partner and its many ministries.
  • (If you are unable to contribute, the leadership will contact you with other options. A contribution is not required in order participate. )
  • I commit to participating in the pooled fundraising activities and to promoting our partnership in my Community of Faith.
  • For All Applicants:

  • Please consider this my electronic signature, confirming my request to participate in the 2024 ECORC/IBE Partnership Program. I understand that spaces are limited. For persons under the age of 18, please print the confirmation email after submission, and have it signed and dated by your legal guardian. Then scan or take a photo of the pages and email it to kwilson@united-church.ca
  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • End of registration - click Submit to complete

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Details

Start:
March 8, 2024
End:
March 15, 2024
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