FAQs
Is El Salvador Safe
Since the 1980s, El Salvador has had plenty of violence, it is understandable why the country has the reputation of being a violent nation. Historically El Salvador has been on most of the lists of the most violent countries in Latin America. However, El Salvador’s violence has almost never been directed at visitors.
The current presidential administration has taken a very hard approach to gang violence and delinquency. New laws have been passed and it is now illegal to be part of or to have any connection with gangs punishable by 20-30 years in prison. As a result, violent crime has been reduced greatly. So much so that El Salvador is no longer on the list of dangerous places to visit. The US State Department still maintains travel warnings to reconsider travel.
Your safety is our top priority and while we cannot make any promises or guarantees, we will do our very best to make sure that while you are in El Salvador that your mission team is as safe and comfortable as possible.
Why El Salvador
You can find an abundance of scriptures about missions and serving those in need. At the center of this is, of course, the great commission found in the final chapter of the gospel of Matthew. As a member of a short-term mission group, we feel that it is important that before you come you spend time praying and studying your meaning of Christian service. We think this will make a significant difference in your mission experience here in El Salvador as well as your faith walk in general.
Poverty is widespread in El Salvador. In some parts of the country poverty levels are close to 40%. El Salvador’s poverty is a problem that prevents many from getting a proper education, adequate healthcare, drinkable water, and sanitation services. The Methodist Church in El Salvador, through its ministries, works to help end this circle of poverty that seems to grip such a large number of the Salvadoran people.
With the help of your mission team, we hope to create a model of mutuality in mission. By living out our faith we can create a situation of open arms and not open hands. This is why your mission team is so important to create healthy, long-lasting relationships with the people that you will be serving and in return you too will be served. When we work together we can expand God’s kingdom here on earth.
What does it Cost
The cost to bring a team to El Salvador will vary depending on the project(s) that your team will be participating in while here and where you choose to stay. Likewise the location of the project will also have some varying impact on the costs.
If you team works in Ahuachapan the cost for food, lodging, and transportation will be between $55 and $65 per person, per day. In addition we request that each team also bring $400 for coordination consideration to cover expenses associated with hosting your team. The costs for each project is as follows:
Home Building Project $7,000 (includes materials and local professional labor)
Church Construction $5,500 (includes materials and local professional labor)
Food Distribution (100 bags) $1,600
Teams doing Bible School have no in country costs but teams are responsible for bringing their own materials. Teams wanting to do medical missions need to contact us so when can discuss the particulars of a medical team.
Additionally if your team needs translators for your projects the cost is $20 per translator per day. If your team is working in San Salvador we can provide a couple options to try to work within your budget.
Each mission team’s cost will vary depending on projects, location, team size, plane tickets, and the number of team members. Once we know you are coming, what you will be doing and staying we can give you a better idea of the cost.
Where Do We Stay
Scheduling a Team
Scheduling A Team
The Methodist Church in El Salvador owns a home in which we use to host teams called the Mission Residence and we can accommodate most sized teams there. The cost for staying here is $55 per day per person (including the day you arrive and leave) which covers food lodging and transportation. Additionally your team has the option to stay at a local hotel that we have a relationship with. El Altillo located in Ahuachapan is $65 per day per person. Once we have you on the calendar we can discuss your team’s lodging.
If you are ready to talk about bringing a team to work with SMP and the Methodist Church in El Salvador contact us and we can get your team on our calendar. If you are not ready to commit just yet and still have some questions send us an email and we will be happy to address any questions that you might have.
