Reflections on our mission call

By David and Nancy Slinde

El Salvador: As we do during down times and longer absence from El Salvador, we like to reflect on our past experiences.  When we first married, Nancy and I discussed mission work.  We contacted our National church and before you could say Amen, we got an abrupt rejection, told we were too young.  Fast forward to 2003, with 40 more years of experience we again contacted the National Church about mission work and were told we were too old. 

That same year, the missionaries our congregation supported returned home and our congregation reconsidered mission opportunities for our members’ personal growth and spiritual development.

On The Journey

To implement our church’s mission strategy, a delegation of 13 traveled to El Salvador.  We were matched to a little community not far from the capital of San Salvador.  We visited there three times that week.  It was very hot, dirty, dogs everywhere, chickens, and mosquitoes.  It was too hot to sleep at night, we were becoming fatigued.  On the second last day of our visit to the community I told Nancy I would never come back to this country.  On the last day of our visit to the community, three women leaders approached Nancy and me and said “could you help us, our children are dying from diarrhea”.

With heavy hearts we returned home. 

Over the next year, we came in contact with a young man attending UW-Madison who gave a presentation to a Rotary Club on the work of Engineers without Borders in Africa. We emailed him asking if his chapter could help this El Salvador community with sick children.  He took the concept to his EWB board and they said yes.

The Rotary/EWB project started in 2005 and finished in 2012.  The project was valued at $2.5 million and completed with all volunteers and $140,000 in Rotary funding.  Now 15 years later, no children have died from diarrhea.

We visited the community often during the construction and our stays became longer and longer.  Returning home from a summer visit in 2007 I was very restless.  At the morning kitchen table I said out loud.  “Lord what to do want of us” He said in a real voice “move there”

I laughed and replied to the Lord telling him he had a lot of obstacles to overcome.  Nancy woke up, joined me for coffee and I told her we are moving to El Salvador.  It took us 2 years to prepare; there were obstacles and we could only pray over them as this is the Lord’s work and we would not meddle.  We moved there in 2009 and returned home in 2012.

Our time in El Salvador was all about deepening our relationship with the Lord.  To accomplish this we needed to see the Lord through a different lens and free from our North American culture.  Our relationship with our Lord grew stronger as we lived, worked and shopped in the most dangerous country in the Americas.

It was still very hot, dirty, dogs everywhere, chickens, and mosquitos.  It was too hot to sleep at night, we were still fatigued but stronger in our faith, hope and love with the Lord.

David y Nancy Slinde

Bio: David and Nancy Slinde

David graduated with a BBA in 1966 and was immediately drafted into the Army, serving one year in Viet Nam. After completing his 2 years, he married Nancy. David worked at Eaton Corp for 33 years, retiring in 2001.

Nancy earned her BA in Elementary Education in 1968 and taught in Mequon and West Bend. She earned her Master in Higher Education degree 2000 and worked at a private college in PA and in the UW system.

David and Nancy both experienced a spiritual awakening in 1972 that has re-directed their lives to stronger worship and service to others.

They raised 4 children and have 3 grandchildren. 

In 2005, they began a Rotary project to improve the sanitation in a rural community. After many trips to El Salvador they felt called to move there as volunteer workers.

They continued with the Rotary Sanitation project but their significant call was to work in Community Development, specifically in education, job creation, food security and accompaniment.

After living in the eastern state of Usulután, El Salvador for 27 months, they returned home to West Bend in February 2012. They continue with projects and relationships with the people in rural mountain communities in the east.

Further Reflections by Richard

Reflecting back to 1972 One of our common connections!

A few pictures from El Salvador

Scriptures I think about when reviewing David and Nancy’s life.

Never too old for ministry… “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.” Psalm 39:4 (NIV)

“They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (Psalm 92:14-15 (NIV)

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him,, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5 (NIV

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