West End CRC’s El Salvador Partnership

The distance between Edmonton, Alta., and San Salvador, El Salvador, is over 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles). For the congregation at West End Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton, that gap is closing through a partnership, prayers, and visits.

When West End CRC decided to partner with Semillas de Nueva Creación (Seeds of New Creation) in El Salvador, they anticipated a transformation. 

Guided by Resonate Global Mission missionary Adrianna Herrera, a small group of leaders embarked on a Witness Trip that emphasized that while teams often travel to “bless” others, they are frequently blessed just as much by visiting. Witness Trips combine service with a daily devotional curriculum designed to help groups get to know their ministry context, build relationships with their hosts, and bring learning home with them.

Semillas de Nueva Creación is an organization that longs to see people, churches, and communities in El Salvador transformed by the gospel, expressing signs of the kingdom of God in every aspect of life. They are especially active in accompanying local churches in the areas of training people for mission, abuse prevention for children and teenagers, empowering women, and giving the church tools to minister to their communities. These characteristics and more make them a great partner for West End CRC.

The partnership with West End began over a year ago, with the church doing intentional learning about El Salvador during youth retreats and “Lunch and Learn” sessions. However, as Herrera pointed out, there is a distinct power in physical presence. In September the group stepped off a plane and into the heart of El Salvador to see for themselves what God is doing in the region.

Among the travelers was a Sunday school teacher. Before the trip, she said, her Grade 2 and 3 students had been paired with pen pals from El Salvador. Upon arriving, she discovered a humbling development: the Salvadoran children and their families had committed to praying for the Edmonton students by name every day.

Returning to Canada, the teacher brought this spirit of prayer partnership back to her Sunday school children. Now, when her students gather, she asks for prayer requests for their friends in El Salvador. And as she begins the prayer, she pauses, and the room erupts. Every child speaks the name of their specific prayer partner out loud at once. This “chorus of prayer, she said, creates a holy resonance; when the Witness Trip team reunited to reflect on this, they realized that the children were now praying exactly like their counterparts in El Salvador, where group prayer is often a beautiful, simultaneous symphony of voices.

The value of going with Resonate on a Witness Trip lies in making a shift from simple intentionality to deep, mutual relationship. For the congregation in Edmonton, the trip continued to build on important relational aspects of mission work. The church is no longer supporting a distant project; they are seeking opportunities for relationships with friends they have embraced. The church continues to be coached post-trip by Adrianna Herrera.

The visit also encourages global partners in their ministry and strengthens the bond of the global body of Christ—for example, showing Semillas de Nueva Creación and the communities they work with that they are seen and loved. Through Resonate, the global church becomes smaller, people’s prayers become louder, and the kingdom of God becomes a local reality for church members of all ages.