Fátima by Janece Schaffer '15

During the immersion trip to El Salvador, we were all blessed with many relationships. We met a variety of individuals: teachers, students of all ages, priests, farmers, parents, and more. By the end of the trip, all of us felt like we had connected with someone we met along the way. The most significant relationship I made was with Fátima Vasquez, the English teacher at the school in Agua Caliente.

A native of Agua Caliente, Fátima is in her mid-20s, lives with her family, is a college graduate from Universidad Francisco Gavidia, and like many Salvadorans, is very beautiful. Fátima and I had many talks; one of them was when we both coincidentally woke up to see the sun rise at the resort we stayed at for a day. As we walked the shoreline, she shared how she wants to go to the United States some day to study and to teach; how she came to teach at the school (she is Padre Rafael’s Goddaughter); and why she decided to study English. She studied to learn English for her mother, who had passed away of cancer just over a year ago. She said her mom wanted one of her children to learn English. I thought that was such a beautiful thing to do for her mother. I admire Fátima for her selflessness to go to college for her mother and her big dreams. She is a person I will never forget and hope to visit again if given the opportunity.

Parishioners, thank you so much for supporting this trip and this school. I know that many of you held us in your prayers throughout the trip, and I thank you for those prayers. Please continue to pray for those we met and all Salvadorans.