Thanks to the support of you folks, the building of bridges of care continues between the Diocese of Chalatenango, El Salvador and the people of Northeast Ohio and beyond. This newsletter is to show you the results of your support and to update you on some of the major projects in the works. Many more projects are also in progress especially between sister parish communities.

SOS - NEEDED: SPONSORS FOR STUDENTS ! The most crucial need at press time are sponsors for about 21 new students who are starting their school year this January. We told Fr. Rafael to have the 21 students begin the school year and we would do our best to get them sponsors. Without a sponsor the student must quit school. These students live in areas where there are no schools. Sponsors pay $25 a month for 10 months (or $250/yr) to cover transportation to a town with a school or to cover food and housing in a town with a school. Education is their hope for a way out of extreme poverty. Sponsors and students can exchange letters and pictures. Some sponsors have even traveled to meet their students. Last year there were 61 students who were sponsored, mostly in junior high and high school. We thank all those who have participated in this program in the past. And a special thanks goes to Jefferson United Methodist Church for facilitating many sponsors, and to Mike Kahanca for tirelessly "soliciting" sponsors.

FEBRUARY PILGRIMAGE
There will be a group of people going on a pilgrimage to Chalatenango - "to see the face of God in the poor" - from Feb. 14th to 20th. Fr. Kevin Peters, from Mother of Sorrows in Ashtabula, a sister parish, is one of the pilgrims. Although this is short notice, if you are interested in joining them, please let us know. The total cost is between $700 and $800. Lodging: rustic; food: local; experience: priceless.

AMBULANCE TO EL SALVADOR VIA MILITARY CARGO PLANE
We have had an ambulance, a dental office and other large items donated for Chalatenango. We are currently working with the US Military (to have a cargo plane deliver them) and the Salvadoran Embassy (to have them enter El Salvador duty free). Kathy Price of the Mission of Love Foundation out of Youngstown is helping us with this process. The Mission of Love has sent thousands of tons of donated goods to developing countries all over the world via US military cargo planes. It takes months to process a flight; but if this first one goes well, we hope to send more in the future.

INTERNATIONAL PRIEST PROJECT
People in the US have been sponsoring seminarians from Chalatenango who are studying in El Salvador. The cost of a year of study in the major seminary is $890 (based on actual cost for 2001). In exchange, Bishop Eduardo Alas of the Chalatenango Diocese has agreed to send priests to serve part of their career in the United States. Fr. Gilberto Robles, who has visited us, will be the first missionary priest in this program and the Youngstown Diocese will be welcoming him this spring for up to three years. He has been relieved of his parish in Chalatenango, has been studying English in San Salvador, and on Feb. 2 he has an interview with the US Embassy in San Salvador to arrange his visa. If you would like information on how to help sponsor a college seminarian, please contact us.

CRAFTS FROM CHALATENANGO
Jean and Mike Kreyche in Kent, Ohio have a "warehouse" of crafts in their basement. They are always looking for new venues to sell the items. All the money from sales goes back to Chalatenango and the people who made them (over $16,000 in 2001!) Please contact Kreyche's (330-677-4487) if you would like to sell some crafts through your church or organization. Also available now is coffee that Jean is importing directly from a cooperative in Chacones, Chalatenango. (Chacones is an isolated town in Fr. Rafael's parish which frequently can't be accessed with a four wheel drive vehicle). Since the middlemen are eliminated, all the profits go to the producers. You can help these people tremendously by buying their coffee. The bulk of their crop is being sold at a loss due to the low price of coffee on the world market.

SISTER PARISHES
There are nine sister parish relationships between parishes in Northeast Ohio and parishes in Chalatenango. As in all relationships, each one is unique. However it involves far more than sending material aid to the Salvadoran parish. It is primarily about communication between two communities - different culturally, socially and economically, but of the same faith with its struggles, ideals and successes. It is about achieving the solidarity of Christian love, enriching all who work for it. We would be glad to share information about developing a sister church relationship. On the St. Patrick School (Kent) web page, there is now a section devoted to their sister parish. www.stpatskent.org then "school", then "sister-parish".

INTERNATIONAL GIFT FAIR
The annual International Gift Fair, held the two weekends before Thanksgiving, was a rousing success! A total of $15,500 in beautiful, unique crafts, made by cooperatives in El Salvador as well at 30 other developing countries, were sold. For every $100 bought, a family of four can be sustained for approximately a month. That means that all the folks who worked so hard and/or shopped helped sustain 155 families for a month!! Thank you, thank you! The Austinburg Town Hall is reserved again for the two weekends before Thanksgiving in 2002. Hope to see you there!

BISHOP EDUARDO ALAS'S VISIT
Our last Mission El Salvador newsletter was in July, shortly before the visit of Bishop Alas from the Chalatenenango Diocese. He visited with each of the sister parishes and expressed his appreciation of the relationships being fostered and his gratitude for our support of the people of Chalatenango. Plans were made for his sharing Fr. Gilberto as a missionary priest to us. We are so grateful for such a dedicated and caring spiritual leader building bridges of solidarity and love with us. God bless you, Bishop Eduardo!

MISSION EL SALVADOR WEB SITE
Chris and Kelcey Jacobs of Carroll County have developed a web site for communicating with folks about our projects and El Salvador. Check: chalate.freeshell.org for good information (don't use "www")

OSCAR ROMERO UNIVERSITY
Last summer, Mike and Jean Kreyche spent three weeks in Chalatenango helping the small sized Oscar Romero University with computer upgrading and training of staff in Internet use etc. Dan and Pachy Bell from Kent joined them in sharing their expertise with the university and exploring funding possibilities. For more information on the university and their work, check their web site: http://umoar.edu.sv

VOICE OF HOPE AWARD
The work, prayers and support of all you folks out there were recognized when the Diocese of Youngstown bestowed the first annual Voice of Hope for Justice Award to the Mission El Salvador projects being coordinated. Congratulations to all of you! Keep up the good work and let's keep praying for each other and our brothers and sisters in El Salvador.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Obviously, all these activities are happening because of the support of you folks. If you have any questions, interests or suggestions, please contact the Linehans at 440-466-3207 or welinehan@yahoo.com or John and Rita Linehan, 5834 Route 307, Geneva, OH 44041. If you received this letter in the mail and you have an e-mail address, would you share it with us? Have a blessed 2002!!