Children of Prayer, Children of Peace
Rick Dixon, shares the beauty he recently witnessed while leading a prayerful retreat with children in El Salvador.
Everyday Mission
Listening to a recent podcast, Sarah Bueter recognizes the work of her father back home in Indiana was an example of mission all along.
A small village, a wider world
From Ordinary Time to extraordinary resilience, missioner Sarah Bueter reflects on what it means to live alongside a community in El Salvador shaped by memory, faith, and unfinished hope.
Dust trails toward the heart of God
From mountain villages to dense urban neighborhoods in El Salvador, Maryknoll lay missioner Rick Dixon accompanies children whose courage and joy reveal God’s glory in the everyday. Through broken-down buses, makeshift libraries, and a growing circle of young “librarians,” he witnesses a community stitching together learning, belonging, and hope—one small hand at a time.
Walking in circles—in a good way
Two Salvadoran teens once helped missioner Josh Wetmore find his footing in an unfamiliar culture and language. Now, three years later, he finds himself walking the same roads with Emelly and Jeremiahs as they prepare for college—and as he prepares to return home. In the classroom, in the library, and along the dusty paths of El Cedro, their journeys have been intertwined in ways that continue to shape them all.
Joy as resistance
In the mountains of Chalatenango, where storms recall the sorrows of El Salvador’s past, missioner Sarah Bueter discovers that joy is no fragile privilege. It is strength, exercised daily in laughter and lament, and a light that defies despair with love.
The smile of accomplishment speaks louder than letters
In a small library in El Cedro, El Salvador, a simple typing class becomes a quiet but powerful lesson in patience, persistence, and pride. Maryknoll lay missioner Josh Wetmore reflects on how the struggle to master one stubborn keyboard key becomes a moment of transformation—for his student Gabriela, and for himself.
Le Monde diplomatique highlights Maryknoll lay missioner’s witness to Honduran land rights struggle
Missioner Sarah Bueter contributed as a source to an article in international newspaper Le Monde diplomatique that recounts the life, activism, and tragic murder of Honduran environmental defender Juan López, who was killed in September 2024 amid ongoing conflicts over mining and land rights in the Bajo Aguán region.
Butt-bumping on the bus
Pressed shoulder to shoulder in the sweltering heat of El Salvador, Maryknoll lay missioner Sarah Bueter reflects on the discomfort of cultural difference—and the deeper discomfort of confronting her own anger. In tight spaces and shared struggles, she discovers unexpected lessons in humility, compassion, and the sacred work of letting go.
Books and bytes
In a remote Salvadoran village, Josh Wetmore’s education-based mission work continues to evolve with each passing year. From bringing library books directly into classrooms to reviving dusty computer labs, two initiatives are bridging gaps in literacy and technology—one borrowed book and double-click at a time.
Maryknoll Lay Missioners welcomes international members
On March 14, three El Salvadoran candidates departed for Cochabamba, Bolivia, where they will be engaged in the orientation and formation program. Upon completion in mid-May, they will remain in mission in Bolivia.
