My Home Away From Home

When you think of your home, what comes to mind? I would be willing to bet that you thought about your bed, your family, the love and warmth of everything that makes it your home. This past summer I was given the opportunity to discover and appreciate, what I would call my second home, the small country of El Salvador. The country of El Salvador has suffered greatly due to social injustice, civil war, and government oppression. Even though they have gone through a lot, the people of El Salvador have grown to become some of the most loving people I have ever met. Through the different forms of love, that was shown to me by the Salvadoran people, I discovered a deeper way to love life and those around me.

My Feelings In A Nut Shell

In my junior theology class, we discussed the four different types of love. The first form is called Eros, which is rooted in our emotions. During my mission trip to El Salvador there were so many emotions that I experienced, but the strongest one was love. A great example is when we first arrived at the airport in El Salvador. My family, some of which I was meeting for the first time, were all waiting with arms out ready for embrace as soon as they saw me. That type of love was rooted in our emotions of happiness. I was not used to this kind of intense embracing love, and that made it difficult to reciprocate back the bountiful love of the Salvadoran people. But funny enough, by the end of the trip I had tapped into my inner Salvadoran and learned to express that Eros love through just simply greeting people with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Who knew love could be expressed in such an intense way?

Love Is Everywhere, In Every Shape And Form

We are all called to be brothers and sisters in the family of God. As brothers and sisters we can experience the form of love called Philia, which is brotherly love. The Salvadoran people expressed this form of love very intensely. Even though I was not born in El Salvador, people treated me as if I was one of them right from the start. I experienced a great example of brotherly love from my friend Baltazar. On our last day, with our sister community of El Buen Pastor, Baltazar approached me with a leather wallet and said, “ I got this for you so you have something to remember us by.” His brotherly love showed me what it meant to truly be a brother and sister in the family of God. I returned his brotherly love with an affectionate embrace and a few sad tears. Even though he may be thousands of miles away, I am still able to call him my brother.

The next form of love is Storgae, also known as familial love. In the Hispanic culture, family is one of the most, if not the most, important aspects of daily life. Family love expands from their own families to other families within their communities. When I went to El Salvador I experienced familial love through a man named Jesus, who was an adult in our sister community. We made a deep connection with each other after he had spent some time with our delegation as we visited many different holy sites. He showed me familial love by taking me in as one of his own. Everyday, he would go out of his way to make sure I was doing alright and that I was enjoying my stay. I was shown great hospitality by him and his family. In turn, I showed him my gratitude by playing with his kids and always making sure to show my appreciation for everything they had done for me. Our sister community from El Buen Pastor is a part of my family, both in El Salvador and my heart.

It Was A True Blessing And A Life Changing Experience

The final and most important form of love is agape, which means selfless love. Mother Teresa once taught, “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” The people of El Salvador lived up to this quote perfectly through their hospitality and caring qualities. Throughout my whole visit I had been experiencing all types of love. One occasion that truly stood out to me was when one of the police officers protecting the delegation gave my grandfather his police cap. At the time I did not understand why he had done this, but later on I found out that my grandfather had given the officer his own cap to protect him from the sun. This selfless love inspired me to do the same. That same night we hosted their annual bingo night, and I worked hard and selflessly to ensure that everyone won a prize that they could use. The love I experienced in El Salvador truly changed my life for the best.

My trip to El Salvador put me in contact with the most loving, passionate, hard-working, and caring people in the world. Through the various forms of love that the El Salvadoran people showed me, I was given the opportunity to realize what true love is and later the chance to pour it all out in the time spent there and afterwards with my loved ones back home. 1st John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” This perfectly captures what I experienced in that little country in Central America. The Salvadoran people showed me love first, which opened my heart to loving others around me in a deeper and more profound way.