PTS Class Meets in El Salvador
February 16, 2010 -Any student searching the Palmer campus for the January class “Theological Education and Ministerial Practice from a Central American Perspective" would have missed the location by more than a thousand miles.
The class, led by Professor Mayra Picos-Lee, met in El Salvador. The group visited with various church leaders in different parts of the country. They also gained some perspective on theological education in Central America by meeting with representatives from the Baptist Seminary of Latin America.
Student Marikay Green was impressed by the hope the Salvadoran people maintained “despite the obstacles they face, such as finding work so they can support their families, natural disasters, and ramifications from the war.”
The PTS delegation was especially impressed with the generosity of their hosts. Said student Heather Biscoe, “One woman brought us coffee and homemade cookies. What stuck out for me about this snack was that just a few months prior to our visit, she lost her house and her livelihood of corn and bean crops due to mudslides caused by Hurricane Ida.”
Said student Joshua Walters, “I was surprised to learn that the Salvadoran church is confronted with the same ‘false gospels’ that we confront in the U.S., such as the prosperity gospel and individiualistic gospels.”
The group did not need an outside translator, as Professor Picos-Lee, a native of Mexico, is fluent in Spanish. Said Professor Picos-Lee, “I was impressed by the thoughtfulness and sensitivity of our seminary students. It touched me deeply how easily they connected with the locals."
