Music blaring over the loudspeakers…carnival games with prizes…balloon animals…the smell of popcorn…dancing and laughter. It sounds like a community country fair, doesn’t it? Now just imagine that fair is not far from downtown San Salvador and that the guests include our clients who are taking the morning off of therapy and job training to celebrate independence.

As we closed El Salvador’s independence month, it only seemed fitting to celebrate the independence that our community is finding bit by bit. Whether through progress in a therapeutic setting, or simply learning to depend on someone else small steps are happening. Even the freedom to laugh and enjoy life is worth celebrating.

There was lots of laughter at our Independence Festival! Prizes were giving out for the ring toss, bingo, and fishing game as well as the dancing and singing competitions. One of our staff members used his day off to make balloons for all of our clients, others made sure that all the details were just right to make our clients feel loved and celebrated.

The reality for so many of our clients is that they don’t always feel safe, or free, or like they can laugh and have fun. Our community has spaces that hold dark and violence, but days like today remind us that there is also space for light and new life to break through. So together we celebrate independence from the things that hold us back, and freedom to grow in our relationships with God, and with each other.