SAN VICENTE, El Salvador – Most Missouri Baptists who go to El Salvador on mission trips struggle at least a little bit with the language as they try to share the Gospel, but Nathan Wheeles had to wrestle with a word even fluent Spanish speakers may not know: “desenfunda.”
A command to unholster a pistol, it came up a lot on his recent mission trip to El Salvador.
Wheeles, a patrolman with the Missouri Highway Patrol and member of First Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff, joined with four police officers from Mississippi to built two homes for two local police officers as part of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) ongoing Mi Casa es Su Casa Program, an effort to rebuild homes destroyed in 2009 by Hurricane Ida. The group of American law enforcement officers also conducted training for around 50 Salvadoran federal police officers.
“It was up in the air as to what they needed,” Wheeles said. “They said we’ll take anything. It became obvious that they had very little to no training. They were like a sponge ready to absorb everything we had to teach.”
Through translators, they trained the Salvadoran police officers on how to safely approach a traffic stop, how to safely position their patrol car, whether the driver has committed a traffic violation or is suspected of being armed and violent.
Wheeles also drilled the officers on weapon retention (keeping control of their pistol or rifle when someone tries to get at it), basic self defense and crowd control.
“It was a little difficult to translate our terminology into theirs,” Wheeles said. “We kept getting hung up on ‘holster.’”
Most of the Salvadoran officers had not fired their sidearms in over a year, and were each given only three rounds of ammo to practice with. In contrast, Wheeles has to qualify three times a year with a pistol, rifle and shotgun, with 300 rounds for each weapon plus extra ammo for practice.
“We did a lot of dry fire and drawing exercising, and worked on coming on target,” he said.
Although the training filled a need and provided a valuable connection that allowed the group to share the Gospel, Wheeles said the highlight of the trip was building the homes for the two officers.
One of the homes that they built went to a regional police commander and chaplain who is a member of the church First Baptist has partnered with. The other went to a police officer who is not yet a believer, but is willing to host a Bible study in his new home.
Later in the week, that chaplain hosted another Bible study and Wheeles got to sit in on it.
“It was neat to see someone from a different country and lifestyle with the same beliefs and struggles and go to the Bible for answers,” he said. “No matter how far away you are or what language you speak, God understands.”
Like many who have go to El Salvador intending to be a blessing, Wheeles said he ended up receiving the blessing.
“I left with them serving and teaching me,” he said. “We’re just a nation of wanting, wanting, wanting. They were just happy with a house, their family, and Jesus. What is more important? Is it our stuff or our relationship with God?”
BRIAN KOONCE / staff writer