"My job fulfills my passion for missions because ENLACE is missions:" Employee Profile

When you talk to Lilia Sarmiento de Gómez, or "Lily", about her job at ENLACE you can see that her passion is to translate the gospel in practical and real ways. This passion has come about through years of  experiences in and outside of El Salvador.

Lily, married and mother of two children, was born in Ecuador. Ever since she was a little girl, she was known for her motivation, courage and hard work. When Lily was 15 she started to go to church but wasn't sure of God's plan for her life. After multiple surgeries on one of her legs, the loss of her oldest brother, and continuing health issues, Lily had many reasons to lose motivation and courage. During the surgery recovery process, Lily encountered a serious problem in her leg. The doctors were ready to amputate, but Lily experienced what she describes as a miraculous healing. As a result, Lily decided to serve God as a missionary. She studied at the Bible School in Quito, Ecuador. A year later she traveled to El Salvador in order to continue with her theological studies. In 1998 she finished studies in Nursing while also completing a graduate degree in Theology.  In 2008 Lily successfully concluded an MBA in Business Administration. Even her studies in business have come as a result of her desire to serve God.

One day, a friend of hers, Francisco "Paco" González--ENLACE's agroengineer, suggested that she volunteer with the Microenterprise program at ENLACE (CREDATEC). In August, 1999 Lily started volunteering and by March of 2000 she became the Head of Finance for the organization. In January 2007 she started working more directly with the operations team of ENLACE and now serves as the Church and Community Program Coordinator and Church Coach in the Santa Ana Region.

Lily describes her job with ENLACE as a blessing because she enjoys being close to people, being able to listen to them and getting to know them. She adds,

I'm doing what I always dreamed of, what I always wanted to do for God. I feel at home. My job at ENLACE fulfills my passion for missions because ENLACE is missions.

Lily with church and community leaders in San JacintoFor Lily ENLACE is not just a social outreach but a Christ-centered ministry that wants to put the gospel into practice. Lily comments, “If I weren't working at ENLACE everything would be completely different. I'm sure God would have opened doors somewhere else, but most likely my passion to serve others wouldn't have developed in the same way.”

Lily's vision to serve others has become stronger and more defined during her ten years working at ENLACE. Lily expresses that ENLACE has grown in the last years due to the awakening that the churches are experiencing while working towards community transformation. Such an awakening, she believes, requires ENLACE to prepare and look for new ways to train and accompany churches to transform their communities. According to Lily,

 "The church is the only entity that can transform its community through building relationships and putting the true gospel into practice."

Comments

[Rhonda Grigg]

Lily is an amazing woman! She has such a heart for God and others. What a blessing! Thanks for sharing her story.

[David McGee]

Thank you for commenting Rhonda. Lily is an inspiration to us and to all the pastors and church leaders she is working with. God continues to bless ENLACE with amazing staff.