GROWING TOGETHER TOWARD FREEDOM
Our Story
Mission To El Salvador was founded in 2009 by Jon and Danielle Snyder. That same year, they moved to El Salvador with their children to work with the urban poor in San Salvador. After spending several years learning Spanish and studying Salvadoran culture, they opened an MTES El Salvador office.
Since then, we have grown to include a residential rehab program for youth, and a resource center for adults. Our team is primarily Salvadoran professionals and we have also expanded to include opportunities for serving and learning through an internship program, service trips and strategic partnerships with churches and non-profits in El Salvador and around the world.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Craig Michaels, President
Craig Michaels is a culinary and hospitality professional that helps foodservice operations achieve high levels of customer satisfaction through quality food and service. Craig has worked with hotels, restaurants, and senior living communities across the United States and Central America and is currently the Director of Fine Dining at The Cedars of Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. With a passion for mentoring youth, Craig has served as a youth pastor at New Community Church in Las Vegas along with his wife Florence and has assisted with youth programs at Centro Cristiano Internaciónal in San Salvador and Mission Hills Church in Littleton, Colorado.
Craig spent 7 years living in El Salvador and loves the partnership he is able to have in serving the team as a board member of Mission To El Salvador. He really enjoys seeing the joy, strength and resilience that is represented in the clients at MTES and the amazing transformation that is taking place in their lives.
- Florence Michaels, Secretary
Florence Michaels is a baker at heart. She studied baking and pastry in Providence, RI where she met her husband, Craig. Both were able to spend a few years in El Salvador working at her parents’ restaurant and bakery.
Florence currently lives in the U.S. where she is helping to raise three amazing teenagers. She has served in different children’s ministries throughout her life and most recently helped launch the children’s ministry at Mission Hills Church Español in Littleton, CO.
As a native Salvadoran, Florence lived through part of the Civil War that took place in El Salvador and has see the brokenness left behind. She is passionate and thankful for the unique work that MTES does with the homeless population and the young boys struggling with addiction and she is grateful to partner with a ministry that longs to see a broke population find the freedom to grow.
- Danielle Snyder, Executive Director, Mission To El Salvador
Danielle holds a B.A. in Youth Ministry and an M.Div with a focus on Urban Ministries. She has over 20 years of experience working in churches and non-profit organizations where she has served in program, development and leadership roles. She also has management experience and has been certified in anti-trafficking work focused on the areas of prevention, program development, and after-care. She is passionate about urban ministry and seeing those who are marginalized have access to resources and the care that they need to reach their best potential.
- Jacob Nichols, Treasurer
Jacob Nichols first became involved with MTES in 2011 when he served on his first short term mission trip. In the following years, he served on and led multiple teams on trips to MTES. He developed a passion for missions and a love for the country and people of El Salvador. Jacob has served on the MTES Board since 2016.
Jacob graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and later returned to school to complete his MBA. He spent years in the manufacturing sector working in areas ranging from process technology and operations to corporate finance. In 2016, he left the corporate world and focused on supporting his family in the home and serving in the local church. After spending many good years in the Pittsburgh area, Jacob and his family moved back to their home state of Ohio in 2019. He has recently joined the staff of his local church to support family ministries.
- Dennis Nikkel
Dennis NIkkel is a senior business consultant with over 35 years of experience helping companies across various industry types. He has been a key part of numerous projects relating to the implementation of the ERP software from the Design or Blueprint phase to the Production/Go Live.
Dennis and his wife Valerie spent two years serving as missionaries on Mission To El Salvador’s staff in El Salvador. They previously had ten years of experience volunteering in El Salvador in a rural part of the country.
Dennis continues to support MTES along with his wife. They have two sons and three grandchildren and are currently living in Canada where they are very involved in ministry to those facing homelessness.
NATIONAL STAFF
The majority of our team are Salvadoran professionals who choose to serve their own country and embody the values that bring change to our community. Their wisdom, professional expertise, experience, and leadership have helped us to grow deep roots in our community. Our staff is led by a team of dedicated leaders including both national and missionary staff.
FOUNDERS
Jon and Danielle Snyder
Jon and Danielle Snyder are full-time missionaries from the U.S. serving in El Salvador. They have two children, Victoria and Ian. Jon and Danielle founded Mission To El Salvador in 2009 after becoming involved in the country through short-term service. They had a vision of connecting those on the margins with resources to help them grow toward freedom and away from the barriers keeping them from changing their lives.
Jon serves in the area of Operations. He has a background in I.T. and Project Management. He worked at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center before moving to El Salvador. He is also certified as an addiction counselor in El Salvador. Danielle works as the Executive Director of the organization.
WHAT WE DO
Our Areas of Focus
Poverty
We work to address issues of homelessness and extreme poverty, lack of family and support systems, and the lack of opportunities and access to resources. We also address spiritual poverty and the way it affects all areas of life. We serve those who are facing abandonment and those who have been returned to El Salvador.
Substance Abuse
We work to address the issues of severe substance abuse among adults and teens, and we walk with those who want to recover. We also work to prevent substance abuse among populations that are vulnerable.
Trauma and Exploitation
We accompany survivors of human trafficking and exploitation who are working to rebuild their lives after severe trauma, we also work to prevent trafficking among other vulnerable populations we serve. We also address trauma in those experiencing addictions and poverty and we walk with survivors toward healing and reintegration.
Testimonies
“Others have died because of addiction, but with God and community support you can do it. I am a testimony. They taught us we have value as people.”
“Thank God I got into the program. I thought I knew everything, but now I know I didn’t know anything. Friends are supposed to help until they get you involved in addiction, but now I’ve become a new person.”
“I’ve been on trips to several places but MTES is the best type of trip that anyone can go on because of the interactive relationship with staff and clients…you think that you are giving to them but they are really giving to you.”
