Words about Colombia

Taken from an address given at the Colombia Mission Network Meeting
October 1-2, 2007 in Louisville

By Milton Mejía

First, I want to thank you, in the name of my family, for your help and support since you have made us feel like a part of you.  When we visit your presbyteries, congregations, and homes, as well as when we communicate by phone and email, we have been able to understand more what it means to be part of the family of faith in Christ.
 
If it were not for the hardship of experiencing displacement and exile, we would have enjoyed even more the support you have given us and the way you have received us. Our hearts are in Colombia, and in our prayers we ask God, "How can we serve You and maintain our commitment with those who suffer in our country while we are not there?"
 
In our experience in the churches, looking to explain the situation of Colombia and mobilize the people, we see that it has not been easy to show the situation of our country given that there is little information. The people know about drug traffickers and the struggle against terrorism, but it is very difficult to explain how an armed conflict is maintained for so many years and the situation of the poor in a country like Colombia.
 
On the other hand, we have seen that, to the extent that we share and educate about the reality of Colombia and about the things that the community and the churches are doing to tell the gospel as good news of peace, interest arises and we are asked, "What can we do?” In an attempt to respond to this question, Carol, our English teacher in San Angelo, Texas, impressed us. She prepared letters to send to all the representatives and senators from Texas in order that the members of her church might sign their names, and then she would send them along. Today I believe that she is ready to go as an accompanier. Another woman of the First Presbyterian Church in Midland obtained a personal interview with one of the Republican Representatives from Texas to discuss the situation in Colombia. This is very difficult to do.

We see a lot of interest, and we believe that there is a very large potential among the church members and in the presbytery meetings where we have participated, but it is necessary to respond to the question that they are asking, "What can we do?” How do we follow up in order to fuel the interest and assure actions that will support the communities and churches in Colombia that are contributing to the search for peace?

I want to share some of the recommendations that arose in the meeting of March 14, 2007, in Washington, where around 30 persons from organizations and churches that have been involved in the work of Colombia for the last 10 years participated:

• We recognize the tension between joint work and complimentary work among the churches, in the United States as well as in relation to the churches in Colombia.  Nevertheless, more important than all this is the challenge of learning together how to do mission, to serve and to work for justice and peace for the victims of the violence in Colombia.
• Until now the group that has received the attention has been the displaced, but issues arise and new groups have needs, like the Afro-Colombians and the indigenous and it is necessary to respond.
• It is necessary to expand the work among the church members and to educate them in order that they might go to work and connect with their Congressional representatives. In this sense, the experience of Colombia Mission Network is able to help, since they have many years of experience and have been able to create a methodology of sending information, and they propose very concrete tasks.
• It is important to share and understand the experiences of sanctuary, the Salt & Light Churches, the fellowships between churches, the accompaniment programs and to strengthen this advocacy work from the perspective of truth and justice. 

We seek to strengthen the participation in the "Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia" and continue the delegations to Colombia, as well as of Colombians to the United States in order to strengthen the organizing experiences of the victims.

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