February 15, 2005
God has made everything beautiful for its own time. God
has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people
cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning
to end. Whatever exists today and whatever will exist in the
future has already existed in the past. For God calls each event
back in its turn.
Ecclesiastes 3:11,15
Dear Family and Friends in Christ,
We hope that this finds all of you well and finding time to enter
into reflection during this Lenten season as we anticipate anew
the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
We begin by apologizing for having written so little last year.
It was a year of many endings which led to many beginnings, which
in turn led to a labyrinth of more endings and beginnings, all
of which kept us literally running around in circles.
The year began as had ended the previous year with all our work
continuing as normal and with our continued struggle to finalize
the adoption of our two youngest children.
April brought the end to the earthly life of our dear sister
in Christ, Maria de Vega and the triumphal beginning on Palm Sunday
of her heavenly life with God. Maria, despite all her hardships,
remained firm in her faith and continually challenged the faith
of our congregation.
On June 16 (Deborah’s birthday) the end to the adoption
struggle came when Judge Jenny de Bejarano signed and delivered
to us the official adoption declaration after almost five years
from the beginning of the process. This brought with it great
joy and celebration and also the beginning of the immigration
process for our two children, which would take another five months.
August ushered in the ending of Deborah’s ministry with
the Good Shepherd Church in Santa Barbara after four years and
the beginning of a new mission in Ocumare del Tuy, which grew
from the desire of one child, Daniel, to know more about God and
Jesus Christ into a group of 25 children and 6 adults.
This change also brought with it the beginning of more intense
work with homeless people, in particular with one family who also
became part of the new mission. After having worked with and known
Freddy, Coromoto, and their three children for about a year, an
opportunity materialized to purchase them a home with land. The
house is a humble “ranchito” (shack) but it helped
end this family’s life on the streets and gave them a chance
to begin a more dignified life.
In September, Chris, our oldest son, ended his work as a therapist
in a therapeutic boarding school in Massachusetts in order to
begin his doctorate degree at the University of Pennsylvania in
education, with many new challenges ahead for him.
The most dramatic ending came at the end of October with the
decision not to return to Venezuela for another term. It was a
painful decision. God has used us in so many ways during the last
14 years in Venezuela:
- from pastoring churches to teaching lay and seminary students.
- from building up the Jubilee Center to guiding many to Christ.
- from working alongside U.S. mission teams to publishing educational
materials and Web pages
- from ministering to the pastors to proclaiming the good news
through preaching, teaching, and serving the community.
We have not only given but have received so many cherished lessons
and gifts from our Venezuelan brothers and sisters. We were honored
to share in many of their beginnings and endings:
- to have rejoiced in the birth of over 20 babies
- to have baptized and confirmed over 70 children, youth and
adults
- to have participated in nine young couples’s weddings
- to have mourned the passing of seven people, young and old.
We began in Venezuela with no children but were endowed while
there with five godchildren, various nephews and nieces who adopted
us, and ended up bringing with us the two most precious gifts
God could have ever given to us, Jodimar and Jefferson. We rejoice
with the Venezuelan people and the Presbyterian Church there,
and we celebrate the opportunity they gave us to serve alongside
them in the name of Jesus Christ.
Endings are never easy and we know we will miss the huge family
that adopted us during these last 14 years, but we are assured
that God walks with us as we attempt to discern our next beginning
in God’s labyrinth of mission.
We have initiated this new beginning here in Atlanta where we
arrived on November 8 this past year. It has included many changes:
- the kids learning English and going to school
- all of us adapting and readapting to U.S. culture
- adjusting to cold weather
- starting to speak in churches around the United States
- Meanwhile God’s labyrinth contains many paths and turns
for us: from possible reassignment overseas to possible service
in the United States. We covet your prayers as we strive to
discover God’s plan for our future mission service.
We thank each and every one of you for all the many ways you
have lifted us up and supported us during the last 14 years, and
we look forward to our continued relationships as we move on to
our next beginning.
God’s blessings upon you and yours,
Deborah, Carlos, Chris, Jodimar and Jefferson
The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
49 |
