October 2005
Greetings, in the name of our Lord, to friends, family, brothers
and sisters in Christ, supporting churches, overseas partners,
and staff of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
For the last few years we have used the following scripture on
our newsletter that we called “Via Venezuela”:
The universe declares God’s glory, the heavens proclaim
God’s handiwork. Each day informs the following, each
night whispers to the next; without speaking, without words,
without a sound, yet VIA all the earth the message rings out
and the good news reaches one and all.
(Psalm 19:1-4)
We have been truly blessed during the past 20 years by God’s
using us to spread the good news in the Congo and Venezuela. God
has also taken us to Canada, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, and
Guatemala, where we hope we were witnesses to God’s infinite
grace, even though we were only a short time in each place.
Now we are moving on to a desert place, el “Paso del Norte,”
as it once was known. It is where North meets South, and I-10
travels from east to west. It is where U.S. and Mexican culture
meet. It is where many from Mexico and Central America cross the
border in order to make a life for their families at any cost
(sometimes at the cost of life itself). We are going to El Paso,
Texas, to work in U.S./Hispanic/Indian country with its rich history,
tradition, and new opportunities for all. That’s where the
Holy Spirit is moving us with lots of grace and blessings. Carlos
will be co-pastor to the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, which
he has been asked to help transform into a multicultural congregation,
and Deborah is looking for a part-time position in a small congregation
or social ministry.
We have a lot to be thankful for—20 years with the Worldwide
Ministries Division. One of the greatest blessings of all during
that time has been our association with our “supporting
churches.” Some have given directly to our salary support,
some have sent mission teams to work alongside us, some have supported
our mission projects financially, and all have lifted us up with
unceasing prayer.
We are also deeply thankful for the people in the General Assembly
Council offices in Louisville for all the many ways they have
supported us over the years. On two occasions we have worked in
Louisville during interpretation assignment, and so we know firsthand
how understaffed the offices are and how dedicated the staff is
under stressful circumstances.
We are grateful to God for allowing us to become part of a larger
family in the Congo and Venezuela. We cannot deny that we have
grieved as we left behind dear friends in both places. The Congolese
and the Venezuelans have touched our hearts and helped form us
into the persons we are today. They have taught us the true meaning
of Christianity.
Over the years many people have expressed awe at our willingness
to serve in foreign places. But it is we who stand in awe of people
in the United States who are able to maintain their faith in God.
We have become a nation deaf to the oppressed in our own country
and have turned a blind eye toward those in the rest of the world.
In Africa and Venezuela we witnessed how hunger is real and profound,
yet spiritual nourishment is abundant. Here, there is much food
on the table, but a spiritual hunger carves out a gapping hole
in the heart of our society that remains unfilled. So strange,
this paradox, but it is one that has made us realize that God’s
good news is needed here, just as much as in the other corners
of the world.
So we are going to where North meets South—where the world’s
physically hungry meet the world’s spiritually hungering.
It is the frontier after all, the cusp. In mathematics, the cusp
is a point at which a curve crosses itself; in medical terms,
a cusp is a heart valve. We will be at one of the heart valves
of this hemisphere. It feels good and right for us at this time
in our lives. Our time with the Worldwide Ministries Division
has prepared us well for this next phase of our ministry.
We left Venezuela with two wonderful adopted children. Of course,
we have not gone without suffering some scars along the way, but
we feel grateful for the opportunity to have served as we did.
We accomplished some very good work while overseas, as administrators,
as professors in theological education, as pastors, as developers
of the Jubilee Conference Center in Venezuela, and as evangelists.
We continue to miss many good friends we left behind but remain
close to them in spirit and through prayer.
All in all we celebrate 20 rich and satisfying years in mission
through the auspices of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). For
all of this, we express heartfelt gratitude, joy, and praise to
the One that has made it all possible.
Gods blessings upon you and yours,
Carlos, Deborah, Jefferson, and Jodimar
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
49 |
