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November 2001
Dear Friends and Family in Christ,
We send greetings to all of you in the name of Almighty God,
to whom we lift up our prayers that his grace and loving guidance
be with you during this time of endurance in the United States
of America.
It was l:30 p.m. on October 1. Gloria and I with four pieces
of luggage walked through the main door of San Salvador International
Airport. We then began to feel the very strong emotions when a
hand-lettered sign with the name "the Garcias" on it
appeared among the crowd waiting for travelers to El Salvador.
A small, dark-skinned man with black hair emerged from this group
of people. He was brother Migde Orlando Lucas, and he was waiting
to take us into the capital city, San Salvador.
We have been here for one month now. The republic of El Salvador,
geographically the smallest Central American country, yet with
the largest population. El Salvador has 7.5 million inhabitants
of which approximately 46.6 percent live in the capital city.
These figures are not extraordinary to us because what we have
seen here is common in the capital cities of many Latin American
countries. So, we are here, in the middle of a nation characterized
by overwhelming contrasts: the wealth of the country against the
misery of much of its population; the laboriousness of everyone
against the economic exclusion of most of the working population;
the beauty of its volcanic geography, lakes, and mountains against
the ugly face of a country where the social and public services
for the rural population either are very poor or do not exist
at all.
We came to El Salvador in the name of God and on behalf of the
PC(USA) and the Iglesia Reformada Calvinista of El Salvador (IRCES)
with the hope that our gifts and talents bear witness to our mutual
faith and Lord so that God perfects his creation among the Salvadorian
people.
Gloria and I have assumed our duties in our respective jobs.
Beginning in January 2002, Gloria will be responsible for the
planning and coordination of "delegations" and "mission
work teams" through IRCES. Andres is working for the Centro
Bíblico Reformado John Knox and will be serving also in
the pastoral ministry of the parish Divina Providencia in Limón,
in the municipality of Soyapango. We pray that both ministries
will meet the spiritual and material necessities of your brothers
and sisters in Christ in El Salvador.
Family News
We would like to share with you our joys and gratefulness to
God for his caring and faithful providence for our needs here
in San Salvador. Gloria and I are both enjoying healthy lives.
The house where we live is very convenient, and we are very content
meeting new friends in our new ministries here.
Our two children, Varinia and Ofir, continue their studies in
Roanoke College and the University of Virginia, both in Virginia.
Varinia is majoring in biology, and Ofir is preparing himself
for a comprehensive test in order to proceed with his Ph.D. in
physics. All of us miss one another, but there is no other choice
if they are to fulfill their personal dreams and goals.
Join Us in Prayers
- For Ofir and Varinia, that the Lord take care of them and
grant them wisdom in order to overcome the academic challenges
of their studies.
- For our physical and spiritual health, which will allow us
to continue serving God faithfully and carry blessings to our
brothers and sisters in Christ through each word we speak and
every action that we take.
- Pray for brother Santiago Flores, Migde Lucas. They are the
leaders of IRCES with whom we work.
- Pray also for the PC(USA) mission crew here in El Salvador:
Lesley Haynes, Kirk Hall, Julia and Bob Dunsmore, and Julia
Jones. Every one of us needs your spiritual support.
Peace and Grace,
Andres & Gloria Garcia
The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 236
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