June 2002

Dear Friends,

It was about 8:45 at night and we were returning home after a long day of pastoral work. At worship that Sunday only about 12 people had come to celebrate the fifth Sunday of Easter. (Our church being a neighborhood house that holds up to 25 people.) Worship that morning was centered on the image of "the valley of the dried bones" in Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalms, and in Romans 8: 6-11.

The participation of the congregation and our reflection brought us to that conclusion that here in El Salvador, as in many parts of the world, the reality that surrounds us is similar to that scenario given by the prophet. Saint Paul also relates this vision to that "taken care of life" according to the Spirit’s path.

In our worship, many of the brothers and sisters of the congregation observed the parallels between our times and the crisis for the people of Israel who were kept captive. "For us here in El Salvador," they said, "signs of death dominate our surroundings: the trash in the streets, the pollution from one million vehicles, and the evidence of shocking poverty. Ninety-six percent of our drinking water is contaminated with fecal wastes and oxidizing metals that makes the water very acidic. This is caused by the local factories and industrial centers that throw these wastes into the main river basin and water reserves."

Paul’s words to the Romans (8: 6-11) brought a great deal of worry to the brothers. "How can a small and powerless church such as ours," they asked, "care of the spirit that is life and shalom?"

We had a time of meditation and silence that brother Dubal ended by saying: "Our Salvadoran society is like that valley of bones. Here our bones have meat, but lack the spirit of Jesus that is capable of transforming them into willing workers to make our neighborhood a place with dignified homes, with drinkable water, schools, a clean and healthy environment, and neighborhood free from gangs."

Brother Dubal was right. the church can make a difference in such a world like the one here in El Salvador.

Family news

These three months with our children here will be a time of celebration. After almost a year of separation, our children will be flying here to unite with us here in El Salvador. Our family reunion will blossom as a garden in spring, full of gratitude towards God for his blessing upon us and our children.

Varinia has successfully finished her first year at Roanoke College, Virginia. It was her first experience away from home and all that was familiar. It was challenging, and she went through difficult moments of nostalgia and longing. But today we share with you the joy of how our struggles are transformed in a home celebration.

Ofir will be arriving here in San Salvador on June 9 to be with us until July 15. Ofir has successfully passed his comprehensive exams to go on with his Ph.D. And thus now he will take some deserved vacation time to rest and relax.

Gloria’s work here has been extremely demanding and under very limiting circumstances. In the last couple of weeks her health has not been good, and she has had to take precautions so that she does not end up using all of her physical and emotional energies.

Prayer requests

In the last four months, the Reformed Church of El Salvador (IRCES) has faced a great deal of problems in its internal administration. We ask you to join us in prayer for the following:

• For our pastoral work in the community of Limon, Soyapango. Pray for the session of our congregation and the immense opportunity for witnessing the love of Christ through your prayers and our work.
• Pray for the work of the different PC(USA) mission teams that come here to help us touch those lives that need to know God’s love.
• We ask especially for your prayers for Gloria’s health. The work attending groups is all-consuming. Your spiritual support is a source of strength for Gloria’s ministry.

Before ending we would like to mention once more how grateful we are and how appreciated we feel by the faithful support all of you give us. It is because of you that we are able to do our job.

We say goodbye with those words from Samuel when he said "Up to here is where God helped us" (1 Sam 7:12).

Your servants in Christ,

Andrés and Gloria García

The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 236