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A letter from Andres and Gloria Garcia |
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January 16, 2003
Dear Friends and Family in Christ,
To all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we send our greetings!
We write to you from Louisville, Kentucky, with joy and gladness
in our hearts, as well as hope for peace in the hearts and minds
of God's North American people in these times.
Writing from Louisville means that we have the special opportunity
to write from not quite as far away this time. Coming here not
only gives us the opportunity to experience the beauty of the
United States and the severity of the winter season, but also
to see the ways in which the people of this great nation continue
to be blessed by God and the overwhelming gifts of God's grace.
We praise our Lord for such blessings and pray continuously for
our Presbyterian family, that we as a Church may continue to shine
like a star of peace and reconciliation for the human family worldwide.
The many religious iconic symbols that we see on the tops of temples
all over the world—these form the colorful rainbow which
is the rich spiritual tradition of the United States. It is just
amazing! And there is no doubt in our minds that such spiritual
richness represents the most valuable inheritance from the birth
of this culture.
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La Pinera. Sandra Alvarenga Iraeta with her children in front of
her new home, which was built by the mission team from Gilwood Presbyterian
Church of Concrod, North Carolina. This is one of 76 houses built
with funds from the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in La Pinera. |
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Sandra Alvarenga Iraeta with her children in La Pinera. |
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Our transition from El Salvador to
Louisville has filled our hearts with memorable experiences of people
and places that we will never forget. With us here is our saddlebag
full of the tears, struggles, and hopes of communities such as La
Pinera in Apopa, or the settlement of "La Panama" in the
Soyapango area, 45 minutes far by car from downtown of San Salvador.
From among them, here with us is the memory of a young single mother,
Sandra, her three children, and 265 more Salvadoran families who
have been provided with new homes thanks to the support and work
from brothers and sisters in Christ like you. Because of these memories
that we carry with us, we also have hope that the Salvadoran children
of God will no longer cry, will nevermore despair because one of
their fundamental needs has not been met. Our work with the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) in El Salvador has helped us to dry those tears
and turn that despair into joy. |
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From here we look back on our time in El Salvador, grasping our
memories of faces, villages, people and their compelling stories,
and we know that we are called to share these with others. These
experiences cannot remain unspoken, safe in the prison of untold
memories. Undeniable are the stories about the thousands of poor
people, defenseless and innocent, who were killed in the holocaust
during the years of conflict (l977-l992) and the disasters caused
by hurricane Mitch and the earthquakes in l999 to 2001.
These are all reminders that as Christians we must challenge
our church and ourselves to live and work in solidarity with this
suffering world. Let us come united in prayer and in vocation,
working together in lifting up the banner of our Prince of Peace,
showing through our deeds and our lives that Christians care for
human beings beyond the geographical, economic, racial, and political
barriers.
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Sandra Alvarenga's daughter Catalina, age 5. |
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Our current assignment is to serve here in Louisville as missionaries
in residence until de end of October of 2003. In fulfilling this
task, Gloria and I have become part of the "Ecumenical and
Mission in Partnership" team, which deals with international
mission relationships between our constituencies here in the United
States and abroad.
We ask you to join us in prayer for our team: the Reverend Les
Sauer, the Reverend Jo Ella Holman, Katherine Reeves, Vennie Constant,
Toni Roppel, and ourselves, that the labor of our hands on behalf
of all of you may honor the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and
Savior. We also ask you to pray for our family-our son Ofir, our
daughter Varinia, and ourselves-that God continue to guide us
and that God's grace be with us in our daily endeavors.
Peace and grace,
Andres & Gloria Garcia
The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page
243
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