March 5, 2004

Dear Friends,

Gloria and I made a final trip to El Salvador on December of 2002. Our plans at that moment were to sell the few belongings that we had left in San Salvador and then return to Louisville, Kentucky, for a longer stay in the United States. After assessing the prior developments of our assignment there, we explored new opportunities of ministry here in the United States. I sent out several applications and we applied also for other administrative positions in the national offices of the PC(USA). We never imagined how difficult our quest for a pastoral position would be. Nevertheless, at the end of our run, a door opened for me in a presbytery of the national church.

The things initially seemed positive. We thought it was a wonderful opportunity to minister among the Hispanic immigrants in the United States. Hence, we accepted a position and got ready to move into a new home. On October 23 we were about to leave Louisville but unexpectedly and unfortunately something happened within the inviting church and we had to cancel the trip. Now, three months later we are preparing ourselves to go to Equatorial Guinea, a small country on the coast of West Africa. It’s the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa. We will go there on a new missionary assignment to serve as evangelists and church administrators in partnership with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Equatorial Guinea. We will be leaving for Africa on March 19, 2004.

Now after we have passed through those difficult months, we look back at them and feel that they were moments in a melting pot testing our endurance. After all, we have seen God at work as a surprising mystery.

We can’t take for granted what God is and what his plans are for our lives. Faithfulness and confidence in Him are impossible without a respectful attitude for his freedom, which always shapes the arrogant presumptions of our ways.

Family news

Besides the above, we have other important news that we would like to share with you. First, it is the church wedding ceremony of our son Ofir and Karina, which took place on past December 19 in Caracas, Venezuela. Our family did travel to Caracas to attend this special event in our lives. Since Karina’s family is Roman Catholic, the wedding had to be co-celebrated by a Catholic priest and a Venezuelan Presbyterian minister. There is no doubt in our mind that this festivity was an opportunity to witness the ecumenical meaning of our communion in Christ. Secondly, the week after the wedding we stayed in Venezuela to enjoy the holidays as a family, touring and sight-seeing. Ofir and Karina came back to Charlottesville, Virginia. Varinia made her way to college in Roanoke and then Gloria and I to Louisville on January 5th.

In the coming days when this letter is in your hands, may your hearts have a wish: the wish of the loving God who is overflowing always of hope and grace for all humankind. You and we are the feet and hands of the everlasting One whose desires we together can make possible through the ministry of our church. Let us behold it in the dusty feet and rustic hands of your missionaries working overseas.

Keep us in your prayers please for they give us strength to work every day.

Yours truly,

Andres & Gloria Salazar