August 31, 2007

Dear Friends in Christ,

As your co-worker with Caribbean Christians, my mind and heart shift numerous times in any one day between Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and elsewhere. This letter likewise brings you news from several fronts. 

Jamaica made headlines briefly as Hurricane Dean passed through last week. Unfortunately, the devastation will be felt for much longer.  Because it takes a long time to get electricity and phone service restored and debris removed from roads, we do not yet have damage assessments from our church partners. If you'd like to receive email updates on the damage and on relief efforts in Jamaica, please let me know. During this difficult time, please keep our church partner, the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI), and PC(USA) mission volunteer Vicki Smith in your prayers. 

Vicki is a teacher who took early retirement in order to answer God’s call to mission, moved from Webster, Texas, to Tower Isle, Jamaica, in January to teach art and music in one of the United Church’s schools. You may “meet” Vicki online at her home page on the Mission Connections site.

PC(USA) mission co-worker the Rev. Dr. Lewin Lascelle Williams died last September.

Sadly, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the church in the Caribbean lost a gentle giant of a leader when mission co-worker Lewin Williams died last September. The Rev. Dr. Lewin Williams and his wife, Joyce Williams, began their service as PC(USA) mission co-workers in 1990. Lewin was a professor at, and then the president of, the United Theological College of the West Indies. His voice was an important one in Caribbean theology.

Lewin is remembered by his colleagues in Jamaica as a “gracious and dedicated theologian,” an “advocate for the marginalized,” and “an unusually approachable chief executive.” Joyce, Lewin’s wife of 42 years, retired from mission service in December but remains active as a volunteer with the UCJCI in Kingston, Jamaica.

While we do not have any PC(USA)-appointed mission workers in the Dominican Republic at this time, there are two PC(USA) mission associates: Gregory Penza, from Long Valley Presbyterian Church (Long Valley, New Jersey) in Newton Presbytery and Kristin Hamner, from the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island, Nebraska, in Central Nebraska Presbytery.

Mission Associates are Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) members serving as mission workers through non-PC(USA) agencies. Both Greg and Kristin have been in the Dominican Republic for over two years through the Foundation for Peace, a validated ministry of Newton Presbytery.

Mirielys Negrin, pastor of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, greets parishoners after worship.

The membership of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba continues to grow, albeit at a somewhat slower pace than during the decade 1995-2005. Rapid church growth has created a gap between the large numbers of new Christians and the small number of experienced Sunday school teachers and youth leaders. Developing leadership in the congregations is a top priority.

At the same time, Cuban Presbyterians continue to reach out. Several new preaching missions have started in the past year, some in parts of the island where there are no Presbyterian churches. This year’s biblical text for the church is Matthew 28:16-20 and the theme is “Equipping ourselves for mission.”  

There is a big event coming up in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) called Mission Challenge ’07. During October, 47 missionaries will spend a week sharing the stories of their ministry in 143 presbyteries (more than 80 percent of our presbyteries).

There will be many variations on the good news that every day, in Christ’s name—and thanks to your faithful support—lives are being saved, wells are being dug, and hope is being shared with people in need around the world.  I will be speaking at churches in Long Island and Chicago presbyteries. The Mission Challenge '07 Web site has a list of all participating presbyteries and which mission worker will be speaking in each.

Another part of Mission Challenge ’07 is an appeal to every church in the denomination to support Presbyterian mission co-workers like me. Many congregations already support one or more mission workers on a regular basis. If yours does not, now is a good time to develop a support relationship with a co-worker (currently done through the “Directed Mission Support” channel).

One-time contributions are also welcome! Gifts may be sent through the “Extra Commitment” channel, “Second Mile Missionary Support E132192”.

Contributions from individuals may be sent to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Individual Remittance Processing,
PO Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700

Contributions from congregations may be sent to their regular receiving site or to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Church Remittance Processing
PO Box 643678
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3678

Write “E132192” on the memo line of the check to make a general contribution, or “E132192 - Lloyd-Sidle” to support my ministry.

Your prayers and ongoing commitment to the mission of Christ’s body in the world is the most important support of all. Thank you!

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 51