November 15, 2006
Dear Friends,
As Christmas approaches, we give thanks to God for the blessings
of the past year and celebrate the gift of God’s son by
sharing our blessings with others. I especially thank God for
my health; as you may know, I was seriously ill a year ago, but
now I have never felt better, and I am grateful for all who have
prayed for me.
We had a wonderful celebration of 150 years of Presbyterian presence
and witness in Colombia. It was held jointly with the celebration
of 50 years of the Association of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches
in Latin America (AIPRAL, for its acronym in Spanish). Representatives
of churches all over the continent were with us in the closing
four-hour worship service, along with delegations from a number
of presbyteries in the PC(USA) and church leaders from the denomination
and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. The university continued
the celebration through September, with lectures by noted Bonhoeffer
scholar, Michael B. Lukens, stated clerk of Winnebago Presbytery,
and Old Testament scholar Norman K. Gottwald, author of The
Tribes of Yahweh, a groundbreaking text on the formation
of ancient Israel, which I translated into Spanish some years
ago (900 pages!).
Immediately after the anniversary celebration, our friends and
colleagues, the Rev. Milton Mejía and his wife the Rev.
Adelaida Jiménez, left Colombia for the United States.
I wrote an optimistic letter about Milton last February, but shortly
after that letter went out, threats were received once again against
his life and that of Mauricio Alvarez, who has worked with the
church giving legal aid to displaced persons who have fled the
violence in their home areas. Milton and his family had to leave
the country in order to be safe. They’re now in Texas studying
English and hope to enter one of our Presbyterian theological
seminaries next year to obtain advanced degrees in theology before
returning to Colombia. We are grateful to Tres Rios Presbytery
and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, plus other presbyteries
and individuals, for taking them in and underwriting their support
this fall. There is a good possibility that they will receive
scholarships for their seminary studies, but help is needed to
support the family during this time. The PC(USA) has set up an
extra commitment giving account which can be used by all who are
willing to help in this important project for Milton and Adelaida
and for the strengthening of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia.
For instructions on how to contribute, see below.
I have had a busy fall. I moved to a new apartment (my address,
a post office box, remains the same). I have traveled to Brazil
and Nicaragua and have been invited to be an official observer
in the Venezuelan elections on December 3. I have also taught
my regular classes at the university.
I have written before about the shortage of professors on our
faculty. We are grateful that the Rev. Dr. Parrish Jones will
teach systematic theology next year. There are a number of theology
courses, but we had no professor to teach them, so Dr. Jones will
have his work cut out for him. He is coming as a PC(USA) international
volunteer. He will receive partial support, but must raise the
rest of what he and his family need to live on. Again, I am turning
to you, the generous churches and individuals who have stood with
me and with the Presbyterian Church of Colombia for so many years.
Dr. Jones is responding to an urgent need, and I hope that some
of you will feel led to help the university by contributing to
his support and making possible his service with us next year.
What about my furlough? It has been scheduled, and rescheduled,
and rescheduled. We are grateful for the coming of Dr. Jones,
but there is still no one to take my place as a professor of Old
Testament. Our first graduation will be in 2007, provided I am
here to teach the required courses. I will be available to speak
in churches in the United States during vacations next year, and
I can take a limited amount of time from classes each semester,
provided there are churches or presbyteries willing to pay my
travel expenses to the States.
I have talked a lot about giving in this letter. It is appropriate
in the Christmas season. I do appreciate your faithfulness in
providing for my personal support. At a time when the denomination
is asking local churches to assume more financial responsibility
for the sending out of missionaries, my support has for many years
been fully pledged, and I count this as a wonderful blessing,
especially because I know your gifts come with prayer. If you
seek to give to my support this year and find it already fully
pledged, please remember that gifts to the ECO projects related
to my work are also gifts to my support; I could not do it alone.
When you send gifts for Milton and Adelaida, Parrish Jones, the
School of Theology of the Reformed University, or any of our ECO
projects, you are helping make my work possible. If you are unable
to give financially but are willing to pray for the work here,
your prayer support is just as important.
May God bless you this Christmas and throughout the New Year.
Alice Winters
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
48
Contributions from individuals may be sent to Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) Individual Remittance Processing, PO Box 643700, Pittsburgh,
PA 15264-3700. Contributions from churches should be sent to your
normal receiving site or: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Church
Remittance Processing, PO Box 643678, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3678.
On the subject line of the check, write either Mejias or Dr. Jones
plus the ECO number, 864500. To give online, click the "give"
button below.
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