August 24, 2007

Dear Friends,

One of the most exciting parts of my work isn’t happening in Colombia, but in the United States. Churches are rediscovering the PC(USA) commitment to worldwide mission and are getting involved. During “Mission Challenge ‘07” this October, PC(USA) missionaries will visit congregations in 143 presbyteries to share their stories.

Because of my teaching commitments, I will not be one of those missionaries—I hope to spend time in the States soon to share about my work with all of you who have faithfully supported the work of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, but we have still not resolved the question of who will take my place while I am away.

Meanwhile, I thought it might be helpful to review how the local church can actively support a PC(USA) missionary on the field, since the “challenge” of Mission Challenge ‘07 is for every congregation to link up with at least one missionary. I once got a letter from a mission chair in the United States who confided that her committee had not met for some time “since we have no funds to distribute.” Oh, but there are so many things a mission committee can do whether it has funds at its disposal or not.

Prayer

We ask for your prayers for us, for the church and its agencies where we are serving, and for the countries in which we serve. As I write, Peru is reeling from an earthquake and the Caribbean from a killer hurricane. Is it part of your mission commitment to pray for the church in these areas? Colombia is constantly subjected to violence: some three million people, mostly women and children, have been forced to flee their homes and are now eking out an existence in shanty towns on the outskirts of the major cities. Are you praying for them? I was sick last week with a cough and chest cold, and a missionary colleague was hospitalized with a mysterious fever the doctors haven't yet diagnosed. We felt strengthened as we remembered that you were praying for us.

Education

We need prayer not just from the mission committee, but from the whole church. But people need to know how to pray for mission. Use the letters from missionaries, the 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, your newspaper, the public library, and the Internet to learn more about the places where your congregation has a special mission interest. Be creative! Don't just tack a missionary letter up on a bulletin board; make sure everyone will see it, using a bright background, with a map and pictures showing the location and scenes from the country. Invite Sunday school children to make posters about countries where your church is at work. Have them write to missionaries with questions. Commission members of the congregation to correspond with your missionaries and publish their replies in your church's newsletter. (This is a wonderful ministry for shut-ins.)

Mission giving

If your mission committee doesn't have funds for mission giving, you have work to do. Educating the congregation will not only lead to prayer; it will develop mission commitment. Mission giving becomes meaningful to a congregation as it comes alive through specific projects and “hands-on” involvement. For example, if you are supporting the university where I serve, you can use the pictures and testimonies of these students to help your congregation see what their gifts are doing.

Eusebio Jose Acosta Martinez

I have been a follower of Jesus Christ since 1994. My religious experience has been strengthened by my professional study of theology. I have come to know a gospel that engages everything we are in the search for justice as the truest expression of our faith. I have learned social sensitivity or, in more traditional terms, I have learned about loving one’s neighbor.

Liris Esther Berdugo Vega

I was born into a Christian home. When I was 8, I was active in a children’s club at Sunday school, and now I am a pastor of the church in Salamina, Magdalena, of the Christian Community of Colombia. The Reformed University of the Presbyterian Church has been the door God opened for my preparation and training, and I know I have grown as a person and as a minister of Jesus Christ. Here I acquire the intellectual basis for my work as a theologian as well as help to facilitate the tasks of ministry.

Giovanny Alexander Pinilla Garcia

I was born in a Christian home, but I had complete freedom to choose my religious faith. I became a member of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia and am now a candidate for the gospel ministry. I had the opportunity to study theology in the Reformed University. I have received not only academic learning, but many other opportunities that have enabled me to grow both intellectually and personally. I now see that our everyday experiences can help us grow in our understanding of God.

Mission advocacy

Not all missionary work is done overseas. Sometimes the most effective way to help another country is a letter to your senator or representative. A number of groups promote solidarity with Latin America, Africa, and Asia, pointing out specific concerns to bring before Congress and other ways in which local congregations can influence U.S. policy abroad.

Sincerely,

Alice Winters

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 46