A Letter From Our Missionaries

 

 

 

Some days ago our Regional Secretaries for Latin America and the Caribbean at Mission Personnel (General Board of Global Ministries) informed us that our next assignment is with the Christian Methodist Community of Venezuela.  We give thanks to God for this new opportunity to go on serving our neighbors and spreading the Good News of love, hope and liberation through the gifts we’ve received from our Lord and that we’ve developed through our journey in different countries and cultures. We’ve been so blessed! Praise be the Lord!

The Church. The Christian Methodist Community of Venezuela (CMCV) has been accompanied by GBGM and the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL) since the 90’s. Together they’ve developed  social, health and faith ministries in poor neighborhoods in Maracaibo, San Carlos Island, Barinas and Carorita. It is said that the this church serves as a “place of hope, trust and healing” for destitute and impoverished people.

Our Ministry. We will in mission as “leadership development coordinator(s)” with different emphases.This way, our ministry is aligned with the priority areas decided by the UMC General Conference: a) developing principled Christian leaders for the churcha and the world and b) Creating new places for new people and revitalizing existing congregations.

 

 

We will be working in coordination with the Church Board of the CMCV to develop encounter-workshops and programs oriented to affirm and strengthen local Church Schools, Bible Studies and Outreach Programs based on Methodist-Wesleyan tradition in light of the Venezuelan context.

The Christian Methodist Community of Venezuela leader’s team includes women, men and young people. This church has no ordained clergy and is looking forward to the formation and training of leaders for diversified ministries. We find the task very challenging and we hope we may be able to facilitate , at least in some way, the fulfillment of their expectations.

 

As you see, our ministry is related directly with GBGM goals: a) Making  Disciples of Jesus Christ; b) Strengthening, Developing and Renewing Christian Congregations and Communities; c)  Alleviating Human Suffering and d)  Seeking Justice, Freedom and Peace.

Visas. At the present time we are at home, in Uruguay, waiting for the work visas we need in order to go “safely and sound” to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Your support. We thank you all for your support – you’re your prayers, your thoughts, your letters and notes and you’re your financial gifts. You all share with us in this ministry and for that we give thanks to God. We invite you to go another mile with us.

Prayer Requests. We ask you to go on lifting us with/in your prayers. Please pray for us to have an open mind, heart and soul to be able to start afresh and anew the task we are invited to fulfill. Please pray that we may be consequent in our efforts to be healthy again. And we invite you to pray for the local churches of the Christian Methodist Community in Venezuela and the people they serve.

 

 

 

 

The Advance. We are happy to inform you that we have already an “Advance Number” where you can send gifts for our ministry and that you have the ability to track it Online. While our new specific projects are defined and approved, you may donate to our ministry through this temporary number:

 

 

 

Please be sure that you write in your check memo the number of the Advance Project AND “Leadership Development”.

You may also make the donation online! Go to the new GBGM site: http://new.gbgm-umc.org and then to The Advance page and just follow the instructions.

Salinas (Uruguay), February 3^rd., 2009