Newsletters

Date: August 31st 2009

On faith, resilience, and dignity
by Bob Leslie

I spent the week of August 20-27 visiting the churches of the Urabá Presbytery in northwestern Colombia. It was a full week of active accompaniment, and I witnessed several exciting results.

There is a thriving Presbytery here with 10 churches and various more congregations. One of the largest is in Currulao, where there is not yet a church building constructed by the Presbytery. Many people have come to services in a temporary space. Among the displaced are campesinos who did live in the nearby mountains until the violence forced them to leave. Many left the village of Saiza where there had been a Presbyterian church, but sadly now it is closed due to the violence there. Many of these campesinos have come to Currulao to find refuge. As a result of small grants through the Presbyterian Church, some micro-enterprises have flourished here. We saw several homes where they were raising chickens to sell and one where the eggs were being collected and sold. In another there were pigs and perhaps the most creative of all was the case of a woman who prepared bollo, a ball-shaped fried mixture of corn and cheese the size of a small doughnut. They are delicio
us, especially when warm. She has hired kids from the neighborhood to help sell her bollos fresh and hot each morning. We met eight boys, 9 or 10 years of age, who come to her house early each morning and pack maybe 50 hot bollos to sell in the streets and door to door before they go to school. With her troop of young distributors she was able to sell 300 or more bollo a day. They sell for maybe $500 pesos each or about $.25. The Presbyterian Church granted her the money that she needed in order to buy the small gas stove she uses for cooking. I think this came through a Self-Development grant from PC(USA). She has expenses of oil, corn flour, cheese, and gas. Selling bollos, she is able to cover her expenses and she and her helpers are earning some extra money this way. For them it is only a supplement to the family income but it certainly helps. In addition she is providing employment for a number of young boys who probably wouldn't otherwise have such an opportunity. Thirdly it is a way to show how the church can be of service to a community where employment is a serious concern. Indeed it is another form of accompaniment. Finally also the self-respect that one gains in providing for one's family is of enormous significance. This woman radiated her personal satisfaction and joy with what she was doing. In turn she is able to give back to the community because of her good fortune. She also shared her bollo with us. Que bueno!

Too often I think we forget the deep psychological trauma suffered by the displaced of Colombia. Not only have they lost their land, their livelihood and in some cases family members, but also their self-respect. They belong to the lowest economic stratum as designated by the Government. They are marginalized by the society. When we think of reparations for these losses incurred, their self-respect is usually ignored.

On my last day in Urabá I led a workshop for pastors and lay leaders in the churches of the Presbytery. In small groups they answered three questions. First, what does the word accompaniment mean to you? Second, what does the Bible have to say about accompaniment and third, what symbols can you think of to represent accompaniment?
The groups worked for about an hour and a half, and we then spent another hour with group reports and discussion. All was recorded and computer projected on the wall so each group could compare itself with the others. I was impressed with their knowledge of the Bible, their intelligent responses and their energy. Futhermore, their responses will assist us all in defining more precisely how we can better accompany.

I feel that in spite of the poverty, the heat, the violence, and other daily crises, the people of the Presbytery of Urabá exhibit a faith and resilience which is a good model for the rest of us. They are strong churches, they are united as a Presbytery, and in spite of scarce resources they make a powerful witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ.


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