Newsletters

Date: April 13th 2010

From Rick

Friends,

I spent Maundy Thursday with a binational delegation of Colombians and folks from the United States in a little farming community called Via Blanca, about an hour outside of the city of Barranquilla, on the Atlantic Coast of Colombia. After sharing a meal of "Sancocho," we gathered around a small, hastily assembled shrine made up of a cross and an open Bible, a machete and a variety of hoes and shovels, a number of bowls filled with fruit and vegetables harvested on the land, and a stole draped over the entire thing. One by one, each person chose an item and spoke to its significance for the community and for the people of God. It was a moment, for me, of recommitment to the work of accompaniment in Colombia.

After a week of bible study, theological reflection, political analysis and thoughtful evaluation of the first five years of the Colombia Accompaniment Program, what is most clear to me is that our partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Colombia is rock solid and that our work together continues. Our brothers and sisters there are clear about their commitment to confront violence, to accompany the communities of displaced persons within Colombia, and to work to construct a culture of peace. Their conviction is compelling, and we from the United States affirmed that our work will continue to be to stand with them.

If you're interested in the specifics of our conversation, you can find an English version of our report on our website. Click here to download (pdf).

Let us know if you'd like to become an accompanier! Next training will be in September.

Rick

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