A letter from Rachel Anderson in Mexico
December 2010
Feliz Navidad from Pueblos Hermanos!
O come desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind.
We live, work, pray, serve and love at the most-crossed border crossing in the world, then, with joy, hope, love, and peace we renounce the claims the nations have on us and announce ourselves as citizens of the borderless kingdom ruled by the Prince of Peace!
This season we celebrate the coming of the one who crossed the ultimate border. That moment when Jesus tore open that impenetrable border between divinity and humanity lays the foundation of who we are as Christians. What a wonderful time to be involved in border ministry! Here during Advent and Christmas, we on borders have the immense joy of standing on this strange line in the sand that nations call a border. We live, work, pray, serve and love at the most-crossed border crossing in the world, at a place where weapons and ammunitions flow into Mexico from the United States and drugs flow north from Mexico, a place of checkpoints and guards. Then, with joy, hope, love and peace we renounce the claims the nations have on us and announce ourselves as citizens of the borderless kingdom ruled by the Prince of Peace!
Pueblos Hermanos continues to proclaim this great news though our three arms of ministry: evangelism, the Salud y Vida community health evangelism program and friendships crossing borders. Beginning in January 2011, our Mexican coordinator, the Reverend Enrique Romero, will begin building a new congregation and new church in Tijuana led by the local Mexican presbytery and in partnership with Baja Presbyterian Missions and friends like YOU. Salud y Vida is moving into the same neighborhood as the new church development, aiding the community in Bible studies, parenting classes, health screenings and testing, nutrition and hygiene classes and much more. Meanwhile, friends and partners continue to follow Christ across borders, bringing mission delegations or inviting a Pueblos Hermanos representative to their church or presbytery.
We do not stand alone. We are able to be here on this U.S./Mexican border because of your support and prayers. In this coming year may the prayers of our churches throughout Mexico and the United States rise up in one voice. May we refrain from praying for “those in Mexico” or “the churches of the PC(USA).” May we pray for us as one people, one faith, one church, one Kingdom.
Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 275
