A letter from Cesar Carhuachin leaving soon for Colombia
May 2013
Greetings in the name of the God of grace:
It has been more than three months since the 2013 Winter Orientation for new mission co-workers ended in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a blessing for me to have the opportunity of working together with one of our longtime church partners in Latin America, the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, and with our ecumenical partner in Barranquilla, the Reformed University of Colombia.
Rev. Dr. James Thomas, Acting GP of Charlotte Presbytery and César Carhuachín, at the Commission service on Feb. 16. Picture taken by Tamara Williams.
Although I haven't left the States yet, I had the opportunity of participating via Skype in a panel discussion called “A Theology for the World Today” in the 2013 International Seminar and Annual Conference of the Reformed University of Colombia titled “Otra teología es posible: Invitación a la utopía” (“Other Theology is possible: Invitation to the utopia”) on May 16-17 with the Dr. Juan José Tamayo, a worldwide known theologian from Spain.
In this panel, “A Theology for the World Today,” on May 17 Dr. Juan José Tamayo gave a presentation called “Other Theology is Possible”; the president of the university, Rev. Milciades Pua, gave a presentation, “The Challenges of the Reformed Theology in the World Today”; the Director of the School of Theology, Rev. Adelaida Jimenez, gave a presentation, “The Challenges of the Reformed Theology in the World Today from a Women View”; and I gave a presentation, “The Challenges to the Theology in the World Today from Latin America.” Rev. Milton Mejía was the moderator for this panel.
During these past months I have been commissioned by my presbytery (Presbytery of Charlotte) to this new ministry in Colombia, and I have been visiting congregations in North Carolina to talk about missions in general and about the mission work in Colombia in particular. I have visited Hispanic/Latino, African-American and Anglo congregations. Also, I participated in the “PC(USA) Consultation and Future Collaboration between Evangelism and Church Growth and Multicultural Congregational & Cross Cultural Ministries” conference April 15-18 in Charlotte, N.C. Later, on April 27, I participated with other four colleagues in “30 hours of Famine,” an event of the Presbytery of Charlotte. I will be preaching at Union Presbyterian Seminary, Charlotte campus, on June 1. Of course I continue contacting congregations and presbyteries to invite them to join me in the God's mission in Colombia.
Graciously and spontaneously, Brad MacKay, Ministry Associate for Communications and Worship Arts at Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, N.C.), on May 6 made a video about my mission work in Colombia. You can see it on YouTube: http://youtu.be/GmpJU8TuBUw. Excuse my crazy English…but my Spanish is worse. Feel free to use it if you want. Many thanks to Brad for his support on this, and many thanks to all of you for your prayer support at this particular time, when I am learning about this new ministry.
Speaking at the “30 hour of Famine” event of the Presbytery of Charlotte on April 27. Picture of Cesar Carhuachin In Colombia
As my departure date approaches, scheduled for June 20, I am finishing all the details involved with leaving the States for three years (furniture and car sales, storing my personal items, renting my house in Charlotte, North Carolina). This is my third experience of moving.
A native from Lima (Perú), I lived in Rimac for 21 years—a populous district where the theologian Gustavo Gutierrez ministered. Then I moved to Buenos Aires (Argentina) to study and work ecumenically in several Christian institutions. After 12 years, in 1998 I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to continue my ministry as a missionary to start a new Latino ministry. Now I am going back to Latin America as a mission co-worker to teach at the Reformed University. I am very excited about this new adventure and open to learning new things, to sharing my gifts in a new context, and to growing as a person and minister in a place called Colombia, where Jesus Christ is working and the Good News is being shared.
Please pray that God will help me to finish all the details before my departure to Barranquilla, Colombia, on June 20. I invite you to "like" my Facebook page Cesar Carhuachín in Colombia, where you will find weekly news about my ministry in Colombia, and to check my page at the PC(USA) World Mission site https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/rev-cesar-carhuachin/ (or you can use the "Read more" link below), where you will find ways to join my mission support team through your prayers, correspondence, and financial commitment if God puts that in your heart. Thanks very much for your interest and for considering joining us in the God's mission in Colombia.
Grace and peace.
César
2013 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, Colombia, p. 30
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