A letter from Elisabeth Cook in Costa Rica
Spring 2014
Dear Friends in Mission:
Greetings from Costa Rica! As Holy Week comes to an end I begin to see the signs of the upcoming rainy season. It has been a week of rest and renewal, a time to remember the life, death and resurrection of Christ and to recommit to continued service to the hungry, thirsty and imprisoned in whom we see the presence of our risen Lord.
I began this year in the United Kingdom, where I spent some vacation time on my doctoral research at the University of Exeter. That trip gave me the opportunity to visit some of UBL (Latin American Biblical University)’s partners in London, Hamburg and Geneva. As I presented our new proposal for online education I was continually amazed by the interest, commitment and solidarity of these men and women who are so far from Latin America and could so easily ignore challenges and realities halfway across the globe.
That same commitment has blessed us through volunteers who come to UBL to share their time, talents and energy. This year we have had several volunteers from the United Methodist Church (USA). And what started out with a few good men and women interested in contributing to God’s mission in Latin America has been a transformational experience for all involved. I want to dedicate this letter to these men and women, from different denominations and countries, who make an impact on our life at UBL and that of our students near and far.
As we set out this year into the uncharted waters of online education, I was avidly searching for information and financing. Janet, a Lutheran, had come as a volunteer and was working in our library. Lo and behold! it turns out that she has had significant experience with online education. Working intensely with Janet this year, we have designed a formal online education proposal that is being presented to potential donors. She has helped us develop our institutional strategic plan and we are moving on to an emergency operations plan.
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From left to right: Ana Cecilia Rettes, University registrar; Jose Enrique Ramírez, professor; Margie Miller, volunteer; Janet Schmidt, volunteer
Margie Miller, another volunteer, who happens to be fluent in Spanish, comes back yearly to help our students edit their final degree papers. Last year, thanks to Margie’s many hours of work, Felix Baca, a Honduran student, finished his bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and returned to his war-torn country to minister to his peoples. This year Margie arrived just in time to fill an empty spot left by the outgoing person in charge of coordinating our visiting work and study teams. Margie and Rick Henderson, yes, another volunteer, have done an incredible job attending to these groups and filled in where needed. Oh yes, and out of the blue, a recent visitor, Gwen Walton, volunteered to help us to develop our online education website and software.
At a time when there are fewer staff and professors than ever before, due especially to budget constraints, the solidarity of brothers and sisters from the North and the South has been invaluable in assisting the ministry of UBL as it responds to its call to provide ecumenical theological education for Latin America and the Caribbean.
I am happy to be back teaching again this term, after taking some time at the beginning of the year to concentrate on academic administration. In the classroom and with the students I am reminded constantly of the richness diversity brings to our learning community and of how God is made present when we gather and share from our experiences of faith. It also makes it easier to get through all the paperwork and emails when I get back to my desk!
Plans are to present our online degree programs to the Ministry of Education in August. If all goes well, we should be able to begin registration in May of next year. In the meantime we continue to teach distance and residence students in Costa Rica, Peru, Honduras, Colombia and several other countries. In a context where upper-level theological institutions in Latin America are increasingly facing difficulties maintaining accreditation, UBL is committed to working with churches, denominations and local theological institutions to make accredited theological degree programs accessible. That commitment is energized by our understanding of God’s prophetic call to justice and mercy in this time and in this context.
At UBL much energy is going into preparations for the Global Theological Institute that will be held at UBL in July. Some 35 pastors and students of theology along with 10 professors from around the world will be with us for three weeks taking courses and spending time getting to know the context of Costa Rica. We look forward to this rich learning experience.
I want to close by thanking you, each one of you, for allowing me the privilege of serving at the Latin American Biblical University. Your designated gifts, mission giving, and prayers make this possible. Please pray for UBL and for the continued presence of our church in faithful ministry around the world. I invite those of you who are not doing so, to prayerfully consider designate your giving to a specific mission worker.
Blessings and peace,
Elisabeth Cook
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 47
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