A letter from Dennis Smith in the U.S., on Interpretation Assignment from Argentina
christmas 2014 - a family christmas
Dear friends:
A Family Christmas
Several years ago I was attending a conference in Cairo and had the opportunity to visit the site where Mary, Joseph and Jesus are said to have lived during their time in exile. The site had an especially authentic feel to it. A rustic, simple and very old building, no gold or extravagance burdened the atmosphere. You will remember that Matthew’s gospel recounts how Jesus’ family had to flee Bethlehem in the dead of night to escape Herod’s brutal persecution of the Holy Innocents, an event commemorated on December 28 by many Christian denominations. To this day the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt celebrates the privilege of having been able to offer hospitality and sanctuary to the Holy Family.
I don’t know whether the adult Jesus retained any memories of his years in exile, but I’m sure that Joseph and Mary must have told stories of their Egyptian sojourn. I suspect that this experience influenced Jesus’ radical call for all of us to be family in new ways, transcending barriers of place, tradition and culture and challenging us to understand that we belong to one another as members of the new family that God is creating in our midst.
As PC(USA) mission workers, seeking each day to live into membership in God’s growing family has been a deep and ongoing blessing. In August Maribel and I drove from Louisville to New Orleans to spend a couple of days with part of this extended family: the good folks at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (SCAPC) who have supported our ministry for many years. Our first visit to SCAPC was in 1990. With the help of my parents, I had become aware of an experimental treatment for my spasmodic dysphonia, the neurological condition that was affecting my ability to speak. Colleagues at Presbyterian World Mission and the Presbyterian Board of Pensions, our insurance provider, had set me up for evaluation and treatment at Tulane University Medical Center; they also arranged for folks from the mission committee at SCAPC to care for us while we were there. My parents drove in from Oregon to join the party.
This visit became for us just another of many illustrations of how Presbyterian World Mission and the Presbyterian Board of Pensions go the extra mile to care for the needs of mission workers.
From that auspicious beginning, for more than 20 years I made three or four trips a year to New Orleans for treatment. Airport runs, access to a bunk, the occasional oyster po’boy, many meals shared, long conversations with the mission committee and the pastoral staff allowed me to share many stories of how and where we were seeing God at work and how their financial support for our ministry was making a difference. All this extraordinary hospitality provided us with the deep-seated feeling that we belonged, the assurance that we were cared for.
One treatment was scheduled only a couple of months after Hurricane Katrina. When I arrived in New Orleans I became a witness to the palpable devastation. Many friends had experienced great loss. SCAPC became a leader in the efforts to rebuild the city through “Rebuilding Hope in New Orleans” (RHINO). In coordination with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, RHINO received countless Presbyterian work teams from all over the country. Many of them were housed at SCAPC.
In August, as Maribel and I attended worship at SCAPC, Rev. Don Frampton asked us to rise and be recognized. As we looked around the sanctuary, we felt the love and support of family. We also saw that this sanctuary, now fully refurbished, had become a symbol of hope in the future of this community.
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Dennis and Maribel with Dee, our "first grandchild!"
On the way to New Orleans we dropped by Jackson, Mississippi, to visit Dee Fyke Ibañez, the daughter of Joel and Gaby Fyke and our “first grandchild.” Joel became part of our family when he was still in college. He lived with us for more than a year, first as a student intern and later as a volunteer. Joel became an elder brother to our two sons. He married Gaby Ibañez, a young woman from our church in Guatemala City. Maribel arranged the flowers for their wedding and I was honored to co-officiate the ceremony.
During these months in the U.S. we are experiencing many delightful variations on these same stories. Our hearts are full. On this Interpretation Assignment we are understanding in the U.S. context what we have long known in Latin America: In ways we can only dimly fathom, we are all family called to serve together in God’s mission.
As we remember the Christmas story during this Advent season we are reminded how little has changed since Mary, Joseph and Jesus were forced to flee to Egypt. As you bask in the glow of your Advent candle, take a moment to reflect on how your family has grown as God’s grace has grown in your heart. Ask God to open your heart to those in need and to be bold enough to share your needs with others. Ask the Prince of Peace to grant you the courage, creativity and tenderness you need to be instruments of His peace.
As we begin a new year, we thank you for being part of our family of support. If you are not currently supporting other Presbyterian mission workers, please consider becoming part of our family. Your prayers and gifts sustain us. Thank you! And, just like your other family members, we’re always glad to hear from you via email or Skype. And in 2015 may your family grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Creator.
Under the Mercy,
Dennis A. Smith
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 35
The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 44
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A group of committed donors has pledged to match all gifts sent by individuals for mission personnel support now through December 31, 2014, up to $137,480. This means your gift today will be matched by a gift to support mission personnel around the world, wherever the need is greatest. We invite you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to double the impact of your gift. Thank you!
