A letter from Alice Winters in Colombia
March 21, 2008
Dear Friends,
I am writing this letter on Good Friday. It is a lovely day. The tropical sun beams down from a deep blue sky, but cool breezes have come in off the Caribbean. Worship is over now, but the city is still peaceful and quiet. It is hard to think of violence and death in this context, but of course today we have reflected on the violence suffered by our Lord before His death on the cross—and the violence that continues in Colombia.
Today’s paper carries the accusation that the Colombian army and paramilitary forces are kidnapping and killing civilians and passing them off as guerrilla fighters brought down in combat. Such accusations have been heard before, but this one was presented by Ecuador’s ambassador in Colombia after Colombia’s recent incursion into his country to kill members of the FARC guerrilla group in a jungle camp there. I am sure you heard about this action and its grave implications for Colombia’s relations with Ecuador to the south and Venezuela in the north. An international war has been averted, but we are still dealing with the consequences. Apparently, the FARC members killed were working out the release of hostages through the government of Ecuador. Many now fear that a negotiated solution to Colombia’s economic and social problems will be more difficult and that we may see a new wave of violence. As always, the victims will be innocent men and women, boys and girls. Please pray about this situation.
If you would like to do more, a vote is pending in Congress on a Free Trade Agreement with Colombia. For over a year Congress has refused to approve the FTA because of Colombia’s human rights record, but now President Bush is pushing for approval. Tell your senators and representatives to vote against approval until Colombia’s human rights problems are resolved.
There is more and more concern in the churches here about human rights, violence, and the underlying social and economic inequalities. At the university where I teach we began Holy Week with the defense of theses by the 12 men and women in the first graduating class since our accreditation. (In Colombia you must write a thesis even for an undergraduate degree.) About half of the theses were studies of biblical prophecy, growing out of a course I teach on the Old Testament prophets, and each one raised the question of how the church can speak prophetically about the problems Colombia faces today. There was also an excellent thesis dealing with evangelism and church planting within Colombia’s armed forces, based on the ministry of one of our students in the Naval Academy here in Barranquilla. Another suggested a new curriculum for Christian education in the churches, and yet another evaluated an active ministry to children who have been victims of abuse.
I ask you to pray for these men and women who are to graduate on April 19. Some are already pastors; others are waiting for a call. Some are laypersons active in their churches. One is an electronics engineer who set up his own appliance repair business and founded a new congregation in his spare time. One is the chaplain of a Christian school here in Barranquilla. Most of them were able to complete their degrees because of scholarship assistance sent to the Reformed University by individuals and churches in the States through the PC(USA) Extra Commitment Giving program. They, and we on the faculty, are grateful for your generous help.
Our students are active in the churches of Barranquilla. Among them, the Reverend Diego Higuita stands out. He graduated when the university was still a seminary, not yet accredited by the government. He has directed a program of theological education in the Urabá presbytery where I used to live, and last year took courses here to validate his degree for accreditation. At the biennial meeting of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (our highest governing body), Diego was elected to serve as the Synod Executive. At the same meeting our administrative vice rector, Helí Barraza, was elected the new moderator of Synod. In fact, every member of the Synod council is a former student of mine.
The Synod meeting began with an all-day workshop on the mission of the church, which I was privileged to lead. The delegates showed insight and enthusiasm for new programs of evangelism and outreach, and I feel encouraged by the prospects in the years to come. This Synod meeting was especially meaningful to me, as the church arranged a beautiful ceremony celebrating my 30 years of service as a missionary. Also honored were the Reverend Javier Zárate and his wife. Rev. Zárate had recently celebrated his 90th birthday. A pioneer in the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, he was a role model for all who knew him. A few short weeks after the synod meeting he went to be with the Lord. I hope to tell you later the story of his ministry.
Every congregation and every individual who shares in my work through gifts or prayers is special to me. I love to hear from you and will answer as soon as I can, by regular mail or email. (If you write by email, please make sure your server's anti-spam program will not reject my Colombian email address.) It will be long after Easter when you read this letter, but I trust the joy of the resurrection will remain with you. He is risen ... all year long!
Blessings on you,
Alice Winters
The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 273
