Had a wonderful morning preaching at Trinity Episcopal Church, Waterloo! A BIG thank you to Rev. Maureen Doherty for inviting us. Yet again, I am amazed and humbled to belong to such a wonderful diocese! The time is flying as we near our departure date, so if you wanted to donate, anything would be greatly appreciated!

Wow, what a week! I have spent the last few days thinking about my experience at the Global Episcopal Mission Network Annual Conference in Bogota, Colombia. It has taken those few days to decompress everything that my hard drive (soft in my case) heard, saw, and felt.

To begin with, taking off from Waterloo Airport with 3 inches of snow on the ground and still falling is always fun. I thought that the pilot was trying to “drift” on the landing in Chicago! The de-icing we had to go through made me miss my connection, but it was much better than crashing and missing the rest of my days! Landing in Bogota was easy. Immigration and Customs was easy too. Got to the National Police Compound where we were having the Global Episcopal Mission Network Conference, got situated, and went to bed. The Mission Formation class was truly an experience. I hope to make the Formation Class proud. Learning how to establish a mission that is self-sustaining is important in “times like this.”

Sunday morning we attended church at the Cathedral in Bogota. Bishop Duque was most gracious, plus this is the first time I have ever seen a Bishop initiate a high five from a little boy while processing out after the service! He also invited us downstairs to the Fellowship Hall where Juan Valdez (coffee) was waiting for us. Later that afternoon, I got the pleasure of leading a small group in prayerful consideration of a Bible passage. The subject was Acts 16:9-15. Paul had been given a vision to go to Macedonia and spread the Good News. Having a Bishop in your small group Bible study can be a little daunting, but we survived!
Monday morning dawned bright and early. We all listened to Humberto Shikaya, Director of CREAS, an ecumenical organization whose mission is to strengthen the capacity of the ecumenical movement, churches and social organizations in the promotion of human rights - civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental. It really hammered home the idea that whatever we do in the field of mission, it must be sustainable. The rest of the morning was spent listening to Dr. Paulo Euti, Latin American Facilitator of the Anglican Alliance, as he spoke of the “Theological linkages with Economic sustainability.” Again, everything must be sustainable. In the afternoon, I had the pleasure to listen to Grey Maggiano, Eileen O’Brien, and Ted Gaiser on how to develop project plans. Discernment is ALWAYS the first step. What Susan and I have been doing for the past several years was exactly what we should have been doing, other than not listening 12 years ago!

Tuesday, we had the pleasure of going and meeting with the extraordinary women that were mentioned in my last blog entry. The women of Mesa de Organizaciones de Mujeres Soacha are totally the heroes that the world needs today. I only hope that I can live my life to their standards! Tuesday afternoon we all had the opportunity to see what a sustainable mission is supposed to look like. The Dominican Development Group is doing great things. Good luck on your new positions Bill Kunkle and Rick Harlow!

Wednesday, we had the indubitable pleasure of going to the farm at Facatativa. The bus trip will stay in my dreams forever! Nightmares count as a dream, right? After having the Bishop of Colombia’s daughter run up the hill in front of us, cheering us on that we could also run up the hill from where the driver announced that he “wasn’t going any further,” we did spend most of the trip in tears from laughing about windows falling out, Jeremy Lucas and Elizabeth Boe! The farm is situated at the top of a hill with burros and many dogs.  In the afternoon, we got to hear about a successful microcredit program in the Dominican Republic. The wife of Bishop Duque, Blanca Lucia Echeverry presented on “Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Colombia. This program is garnering support for the Colombian displaced. Colombia ranks 2nd in the world for displaced persons, only behind Sudan. These are the same people that the women of Soacha are assisting.
Thursday morning was given to 3 Bishops, Bishop Duque of Colombia, Bishop Allen of Honduras, and Bishop Holguin of Dominican Republic. Each Bishop shared his vision of what missions they would like to see and what form they would like to see the mission in. Time and again the answer was simple, do not come to give, give, give. A healthy mission relationship is one that offers something to both sides. The people we want so desperately help have an abundance of gifts to offer us at the same time. Even if it is the Holy Spirit, they have something to offer. We must not belittle their contribution. Many people have said that they went to help someone, only to find out that they were the ones in need, and those they went to help were the ministers of what they needed. The afternoon was capped off with the Holy Eucharist with the Presiding Bishop presiding and preaching. Bishop Wilfredo Ramos Orench assisted with the service while Deacon Holly Hartman read the Good News in English, while a newly ordained Deacon (8 days before) read it Spanish. He wasn’t intimidated at all!

I won’t go into Friday, as my mother taught me that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all! The only pleasant time was standing in the hotel lobby waiting for taxis and discussing “hovering” with the Presiding Bishop and the other ladies present!

I have many people to thank for this opportunity, so bear with me. Melody Rockwell, you ROCK! David Oakland and the OWOC Commission, thank you, thank you, thank you. The rest will just have to know that I am so much in your debt that I can only hope that when people look at me, they see Jesus, (albeit a VERY large Jesus)!

I apologize for the length, but it all needed to be said!  Jeff