Wonder Along the Journey…/El Asombro en la Travesía

A Letter from Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and José Manuel Capella-Pratts, serving as regional liaisons in the Caribbean

Otoño/Fall 2022

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Dear friends,

 Autumn has always been one of my (Vilmarie) favorite times of the year. This might seem uncommon as I was born and raised in the Caribbean and live in a place with no real change of seasons. I am not sure if this is so because of the proximity to the Christmas season or the beautiful orange-yellow colors I saw in pictures as a child.

A watercolor painting of a candle in honor of Vilmarie’s grandmother-concept by “Let’s Make Art” | Una pintura en acuarelas honrando la memoria de la abuela de Vilmarie”; inspiración de “Let’s Make Art”

Whatever it may be, I consider this time of the year a time of transformation and newness, of awe and, more clearly, wonder. (I certainly felt that way the first time I experienced the changing of the trees.) So, as José Manuel and I continue our journey as regional liaisons, we looked forward to autumn, this time in the Caribbean, with that sense of wonder and with travel planned for October and November to the Dominican Republic and to Cuba. Yet the journey would take us elsewhere and would try our spirits as we experienced the loss of a loved one and the illness of another almost at the same time.

As we canceled plans, we braced for what was to come. It is at those moments when one holds on tight to faith and love: The faith, instilled in us from the time we were born, that has sustained us and that can only come from God. The love that does not leave us and binds us all, blood family and faith family, embracing us when we need it the most, that sends a text, an email or a card expressing condolences and care; the love that whispers, “I know … I’m here for you.” We are grateful for your kindness towards us and towards our family during this time. We have felt the warm embrace of the family of faith in our time of grief.

Sunset in San Juan Puerto Rico | Atardecer en Puerto Rico

We are also grateful for the connections already made through virtual visits and events with churches and partners sharing best-practices and information about our ministry and our church partners in the Caribbean. We have met many faith siblings encouraged by the ministry and work being done in companionship and mutuality and look forward to visiting and re-scheduling visits in the coming months.

Autumn will soon end, yet the sense of wonder stays with us as we head towards Advent, a time of expectant hope and preparation for the arrival of Christ Jesus.[1] It is in that hope that we share these words from the Prayer of Oscar Romero written by Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw, words that were of comfort and hope as we remembered the legacy of my grandmother, Jovina, whose life we honored a few short weeks ago.

“We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for [God’s] grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the
master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders;
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future
that is not our own.”

José Manuel and I continue to covet your prayers and support along the journey. Know you are also in our prayers, dear siblings. In this season, may you cultivate the sense of wonder, and may you feel the warm embrace of the family of faith in trying times. May you know you, we, are not alone, and that we are all in this journey together, to quote Untener, “it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for [God’s] grace to enter and do the rest.” May it be so, Amen.

Vilmarie and José Manuel

[1] Information on the season of Advent from the Office of Theology, Formation and Evangelism found in https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/worship/christianyear/advent/

El otoño siempre ha sido una de mis épocas favoritas del año (Vilmarie). Esto puede parecer poco común ya que nací y me crié en el Caribe y vivo en un lugar sin cambio de estaciones. No estoy segura si esto es así por la proximidad del otoño a la temporada navideña o por los hermosos colores amarillo-anaranjados que veía en las fotos cuando era niña. Cualquiera que sea la razón, considero que esta época del año es una época de transformación y novedad, de admiración y, más claramente, de asombro. (Ciertamente me sentí así la primera vez que experimenté el cambio de los árboles). Mientras José Manuel y yo continuamos nuestra travesía como enlaces regionales, esperábamos con ahínco el otoño, esta vez en el Caribe, con ese sentido de asombro, con viajes previstos para octubre y noviembre a República Dominicana y a Cuba. Sin embargo, la travesía nos llevaría a otro lugar y pondría a prueba nuestro espíritu al experimentar la pérdida de un ser querido y la enfermedad de otro casi al mismo tiempo.

Cancelamos nuestros planes y nos preparamos espiritualmente para lo que estaba por venir. Es en esos momentos cuando una se aferra a la fe y al amor: La fe, inculcada en nos desde que nacimos, que nos ha sostenido y que sólo puede venir de Dios. El amor que no nos abandona y nos une, familia de sangre y familia de fe, abrazándonos cuando más lo necesitamos, que envía un mensaje de texto, un correo electrónico o una tarjeta expresando condolencias y cariño; el amor que susurra: “Lo sé… estoy aquí para ti”. Sentimos un profundo agradecimiento por ustedes y por su cariño para con nosotros, hacia nuestra familia durante este tiempo. Hemos sentido el cálido abrazo de la familia de la fe en nuestro momento de dolor.

También agradecemos las conexiones y conversaciones realizadas a través de visitas virtuales y eventos con iglesias, compartiendo ideas prácticas  e información sobre nuestro ministerio y nuestras iglesias hermanas en el Caribe. Hemos conocido a muchas personas, hermanos y hermanas en la fe, con ánimo por el ministerio y el trabajo que se está realizando en compañerismo y mutualidad, y esperamos visitar y reprogramar visitas en los próximos meses.

El otoño pronto terminará, mas ese sentido de asombro permanece mientras nos dirigimos hacia la temporada del Adviento, un tiempo de esperanza y espera en preparación para la llegada de Cristo Jesús. Es con esa esperanza que compartimos estas palabras de la Oración de Oscar Romero escrita por el obispo Ken Untener de Saginaw, palabras que fueron de consuelo y esperanza al recordar el legado de mi abuela, Jovina, cuya vida honramos hace unas pocas semanas.

“Plantamos semillas que un día crecerán;
regamos semillas ya plantadas, sabiendo que son promesa del futuro.
Sentamos bases que necesitarán un mayor desarrollo.
Los efectos de la levadura que proporcionamos van más allá de nuestras
posibilidades.
No podemos hacerlo todo y, al darnos cuenta de ello, sentimos una cierta
liberación.
Ella nos capacita para hacer algo, y a hacerlo muy bien.
Puede que sea incompleto, pero es un principio, un paso en el camino,
una ocasión para que entre la gracia del Señor y haga el resto.
Es posible que no veamos nunca los resultados finales,
pero ésa es la diferencia entre el jefe de obras y el albañil.
Somos albañiles, no jefes de obra,
ministros, no el Mesías.
Somos profetas de un futuro que no es nuestro.”
José Manuel y yo contamos con sus oraciones y apoyo a lo largo de nuestra travesía. Sepan que también ustedes están en las nuestras, queridos hermanos y hermanas. Esperamos que, en esta temporada, cultiven el sentido de asombro y que sientan el cálido abrazo de la familia de la fe en tiempos difíciles. Esperamos que sepan que no están, que no estamos, solos, sino que transitamos juntos y juntas en este viaje, citando a Untener, dando “un paso en el camino, una ocasión para que entre la gracia del Señor y haga el resto”. Que así sea, Amén.

Vilmarie y José Manuel

Please read the following letter from Rev. Mienda Uriarte, acting director of World Mission:

Dear Partners in God’s Mission,

What an amazing journey we’re on together! Our call to be a Matthew 25 denomination has challenged us in so many ways to lean into new ways of reaching out. As we take on the responsibilities of dismantling systemic racism, eradicating the root causes of poverty and engaging in congregational vitality, we find that the Spirit of God is indeed moving throughout World Mission. Of course, the past two years have also been hard for so many as we’ve ventured through another year of the pandemic, been confronted with racism, wars and the heart wrenching toll of natural disasters. And yet, rather than succumb to the darkness, we are called to shine the light of Christ by doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God.

We are so grateful that you are on this journey as well. Your commitment enables mission co-workers around the world to accompany partners and share in so many expressions of the transformative work being done in Christ’s name. Thank you for your partnership, prayers and contributions to their ministries.

We hope you will continue to support World Mission in all the ways you are able:

Give – Consider making a year-end financial contribution for the sending and support of our mission personnel (E132192). This unified fund supports the work of all our mission co-workers as they accompany global partners in their life-giving work. Gifts can also be made “in honor of” a specific mission co-worker – just include their name on the memo line.

Pray – Include PC(USA) mission personnel and global partners in your daily prayers. If you would like to order prayer cards as a visual reminder of those for whom you are praying, please contact Cindy Rubin (cynthia.rubin@pcusa.org; 800-728-7228, ext. 5065).

Act – Invite a mission co-worker to visit your congregation either virtually or in person. Contact mission.live@pcusa.org to make a request or email the mission co-worker directly. Email addresses are listed on Mission Connections profile pages. Visit pcusa.org/missionconnections to search by last name.

Thank you for your consideration! We appreciate your faithfulness to God’s mission through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Prayerfully,

Rev. Mienda Uriarte, Acting Director
World Mission
Presbyterian Mission Agency
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

To give, please visit https://bit.ly/22MC-YE.

For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6