December 2008

December 2008

Dear friends and family,

It has begun to rain in the afternoon or evening about every day and get a little colder here in Quito. The days are usually sunny and warm, about 70°, while the mornings and evenings get down to about 50°. In the towns and villages in the higher altitudes it gets a bit colder than that, though nothing like winter weather in much of the U.S. right now.

 

Two weeks ago Chris went to one of these Andean towns, Cañar, about 7 hours south of Quito to facilitate a two-day workshop on theology for indigenous Christian pastors and church leaders from that region. This is the third time he has facilitated this workshop and each time he learns so much. Indigenous groups in Ecuador, who make up to 40% of the population, have a history of being seriously marginalized and excluded at every level. Even 50 years ago one could find advertisements in the classified section of the newspapers selling haciendas or plantations and specifying how much land, how many heads of cattle and how many indigenous servants were included. As well, many times Christianization, whether Catholic or Protestant, has held a negative view of indigenous cultures and worldviews and either forcefully or inadvertently suppressed these.

 

In the last several years, though, there has been a resurgence of pride in indigenous ways of living and looking at the world. This is expressed on many levels in society. For many Christians, this also includes intentionally looking at Christianity through indigenous eyes and reexamining the ways which God has spoken to and worked within native communities both before the Conquest and now. Through these workshops and conversations, Chris has been very privileged to be able to sit in on, and even help create some additional space for, a small part of this process, these journeys. As expressed through these encounters and other relationships that we have, the way that many in Andean indigenous groups look at the world, their vision of community and responsibility, and how this affects their life and living, has encouraged, educated and challenged us.

 

Trish’s work with Colombian refugees is going very well and keeping her very busy. The refugee project rented a table at a Christmas fair in Quito for Colombian refugees who were able to sell their hand-made crafts and foods. The project was also able to purchase some breakfast foods for families whose children are in school to help supplement their diet. We are very thankful for donations to the refugees and the refugee program, especially two large grants which will help grow the project in the following year in terms of small business growth and self-sustenance, from the Diocese of Connecticut’s Millennium Development Fund and the Mennonite Central Committee in Colombia. Trish has also completed work on the Diocesan library. And after a visit to the urologist this week, nine months after the last procedure, we have learned that her kidney continues to be healthy, a normal size, and is functioning well. So good to not have any more problems!

 

This year Christmas has meant a lot of church and community events where we have been asked to participate. A theme that we have thought about and spoken on quite a bit this season has been how the Incarnation should affect our living in the world. For those of us who believe that God became human - became part of the creation - in Jesus, how should this affect our attitude toward, and living with, each other? How should it affect the way that we think about poverty and overabundance, exclusion and privilege? If we take this event, and Jesus, seriously - where God became part of and dwells in matter and the creation reveals God’s purposes to us - how should it affect our use and exploitation of the Earth, our reverence for the creation?*

 

Due to a number of irregularities and issues around the election process of the new Bishop for the Diocese, the election this December had to be annulled. The next step will be decided in mid-February when the Diocesan Convention is held, so this could be kept in your thoughts and prayers.

 

The Diocese is very grateful to a church in Virginia who donated funds for scholarships for children in the Diocesan Cathedral School, and to another church in Washington who donated funds for uniforms (which all students in Ecuador are required to wear, whether in public or private school) to the daycare El Portal de Belén in Comité del Pueblo, Quito. Also, a Christmas tradition here is to gift small bags of candy to the children. With some funds we received as a gift we were able to do this for the children in the daycare as well as for the village of La Hondonada in the high Andes south of Quito.

 

Much peace,

Trish, Chris, Claire and Isabel

 

p.s. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of those who make our life and work here possible. For those who would like to give to us, or to renew a donation, we are attaching a form with this email. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

  

*“I do not worship matter; I worship the Creator of matter, who became matter for my sake, and deigned to inhabit matter; who worked out my salvation through matter. I will not cease from honoring that matter which works my salvation…. Therefore I reverence all matter and hold in respect that through which my salvation came, because it is filled with divine energy and grace.” John of Damascus (d. 749)

 

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www.stjames-cambridge.org/morcks
 
Iglesia Episcopal del Ecuador
F. Sarmiento N39-54 y Portete
Quito
Ecuador
 
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