Dear family and friends,

This letter finds us winding down after an extremely busy month, as we helped prepare for and then participate in the annual Diocesan Convention for the Diocese of Central Ecuador, in Quito, and the 5th General Assembly of CLAI (which happens once every six years), in Buenos Aires. They literally came one after another. We finished up work at the Diocesan Convention and the very next day Chris headed down to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the week-long Assembly.

The Diocesan Convention went very well, with two more dates scheduled in May to cover items that the Convention did not have time to address. This was a significant step in the healing and moving forward of the diocese, something that we have been privileged to witness and be a part of. There were two fellow Episcopalians from the Diocese of Atlanta in attendance, and an official companion relationship was renewed with this Diocese. We look forward to working with and growing with them. A resolution was also passed supporting the presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the midst of the current difficulties the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion are going through. You could read a little more about that here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_82852_ENG_HTM.htm

Chris returned exhausted but pleased with the CLAI Assembly and the many people he was able to meet and build relationships with. There were about 600 people from all over Central and South America and many different denominations, with some also coming from as far as North America, Europe, and Asia. Chris there was busy translating, interpreting, and helping host people. He had the great privilege of talking to people from all over the continent, listening to different perspectives from Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Cuba, and El Salvador. It was especially fascinating to hear from indigenous government and church leaders from Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador about their views on the situations in their own countries as well as global realities.

In the weeks preceding the Assembly we together translated over 120 pages of text from Spanish to English, papers that had been prepared by each of the different regions of CLAI and that were to be presented at the Assembly. The topics ranged from spirituality to ethical challenges faced by churches to evangelization to ministry and power. Through the work and our task of translating it was both fascinating and educational to read more about the topics and issues that the churches of Latin America are dealing with and discussing today. If you are interested, some English news articles about the Assembly can be found at www.alcnoticias.org/?lanCode=1 An article that Chris wrote is at http://www.alcnoticias.org/articulo.asp?artCode=5572&lanCode=1

It was previously planned that the whole family would go to Buenos Aires where Trish would help out with the Assembly. But the logistics of it all made the Secretary General decide that it would be better if all “the girls” didn’t go (although Chris could have certainly used the help). So the girls stayed in Quito, where “Carnaval” (the two days preceding Ash Wednesday) was celebrated. They spent time together, went to doctor’s appointments, the park, and school, and Trish waited for texts to come from Buenos Aires to translate from Spanish to English. Claire missed her dad very much (we all did!), which made her think of all of you as well, the people and places and homes that she missed. We were all glad when Chris finally came home a week later!

We enjoyed a visit from Trish’s parents for about 10 days at the end of January/beginning of February. They immensely enjoyed seeing where we live (and the view!), Claire’s school, Isabel’s growth, and Otavalo and Mindo, two towns within a couple hours of Quito. It was sad for them to leave, but this week we anticipate a visit from Chris’s parents. So Claire will have her grandparent fix for a while. Claire continues to do well in school, enjoying the work and friends and everything that comes with it. She seems to be managing very well in Spanish and continually surprises her parents. And Isabel is now crawling, which changes everything! She’s a very determined little girl, trying already to pull herself up and stand, and she crawls up the one step into the bathroom off the living room. I guess no one told her that kids almost old eight months aren’t supposed to be trying those kinds of things yet!

We are very grateful to our friends Stacy and Kaya from Waltham who gifted us with a Skype-compatible phone. So, we now have Skype. Our user name is ctmorck.

Join us in praise for two successful conventions; our work and the people we work with whom we immensely enjoy; and good times with our families. Continue to pray with us for the health of the Diocese; the continued relevance of CLAI; and our own wise management of the increasing work load. Also, in mid-January Chris found out that he was invited to be a postulant to the priesthood in the Diocese of Massachusetts. Please keep us all in your prayers as he, and the whole family, continues in this vocation.

Peace,
Trish, Chris, Claire and Isabel

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