Our dear brothers and sisters!

With much happiness we share the words of Paul when he said “I will visit you after passing through Macedonia … for I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.” 1Cor 16:5-7

That’s right! We will soon be back in Puerto Rico for our home assignment year. It is so amazing how four years just flown away! But it is our time to share with you all the miracles and great doings of Jesus in the lands of Chiapas!

The corn is growing and soon will be time for harvest! The land was cleaned and the seed was sown. In the same way we are leaving the land for a while to let the seed grow… we will arrive at PR in the second week of August and hopefully we will be able to find and set up the house as soon as possible and spend some time with family. We come with only our clothes, some books and Maria, our youngest daughter. So we go as Jesus said to his disciples, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money…," Luke 9:3. We have left everything back at San Cristobal in that “everything” is also a part of our heart, for this was the place where God called us to plant the seed of the Good News of Peace.

    

But we also give thanks to God for letting us come back to our “other piece of heart,” you! We come back tired but happy. Happy for the Lord gave us the opportunity to do many things, to reach many hearts. The Mayan Intercultural Seminary nurtures four ministries. The theological bachelor's degree and the diploma are giving a solid biblical foundation to Indigenous and Mexican peoples, and opening spaces for interreligious encounter and participation of men and women that want to evangelize, preach, grow and serve the Lord. At the academic extension program we have young people, age 20, and pastors, age 50, finishing their elementary and middle school! They are all excited about learning new things. We constantly hear in both programs, “I have never heard that before!”  We praise the Lord for the sharing of wisdom and knowledge among us! The ministry with indigenous women is alive and working with an intercultural team of women – one French, three Mexican an of course one Puerto Rican!

  

Please pray that we will be able to find a house for our family, separated for a while but now reunited for a year. Pray for the people who would be in charge of the work, back at Chiapas and for the hearts they will touch in this time!

The stories we have would not fit in a book, but I believe, within the hearts of those who trust God as a giver of life and creator of peace! We will tell you when we see each other, face to face. Meanwhile, we give you our most deep thanks for being with us these years and the work we have done together!

With the desire to see you again,

Ricardo, Doris and María