Petitcodiac Mennonite Church

Ricardo Vivas Letter

Go to: Home Page Outreach Page Questions/Comments Last updated on July 30, 2002

Bogota, July 9, 2002 Dear brethren of the Petitcodiac Mennonite Church, receive a heartfelt greeting of joy and peace in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.       Referring to the letter you sent us and with the mutual desire to establish a relationship among sister churches, we appreciate your interest in journeying with us in these difficult times, not only as the church, but also our beloved country.       Regarding your questions of concern about us, we share with you the following: Our church is affected in the following way:      Some of the families of our congregation have had to leave their homes because of the pressure of violent groups which dominate sections of the city. These pressures are due to the fact that our brothers have shared their Christian faith and this is enough motive to be attacked. By abandoning their houses they also had to leave behind their belongings, and in some cases their jobs as well which sustained their families. On the other hand, the constant insecurity in the part of the city where most of our members live, makes them feel very insecure because of the presence of gangs of youths which were formed due to the unemployment time in which one lives. Furthermore, approximately 65% of our members are without jobs and of these 30% try to find temporary jobs in order to survive. As I reflect upon this situation the majority of young adults are aware of the impossibility of attending university as they have to assume financial responsibilities in their homes. Another important fact we like to share with you are the displaced families who due to the existing violence arrive in our church community. They need to be pointed towards the Lord, they need a place to live, they need food, they need to learn how to cope as well as to recuperate from psychological problems. What is a Sanctuary of Peace?      It is a physical place or territory of peace, publicly announced as such, and which demands respect by violating forces. It is a place where opponents can speak face to face, where forums can be formed, discussions and other activities planned towards justice, peace and well being for all, where the secular community can participate and feel secure. It is a refuge for persons, persecuted for their convictions or affected by direct violence or injustice, a place of protection under the shelter of a faith community.       In our church community we are actually working with people who have decided to lay down their weapons and who are oriented towards accepting Jesus, thus becoming part of the peaceful society of our country.       Our church fulfils the function of a Peace Sanctuary, attending to the needs of different persons who voluntarily desire to leave their weapons behind and approach us in search of ways to achieve this purpose. We also render help to those families who were displaced, beginning with the process of counsel and procurement of basic necessities, then followed by the social aspect of finding some kind of work that would sustain them economically.       Some of these families have the possibility to return to their land (property). We are also trying to prevent children and young people to get caught up into whatever violent group exists. All this requires a lot of financial backing, thus limiting us in broadening our projects and achieving major objectives. These endeavors also bring with them risks and danger for those involved in these projects . We are sending along an article printed in the newspaper CORREO, published at the end of last year and relating to the pastor of our church. Motives and concerns for prayer: Special ones: We are concerned about the economical situation in our group. Also about the immediate situation of those youths in our church, who upon reaching the age of maturity, see themselves confronted with the possibility of having to serve in the military. General ones: On the other hand, due to the daily augmentation of conflicts one knows of the recruitment of children by armed groups; statistics state that more then 4000 children, aged 11-17 years, are being located at the battle fronts by the FARC. Great difficulty is also experienced in the preaching of Godıs word due to illegal control posts mounted by guerrillas, thus impeding the way of pastors, missionaries and others to preach the Gospel for they are thus running the risk of being attacked or even killed. We would also like to ask for the following special prayer requests: Godıs strength and protection to be able to share His Word freely. Financial provisions to be able to assist displaced persons in attending to their basic needs. We ask the Lord to protect our pastor who has been threatened several times already. The Lordıs wisdom to find means to promote (boost) the program which tries to prevent children and youth from being induced into or captured by the different actors of the armed conflict. General prayer requests: We ask the Lord that the international community might understand the situation in which our nation lives and that they do not discriminate against us as is the case at present. Pray for churches who find themselves in the red zones (villages completely controlled by some armed group). Pray for the health of the children who are strongly affected by the governmentıs spraying of illegal plants, as well as for the destruction of chemicals that produce acid rains which cause sores on the skin of children. We also ask for wisdom and protection for the president of our nation who has been the victim several terrorist attacks, but by the grace of God has not been hurt yet. Your church information-      We have no information whatsoever. We would like to know the history of your church, activities for children and young people, programs of evangelization and which have been your latest achievements in church?       We would also like to know what prayer requests you would like to share with us.       We hope to maintain a permanent relationship with you and create tight bonds as members of the body of Christ.       The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2. Corinthians 13:14 Committee of Sister Churches - Sinai Ricardo Vivas Project co-ordinator Colombia Index    Top of this document.