Happy New Year to you!  In this new year we, Cathy and Peter Surgenor, will be spending the month of February 2018 accompanying members of the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia. We travel in cooperation with and support from the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Does one of your new year’s resolutions have a faithful living component? If so, here is your chance to make a difference in Colombia.  Your gift of $50, $100 or $500 will help the church in Colombia provide housing and food for us during our time with them.  

Colombians have lived through over fifty years of conflict between many armed groups: guerrilla forces, paramilitary troops, police, soldiers, foreign armies and in more recent years, gangs and narco-trafficking bands have joined the mix. The 2016 peace accords between the Colombian government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) have signaled the beginning of the possibility of peace.  You can find a recent National Geographic Article on Colombia here.

Our Presbyterian brothers and sisters continue to work for peace.  Cathy spent a month accompanying these church leaders in the spring of 2010.  She met incredible persons of faith, and witnessed powerful joyful worship in the midst of political tension.  We are taking this time from our lives to walk alongside these devoted Christians who share their messages of faith, hope and peace in this beautiful and challenged country.  We know that we will bring back many stories and illustrations of faithful living.

During this visit we will be based in the small city of Apartado in Uraba Presbytery and will make short term home visits with several of the villages and settlements where The Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia has established congregations that are bringing hope, forgiveness and messages of Christian Faith among people who have been displaced by years of violence.

We are busy practicing our Spanish skills and developing sermons (to be delivered in Spanish!) as we prepare.  Would you or your faith community be willing to support our partnership with the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia? Your financial gift will help us raise the $4,000 that the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship estimates this month of service , including airfare, will cost.

We will provide a written report to donors and those interested. We would love to come visit with a group at your faith community to share inspirational stories on our return.