National Teachers Gathering

In Colombia there are four Lutheran Schools: in Bogota, Sogamoso, El Cocuy, and Paz de Ariporo. These are spread out throughout the country, and because of the distance between the schools, they seldom interact. Last October, we (the Ministry of Education) brought all the teachers from all the schools together for a day. It was a huge success and the teachers requested it be an annual event. Last Friday, we held the 2nd National Teachers Gathering. The goal of the day is three-fold: an element of education, an element of getting to know the other teachers from the other schools, and an element of fun!

The education piece of the Gathering was around the new Child Protection Policy of the church. The schools each have a similar policy already, but need to become familiar with the national policy and adapt their own policies accordingly. We had guest speakers from World Vision come in and talk about the importance of implementing these policies and really understanding why they are necessary.

Some of the teachers working in small groups, photo by Katie

The afternoon was made up of games and other activities for the professors to get to know each other and enjoy time together. There was a soccer game, volleyball game, painting nails, board games and I was in charge of a craft project. 

For the craft project we decorated candles. Everyone was very creative. Pictures on the left take by Katie, and on the right by Mauricio Mendez. 

Picture of all the teachers, photo by Katie

Teachers from El Cocuy (they each teach two grades), photo by Katie

Teachers from San Lucas in Bogota. The book they are holding is the new copy of the Child Protection Policy. Photo by Katie

Teachers from Sogamoso. Photo by Katie

Teachers from Paz de Ariporo, photo by Katie. 

Leadership Retreat

I have written several times about ProFILE, the lay leadership training retreats we lead here. The is the third group to start the process (2015, 2016 and now 2018). ProFILE is now a very well recognized and respected training program within IELCO.

Last weekend we held the third retreat of four for the year. The weekend focused on how we interpret the Bible. The group wrestled with this topic for the weekend, but at the end, as they shared their highlights from the weekend, it was obvious that the weekend had had a big impact on them.

We played a "board" game, and one team member from each of the teams was the place marker. The game had questions about Lutheran doctrine to get everyone warmed up to the theme. Photo by Katie. 

Lots of small group work. Left to right Marleny, Airet, Laura Camila, and Maily. photo by Katie

More small group work - the group hard at work reading some very deep theological analyses about better understanding Biblical interpretation. Photo by Katie 

All of the participants have homework after every retreat. Here Lina (our youngest at just 14 years old) is sharing her homework with the group. Photo by Katie

The whole group debating about what it means that Jesus is the "Cannon of the Cannon" (he is the lens through which we read and understand the Bible). Photo by Katie

The whole group. As you can see we were in a beautiful place with gorgeous scenery. This is an incredible group of leaders within IELCO, a variety of ages, a  variety of life experiences, representing almost all the churches in IELCO.
Photo by Juan Sebastian Cruz, one of the participants (in the front row with the black and white scarf)

Medellin +50, part 2

At the conference “Medellin +50: The Cry of the Poor, A Cry for Life”, in addition to the structure of the conversations and presentations which I wrote about in the blog post last week, there were also special events and activities held.

During the week of the conference, there were a couple of mural artists who had prepared for a communal process of painting a giant mural together.  Throughout the conference, when there was down time, people were able to pass by and see the progress of the mural and help paint a part of it, if they were so inclined. The mural was based in the famous phrase, connected to the Medellin conference of 1968: “Another World is Possible”. The artists took suggestions from the participants of the conference about what that world might look like as well as the symbols of hope that we have to maintain faith in its possibilities.

The final product of the collective mural painting at the conference. Photo by Katie.

At the presentation of the mural, a participant of the conference read the "parable of the hummingbird" to explain why the hummingbirds on the mural were symbols of hope. Photo by Katie. Here is a link to the parable.

 This is a video made by the mural artists that shows the progress of the mural throughout the week.

Another special event during the conference was the public act of asking for forgivingness. It was recognized that many of those who had faithfully worked on implementing the outcome documents from the 1968 conference have been persecuted, as it inevitably led them to confrontations with economic and political powers. Forgiveness was asked for in the name of the Catholic Church which participated in this persecution. We went to the Museum of Memory in Medellin to hold the event. The Museum has the mission of contributing to the transformation of the logic of war towards more civilized practices, through the construction and circulation of the memories of the victims of the armed conflict, and cultural expressions as commemorations.

Father Tacho, opening the liturgy to ask for forgiveness. Photo by Katie.

Specific leaders who were committed to the 1968 outcome documents, were recognized in the persecution they recieved, among them were: OScar Romero, Gerardo Valencia Cano, Samuel Ruiz, lay people from the Ocaña community in Colombia, amongst others. Photo by Katie. 

Reverend Emilie Smith, Co-President of SICSAL (International Christian Service in Solidarity with the Peoples of Latin America) asking forgiveness from the victims. Photo by Katie.

From the closing paragraph Final Statement (commitments made) put together at the conference:

Finally, we ask God, our Father and our Mother, to help us be faithful to the words we have spoken here at this gathering, Medellin +50, and to the spirit that has come out of it, infecting us with the hope filled energy of the better world that is possible. This better world will be possible with the commitment of women, men, children and youth, indigenous peoples, afro-descendants, mestizos, who were physically present at the gathering and those that were spiritually present from different parts of the world.

Medellin +50, Part 1

Last week, August 28 – September 1, the international gathering “Medellin +50: The Cry of the Poor, A Cry for Life” was held. It was attended by around 200 people from 15 countries and 4 continents. It was a week of commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the Conference of Bishops of Latin America which took place in Medellin in 1968. At that conference in 1968, the Bishops defined the churches commitment to liberating the poor and oppressed. Last week we explored what that commitment looks like today, 50 years later. What has changed? What has stayed the same? It was a gathering of memory, of reflection, of analysis, of repentance, and of celebration.

This is the official poster of the event.

The “Outcome Documents” from 1968 discussed issues of Justice, Peace, Poverty, and a church of and for the poor. During the conference we reflected on statements from the 1968 Outcome Documents such as:

"The Latin American church has a message for all people on this continent who "hunger and thirst after justice". The very God who creates us in His image and likeness, creates the "earth and all that is in it for the use of all the people and all nations, in such a way that created goods can reach all in a more just manner;" and gives them power to transform and perfect the world in solidarity. It is the same God who, in the fullness of time, sends his Son in the flesh, so that he might come to liberate everyone from the slavery to which sin has subjected them: hunger, misery, all oppression and ignorance, in a word, that injustice and hatred which have their origin in human selfishness."

The method of "See, Judge, Act," was utilized to organize the conference. One day was focused on the See. Observing the realities of Latin America in 1968 as well as the new realities 50 years later, we discussed the voices that were missing at the 1968 conference, particularly the voices of women, indigenous peoples and afro-descendants. Spaces were created to hear their perspectives on peace, justice, poverty, and the church's response.

Gloria Ulloa, the World Council of Churches President for Latin America, presenting on "Gender asymmetry crossed by marginalization and poverty". Photo by Katie

Pastor John Hernández of the Emmaus Lutheran Church in Medellin, speaking on the Lutheran World Federation's commitment to the "option for the poor" through debt cancellation advocacy and peace-building around the world.
Photo by Katie

The next day we focused on the Judge part of the method. This is about taking a position on the observed facts.The increasing inequality in Latin America since 1968, the deepening poverty and the environmental destruction were judged as something the church needs to take a position on.

A member of the Living Rivers Movement (Movimiento Rios Vivos), telling the story of her community being displaced from their lands for the construction of a mega-dam. Photo by Katie

And lastly, we focused on the Act. The Act aims to determine those attitudes that people should change in their lives, the criteria of judgement that must be transformed, the habits that are questioned by the Word of God and the actions that are to be developed.We listened to presentations from around Latin America of how different communities and organizations have been implementing the Outcome Documents from 1968. From theological training at the grassroots level, to peace-building, human rights defense and international solidarity work. We then dreamt and made plans for how to continue and further these actions, responding to the new realities identified at the conference.

Singing together to get started back after a lunch break. Photo by Katie

Closing ceremonies, gift giving to the hosts and organizers of the conference, and celebrating together. Photo by Katie

And we are back! (Home Assignment)

After ten weeks in traveling around the states, Curtis and I are back in Colombia. As is the tradition with our blog, I will tell the story of the summer through numbers (that is how the blog got the name 8000 feet and counting) and then with some photos.

Too funny not to share: this was taken at "A Second Helping of the Church Basement Ladies". In the play there were lots of jokes about "Missionary Night"...we laughed so hard we cried! 

Our time in the states included visiting 20 churches, driving over 10,000 miles, and staying in 23 different beds. Of the churches we visited 15 were new to us (wow!). It was so fun to meet so many new people, and hear stories about why they were interested in sponsoring missionaries. We also spent a quick week at the ELCA Summer Missionary Conference, and ended our time spending a week with Curtis' family and a week with my family. In addition to the work, we squeezed so much into ten weeks. We were able to: spend time with our nieces and nephew; see Curtis' grandpas and my adopted grandparents; see lots of other extended family; hang out with friends; celebrate my brother's engagement (yay Ben and Adrienne!); celebrate our 10th anniversary; eat and drink what we miss being able to have in Colombia; and just enjoy being back in the states.

Pretzels are not a thing in Colombia, and a good dark beer is hard to find. This combination made us pretty happy!

My family!

Curtis' family! 

Curtis and his best friend Andrew-Elijah!

Dreaming of the World As it Should Be

This last weekend, 19^th and 20^th of May, the Human Rights program of IELCO invited members from all around the country to come together and dream of how they want the future of the church's defense of human rights to look. We were pastors, coordinators of national ministries, project leaders, and lay people, all interested in living out the call to protect the vulnerable and liberate the oppressed. Gathering at a retreat center just outside of Bogota, we dreamt of the world as it should be. 

The group working on some team-building activities. Photo by Pastor Nelson Celis. 

Identifying the realities of the difficult conditions in many communities in Colombia, we identified how the Human Rights program can help IELCO face those challenges. We dreamt together of a country without violence, of vibrant communities that seek to protect the most vulnerable in their midst, and a national church that advocates for peace and justice.

We left the retreat having formed a national advising committee to help offer direction to the Human Rights program, to make sure that the program responds to the needs of the local communities as well as the vision that we have identified during the retreat. The committee is an equal number of men and women from every region of IELCO in the country and will now take the vision developed in this retreat and put into action.

Angelica Oquendo and Carlos Parra, two young leaders in IELCO, sharing with the group some of their experience in Palestine, where they participated in the Lutheran World Federation's program called "Peace Messengers". Photo by Curtis

Sara Lara (coordinator of the Human Rights program) leading a conversation about the current state of the Human Rights program. Photo by Pastor Nelson Celis.

Path of Hope

Saturday, May 12th, the House of Peace and Reconciliation from the Emmaus Lutheran Church in the city of Medellin led a public event called “Path of Hope”. We went to a nearby public library, where we had attained permission to use the entire entrance area to hold the event.

The “Path of Hope” is a historical timeline of important events and people that have been examples of nonviolent action and resistance throughout the world, (The idea was motivated by the Lutheran Peace Fellowship).

Members of the House of Peace and Reconciliation setting up their timleine at the local public library. Photo by Curtis.

The House of Peace and Reconciliation is currently holding a course called “Peace-builders” and the students of the course were each given the responsibility of a section of the timeline. They then studied the events and people in their section, so they would be able to tell interested passersby about the history of nonviolence in the world. The goal is to develop a consciousness of the possible and a hope that we can build a different world.

Pastor John Hernández with a group of interested library-goers, discussing some of the earlier examples in history of non violent resistance. Photo by Curtis.

They explained the well-known like Gandhi , Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela; as well as less well known history like in 1845 when the Lutheran Franckean Synod in New York, declared themselves abolitionists in no uncertain terms, arguing “with courage and clarity against this great and heinous national sin”. They declared that communion was impossible with any “ecclesiastical body that tolerates, apologizes for or remains silent on the subject of slavery”. Or, the Indigenous Nasa People of Colombia and their Indigenous Guard, a non-violent force trained to protect their communities from the different armed actors in Colombia’s conflict.

Members of the House of Peace and Reconciliation explaining the origins of Mother's Day as an anti-war protest by mothers who refused to send their children to war. Photo by Curtis