| | Our most recent newsletter from places beyond Latin America. | | |
Greetings!
When we spoke at North Cascades Christian Fellowship in Sedro Wooley, Washington last week I told them that welcomes are important. In fact, it was because of the welcome that their Mount Vernon campus gave to Ricardo in 1999, that we stood before them. That congregation welcomed a stranger, a foreigner, into their midst and he became part of the family! And on October 19 we stood before them as partners in ministry with them. In fact, we learned that we were connected more than we thought....because Pastor Bill Stone (currently a pastor at NCCF) welcomed a Guatemalan woman, Irene, into his church when he was pastoring in Alaska. The Latin American team has been mentoring Irene, providing her with ministerial formation tools, and training her in multiplying disciples through Community Church Planting (CCP).
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We were also welcomed warmly the previous week at Seattle First Free Methodist. (Since it was quite cold, the warm part was especially important.) When we walked in the front door nearly an hour before service a man we’d never met said, “Ricardo Gomez, I’ve been wanting to meet you because I’ve heard about you for years!” It turns out that Ricardo worked in his parent’s garden when he first moved to Washington... and they (and eventually, we) became fast friends. What a blessing to now count their son, Gary Tranter, as a new friend despite the passing of his parents.
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We were out in that part of the world representing Impact Latin America, the non-denominational, non-profit organization that we started 6 years ago because we did not believe that we could or should try to contain God’s multiplication movement through Community Church Planting and leadership development within one denomination. In addition to attending meetings, participating in fundraising events and an Executive Leadership Retreat, we had the privilege of providing a warm welcome too. We welcomed Susana Sharp, Impact Latin America’s newly hired Operations Director, into the team.
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From there we traveled to Singapore and were warmly welcomed once again by our good friends Kiem Kwa (who graduated from Asbury with Ricardo in 2007), her husband Ivan, and lots of new friends at the Singapore Bible College. (Of course, every welcome here is a warm one due to the heat and humidity but theirs was particularly special.) Here Ricardo has had the privilege of speaking to students and faculty, but more importantly, we’ve had the privilege of learning from them, about their lives, their ministries, and their culture. Such a beautiful treat. Despite jet lag, we have thoroughly enjoyed it! (In fact, between meetings we've visited the beautiful Botanic Gardens 5 times. Our picture among the orchids was taken there.)
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Tomorrow we will meet the other Area Directors, Assistant ADs and Bishops for about 10 days of our annual meetings in one of the five areas of the world where the FMC is present. We’ll be visiting two Asian countries and look forward to learning more about the cultures and ministries in those places.
We are deeply grateful for the ways you welcomed us into your hearts and lives. Your partnership with us wraps around us like a warm blanket and provides great encouragement. In fact, in Seattle we also worshipped with Brenda Lindstrom, a woman who Ricardo first knew at the Mount Vernon church. She has been a partner since the very beginning, and her email notes bring much encouragement. One of the first things she said to me was, “I prayed for you this morning…I’m praying specifically for your health and stamina.” She didn’t know that I’d been battling a stomach bug and was concerned about the stress of the travel…but God did. And I know that it is because of her prayers and others like hers that I am now healthy and enjoying the trip!
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In fact, we are praying that the people in Spain will warmly welcome our good friends and (now) former colleagues, Paul Olver and Delia Nüesch-Olver, as they relocate there upon Paul’s retirement. Paul is one of Impact’s founders and served as a volunteer Operations Director and Board Chair. It was wonderful to spend 10 days with these friends and celebrate their years of faithful ministry to both the FMC in Latin America and Impact Latin America. (We had a special celebratory dinner with them among other activities to honor them.)
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Isn’t God great? He created us to be relationship…with him and with others! Let us take every opportunity to welcome others into our lives and hearts. We never know where that may lead!
Many blessings to each of you,
Ricardo & Beth Gómez
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