¡Caminamos
Juntos!
We Walk
Together!
With
an abundance of joy I would like to introduce you to a new ministry, ¡Caminamos
Juntos!/We Walk Together!
In
partnership with my congregation, Grace Lutheran Church, I am answering God’s
call to accompany El Buen Pastor Lutheran Church of Usulután, El Salvador in
discussing and exploring issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) people. Working
directly with El Buen Pastor’s leader, Pastor Julio César Chávez Aguilar, I
will facilitate discussions and conversations regarding what some would
consider a challenging topic, especially within the context of Latin
America. My prayer is to offer one week
per year to this beautiful community of faith which has opened its arms and
hearts to me, a gay child of God.
As
a regional coordinator of ReconcilingWorks – Lutherans for Full Participation,
I bring a lot of experience in the areas of community organizing, one-to-one
conversations, graceful engagement, and meeting individuals “where they are” among
other skills, which have been used to assist local congregations in making the
choice to become welcoming to all sexual orientations and gender identities. All of these skills, along with my ability to
fluently communicate in Spanish and a strong, working knowledge of Latin
American culture, make me an uniquely qualified for this type of ministry.
What
I am asking from you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, is for your prayerful,
moral, spiritual, and financial support to assist me in making this ministry a
reality. Below you will find the anticipated expenses for the
first step of this journey which I have tentatively scheduled for June 13-20,
2013.
Airfare
from Houston – San Salvador $785
*Additional
Baggage Fees $190
Car
Rental $195
Gas $100
^Driver $200
+Food $300
Lodging $240
TOTAL ANTICIPATED EXPENSES
$2,010
*Clothing and other items will be taken to donate to the people of El
Buen Pastor.
^A driver will be required due to the extreme dangerous driving
conditions in El Salvador.
+Due to the extreme poverty, it is necessary that when I have meals with
the congregation I will need to provide money to feed those with whom I eat.
Please
prayerfully consider financially supporting this pioneering ministry. Your tax-deductible financial gifts can be
sent to:
Grace Lutheran Church
2515 Waugh Drive
Houston, TX 77006
Please indicate in the memo: El Salvador
If
you would prefer you may make a gift online.
Please go to www.gracelutheran-houston.org. Then click the blue “Donate Now” button, and
finally indicate your gift in the “El Buen Pastor of El Salvador” section.
Thank
you for considering assisting this ministry.
If you have any specific questions or would like to discuss this
ministry in detail, please contact me at renemgarciajr@gmail.com.
Click here to read a piece that I wrote shortly after returning from El Salvador this
past March. I trust that my testimony
will give you a better insight into the transforming experience that I had.
May
God’s Peace be with you!
René M. García, Jr.
