Global Ministries

On March 17, just hours after my flight landed in Cincinnati, the government of the Dominican Republic released a statement that the country would be moving into a stay-at-home order.

Lectionary Selection:  Genesis 18:1-15

Prayers for the Dominican Republic:  

Dear Heavenly Parent,

In this time of fear and uncertainty, please hear our prayers. In this time of the pandemic, where we feel separated both physically and emotionally, let us handle your presence. Remind us also of the importance of loving and caring for our neighbors. In times of social distancing, enlighten us with new ways to pull our neighbors in and break with them our finest bread. Teach us new ways to wash our neighbors' feet when we are focused on washing our own hands. 

Most of all, Lord, we pray for strength. Give us the power to live in your plans for us. When we laugh in the face of dreams, teach us to see ourselves in the manner in which you see us. Remind us that we are created in your image, and there is no task too big for us to accomplish with Your divine counsel. As we long for a return to normalcy, allow us to envision a new normal that better cares Your kingdom on Earth and all of your children who inhabit it.

Be with us in all we do in Your Heavenly name,

Amen

March 8th has been officially recognized as International Women’s day since 1975, and, over thirty years later, it is still imperative that we take this day to recognize the struggles and successes of our sisters across the globe. The theme for this International Women’s Day is “#EachforEqual” to stress the importance of collectivism in the movement for female equality.

Lectionary Selection:  Matthew 26:14-27

Prayers for the Dominican Republic:

Dear Heavenly Creator,

As we approach the joyous occasion of celebrating your son and our living savior's resurrection let us not forget the evening in the upper room when Jesus gathered to break bread with his disciples. Be with us in every breaking of bread as you were with Jesus and the 12 disciples all those years ago. God, as we approach a time of celebration we also cry out to you in pain at injustice. Just as Jesus was betrayed, so we too have been betrayed by those we trusted. Help us to be more like you, and learn to love with a forgiving heart. Be with those who have been exploited, hurt, and forgotten. Be with the children working when their peers are in school learning. Be with the migrant children struggling to adapt to a new land and a new tongue. Be with the young mothers and wives, wrap them in your loving embrace. Be with the girls growing up in a world that belittles them for not being born a son. Be with the boys who feel pain in their hearts and have been taught not to cry out. Be with the students marching in our streets and plazas to demand fair elections, be present with them through your holy spirit of peace and justice. Remind us that whenever two or more are gathered in a place, so you are there too. Let us break bread together in a spirit of unity, not of distrust and betrayal. Help us to love those who have betrayed us and to seek forgiveness in recognition of our own wrongs. Be with us in celebration. Be with us in pain. Lord, we seek nothing but to live our lives in the light of your covenant and rejoice in your merciful forgiveness.

In your holy child's name.

Amen

Y él dijo: Mi presencia irá contigo, y te daré descanso. Éxodo 33:14

Me enamoré inmediatamente de la República Dominicana y su mezcla única de culturas latinas y caribeñas. Hermosas playas, música animada, cálida hospitalidad y Dios en el centro de todo. Una despedida común incluye “si Dios quiere”, por ejemplo, “si Dios lo quiere, te veré en la mañana”. Siempre me ha confortado este aspecto de la cultura dominicana.

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God said, "I will go with you. And I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14

I immediately fell in love with the Dominican Republic and its unique blend of Latin and Caribbean cultures. Beautiful beaches, lively music, warm hospitality, and God at the center of everything. A common farewell includes “si Dios quiere,” for example “if God wants it, I will see you in the morning.” I have always been comforted by this aspect of Dominican culture.

I arrived in Santo Domingo the first Friday of September, with a small welcome crew to greet me at the airport. I have been preparing for this experience for about a year now, since my second semester of grad school when I approached my professors to ask for advice about what life after college looks like.

Stateless people are individuals who are not recognized as citizens by any country in the world, and consequently are denied basic human rights – rights that individuals often take for granted: right to health care, to education, to own property, to travel, to get a birth or death certificate, etc. Without protection from any state due to their lack of legal identity, stateless people are vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation, violence. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
WCC Statement on the Human Rights of Stateless People, November 8, 2013 

Introduction:

As we end this year of witnessing God´s presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, we cannot avoid feeling in our spirit, mind and will the spiritual strength of solidarity.  Our partners continued embracing the Spirit through receiving pilgrimages, sponsoring workshops and projects, sharing resources in an ecumenical way and confronting the powers that deny the fullness of life.  The Caribbean Initiative came to closure with resources and experiences that will endure not only in the work of the continent but also globally.  The accompaniment of our partners through civil unrest, migrations, and emergencies awakened a divine presence through the experience of contingency.  The Good News were heard and shared in a powerful way. 

As part of the Caribbean Initiative, ten members of the Common Global Ministries Board traveled to the Dominican Republic the first week of April. There, they met and visited projects of the various Global Ministries’ partners to celebrate relationships and to receive and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. The following reflections will take us through their pilgrimage in this beautiful Caribbean country.