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Pasos de Fe
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Presbyterian Border Ministry
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Enterprise and Hope! |
Presbyterian Border
Ministry is a joint labor of the Presbyterian
Churches of the U.S. and Mexico. It is called to share a holistic
gospel with those who live along the 2,000 mile U.S./Mexican
border. It responds to the spiritual, material and emotional
needs of people.
The mission goals of Presbyterian Border
Ministry are:
1. to develop new churches
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2. to engage in ministries of
compassion
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3. to engage in mission education
by providing opportunities for U.S. and Mexican Presbyterians
to visit the border as part of a mission team
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4. to be a collaborative ministry
- at the national and regional levels via the Border Ministry
Council and at the local presbytery level via local boards and
leadership staff teams
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PASOS DE FE
Pasos de Fe is the newest - indeed,
nascent, Border Ministry project. It involves the Presbytery
of Sierra Blanca with neighboring Tres Rios Presbytery in Texas
and neighboring Presbiterio Chihuahua in Mexico to explore ministry
in the Sunland Park (NM), Anapra and Juarez (CHI), and El
Paso (TX) metropolitan area.
Sierra Blanca Presbytery representatives
to the Border Ministry work are Viola Johnson (1st Presbyterian
in Alamogordo) and Virginia King (Sunland Park, Cristo Rey).
Contact: Pasos de Fe
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Todd & Trisha Reinschmitt
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c/o HIghland Presbyterian Church
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9210 Dyer St.
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El Paso, TX 79924
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phone: 915-759-7764
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email: pasosdefe@sbcglobal.net
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ECO# 8663549
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Virginians "Grow" at Pasos de Fe, Juarez,
Mexico (reprinted from "Nuestra Frontera")
A Mission Team from King's Grant Presbyterian Church pf Virginia
Beach, VA, led by pastor Sel Harris was among the summer volunteers
at Pasos de Fe. The team sent words of appreciation to Manhattan
Presbyterian Church in El Paso, TX for the "fantastic sleeping
accomodations" provided during their brief stay as they worked
at a church in Juarez. They arrived in El Paso late Saturday night
July 15 and had an opportunity to worship with Manhattan Presbyterian
on Sunday morning. They worked all day for four days and reflected
on their experiences in Mexico every evening before retiring.
Here are a few of their thoughts:
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"Despite language and cultural barriers we were
united in once cause and understood each other on a deeper level.
True happiness really does not lie in material items because
those that had nothing seemed the happiest." (Monica, 12th
grade) |
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"I remember the words written on the mountain in Mexico:
La Biblia es la verdad. Leela (The Bible is the truth. Read it.)"
-Adult |
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"I have taken a lot to heart on this trip, but
the thing that made the biggest impression on me is that no matter
what country, race or culture, certain things tie us together
without regard to any of that. One example is a smile. It shows
no difference in where you are from." Courtney, 10th grade. |
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"I had an awesome time. I couldn't ask for anything
more. I think overall it made me a better person. The orphanage
is probably one of the things that stands out in my mind." |
Pasos de Fe has a new manager in its U.S. office in the Manhattan
Presbyterian Church, El Paso. Karen Verdin assumed the post in
July. She is a lifelong resident of El Paso with two years of
work experience in Juarez, the Mexican city just across the border.
Karen, who is Roman Catholic, has been on the staff of Manhattan
Church for a year. Trina Zelle, pastor of Manhattan and a member
of the Pasos de Fe Board, officiated at Karen's May wedding. Karen
is very enthusiastic about her new responsiblities and looks forward
to assisting more mission teams. "It's a challenge, "
she said, "a calling, helping people every day."