Our PC(USA) web page Our official link on the PC(USA) website.  More links here on ways to contribute financially to support us, pages for other Mission Personnel, and other ministries of the church.



www.calledtocolombia.org
Our blog, with musings, photos, links, and other digitized thoughts on our journey.  We update this fairly often, so check in regularly, or subscribe to get notified about updates.

Prayer Requests:

* Prayers of peace and wholeness for our seminary friend James Nelson and his family and friends upon his disappearance during a hiking trip in Colorado.  Our prayers go out to all those who are missing loved ones.

* Deep joy and gratitude for the birth of a healthy baby Peanut, now Nora Elena.  We are richly blessed, and we are grateful for so much support and love all over the world.

* For positive follow through on policies to support displaced persons put forth by new Colombian  President, Juan Manuel Santos.

* Traveling mercies, spiritual renewal, and fun we pray for all those traveling to the pastors retreat in Medellin this coming week, hosted by the Presbytery of Urabá and their partners in Winnebago Presbytery.

* Prayers of remembrance for our friend David Knauert a year after his death and for continuing support and healing for his wife Leigh and four children - Peter, Harrison, Lily, and David.

* Gratitude to the members of Yorkfield Presbyterian Church in Elmhurst, IL, First Presbyterian Church in Jerseyville, IL, and Fourth Avenue Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, NY.  These three communities are new supporters of our ministry.  Thank you!

To Reach Us:

Though we are nearing the end of the liturgical calendar's designation of "ordinary time," we must say that this has not felt like any ordinary time.  After September 22, the world shifted for the Broadhurst/Williams household with the entrance of Nora Elena to our world.  Since then I think it is safe to say we have been overwhelmed...overwhelmed by parenthood, overwhelmed by love (and exhaustion), but perhaps most of all we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from so many people and places. 

Gloria, Mamie, Nora, Richard, and Fanny going home from the hospital!

Packages came in the mail.  Gifts came down with groups.  People in Barranquilla gave us a baby shower.  Gloria and Fanny came to the hospital to help out the day Nora was born.  Phone calls from Bogotá came to congratulate us.  The folks in Urabá cannot wait to meet her.  There are a thousand tales to tell, but I will pick one.


Roberto.

Roberto* is displaced, and we have worked on and off with him all year.  He has had to move at least 3 times, most recently when he was threatened again just a few months ago.  As a leader of displaced people, he gets targeted for standing up for his rights and showing others how to do so as well.  He is a campesino, a small farmer, but he has been forced to live in they city and has had a difficult time finding work and making ends meet. 

From the start Roberto was thrilled to find out we were going to have a baby.  Commenting that I would never be mistaken for a Colombian (shocking, I know), he was just as adamant that if I had a daughter who looked just like me he would tell everyone she was a "Colombianita."  At a meeting one day while I was pregnant a snack was shared.  I devoured mine (as I was wont to do with everything); he ate much more slowly.  A few minutes later I looked over and more of the snack had been placed on the napkin in front of me.  Roberto had "finished" his.  A man that is unsure of where his next meal will come from made sure that the to-be-Colombianita would not want even for a moment.

After the last threat to his life, one which included threats to many organizations and individuals - even the US-based Washington Office on Latin America - Roberto moved out of the city to a small parcel of land he was able to get someone to lend to him.  In an odd way the threat has been at least a partial blessing because he has been able to farm again - a little yucca, some black-eyed peas, squashes...the basics.  Last week we went to visit for the first time, and we took Nora Elena.  The smile that lit up his face is not to be forgotten. 

Below is a short video of Nora with Rev. Gloria Ulloa, the Executive Secretary of the North Coast Presbytery as we visited Roberto's place.  She seems to be as pleased at the turkeys and chickens as we are. 








 

Still, the hard part of all of this is knowing that fulfilling a dream for Roberto means feeling safe at night and getting back to the struggles of a subsistence farmer.  When was the last time you encouraged someone to "dream big" and that is the most they could hope for?  Still, Hebrews 11:1 talks about faith as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  By faith Roberto is putting one foot in front of the other, planting one seed at a time.  We do not know how his story will turn out, but we are grateful to be a part of it, as is his favorite Colombianita.

We have been a little slow on putting new things up on the blog lately (wonder why...), but we are trying to get back in the swing of things.  Please go check us out at:

We appreciate your support, prayers, actions, and blessings during this not so ordinary time, and remember that we're always up for a visit!  We are looking forward to seeing folks from Winnebago Presbytery next week and the Colombian Mission Network this coming February!

Peace~
Mamie and Richard, and of course, Nora Elena

(* Name changed for safety)