Saturday, January 10, 2009
Testimony By Alma Torres
ESTE DIA QUIERO COMPARTIR CON USTEDES LA ALEGRIA Y LA PAZ QUE HOY TENGO DESDE QUE ME ENTERE QUE SE CONSTRUIRIA LA IGLESIA COPTA ORTODOXA EN EL POBLADO DE TLAYACAPAN MORELOS, UNA TARDE LLEGO MUY CONTENTO MI ESPOSO AL REGRESO DE SU TRABAJO DICIENDOME QUE HABIA CONOCIDO A LA PERSONA ENCARGADA DE LA EDIFICACION DE LA IGLESIA, CON DETALLES ME FUE EXPLICANDO TODA LA CONVERSACION QUE HABIA TENIDO CON SHEHATA ZAMIR LOOKA ES EGIPCIO Y RADICADO EN TLAYACAPAN DESDE HACE 19 AÑOS MAS O MENOS, EN POCO TIEMPO NOS PRESENTAMOS CON EL EN SU DOMICILIO, SU RECIBIMIENTO FUE MUY GRATO PARA MI ESPOSO Y YO BASTO SOLO UNAS HORAS PARA CONOCERNOS SU FAMILIA Y NOSOTROS COMO SI FUERA DE TODA UNA VIDA, LA CONFIANZA, LA SINCERIDAD Y EL RESPETO, FUE MARCANDO UNA AMISTAD INTEGRA ENTRE SHEHATA Y MI FAMILIA. ESTA SEMBLANZA NO TENDRIA OBJETO SI NO LLEVO UN ORDEN DEL INICIO DE NUESTRA LLEGADA A LA IGLESIA APOSTOLICA OXTODOXA DE SANTA MARIA Y SAN MARCOS FUE ASI EL PRIMER CONTACTO CON LOOKA COMO LE DECIMOS EN CASA, FUIMOS LA SEGUNDA FAMILIA EN BAUTIZARNOS EN LA IGLESIA DESPUES DEL SR. RODOLFO SEGURA SU ESPOSA BETY Y SUS DOS LINDAS HIJAS PRIMER FAMILIA BENDECIDA EN ESTA SANTA IGLESIA APRECIAMOS SU AMISTAD CON RESPETO Y CARIÑO, A DOÑA AMELIA HERMANA EN CRISTO INCANSABLE EN TODO MOMENTO NOS DEMUESTRA SU VOLUNTAD DE TRABAJO INCONDICIONAL PARA LA IGLESIA NO DEJO DE APRENDER QUE DIOS BENDIGA A ELLA Y SU FAMILIA, ASI SE FUE CONFORMANDO LA FAMILIA ORTODOXA, EN PARTICULAR, NO ME ES RELEVANTE EL LUGAR EN QUE LLEGAMOS LO IMPORTANTE ES QUE ESTAMOS RECIBIENDO YA TODAS LAS BENDICIONES Y SACRAMENTOS DE NUESTRO SEÑOR JESUCRISTO. LA PRIMER MISA CELEBRADA FUE EN SEPTIEMBRE DEL 2002 POR EL PADRE MIKHAIL EDUARD QUIEN TUVE LA OPORTUNIDAD DE CONOCER JUNTO CON EL PADRE AGABIUS ESTE ULTIMO VENIA DEL MONASTERIO DE ANBA BOULA EN EGIPTO CON QUIEN CONVIVIMOS 13 MESES APROXIMADAMENTE CON AGRADO RECIBIMOS MI ESPOSO Y YO EL PRIMER SACRAMENTO ( EL BAUTIZO )COMO LO ORDENA LA LEY DE DIOS A TRAVES DE LOS DOS PADRES QUE ACABO DE MENCIONAR, QUE DICHA LA DE NOSOTROS CON CONCIENCIA RECIBIR LA SANTISIMA TRINIDAD POR DOS GUIAS ESPIRITUALES Y QUE CON EL BAUTIZO BORRAMOS EL PECADO ORIGINAL, ANTES SOLO SABIA QUE PARA SER BAUTIZADO UN RECIEN NACIDO ERA VERTIR UN POCO DE AGUA BENDITA SOBRE SU CABEZA O BIEN REALIZANDO UNA CRUZ SOBRE SU FRENTE POR LO TANTO NO TENIA EL CONOCIMIENTO O ESTUDIO ADECUADO EN MI CASO SOBRE ESTE HERMOSO SACRAMENTO, PERO HOY TE PUEDO DECIR PORQUE ME SUMERGI TRES VECES EN EL AGUA BENDITA Y ABUNDANTE DE ORACION COMO ANTES MENCIONE RECIBI A DIOS PADRE, DIOS HIJO Y DIOS ESPIRITU SANTO Y TAMBIEN PORQUE JESUCRISTO A SU MUERTE PERMANECIO TRES DIAS BAJO TIERRA ANTES DE RESUCITAR LUEGO ENTONCES MUERO EN EL PECADO Y NAZCO A LA VIDA DE JESUCRISTO. ES VERDADERAMENTE HERMOSO Y DOY GRACIAS A DIOS POR MOSTRARME EL CAMINO QUE TIENE EN ESTA IGLESIA PARA MI, INCLUYENDO A MI FAMILIA CONSANGUINEA Y DE FE, DONDE TODOS LOS DOMINGOS TENEMOS LA COMUNION QUE ES EL VINCULO DE ENCUENTRO CON DIOS; A LA LLEGADA DEL PADRE ZAKARIA PROVENIENTE DEL MONASTERIO ALBRAMOUSY UBICADO EN EGIPTO, QUIEN IMPULSA NOTABLEMENTE EL SERVICIO RELIGIOSO INTERNO Y EXTERNO A PARTIR DE ENERO DEL 2006 DESIGNADO POR EL PAPA SHENOUDA III PAPA No. 117 DE ALEJANDRIA QUIEN NOS REPRESENTA DESDE ESAS TIERRAS LEJANAS DE ORIENTE Y DE SUCESION APOSTOLICA DE SAN MARCOS DE AHÍ EL NOMBRE DE NUESTRA BENDITA IGLESIA. QUIERO DECIRLES QUE EL PADRE ZAKARIA HA CONSTRUIDO PASO A PASITO UNA COMUNIDAD DONDE CONVIVIMOS DIFERENTES FAMILIAS Y RECIBIMOS POR ÉL LAS ENSEÑANZAS DE NUESTRA IGLESIA EN CRISTO Y COMO CUMPLIR CON LOS SACRAMENTOS Y EL LEGADO DE LA LEY DIVINA, NOS TRANSMITE CADA DIA COMO VIVIR CON RESPETO, PAZ Y HUMILDAD PERO SOBRE TODO EN BASE A LA LIBERTAD DE LA LEY QUE NOS REGALO NUESTRO SEÑOR JESUCRISTO, AQUÍ ASISTEN CADA VEZ MAS JOVENES Y NIÑOS NOS ENCONTRAMOS EGIPCIOS, LIBANESES Y MUCHOS MEXICANOS DE DIFERENTES ESTADOS Y PROVINCIAS DEL PAIS, SIN DEJAR DE MENCIONAR MORELOS; TODOS CON UN SOLO OBJETIVO DE RENOVAR NUESTRA FE. SIN DUDA ALGUNA COMPARTO ESTA EXPERIENCIA QUE ESTOY VIVIENDO, DESDE QUE ME DI LA OPORTUNIDAD DE CONOCER MI IGLESIA, PORQUE CADA DIA APRENDEMOS A COMPRENDER DESDE LAS DIFERENCIAS QUE NOS HACE PERSONAS Y PUEBLOS EN CRISTO. TU TAMBIEN PUEDES ACERCARTE Y RECIBIR TODAS LAS BENDICIONES PARA TI Y TU FAMILIA, ERES BIENVENIDO, DESDE AHORA TE DIGO. TERMINO AGRADECIENDO A DIOS POR DARNOS LA VIDA, ESTA IGLESIA Y POR ENVIARNOS AL PADRE ZAkARIA QUIEN REALIZA SU MISION EXTRAORDINARIAMENTE, POR BRINDARNOS SU COMPRENSION Y APOYO CUANDO SE NOS PRESENTAN PROBLEMAS O ASUNTOS POR RESOLVER QUE ES PARTE DE NUESTRA CONDICION HUMANA; ÉL ESTA AHÍ NUESTRO CONSEJERO Y GUIA ESPIRITUAL, GRACIAS POR TODAS SUS ENSEÑANZAS DIOS LO BENDICE. A TI AMABLE LECTOR POR RECIBIR MI TESTIMONIO. ALMA CASTILLO TORRES CUAUTLA MORELOS, MEXICO JULIO, 20 DEL 2008.
Testimony By Maryann Salib
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim 1:7
I have only been here in Tlayacapan, Mexico for a short amount of time, and but I have already seen God working powerfully in the mission here. This verse, from this morning’s quiet time sums up my experience here thus far. I arrived knowing the first part of the verse- the spirit of fear. Fear for many reasons... not knowing exactly what I would be doing on this mission, fear that I wouldn’t be helpful, and most of all, fear that my spanish wouldn’t be sufficient. Until this trip, I had never been able to confidently carry a conversation in spanish with a native speaker, largely due to fear of messing up. Knowing that I was only one of two people on the mission, aside from Abouna, who had studied the language, I knew there was no way I could avoid it. God was calling me to get out of the boat, to step out in faith, and let Him carry me on the water. God wasted no time. The first day, after liturgy, we went out for my first “preaching”. We divided up into groups, and went around the neighborhood, speaking with people and inviting them to the church for the medical clinic and activities we were having the next day. Being Pentecost, I prayed that God would reveal to me the power of His spirit, and maybe also the gift of speaking in tongues, or at least in Spanish, while He’s at it. And He did. Granted, conversations weren’t perfect, but by His grace, we received prayer requests, introduced people to the church and saw God’s work and His heart for His children in this place. When we returned however, I felt that though things went well, it wasn’t an experience filled with mighty rushing wind, or fire. But just in case, I thought that I had spoken on my own, the next day, I could barely hold a two minute conversation with some of our Mexican friends. His Spirit does not always come in the form of a mighty rushing wind, but it comes, when requested, and it never fails. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13 But it’s not just a spirit of power, but a spirit of love. Here in mission in Mexico, I have seen the power of love to share the gospel. Love, not just human wisdom and knowledge has built this church, and made it into a strong, and very blessed church. I think about how often in the States, we complain when things in the church are not translated from Arabic to English, and I’m humbled as the Mexican people love and embrace the church as it’s taking form and as the hymns are being translated accurately into Spanish. Here in Mexico, I have seen our heavenly Father’s desire to pour out His Spirit of power and love on us, so that we may be equipped to serve Him. We need to ask, but also be willing to step out of the boat, to let go of whatever fears may be holding us back, and trust Him. Like St. Peter, we don’t know what’ll happen when we get out of our boats, whatever it is that makes us comfortable, but we know that Christ is out there on the waves, and as long as our eyes are on Him, we know He’s going to do something great!
I have only been here in Tlayacapan, Mexico for a short amount of time, and but I have already seen God working powerfully in the mission here. This verse, from this morning’s quiet time sums up my experience here thus far. I arrived knowing the first part of the verse- the spirit of fear. Fear for many reasons... not knowing exactly what I would be doing on this mission, fear that I wouldn’t be helpful, and most of all, fear that my spanish wouldn’t be sufficient. Until this trip, I had never been able to confidently carry a conversation in spanish with a native speaker, largely due to fear of messing up. Knowing that I was only one of two people on the mission, aside from Abouna, who had studied the language, I knew there was no way I could avoid it. God was calling me to get out of the boat, to step out in faith, and let Him carry me on the water. God wasted no time. The first day, after liturgy, we went out for my first “preaching”. We divided up into groups, and went around the neighborhood, speaking with people and inviting them to the church for the medical clinic and activities we were having the next day. Being Pentecost, I prayed that God would reveal to me the power of His spirit, and maybe also the gift of speaking in tongues, or at least in Spanish, while He’s at it. And He did. Granted, conversations weren’t perfect, but by His grace, we received prayer requests, introduced people to the church and saw God’s work and His heart for His children in this place. When we returned however, I felt that though things went well, it wasn’t an experience filled with mighty rushing wind, or fire. But just in case, I thought that I had spoken on my own, the next day, I could barely hold a two minute conversation with some of our Mexican friends. His Spirit does not always come in the form of a mighty rushing wind, but it comes, when requested, and it never fails. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13 But it’s not just a spirit of power, but a spirit of love. Here in mission in Mexico, I have seen the power of love to share the gospel. Love, not just human wisdom and knowledge has built this church, and made it into a strong, and very blessed church. I think about how often in the States, we complain when things in the church are not translated from Arabic to English, and I’m humbled as the Mexican people love and embrace the church as it’s taking form and as the hymns are being translated accurately into Spanish. Here in Mexico, I have seen our heavenly Father’s desire to pour out His Spirit of power and love on us, so that we may be equipped to serve Him. We need to ask, but also be willing to step out of the boat, to let go of whatever fears may be holding us back, and trust Him. Like St. Peter, we don’t know what’ll happen when we get out of our boats, whatever it is that makes us comfortable, but we know that Christ is out there on the waves, and as long as our eyes are on Him, we know He’s going to do something great!
إختبار مايكل عازر
مجيئي إلى المكسيك لم يكن صدفة بل بتدبير إلهي! قبلما انتهيت من ماجستير بالهندسة من ولاية كولورادو كنت اتحدث مع أهلي عن الذهاب إلى مصر، ولكن قرر والدي المقيمين بمصر المجيء إلى الولايات المتحدة لزيارة الأقارب و لم أعلم ماذا أفعل لمدة شهر و نصف حتى يأتوا. لا أعرف هل كانت فكرة أم حلم اني اذهب للخدمة بالمكسيك، ولكن حينما استيقظت بحثت إذا كانت توجد كنيسة بالمكسيك على الانترنت فلم أجد ويبسايت ولكن علمت بوجود كنيسة قبطية ارثوذكسية عن طريق ويبسايت كنيسة كليفلاند. بعد ظهر نفس اليوم كنت اتحدث مع إحدى أقاربي فقالت لي إن لديها email أبونا زكريا البراموسي المسؤول عن كنيسة المكسيك، فارسلت له email ووجدت أبونا يتصل بي هاتفياً بعد يومين يرحب بفكرة مجيئي. وفعلاً جئت إلى المكسيك و مجيئي هنا كان حقاً ليس صدفة أو فكرة عابرة لأني استفدت الكثير. استفدت من خبرات أبونا زكريا و دروس الكتاب والخلوات. ومع اني لا اتحدث أسباني إلا أن الشعب المكسيكاني شعب مرح محب يرحب بالضيوف، وكانت لغة الإشارة والابتسامات هي اللغة التي استخدمتها إلى أن وصلت مجموعة من الولايات المتحدة تتحدث الأسبانية و قد كانت قوية وفعالة، فاصبح لدي أصدقاء من كل الاعمار. استفدت كثيراً من الفترة التي مضيتها، فبعد القداس أتكلم بالإشارة مع الكبار و العب مع الأطفال و بعد مضيهم كنت أعمال على إنشاء ويبسايت للكنيسة و المساعدة في ترتيب خلاجي أسباني لكي يتابع الشعب القداس أثناء الصلاة و دهان الكنيسة من الخارج و أيضاً تنظيم الكتاب المقدس باللغتين العربية والأسبانية. المكان بالمكسيك مجهز بالكامل للخلوات والرحلات فالغرف مريحة و يوجد مطبخ مجهز ويوجد سوق بجانب الكنيسة وأيضاً مطاعم كثيرة جداً. أشجع كل من تسمح له الفرصة المجيء لإختبار عمل الله الحي.
Testimony by Chris Salib
My stay at the Coptic Orthodox Church Santa Maria y San Marcos in Tlyacapan has been a spiritually strengthening experience. Before I set foot on the church grounds I was unsure of what exactly I wanted to accomplish here. All I knew was that I wanted to be enlightened with the presence, wisdom, and knowledge of God. I was willing to do any task that Father Zakaria requested of me in order to help the church and the people of this town. During my three week stay here the majority of my duties focused on painting and repairing the church. There was no pressure or any stress, but I performed my job with pride and within whatever deadlines Father Zakaria kindly asked of the group.
The overall attitude here is very relaxed. The Mexican people are very kind and are very understanding of non-Spanish speakers. I do recommend, however, brushing up on conversational Spanish before coming, or you may have to rely on hand-signals and acting out phrases as we did.
The group I was with did some “preaching” around this small town, but I would much rather call it, “talking with the townspeople.” We would set out, about three to five of us, with a Spanish Bible, an English Bible, a lot of prayers, and simply ask random passer-byers in what broken Spanish we knew, if we could read them a verse from La Santa Biblia. Most people accepted; others declined politely.
The situation among the townspeople here is that approximately 97% of them are already Catholic, but rarely go to mass, and have been taught to view church as an uninviting place. They usually go out of guilt or fear that they will disappoint God or anger Him, not because they really want to go.
Our missions was to, as I like to say, “Spread the Love,” by approaching the people with a friendly and calm attitude and try to show them God’s love through our behavior. This is one point I mean to stress. Since the language barrier hindered us from communicating exactly what we meant to say, our collective actions and demeanors were even more important in the attempt to show the character of an Orthodox Christian. We often read 2 Corinthians 5:17 because we felt it was a powerful verse that succinctly conveyed God’s message.
Overall I had a very enjoyable experience. Quiet Time was my favorite part of the day, and I would often take several Quiet Time breaks during one day if there was a lapse of free time. With beautiful green mountains towering in the background and several secluded spots on the church ground itself there is plenty of opportunity to relax, meditate, and contemplate God’s purpose in your own life.
There are small restaurants all over town, food is pretty cheap, (average meal is about 60 pesos~ about 6 U.S. dollars) and the church members are extremely kind and hospitable people. I suggest packing minimally, but bring some sunscreen, spiritual books if you wish, and an open heart. It is much easier to understand the will of God when you leave all your distractions behind you.
The overall attitude here is very relaxed. The Mexican people are very kind and are very understanding of non-Spanish speakers. I do recommend, however, brushing up on conversational Spanish before coming, or you may have to rely on hand-signals and acting out phrases as we did.
The group I was with did some “preaching” around this small town, but I would much rather call it, “talking with the townspeople.” We would set out, about three to five of us, with a Spanish Bible, an English Bible, a lot of prayers, and simply ask random passer-byers in what broken Spanish we knew, if we could read them a verse from La Santa Biblia. Most people accepted; others declined politely.
The situation among the townspeople here is that approximately 97% of them are already Catholic, but rarely go to mass, and have been taught to view church as an uninviting place. They usually go out of guilt or fear that they will disappoint God or anger Him, not because they really want to go.
Our missions was to, as I like to say, “Spread the Love,” by approaching the people with a friendly and calm attitude and try to show them God’s love through our behavior. This is one point I mean to stress. Since the language barrier hindered us from communicating exactly what we meant to say, our collective actions and demeanors were even more important in the attempt to show the character of an Orthodox Christian. We often read 2 Corinthians 5:17 because we felt it was a powerful verse that succinctly conveyed God’s message.
Overall I had a very enjoyable experience. Quiet Time was my favorite part of the day, and I would often take several Quiet Time breaks during one day if there was a lapse of free time. With beautiful green mountains towering in the background and several secluded spots on the church ground itself there is plenty of opportunity to relax, meditate, and contemplate God’s purpose in your own life.
There are small restaurants all over town, food is pretty cheap, (average meal is about 60 pesos~ about 6 U.S. dollars) and the church members are extremely kind and hospitable people. I suggest packing minimally, but bring some sunscreen, spiritual books if you wish, and an open heart. It is much easier to understand the will of God when you leave all your distractions behind you.
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