November 2008
Beloved Family and Friends,
This September, Walter and I celebrated 10 years of life overseas!!! When we stepped off the plane and into the humidity of Lima a decade ago we arrived with little more than a hostel reservation and a phone number. As we reminisced about ALL that we have experienced, we cannot but recognize God's faithfulness to us.
It's hard to highlight 10 years in one letter. Our good friend (and now co-worker) David saved several emails from our first months in Peru. He surprised us with them during a special dinner our Buenos Aires community had for us. Re-reading about those initial encounters with the youth in Lima was surreal. I can still picture each beautiful face we met back then.
Celebrating our decade with Word Made Flesh also signifies that most of you have been walking with us for 10 years as well. I am humbled to think that you continue to open up these letters after 10 years worth of reading, praying and giving of yourselves so faithfully on our behalf.
In these 10 years we've grown a lot and matured alongside Word Made Flesh as a mission. When we joined WMF, Walter and I became two of only a handful of North American staff. WMF has now blossomed into a community of more than 200 board members, staff members, interns and volunteers serving in 10 countries throughout the world. It's exciting to think of where the next 10 years will take us.
This February, the leaders of Word Made Flesh will gather in Nepal to implement the first version of the International Partnership Platform- the goal of which is to include the voice of non-Western leaders into the structure of WMF and strive for true partnership with our non-US brothers and sisters within the mission.
As Regional Coordinators, Walter and I are expected to attend this forum. Because travel costs have increased significantly in recent months, I alone will be attending in representation of the both of us. In order to keep a healthy balance in our support account, I will also need to additionally raise the cost of my airfare to Nepal, which is approximately $2,700. If you feel led to contribute to this one time need, please visit the support page of the WMF website for various options on how to give. www.wordmadeflesh.com/support/
One of our Argentine partners has also been invited to attend this forum. Lorena is relationally committed to the youth in Buenos Aires and has been a catalyst and participant of the ministry we do here among the youth. Please, please pray for Lorena to obtain the necessary travel visas and for the acceptance of a grant proposal, which will potentially fund many non-US participants.
Our 10 years with WMF have been an amazing journey of service among the poor. Each beautiful child, who calls the streets their home, has been an opportunity to serve Christ. As the scripture reminds us in Matthew 25, whatever we do to the least of these, we do to Him. We invite you to continue walking with us for 10 more and in the words of Mother Teresa continue finding Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor.
In awe,
Adriana Forcatto