2016 offered me a wide range of human experiences: fresh beginnings, difficult farewells, laughter, joyful reunions, weariness, blessings in unexpected places, rewarding challenges, divine encounters, new friends, opportunities for growth. and the love of those precious people whose lives intersected mine.
Here are a few photos from this past year:
Participants in a workshop about reconciliation, which I co-lead with María Helena and Alba.
Farewell to my dear friends: David and Tibrine, John Freddy and Margarita, and Amanda.
Just a few of the many good-byes this year.
Making music with my little friend Benjie is one of the greatest blessings this year has granted me!
While visiting partner churches in Bogotá, Colombia, I unexpectedly ran into three friends from very different parts of my life: Paul, a friend from Goshen College; Juanita, a friend from Santa Cruz, Bolivia; and Susan, a friend from Pennsylvania. What a wonderful surprise!
Women gathered in prayerful solidarity and protest against femicide and violence against women. We stand together, offering love and companionship through some of the ugliest injustices.
One of the highlights of every week is my visit to "los abuelitos."
Not without resistance on their parts and persistence on mine, I successfully made friends with Pepita and Odie, with whom I share my patio.
In December I had the opportunity to visit my host family in Santa Cruz, Bolivia!
It's been 6 years since I lived with them, but their love and hospitality are as precious to me as ever!
Singing for hours and playing soccer with some young friends who had to seek refuge in the church.
Playing carols with my sister, Petra, for the Refugee's Christmas Lunch held at church.
Celebrating the birth of Jesus and the end of this year with some of my favorites!
¡La paz de Dios esté contigo!
This is great, Gloria! You inspire me! I think I might feel more ready to move on if I summarized my past year with a dozen photos like this. Could I? Would I?
ReplyDeleteThanks! Love and miss!