What does it mean that Covenant and Dulce Nombre attempt to "accompany" each other's communities? One very concrete way is that we get to know individual members of each community and love and care about them. So this moment is an important one for us at Covenant to accompany them.

 

One precious member of their community, Esperanza, passed away at an advanced age and after a long illness in her home. Esperanza was surrounded by family and community members. Eduardo and Luis from Entre Culturas had visited her the week before she died. With their messages of love, they also carried ours from Covenant. Esperanza was exactly where she wanted to be at the end, accompanied by those most dear to her.

 

In the faith community of Nicaragua and in much of Central America, a person who has passed from life to death is celebrated as " Presenté." Esperanza, the matriarch, remains presenté. One coincidence that carries great symbolic meaning for both communities is that Esperanza died on the birthday of our dear friend and member Newell Hendricks, who also remains presenté. Esperanza and Newell were wise ones or sabios in our communities and treasured each other and our hermanamiento relationship.

 

One other member connected to the Dulce Nombre community has also just passed away. He too was an older family member and although we did not get to know him, he was the father of Ruber, one of Dulce Nombre's leaders who has visited us a number of times in Boston. His wife is Mariana, another key leader in the village. We send our love and support to Ruber and Mariana's family, as Ruber's father remains presenté.

 

While we at Covenant accompany the village, they too accompany us. They are holding in their hearts the members of Covenant, those they have met in person and those they have learned about. They celebrate when we celebrate and mourn when we mourn. For example, they accompany the happy news of Sophie Vizza's (daughter of Liz) coming marriage; the birth of Selma Louise (Rebecca Groves Ludovico's daughter); Johanna Olm-Thomas' (Kay's daughter) second child; Meghan and Joe Celli's first child; and they send their love to those of our community who seek all of our prayers of accompaniment: Elsa and Reine Abele; Jennifer Wegter-McNelly and family; Dorothy Frank; Nat Carleton; Merlin Southwick on his father's passing; and many, many more, North and South.

 

Also in support of our hermanamiento, thank you to all Covenanters who made soup and purchased it. And please join us Sunday, March 17, when we will worship in the style we have learned from them, the Reflection on the Word. May we be enriched by being a joined faith community, presenté with each other.