Last week in Puerto Rico, we visited the southwestern side of the island. Jean and I met many wonderful people with interesting stories. Each place we visited, we felt welcomed. As we looked for the best place to see a sunset, a resident in La Parguera led us to the perfect spot. We rolled into the parking area the next evening and caught a spectacular view of a Caribbean sunset. During one of our morning walks in Fajardo, we received a bag of eight mangos from a homeowner pruning his tree. We had greeted him daily on our walks. Each gift from these strangers marked the hope of sweeter days ahead.
As Hermandad moves forward, we meet new people and learn of new concerns Hermandad can address. Last year, we gave our first financial gift to the National Federation the Blind of Puerto Rico. This year we plan to give more. Hermandad has targeted Corporación Milagros del Amor, Scouting, Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico, Colegio Bautista De Caguas, and other individual endeavors of service and achievement for our gifts. As we see new needs, we stand ready to help. Sometimes we have to follow the sun through the clouds before the brilliance of a sunset fills the sky.
Almost forty years ago, I served as a mission worker in North Carolina. Gathering data in crowded neighborhoods where people faced massive needs on every block, I wondered what my reports would bring. Poverty, abuse and neglect bore a raw sore everywhere. The sponsoring church’s pastor advised me – “Do what you can do in this moment. The need will still be there when we die.”
Signs of change surfaced in a few months. A church member donated property for a mission center. Other church members volunteered to assume new roles serving the community. They uncovered new ways to shine with brilliance.
Hermandad was born months before a world pandemic. We faced overwhelming needs we wanted to address as resources dried up on the island and mainland.
Five years later we still keep finding new people with a heart for Puerto Rico. Through your gifts, both physical and financial, we grasp opportunities to serve the needs of others.
With each completed Hermandad project, hues of love and hope endure. The kindness of your gifts match the sweetness of a ripened mango and the beauty of a Caribbean sunset.