The recent trip for third year HELM students to engage in global awareness in Puerto Rico was brilliantly eye-opening. Even as someone who – modestly – considers myself to be well-versed in global cultures, faith, and social justice, there was still so much I gained from being an active listener to DOC Pastors and community members. On Saturday, the first full day of the trip, we met up with Pastor Miguel Morales who gave us the compacted tour of some of the prominent DOC churches in Greater San Juan. I loved being able to see the variety of communities and ways they have maintained their faith through Puerto Rico’s recent natural disasters and historical colonial struggles. I was most surprised to learn about the depopulation of the island, and how significant that issue is. The ICDC, la Iglesia Cristiana (Discípulos de Cristo,) is working hard to strengthen their communities, engage youth and young families, and reach out to help as many people as possible feel a sense of place and connection in Puerto Rico. These disciples are thriving on love and faith, and it gave me hope for the future of our denomination as we work to recover post-pandemic.
The Puerto Rican hospitality was wonderful; we felt welcomed and loved at each church we visited, and some had even prepared presentations based on their youth programs. Since I work with elementary-aged youth at a DOC church, this opened my mind to ways in which we can engage young voices in the church, particularly post-pandemic when many Disciples communities are facing new challenges in their youth programs.
Later in the week, we spent a day exploring and learning about Vieques Island. I went into the day knowing minimally, how the people had suffered, and still suffer, at the hands of the United States military base previously stationed on the Island. What I had not taken a moment to consider was the determination of the community on Vieques. Their people love the island dearly, and have worked hard to restore it as much as possible to its former beauty and functionality despite excess radiation, unfarmable land, and a severe lack of healthcare. It was truly inspiring to witness their faith in their home despite what I had originally perceived as a hopeless situation. This reminded me that resiliency is also a necessary component for the Disciples of Christ as we move forward into the future of the church.
At heart, the Disciples of Christ in Puerto Rico and mainland USA both believe that we have a loving God who cares for us and forgives us in all things. However, this doesn’t mean that all of our values are the same, and that is okay! Our trip was a reminder to me of the diversity, beauty, and acceptance within our denomination. Our church has a wide variety of personal, political, and social views while still maintaining that all are welcome at the table, which demonstrates how love surpasses all barriers.