As of March 1, 2012, La Iglesia de la Resurreccion will be under the leadership of the Pastoral Team of Francisco Lopez, Pastoral Leader, the Rev. Robin Ringland, Deacon and Baudelina Paz, Children’s Ministry Leader. Sunday Eucharist services will be celebrated by ELCA Pastor Emilio Benitez until a new priest is called.
The Rev. Josefina Beecher is retiring on disability and leaving Resurreccion in the able hands of Francisco, Robin and Baudelina. Francisco and Baudelina have both been with Resurreccion since it’s start in 2003. Deacon Robin did her internship as a postulant in 2009 and was assigned to Resurreccion after being ordained. Francisco has assumed more and more responsibility and has become more involved in the day to day ministry of Resurreccion and in the Diocese and in the community. He is talented, wise and compassionate. He first started to play guitar for Resurreccion and continues to volunteer playing guitar for Sunday services. He also has been trained as a community organizer and has become familiar with resources and services in the Skagit Valley area for the benefit of the Latino community. He also is active in the Diocese as the co-chair of the Indo-Hispanic Ministry Committee and as a representative on the Multi-cultural Ministry Commission. Robin has taken the youth and families of Resurreccion into her heart and has been an important bridge between Resurreccion and congregations around the Diocese. Baudelina was baptized and celebrated her Quinceanera at Resurreccion. Since then she has been active in the Youth Group, including going on our Mission Trip to San Francisco in 2010. She has been a Youth delegate to Convention and then a non-voting delegation from Resurreccion this past year. She now is a member of the Resurreccion Bishop’s Committee. She has been trained in Godly Play and has taken the Safeguarding God’s Children training. She recognized the importance of children to this community and has taken on the responsibility of guiding that ministry.
The Bishop’s office will be in conversation with the Resurreccion staff and Bishop’s Committee as a search begins for a Spanish-speaking priest to come to Resurreccion. There is no definite time-frame for that search at this time. We are very grateful that Pastor Emilio Benitez of our sister Lutheran congregation, El Camino de Emaus in Burlington is willing to provide sacramental ministry in the interim.
Please keep Francisco, Robin, Baudelina, Emilio and the entire congregation in your prayers and stay tuned for further developments in this thriving congregation.

‘Santas, Santos’, el santoral de la iglesia episcopal ahora esta disponbile en espanol. Oprime el enlace (link) en la columna a la derecha abajo la categoria de ‘Informacion sobre la iglesia episcopal/anglicana’. Alli oprime ‘Santas, Santos’. Busque la fecha de hoy para leer acerca del santo o santa del dia y para encontrar la oracion de su dia.

Today, Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Harry Reid (D-NV), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) and John Kerry (D-MA) introduced the “Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011,” a bill that seeks to fix a system that has been broken for far too long. The legislation proposes a balance of solutions, such as enhanced enforcement measures and a mandatory E-verify program which is paired with strategies to address the current population of undocumented workers, improvements to regulating future flows of legal immigration, a commission to study and regulate temporary worker programs, as well as efforts to support the integration of immigrants into America.

The following is a statement from the American Immigration Council’s Executive Director, Ben Johnson:

“We welcome the introduction of the ‘Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011’ the first immigration reform bill of the 112th Congress that proposes a framework for lasting reform. Senator Menendez and co-sponsors should be commended for offering the country an alternative to the enforcement-only bills proposed by immigration restrictionists. While some politicians propose mandatory E-verify without any counter-balancing attempt to help needed workers retain their jobs, the Menendez bill proposes a strategy for the current population of unauthorized immigrants to get right with the law, implementing mandatory E-verify only in the context of broader system reforms.

The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act’ presents Congress with a clear choice between enforcement-only bills that squander the country’s resources and human capital, and thoughtful, long-range legislation that puts in place the tools for a 21st century immigration system. Members of Congress have, thus far, provided only simplistic enforcement-only solutions and sound bites. The Menendez bill, however, gives Congress the chance to prove that it is willing to put good policy over political expediency, engage in a serious and constructive debate over immigration reform, and focus on realistic solutions rather than passing this year’s political Band-aid.”

The ministry we do at Resurrección is complex, heart-rending and rewarding. Let me tell you about my day yesterday. First thing in the morning I went to pick up a parishioner at her house to attend a court hearing for her son. We were met at the courthouse by a counselor from his school who is fluent in Spanish and works closely with immigrant kids. His mom only speaks Mixteco and understands very little of what is happening to her son who has been in juvenile detention pending trial for three months. He is not charged with a violent crime but because of possible immigration problems he has not been released. When court was over I took her home. She needed a ride to and from court because she cannot read and write in any language and therefore cannot get a driver’s license. Back at my office I had an appointment with a man who had gotten the fingers of his left (writing) hand caught in a fertilizer spreader. He needed help with his L&I claim because his time loss checks were being calculated at far below what he had been making. He had been making about $2900 a month and L&I was paying him about $1300 a month. I think we got that straightened out. Then a man came in who had been attacked a couple of months ago in a hate crime. He was afraid to press charges and just wanted me to help him get the police to return his clothes which they had kept as evidence. His shirt had been covered in blood and was torn but he hoped to get his shoes and pants back. After a few phone calls he was able to go get his clothes from the police evidence technician. Next a woman came in asking for help with her rent but my discretionary fund is empty so I couldn’t help her. A woman who has just started coming to our services came to talk to me about baptizing her three children and I happily explained that to her. Then I spent some time reviewing our books, depositing checks and working on a grant application. A parishioner came in to ask me to sign off on some community service hours for a ticket he got so he wouldn’t have to pay so big a fine. He is always willing to help out around the church, so I was happy to help him out. After that Francisco and I met with the pastor of the Burlington Lutheran congregation and a woman who works for local radio station KSVR to talk about a presentation for parents about their rights and responsibilities in relationship to their children’s schools. They are planning to give these classes at both our churches. A young couple from the congregation came in to talk to me about how to get help because they had lost their house, selling it at a short sale, and still they owe money. All day long children came in to the office running towards the table with the crayons and paper and the bin with legos and the other toys. Sometimes they sneak over to the computers when they are not all being used for studying for the drivers’ license exam, and if he has time Francisco will set them up on some educational games. When I left the office for the night I went back to the house of the woman who I had gone to court with in the morning. Because she doesn’t speak Spanish I had made an appointment to talk when her sister-in-law, who is 13 and speaks English, could help as an interpreter. We talked about her son’s case and I was able to explain some of what was going on. Such is a day at the office of La Iglesia de la Resurreccion. Thanks for your support as we ‘give even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones.’ (Matthew 10:42)