Dear Friends, peace,
Work has been intense and you are receiving this first letter of the year at the beginning of Lent! Seems like things are going too fast… Here is some news.
In NOVEMBER I was finally able to visit The School of the Faith in Nigeria for a normal inspection. The pandemic kept us apart for three years! Fortunately, all was well, and I was able to attend the graduation of three different years of graduates who had been waiting. Pictures attached!
We were able to use the Nigeria visit to hold a training session for new dioceses who want to begin The School of the Faith. Eight new Nigerian dioceses were present, with over 30 participants. Please pray that they will take root and bear fruit.
In JANUARY, we held the same kind of training session in Tanzania, on the other side of Africa. Eighteen dioceses and two religious congregations participated, from four different countries. There were over 90 representatives and they have now returned home to begin The School. More prayers, please!
On THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD, we did a big fundraising drive in Mexico at Christmastime and partnered with Father Pablo, whose parish is about two miles from my office. He has a soup kitchen and prepares hundreds of meals every week with his team for the homeless sleeping near one of the main bus stations. We raised enough money to pay for food until the beginning of June.
At the farm in northern Mexico we are still harvesting chili peppers: I think this is the longest harvest we have ever had, well over four months. We hope to expand this year and be able to employ more people. I am also including pictures of the annual benefit dinner in Guatemala for the full-time catechists. This was at the beginning of December.
Finally, we are almost all the way through the red tape for opening the CANELA Foundation in Mexico. This will enable us to distribute the funds raised in Mexico in a transparent, tax-deductible way, especially to priests living below the poverty line, or without health insurance.
I’ll let the pictures in the report say the rest. I am praying for you and your families, and your many intentions. Thanks for your continued support!
Father Robert
