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| Family vacation in Puerto Rico. |
-Will
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Family Portrait/Email Update
-Will
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
What exactly is beginning?
Cuba has always been a
big part of my life. When I was three years old, my family welcomed into our
community in Connecticut a family from Cuba who we had sponsored as political
refugees. My father, the Reverend Mark Pendleton, passed on to me a particular
love for Cuba. He spent a year on the island in 1986 as a seminarian and a
Volunteer for Mission for the Episcopal Church. I began my own interest in all
things Latin American in first grade when I attended a Spanish immersion
elementary school in Silver Spring, Maryland. Today, I have multiple visits of
my own to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Argentina and Cuba under my
belt.
Currently, I am a Global Studies major in my
second year at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. My intention is to
take a year off from my academic studies to experience first-hand the work of
the Episcopal Church in Cuba that has played such an important part thus far in
my own journey. I have been accepted into The Young Adult Service Corps (YASC),
which is a ministry for young adults who are interested in exploring their faith
in new ways by living and serving in communities around the Anglican Communion.
As someone who is already bilingual in Spanish,
I hope to offer the Episcopal Church in Cuba my growing knowledge of their
history, and my nascent love of their people, culture and music. My proposal
will be an asset to the diocese by strengthening their vital multiple companion
relationships throughout the Episcopal Church.
Specifically, I want to advance the ongoing work
to fund and construct Camp Blankenship in Santa Clara Province, in addition to
participating fully in the important youth ministry of the diocese. I will also
be taking the lead in organizing a peace and reconciliation pilgrimage for the
Community of the Cross of Nails in 2014.
In order to make this
program possible I need to raise $10,000. My trip for the year can be fully
funded with 100 gifts of only $100 a piece. Another option would be to sponsor
one day for $35. The easiest way to contribute to this mission experience is to write a check made out to "Christ Church" and mail to: Christ Church, 43 Pine Street in Exeter, NH 03833. Please write "Will Pendleton YASC" in the memo line. Please Email me at PendletonYASC@gmail.com if there are any issues or questions that remain.
In thanks for your support of this experience, I
will post updates throughout the year with news and the latest developments of
my mission, via blog and email (keeping in mind that internet access in Cuba is
very limited and expensive.) Thank you for considering helping me make this
experience possible!
Que Dios le bendiga –
May God bless you.
Will Pendleton
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