Timely Updates from Our Jubilee Partners
Regarding a recent newsletter Jack Swanson wrote us the encouraging words below. Jack is the father of one of JEM’s co-founders, Dan Swanson. At the time of his sudden and unexpected death (2016), Dan was married to Angelica and was director of Jubilee in Mexico. Jack is now in his nineties and continues his faithful partnership, financially and prayerfully, with JEM. He wrote….
Thanks for this update on the work of JEM.
I know Dan would be so pleased to see how his efforts have
been expanded through JEM and Angelica’s very
Important work, particularly with the women.
(To which we at JEM say, “Thank you, Jack.”)
Na’Xojobal in Review
One of Three Effective Jubilee Ministries in San Cristobal
submitted by Na’Xojobal lead person Gloria Gonzalez
Gloria Gonzalez
Gloria wrote the following as a summary of Na’Xojobal’s ministries in 2023. She began with … Blessings and a new 2024 with new projects to enlarge the Kingdom of God.
About us?
NA’ XOJOBAL (in the indigenous Tzotzil language it means “House of Light”) is a project where diverse knowledge converges.
What do we do?
Na ́ Xojobal works in comprehensive community development, addressing spiritual and social needs. At this moment we are still active in the 4 Axes of Work: WOMEN in COMMUNITY, SAVINGS BANKS, COMMUNICATION AND PASTORAL CARE.
1. One of the achievements that God allowed us in 2023: the domestic technology workshops as an activity of COMMUNITY WOMEN CHIAPAS. 10 domestic technology workshops were given, a monthly workshop with different groups of 10 women. Shared workshops on making soaps, shampoo, aromatic candles, embroidery. Purpose: for family use or for starting a business (yet to be planned for 2024). We inform you that on November 18, 2023, our THIRD ANNUAL CHIAPAS COMMUNITY WOMEN’S ASSEMBLY was held in the Taniperla room, with women from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Huixtan La Costa, Venustiano Carranza border area and San Cristóbal de las Casas de Los Altos arriving. Purpose: Planning the agenda of activities for 2024.
II. During 2023 we helped 62 women, children and men to continue promoting culture in COMMUNITY SAVINGS BANKS in our two groups that we have organized so far. The great achievements were those of Sister Cristina Hernandez and Sister Petra Lopez, participants for three years in the Savings Bank CHANGING LIVES, each managing to open their Economic Family Kitchens.
III. In COMMUNICATION I thank God this 2023 for the 26 programs FROM WORD TO ACTION of ReColetos Medios broadcast on YouTube and Facebook, varied programming with interviews and forums.
IV. A long-planned goal from LA PASTORAL has become a reality this month of December 2023 and has been the construction from our faith and spirituality of the COMMUNITY OF GRACIA together with the Alter-Nativas group. This December our meetings began with the celebration of the four Sundays of ADVENT and our Christmas gathering, a great pastoral experience.
Among many other activities, these are the most outstanding of 2023. We are hoping that the God of life gives us health to continue our ministry together with Jubilee.
Mariana Velez, Board Member
She’s Another Example of JEM’s Talented Workers in Mexico Circles
Mariana Velez
Mariana was born in a small town called San Mateo Tlaixpan, in the state of Puebla, Mexico. She has a university degree as a lawyer and her areas of specialty are Human Rights and Labor Rights. She uses this knowledge to help many women to know their rights in their machismo, patriarchal households, including situations of domestic violence. She is president of the Daniel Swanson Cultural Center where a myriad of activities happen that uplift the community. A trip to Chiapas with Dan Swanson impacted her to where she shared enough land for the Cultural Center to be built. As a skilled fine-jewelry maker, she also offers arts and crafts that promote the vision of the jubilee in her community. Mariana thinks theologically about Jubilee and how to implement it faithfully. Board meetings are enriched by her presence.
The Revolution to Save Planetary Life Needs Us to Pray
Prayer as Essential, Corrective Activism
Somewhat to my surprise, I have been writing about praying—an essential, corrective, revolutionary kind. Current events have triggered me to write four posts to Substack during February on how praying the Lord’s Prayer, far from rote or mundane, is radical. To read them go to https://leevanham.substack.com and scroll down to the following titles:
Praying the Lord’s Prayer with Understanding
Election Time—Whose Kingdom Do We Want? Whose Will Do We Trust?
Daily Bread—the Revolution in These Two Words
“Civilization, Your Accounts Are Due”
These topics gave shape to the one-hour OneEarth Jubilee Forum on March 3.
The one-hour Jubilee Forums happen the first Saturday of each month at 9-10 am Pacific Time. Register (free) with lee@jubilee-economics.org or john@jubilee-economics.org. The Zoom link you need will then be sent to you. If you are a previous participant, advanced registration is not necessary.
Recordings of past Forums are now available. Ask for the link.
Prayer photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash
Eye-Opening Trips to Mexico: Come and See
One of the most impactful ways to immerse ourselves in living Jubilee happens on week-long trips to the Mexico Circles. We had to delay a trip we’d hoped to take in this April. If you have friends who’d like to benefit from the great experience of meeting Jubilee workers in Mexico, by all means let them know that JEM makes this possible. JEM trips are safe, far more affordable than most such trips, and provide direct connections with the people. Here’s your welcome from Angelica of the San Mateo Jubilee Circle:
“We are with open arms whenever more people will be interested in coming. I will let some friends in the US know about this great opportunity to interact with us and be part of our projects. Blessings, Angelica.”
OneEarth Connections—Connecting Jubilee with More People
Looking at Today’s Issues with a Theological Lens
A couple months ago Lee Van Ham began posting two to four essays each month on the Substack platform. The theme for each month also serves as preparation for the Jubilee Forum on the first Saturday of each month. If you subscribe to OneEarth Connections, you will know each time a new essay is posted. And if you participate in the Forums via Zoom, you can participate in a good exchange of thoughts on the topic of the month. Subscribing to OneEarth Connections is free, though you can opt to be a paid subscriber. All income from paid subscriptions goes to the OneEarth Jubilee ministries in Mexico and the U.S. The Forums are also free. You can visit the posted essays at https://leevanham.substack.com and subscribe too. Tell others, please!
Topics for Each Month—
February – Wisdom from Socio-Economic Margins – a guest from Mexico
March – The Revolution Needs Us to Pray – Have you thought of the revolutionary nature of the Lord’s Prayer?
April – In the Classroom with Nature – Nature knows how to live on one planet; most humans do not.
May – The Strongman Illusion – Many Americans want strongman rule to get things done. Why is this wish an illusion?
Currency Exchange Rates Lower JEM Redistributions to Mexico 15%
Every $1 donation to JEM redistributed to Mexico pays for 15% less than a couple years ago because the peso is currently really strong against the dollar. Thank you to the donors who have been able to increase their donations by 15% to make up the difference. We’re still need more donors to do this if possible. But enough increases have been received to increase redistributions to Mexico Circles by 5% as of April 1. The Circles hear this as good news. Can you help get to the full 15%?
