We are all one in mission: Reflections on the 2013 GEMN conference

Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps missionary Nina Boe, who serves in the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, is attending the Global Episcopal Mission Network conference in Bogota. Here she shares her thoughts and reflections on her experience so far. Many thanks Nina!

In his welcome on the first day of the conference, Franciscio Duque Gomez, the Bishop of Colombia, remarked that Bogota, a city that sits at some 9,000 feet above sea level, is that much closer to the stars. It is always remarkable to me how I often feel that much closer to God when I am in the midst of people who are passionate about mission. Now, as a member of the Episcopal Young Adult Service Corps serving as a missionary in Sao Paulo, Brazil, some might think that perhaps I am already pretty close to God, mission, and all such things in general. I was at least quite a bit closer to Colombia. And yet, even just a day or two into this conference, I am already feeling the Spirit's movement and seeing its work in the lives of the people I am so blessed to meet.

It strikes me that perhaps it is easier for us to encounter God when we get out of our comfort zones, our own communities, and the things that we think we already know. When we are so confronted with things that are perhaps uncomfortable or foreign to us, and when we realize how little we might actually know. Indeed, as we journey from one place to another we encounter God along the way. Also, perhaps our eyes are more open when we are not in our own communities - and open eyes, along with an open heart, will only aid us more in seeing God present and at work in the lives of those around us.

It is wonderful to have the chance to meet with so many people from various countries and to be blessed by learning more about the works and listening to the experiences of those throughout Latin America. It is also incredibly heartening to meet with some of the amazing men and women working in the Diocese of Colombia, and to be inspired by encountering God in their lives and ministries. It is truly an incredible experience to come together in community, to come together in mission, and to be inspired.

I have made many new friends, from Virginia to Venezuela, and I truly feel close to the people here in a deep and abiding way. As the hymn goes, "we are all one in mission" -- and whether it's listening to the amazing stories of women who have been displaced by conflict and are working towards community and personal empowerment, or hearing about the work that dioceses in the US that are participating in alongside those in dioceses in Latin America, I can firmly say that I am happy and blessed to be here.

And very glad that there is more to come.

GEMN conference participant Jeff Cornforth, from the Diocese of Iowa, with members of Mesa de Organizaciones de Mujeres Soacha (Women's Table) and Coopsermujer. The two organizations meet in, and are supported by, Mision del Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit Mission) in Soacha, Colombia.