Over the last six years, my work with CPT in Colombia and the subsequent sharing of that work in slide presentations here in the US has been the centerpiece of my peacemaking work. On Dec. 15 I received a phone call and email from the CPT team that they had decided to ask me not to return to Colombia to be part of the team. At the same time they strongly affirmed my work and passion for peace work. This decision was a shock to me, for although there have been differences at times between me and CPT, I thought that last spring we had worked them through.
I want to say first that despite our differences, I see CPT doing lots of good, enabling Colombian farmers to stay on their land, saving lives, and exposing wrongs to the light, to name a few. And because of this I hope the Lord can somehow work things out for me to promote CPT here in the USA. We will see.
Although this news has been extremely difficult for me emotionally, I sense God has used it to help me see that it is time to separate from the CPT Colombian Team so that I might be open to a new direction that is in the making. As I’ve tried to fit into the CPT ways and expectations of me, I have felt it has been stifling the ways the Lord wanted to use me. And I feel this separation will free me up to be more available to people and the Lord. I look forward to the new direction this will take my peacemaking.
I am very thankful to God that he has given me numerous friends to share and pray with me about this, and I am grateful for His enabling me to keep a disciplined quiet time during this time. Through all this help I have come to the conclusion, that in order to move ahead with my life, I need to work with CPT to hear more specifically what brought them to ask me not to return, so that I might hear what the Lord has to teach me. This feels like a very hard task, but I am confident the Lord will be my help. And I ask you also to help by praying for me to be open to what I have to learn. I have come to an amazing peace about it all, considering how much of my identity had become wrapped up in this work.
I see an important part of my work as sharing how God is active today in the lives of people, from ordinary persons to world leaders, in bringing in his kingdom of peace and justice. I see making people aware of this good news important in this time when many people live with an underlying attitude of hopelessness for the future.
I am looking into possible involvement in Colombia through the Presbyterians and/or the Mennonite Brethren there, as well as other avenues that might open up. I have a discernment group here at Living Water Church to help me decide
on my peacemaking future direction.
Say a prayer for:
1. Me to be open to what I have to learn
2. blessings on CPT Colombia Team
3. your enemies, love them and thus join the God revolution
Many people of our Living Water Church are involved in helping refugees from Nepal, Iraq, Congo and other places. Here I am in our meeting house with three newly arrived people from Nepal and two people from our church who are involved in helping refugees. Refugees have to support themselves after three months - a challenge in these economic conditions. I spent one day (6am-10pm) going to Plow Creek and getting a truck load of our extra furniture and then distributing it to refugee families from the Congo and Iraq here in our neighborhood. I have had several good conversations, one in Spanish with a Mexican. He told me his journey from the emptiness of a life of wealth to a life committed to the Lord, where he has been used to break up crime and work on racial reconciliation.
If you are wanting to donate to my peacemaking, please wait until we have a tax deductible address to send it to - hopefully that will be very soon.
Please note our new address below.
Thanks for listening. Peace, joy, and love to you. Jim
Jim Fitz
1545 W Pratt Blvd. Apt. 303
Chicago IL 60626
Phone 1-773-856-3351
I want to say first that despite our differences, I see CPT doing lots of good, enabling Colombian farmers to stay on their land, saving lives, and exposing wrongs to the light, to name a few. And because of this I hope the Lord can somehow work things out for me to promote CPT here in the USA. We will see.
Although this news has been extremely difficult for me emotionally, I sense God has used it to help me see that it is time to separate from the CPT Colombian Team so that I might be open to a new direction that is in the making. As I’ve tried to fit into the CPT ways and expectations of me, I have felt it has been stifling the ways the Lord wanted to use me. And I feel this separation will free me up to be more available to people and the Lord. I look forward to the new direction this will take my peacemaking.
I am very thankful to God that he has given me numerous friends to share and pray with me about this, and I am grateful for His enabling me to keep a disciplined quiet time during this time. Through all this help I have come to the conclusion, that in order to move ahead with my life, I need to work with CPT to hear more specifically what brought them to ask me not to return, so that I might hear what the Lord has to teach me. This feels like a very hard task, but I am confident the Lord will be my help. And I ask you also to help by praying for me to be open to what I have to learn. I have come to an amazing peace about it all, considering how much of my identity had become wrapped up in this work.
I see an important part of my work as sharing how God is active today in the lives of people, from ordinary persons to world leaders, in bringing in his kingdom of peace and justice. I see making people aware of this good news important in this time when many people live with an underlying attitude of hopelessness for the future.
I am looking into possible involvement in Colombia through the Presbyterians and/or the Mennonite Brethren there, as well as other avenues that might open up. I have a discernment group here at Living Water Church to help me decide
on my peacemaking future direction.
Say a prayer for:
1. Me to be open to what I have to learn
2. blessings on CPT Colombia Team
3. your enemies, love them and thus join the God revolution
Many people of our Living Water Church are involved in helping refugees from Nepal, Iraq, Congo and other places. Here I am in our meeting house with three newly arrived people from Nepal and two people from our church who are involved in helping refugees. Refugees have to support themselves after three months - a challenge in these economic conditions. I spent one day (6am-10pm) going to Plow Creek and getting a truck load of our extra furniture and then distributing it to refugee families from the Congo and Iraq here in our neighborhood. I have had several good conversations, one in Spanish with a Mexican. He told me his journey from the emptiness of a life of wealth to a life committed to the Lord, where he has been used to break up crime and work on racial reconciliation. If you are wanting to donate to my peacemaking, please wait until we have a tax deductible address to send it to - hopefully that will be very soon.
Please note our new address below.
Thanks for listening. Peace, joy, and love to you. Jim
Jim Fitz
1545 W Pratt Blvd. Apt. 303
Chicago IL 60626
Phone 1-773-856-3351
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