Pastor's Pen: ¡Oh, Cuán Lejos Llegarás!

Pastor James and Yarlín Yof, a youth leader in PR, in 2011 and 2024.

In July 2024, twelve youth and adults from the First Presbyterian Church of Norwalk, Ohio, traveled to Puerto Rico to partner in fellowship, service, and devotion with the Iglesia Cristiana Discípulos de Cristo Espinosa. This was not my first time in Puerto Rico. I took a youth group eleven years ago from a previous church. I am so glad that I could share this experience with our youth. Inside this edition of The Messenger, you will read some of their thoughts and reflections on the trip. You might notice that “eye-opening” was the word of the week.

Our theme for the trip this year was ¡Oh, Cuán Lejos Llegarás! That’s based on the Spanish title of Dr. Seuss’ Oh the Places You’ll Go. Together with the youth from the Espinosa Church, we considered Jesus's parables alongside the stories of Dr. Seuss.

Beyond those times of study, we served together. We helped the elderly in the church, assisted a local Presbyterian Church in preparing for their Vacation Bible School, and even cleaned a beach. We learned local culture and history while having fun in fellowship with our new friends. The heart of this trip was the relationships that we made. We learned how big the Church truly is. We can be brothers and sisters even despite differences in culture, language, and geography.

We are grateful for this church's support in making this trip possible. Without your support, our youth would not been able to have this faith-deepening experience. We hope that this will be the start of an ongoing relationship. In the near future, we would like to welcome our friends from Puerto Rico to Norwalk. Afterward, we would love for others from our congregation to visit the “Island of Enchantment.”