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Bishop Benjamin Feliz was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. After many years of ministry in Chile,
Nicaragua, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Southeast United States, he was appointed director
of Finance and Publications for the COGOP International Offices. He was then selected as general presbyter for
Mexico, Central America, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. He received a BA in Business Administration from
Eastern College in St. Davis, Pennsylvania, a B.A. in Theology from Florida Seminary in Orlando, Florida, as well
as a Master of Business Administration from Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee. He and his wife, Damaris, have
two children.

God is at work in this region, even as we grapple with the MEXICO
tragedies that have taken place this year. Truly, the Church has
an opportunity to be a “City on a Hill” and share the hope of In September, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico
Christ even during the darkest times. near the city of Puebla. More than 370 lives were lost, more
We claim the promise of God that, “When you pass through than 6,000 people were injured, and 40 buildings collapsed.
the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall The quake occurred exactly on the anniversary of the earthquake
not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall of 1985 in which 10,000 lives were lost.
not be burned; neither shall the flame scorch you” (Isaiah 43:2 This time, our churches were affected. Three of our church
NKJV). buildings and a parsonage were structurally damaged to the
point that the government has prohibited the use of the buildings.
Our brothers and sisters in Mexico need our support, especially
PUERTO RICO in the state of Morelos, where most of our church family was
Our hearts were broken to see the images on TV as Maria, affected. At the time of this writing, some of our church members
a category 5 hurricane, destroyed much of Puerto Rico in the are still living in shelters.
fall. According to some sources, there were more than 400 Please continue to give through designated giving by marking
hurricane related deaths and life in Puerto Rico changed for your donations “Mexico Relief Fund”. Construction teams will
everyone. Authorities projected that electrical power would be traveling to the area to assist our family in this time of great
not be restored for at least eight months. Some believe that it need.
will take much longer for remote communities. We thank all those who have already sent their offerings.
As we mourn the loss of many lives, we also thank God for his
mercy and protection over our church family. All our churches
were affected to some degree. Five church buildings lost their
roofs and sustained water damages. One church building may
need to relocate due to the gravity of the damages. Another
building, which was under construction, will need to start over.
Our campground also suffered some damages and will need
significant repairs.
We thank God for the generosity of our brothers and sisters
around the world. Some have donated generators, food, or —Ben Feliz
money. Their spirit of solidarity has been great. But our brothers Mexico, Central America,
and sisters need our support now. Please continue to donate Spanish-speaking Caribbean
your time and resources to help Puerto Rico rebuild. There General Presbyter
will be construction teams traveling to the island in the future,
when conditions improve. If you feel led of the Lord, please
contact the office of the Central America General Presbyter to
coordinate your efforts or send your offerings to our International
Offices as a designated gift marked “Puerto Rico Relief Fund”.

14 WWM FEBRUARY 2018