Letter on Merger - Proyecto Amistad & Laredos Unidos

May 13, 2006

Dear Friends,

We write to you to announce good news. You are witnesses to how God has expanded the Proyecto Amistad ministry beyond the border into the rest of Noreste Presbytery and even into three other presbyteries in the interior of Mexico over the past three years. What you may not know is that Amistad’s sister ministry, Laredos Unidos (with its base in Laredo, TX and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas), has been expanding its operations as well, working with Noreste Presbytery congregations in Saltillo, Coahuila in addition to Nuevo Laredo.

Over the past 5 months, Noreste Presbytery and the boards of directors of Laredos Unidos and Proyecto Amistad have been in discussion about a possible merger of the two entities, with the purpose of consolidating the partnership between the PCUSA and the INPM with regard to its work within the bounds of Noreste Presbytery.

After securing the approval of the International Joint Mission Commission, the Presbyterian Border Ministry Council, Mission Presbytery (PCUSA) and Noreste Presbytery (INPM), both boards of directors met on May 6th, 2006 to make a final decision in favor of the proposed merger which will become effective January 1, 2007.

Decisions as to who the coordinators of the new ministry will be, where the ministry will be based, what the ministry’s name will be, etc. will be decided by the boards’ newly appointed transition committee and ratified by the full boards during the coming months. For that reason, we are unable to provide you with any additional information at this time. We simply ask that you keep the boards, the transition committee, and ministry coordinators in your prayers as we seek the Lord’s guidance in creating the new ministry.

On behalf of the Amistad board of directors, we thank you for your faithful support for this ministry over the years and we wish to assure you of several things:
1). Though this may appear to be an "end" to the existing ministries, it really is a continuation of both of them. We like to see it from the perspective that Amistad and Laredo have both "come of age" (aged 21 and 18 respectively) and are now ready to be married, to be created into something new which will be better able to serve you and your partnerships with Presbyterian congregations throughout Noreste Presbytery.
2). Roberto and I have been two of the primary proponents of the change because we believe it to be part of God’s plan for more effective partnership facilitation between our two denominations in this region of Mexico.
3). Though the merger will certainly bring about changes in how your partnerships are coordinated, we do not foresee the change having any negative impact on your burgeoning relationships with your Mexican partners. Though we may not be able to guarantee any specific plans for 2007, all of Amistad’s commitments for 2006 will continue as planned.
4). As the transition committee allows, we will provide you with any and all information pertinent to your partnership with us in ministry.

And again, we thank you for giving us the honor of facilitating your partnerships in Mexico.
By His grace,

Susie Frerichs and Roberto Medina
Coordinators of Proyecto Amistad
For the Amistad Board of Directors

The date given above is an artifice; please disregard.