One of the Mission Grants supported by the Board of World Mission is a four year commitment to fund the theological education of Hiloy Ramirez Lopez. Hiloy is a member of the Honduran Unity Province of the Moravian Church. He is currently studying for an advanced degree in Theology so he can return to be a teacher of Moravian candidates for Ordination at the the Moravian Bible Institute in Puerto Lempira, Honduras.
The BWM supports this scholarship as one step being taken to strengthen leadership and theological training in La Mosquitia, the rural area of Honduras where most of the Moravians in that country reside. When Hiloy completes his training he will be able to assist in the training of pastors in a Moravian context, closer to many students homes. This will help to increase the number of students who can afford the time and travel commitments to be trained as ordained leaders in the church.
The message below was written by Hiloy, and translated by Justin Rabbach (Executive Director of the BWM), the original Spanish version is also below.
Dear brother Justin and to the donors responsible for the support of my study for this cause and for my family,
I greet you in the name of the Almighty. In this regard I introduce myself , first thanking God who chose me from among many brothers for the glory of his kingdom, and to you all for helping to make me a useful tool for this work as a result of theological study program here in MEDA / SEPE.
I have been a pastor in the Moravian Church since 1997 specifically serving the Miskito population in Honduras. From the beginning, I have always wanted to better prepare myself in the theological area. It is very difficult to get funding to attend seminary, thankfully the BWM has chosen to support me in my studies.
By the grace of God I’m in my final year of my study, and if the Lord allows I will be graduating in December; but this would not be possible without the support of donors like you who support the Board of World Mission, and also the many who offer their prayerful support. I am totally dependent on aid to be able to take part in these courses, and without a Moravian Church nearby to the school here in Siguatepeque we are without a close community to support us, and therefore everything is to costly, such as rent, electricity, water, cable, internet, study, books, food and tuition for my daughter, who is in college taking psychology courses as a part of her first year of study.
So, I thank you immensely for his gesture of support for this ministry, and the blessing it will be to train pastors, including with the Garifuna people.
Dear brothers and sisters, I also want you to know that besides the global pandemic, divisions have caused many delays in the life of the church economically, socially, morally and spiritually. Of course, the people in our department are already learning to live with the pandemic, even with the economic problems here in Honduras.
Dear brothers and sisters, the seeds you are planting through this work and support of training is very useful and needed to grow God’s presence and glory in this land.
I would not want to end without first telling you about my family who have accompanied me on this path, such as my wife Nedy Robles, who I married on August 29, 1999, and my eldest daughter Nedina Ramírez who is in her second year of University for which I ask your support in prayer and other support, my second son is Hilary Ramírez Robles, 12 years old, and the last is Moisés Natanael Ramírez Robles, 7 years old.
Finally, once again, I thank you on behalf of my family and for the advancement of God’s work.
Hiloy
Querido hermano Justin y a los donantes por el apoyo de mi estudio para esta causa y por mi familia, les saludo en nombre del todopoderoso; en cuanto a esto me introduzco agradeciendo primeramente al Dios que me escogió de en medio de muchos hermanos para la gloria de su Reino, y a ustedes por utilizarlo como el instrumento útil para esta causa del estudio teológico aquí en MEDA/SEPE, por la gracia de Dios estoy en tercer año de mí estudio, de los ocho módulos del año estoy en el sexto módulo del año sacando exégesis de Hebreo, y el próximo año si Dios permite estaré terminando; pero esto no podría ser posible sin el apoyo de ustedes en la parte económica y se que en sus oraciones también; estoy totalmente dependiente de ayudas de esa forma ya que no tenemos una iglesia aquí en Siguatepeque y por lo tanto todo es a costo de dinero, el pago de casa, luz, agua, cable, internet, estudio, libros, alimento y también el estudio de mi hija que está en la universidad sacando Psicología en su primer año de estudio. Por lo tanto les agradezco inmensamente por su gesto de ayuda para este ministerio, y aún en esto la bendición es conectado para entrenar a los pastores garifunas. Amados hermanos sus semillas lo están sembrando en una tierra muy útil y necesitada para la gloria de Dios.
Sin mas les agradezco de parte de mi familia y para El Progreso de la obra de Dios.
Hiloy
