January 6, 2015
Dear friends,
Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom we have the hope of eternal life by the grace and mercy of God our Father. I wish you all a 2015 filled with faith, love, joy, and peace.
Most of you have heard that my dear Chuy recently went home to be with the Lord. His death was sudden and completely unexpected. I’m sure you have many questions; I’ll try to answer a few of them.
We had planned to spend Christmas vacation visiting our family in Illinois and Minnesota. Chuy had been complaining of stomach pains and indigestion, but we made our scheduled flight, arriving in Chicago early Saturday morning, December 20. That day we saw part of our family, but by early Sunday morning he was feeling bad enough to go to the emergency room in Rockford, where we were informed that he was having a heart attack. All three of our children arrived in time to talk with their dad, and surgery was scheduled for Monday. However, his heart stopped early Monday morning and he was gone from us.
Following Chuy’s often-expressed desires, his body was cremated where he died, in Rockford, Illinois. A memorial service was held at Central Christian Church in Rockford, officiated by our dear friend Doug Lay, a former missionary to Puerto Rico. Another memorial service is being planned in Puerto Rico.
My immediate plan is to return to Puerto Rico as originally scheduled, on January 18. Our son Jonathan will go with me and stay a week to help me begin to organize my new life. Chuy and I had intended to move this spring from our “Eden” in the mountains, so that the house we’ve occupied since October of 2000 can be renovated and converted into the central building of a Christian retreat center, or camp. We were looking for a house that we could rent in the area, so that Chuy could continue to be involved in the camp ministry.
Now, however, my plans must change. I need to move out, but since I can’t do the physical work that Chuy was doing to care for the 21-acre camp property, it makes more sense for me to rent an apartment in the San Juan area. I hope to continue to serve on the camp board, to take a more active role with Puerto Rico Christian School, and to look for ways to serve at Toa Baja Christian Church. Perhaps I can explore more areas of ministry to women.
One of my concerns for the future is financial. You may recall that I teach translation at the University of Puerto Rico, but that is currently just one class—three credits—and pays very little. I also work as a freelance translator and editor, which has been helpful in supplementing our income but falls far short of a full-time job.
During the next few months I will be praying—a lot!—and seeking God’s guidance for my future service. I feel that I still have work to do as a missionary in Puerto Rico, but I want to follow His leading and not my own desires. Please pray for Puerto Rico and for Christ’s church on the Isle of Enchantment.
And pray for my family and me as we deal with the realities of life without Chuy. It’s going to be very hard, but we know our Lord and the strength that he gives to his children. John 2:17 reads: “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” Chuy is living forever with the Lord. My job is to continue our ministry as long as God wills.
Our hearts were greatly warmed by the many expressions of love for Chuy, and prayers and condolences for us, that we have been receiving. Please be joyful as you remember him! Thank you for your love and your partnership with us through Caribe Christian Mission.
Love in Christ,
Jane
TO: The Supporters of Caribe Christian Mission (CCM)
FROM: The Members of the Board of CCM (Tracey, Geri, Jane and Miriam)
First, we want to express our deep appreciation for your many years of faithful support of the mission work in Puerto Rico through CCM and Jesús and Jane Ramírez. It is with a heavy heart that we send this letter to you, but in view of the sudden death and unexpected promotion of Jesús “Chuy” Ramírez– Briseño on December 22, 2014, to be forever in the presence of the Lord, the Board has named Jane Ramírez as Missionary for CCM.
The Board has asked Jane to assess her current activities within Caribe Christian Mission and form a plan for her ministry focus. The board would also ask all who support this work to continue their support at current levels for the next six months. This will give Jane much needed time to process the changethathastakenplace,andseektheLord’sguidancefornextstepsgoingforward. Attheendof that time period, the goal would be to present a clear direction for the work of Caribe Christian Mission, and enable you to make an informed decision on continued support for the mission as outlined at that time.
Chuy and Jane were partners in this mission work, each contributing unique gifts of ministry. Though Jane cannot do the same things Chuy could do, there are a number of areas in which she can continue to serve. Jane may be asked to fill Chuy’s vacant seat on the Puerto Rico Christian School (PRCS) Board of Trustees. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she is highly educated in the art of translation, and will be invaluable in various capacities at PRCS.
Jane will continue to teach translation courses at the University of Puerto Rico, and she occasionally works as an editor of school textbooks and standardized tests. She will continue to serve on the Board for Taíno Christian Center, contributing to women’s retreats and other camp programs as they occur. Jane will move her residence from the camp to the Levittown/San Juan area where much of her work takes place.
Regarding Iglesia Cristiana de Yauco: One of the many questions we cannot answer at present is the direction for the church in Yauco. It will remain, for the most part, a process that will be handled by the membership of the church. Jane will continue to lend support and maintain a relationship with the church. That relationship will likely change due to her move to the San Juan area.
Jane has lived in Puerto Rico since 1972, and it is her home. We hope you will agree to continue supporting this work, with the intent that at the end of six months, Jane will be prepared to outline what will come next.
Let us know your thoughts.