Taguasco is a small farming town of approximately 2,000 residents near a crossroad on the main east‐west highway. It is inland about halfway north to south and east to west. The town is walkable, consisting of a few stores and restaurants, and homes with small gardens. The church is located on a main street next to a cigar factory. It consists of the church building, a small courtyard and gardens, and the original building.
Lay Pastor:
Dina Hernandez with Oversight from Pastor Edelberto Valdes
Congregation:
Founded January 23, 1928
120 participants in worship
Mission Activities:
The church loves children providing both adult and children choirs and Sunday schools. They hold quarterly birthday parties for friends and members plus knit scarves for the school children to wear and blankets for the newborn babies at the hospital. The members have a strong call to social justice helping those who are underserved and welcoming the LGBT community.
Connections:
First and Franklin Presbyterian Church’s minister met the Tasguasco Presbyterian Church during the 2013 Encuentro. She knew we were a good match and two years later, we made our sister church relation official. We have visited the church a total of four times and have found a congregation that lives a joy filled life ‐‐ a community full of song and laughter, who cares for the children in their town through parties and a kniƫing club, and who ministers to the needy through a weekly food delivery program. Between difficulties in communication and having the two members who initiated the relation move away, we feel like we are still in the beginning stages of this relationship. First and Franklin keeps the church of Tasguasco in our weekly prayers and has sent down musical instruments for the children’s choir, yarn for their kniƫing projects, and plastic containers for their food delivery project. We have collected money to help with their much needed new roof and to establish a scholarship fund to support visits from members of their congregation. A highpoint occurred in the fall of 2015 when our beloved Norma was able to visit Baltimore through the presbytery exchange. She helped us celebrate world communion Sunday followed by a fiesta with food, a band, and a photography exhibit of Tasguasco of which she shared stories.
Church Partnership:
First and Franklin Presbyterian Church (2013)
