Soon after Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, FLF Executive Director Greg Morrow received an unanticipated letter in the mail in October 2017: a check from the Evangelical Church of the Word in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The church was making its regularly scheduled payment to FLF’s Macedonia Project. (See more about the project here.)
Greg was surprised, but not shocked: “I had been trying to reach our partners at this church for weeks since the hurricane hit, but there was no electricity, no cell service, no communication. Fajardo took a direct hit.”
Soon after receiving the check in the mail, Greg finally talked to the church’s longtime, now retired pastor, Eduardo Soto Padin (pictured at right with wife Josephina). Greg encouraged the church to keep the money to use for expenses related to clean up from the devastating hurricane. “I told him the Macedonia Project is doing fine – there is no need for you to continue payments after what you’ve been through.”
But Eduardo would have none of it. He said, “My friend, once a pledge has been made, the commitment must be kept.” The church honored its three-year commitment with its final contribution in November 2017. With the final contribution came yet another surprise, yet one Morrow said once again failed to shock. The church had included extra money in the final check.
