Page 5 - tesis

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS\u000AI want to acknowledge my deep thankfulness to God for his presence, faithfulness and provision in helping me to complete these studies. Without Him, nothing would have been possible. It was all accomplished only through His grace and mercy shown to his servant.\u000AMy special thanks go to my supervisors Dr David Martin, Dr Paul Freston and Dr Virginia Garrard-Burnett who guided me, encouraged me and offered me their friendship through the whole research process. I am thankful for their knowledge, experience and excellent support during the writing of my thesis. Their deep analysis of Protestantism and its pertinence to the reality of Latin America has enriched my perspective and academic training.\u000AI am grateful for the spiritual and financial support of International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, Tearfund, the Latin American Theological Fraternity, World Vision and the Mustard Seed Foundation. I particularly want to thank Lindsay Brown, Gordon Davies, Dr Manfred Grellert and Dr Tito Paredes, for their support in my studies and for their fellowship in the missionary journey. I am thankful to Dr Chris Sugden, Dr Vinay and Colleen Samuel for giving us the opportunity to be part of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies family. I particularly want to thank Ms Hilary Guest for her ongoing friendship and support. My thanks go also to Dr Ben Knighton for his understanding and encouragement in helping me to finish the thesis and to the OCMS faculty and staff members for their support.\u000AI am grateful to the Church pastors who contributed to my research, for allowing me into their churches and sharing with me their ideas and faith experiences. I particularly want to thank pastors James Jankoviak and Harold Caballeros. I am greatly thankful to the lay people who shared with me their vision, ideas and experiences making it possible for me to write this thesis.\u000ATo Headington Baptist Church for their friendship and spiritual support during my studies in Oxford, especially I want to thank to Cecily and John Delderfield, John and Sheila Coyle, Margaret Stranks and Pastor James Bloice-Smith and his family. Equally, I am thankful for the support and prayers of Comunidad Evangelica Fe y Mision my local church in Guatemala. Especially, I give thanks to Eckard Shumann and the pastoral team. To members of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students staff in Oxford and the Latin American Regional Team for their fellowship and special support, particularly to Ziel Machado, Felicity Bentley Taylor, Dr Jorge Atiencia and the general secretaries of Mexico and Central America.\u000AI am very grateful for the friendship, fellowship and work of those who have translated the thesis: the Bullon family, and Dorothy in particular who translated most of the thesis, Joan Meger, Lindsey Capper, Felicity Bentley Taylor and Anja Rajaobelina who helped me with translating the final pieces.\u000AI want to thank my family who have supported, understood and endured my long absences during this time of study. I especially want to thank my wife, Lily Escobar for her unconditional support in accompanying me in my studies and for her help in the process of undertaking field studies. I am grateful to my mother, mother-in-law and all my extended family for their spiritual support during this long period of study.\u000Aii\u000A