We had the joy of welcoming 24 participants, including Divine Word Missionaries, lay collaborators, and religious, representing 10 nationalities from various Provinces and Regions. Under the theme, “Witnesses of the Light from All the World for All People,” participants experienced a time of attentive listening, generosity, and deep reflection on the WORD through Sacred Scripture. It was a moment of community, ecclesial, and missionary celebration, where the Word became flesh in our daily lives.

During these three weeks of formation, participants deepened their understanding of the Bible and mission through several key topics, including:

• Keys to reading and interpreting the journey of the People of God in the Old Testament, presented by Dr. José Ademar Kaefer, SVD.
• The prophetic mission of Jesus in missionary outreach, based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, guided by Dr. José Guerra.
• Women and discipleship in the Gospel of John, facilitated by Juliana Triana.
• Urban communities and churches in the Letters of Paul: ministries, charisms, and gifts arising from the Spirit, as well as lay and baptismal ministries in missionary outreach, presented by Fr. Milko René Torres.
• Bibliodrama: presentation, methodology, and experiences, facilitated by María de los Ángeles Vaca.

The active and creative participation of all attendees was remarkable. Through openness to the action of the Holy Spirit and commitment to our missionary calling, participants rediscovered the richness of our charism. This encounter provided an opportunity to return to the source of our missionary identity, to reconnect with the richness of the Divine Word, and to discern the calls and invitations the Lord makes to us each day through His Gospel. It was a time of openness, creativity, and fraternity lived in simplicity, renewing our commitment to building the Kingdom of God.

The warm welcome and hospitality of the Ecuador Province fostered a strong sense of belonging, allowing participants to recognize one another as brothers and sisters in shared mission.

Fr. Miguel Ángel Armada, SVD, coordinator of the course, emphasized that “the content presented and the experiential methodologies enabled participants to deepen their missionary discipleship of Jesus from our SVD charism and the orientations of the XIX General Chapter, within the life of a synodal, merciful, prophetic Church, reaching out to the peripheries.”

Likewise, one participant from Ecuador, Alcira Mejía, shared: “The presenters were clear and understandable. They helped us deepen our understanding of biblical texts and reflect on the Word in order to apply it in our pastoral ministry. I thank the organizers and all participants for the experience of hospitality, fraternity, and family spirit.”

We were also blessed by the presence throughout the course of the General Coordinator of the Biblical Apostolate, Fr. Wojciech Szypula, SVD, whom we thank for his wisdom, his passion for the Kingdom, and his vision for the present and future of the biblical dimension of the Congregation.

We welcome the participants’ evaluations as valuable input for improving future editions and their suggestion to offer the Dei Verbum Course in the PANAM Zone every three years. “Listening to the Spirit,” we renew our commitment to continue strengthening the Biblical Apostolate in our Churches and communities, accompanying Divine Word Missionaries and lay collaborators in the ministry of Biblical Animation of Pastoral Life.