The Ribeiro family (father Robert, mother Nirma, daughter Ana, and son Matthew) are active members of the Vineyard Assembly of God Church, and father Robert is an integral part of the large Brazilian church-going crowd. is. Pastor Matthew Splitgarber sent me an email about Robert’s current situation and a little about him.
“Robert and Nirma immigrated here from Brazil, where Robert taught math, but since arriving on the island, Robert has worked for the Vineyard Preservation Trust,” the pastor wrote. “Two years ago, Robert suddenly suffered a seizure and was found to have a cancerous brain tumor. Since then, he has undergone surgery, radiotherapy and ongoing chemotherapy.”
I looked at the GoFundMe page (bit.ly/rrfamily) Read together by Anna and Matthew. “On June 5, 2022, my father Robert Ribeiro was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme stage 4, a very aggressive brain tumor. Since then, he has undergone one surgery and multiple After undergoing chemotherapy, he is now undergoing treatment for this malignant tumor. This diagnosis and treatment plan has (as you can imagine) completely changed the course of my father’s life, and our family’s life as well. The disease weakened my father mentally and physically, draining him and forcing him to give up certain roles and responsibilities.
I then called my family to check on them and found out that Robert was currently in the hospital with pneumonia on top of all his other medical issues. But I talked to Ana and she told me about her family situation. Ana said her father recently lost his job and it will now be even more difficult to pay her bills and support her family. That’s where faith comes in. She also said their church family stood up and rallied around them. “Everyone was great, but our church family went above and beyond,” Anna said. “They gave us food, donations, time, whatever we needed. Pastor Matthew did a lot, but Pastor Ricardo at Lagoinha church was also great.” That’s it. , is what faith communities do beyond constant prayer, which most people say they can actually feel. Believers have a responsibility to truly live out the Biblical concept of “love your neighbor as yourself.”
In addition to supporting the community, Nirma works from home as a baker, creating amazing cakes for special occasions. Anna is preparing for a nursing program and Matthew is working at Kroenig’s Market to help with that. She said her family came here from Brazil in 2004, first moving to Florida briefly and then heading to Martha’s Vineyard, where she has lived ever since. Robert has taught Portuguese through his ACE MV and helped with translation at MV Hospital.
Splitgerber also told me about his relationship with Ribeiros. They joined Vineyard Assembly of God Church in 2017. “Robert and his family have been very active in the church, even though his illness has limited much of his ability to participate,” Pastor Splitberger says.
He said that shortly after joining the company, Robert joined the Ministry of Translation, which live-translated services into Portuguese for those seeking assistance in that field. Nirma was elected to the church’s deacon board in 2021 and currently serves.
“It is no exaggeration to say that Robert and Nirma are beloved by the church,” the pastor wrote me in an email. “Not only are people praying for God’s continued grace, peace, and healing for them, but many in the church are also helping them financially through GoFundMe or directly or indirectly through the church. In fact, last week, someone who lives off-island but watches our live stream of worship on YouTube sent a gift of $1,000 to Robert and Nirma. .”
That’s how people in this community, and those connected to it, support each other. I asked the family if they wanted to add any information, but they primarily wanted to express their gratitude to both the American and Brazilian communities on the island. Let us hold them close to us in prayer.
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The Interfaith Climate Action Team is preparing for the 2024 Climate Action Fair, which will be held at the Agricultural Society on May 19th. They’re going to have a table there and register people for the Environmental Voter Project. Native red maple seedlings propagated by Polly Hill Arboretum from island tree seeds will also be distributed.
Abby Bates of Grace Church said five member congregations sent out information in advance of the fair: Grace Episcopal Church, United Church, First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, St. Andrews Episcopal Church and Unitarian Universalist Society. Ta. All members of Martha’s Vineyard will ring the bell 40 times at noon on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 17, 18, and 19.
“The number 40 was chosen to symbolize the goal set by the island’s planners to make the island fossil fuel-free by 2040,” Bates explained.
“All of us in the interfaith community, through our faith and our scriptures, are committed to creating a sustainable world for future generations. I realized that I was called to take care of myself,” Bates said. “We all recognize that we cannot fulfill this great responsibility alone, which is why we will work together towards a common goal.”
well done! Visit us at the Climate Action Fair!
