Have faith: friends and family

The Ribeiro family – father Robert, mother Nilma, daughter Ana and son Matthew – have been active members of the Vineyard Assembly of God Church, with father Robert an integral member of the large Brazilian population that attends the church. Pastor Matthew Splittgerber sent me an email telling me about Robert’s current situation and a little about him.

“Robert and Nilma immigrated here from Brazil, where Robert taught mathematics, but since coming to the island Robert has worked for the Vineyard Preservation Trust,” the pastor wrote. “Two years ago, Robert suddenly collapsed from a seizure, and it was discovered he had a cancerous brain tumor. Since then he has undergone surgery, radiation and ongoing chemotherapy.”

I looked up the GoFundMe page (bit.ly/rrfamily) compiled by Ana and Matthew and read, “On June 5, 2022, my father Robert Ribeiro was diagnosed with glioblastoma Mmultiforme stage 4, a very aggressive brain tumor. Since then, he has undergone one surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy and is currently undergoing treatment for this aggressive cancer. This diagnosis and course of treatment completely changed the course of my father’s life (as you can imagine), and that of our family as well. This disease has weakened my father both mentally and physically. It has reduced his physical strength to the point where he has had to give up certain roles and responsibilities.”

I then called the family to check in on how they were doing, only to discover that Robert is currently in the hospital with pneumonia, on top of all his other medical issues. However, I spoke to Ana and she informed me about the family’s situation. Ana told me that her father recently lost his job and that he will now have even more difficulty paying bills and supporting his family. That’s where faith comes in. She also told me that their church family had taken action and rallied around them. “Everyone has been great, but our church family has gone above and beyond,” Ana said. “They have given us food, donations, time and everything we need. Pastor Matthew did so much, and Pastor Ricardo from Lagoinha Church was great too.” That’s what faith communities do, beyond the constant prayers that most people say they can actually feel: believers take on the responsibility of actually living the Biblical idea of ​​”loving your neighbor as yourself.”

In addition to community support, Nilma works from home as a baker, making amazing cakes for special occasions. Ana is preparing for a nursing program and Matthew is working at Cronig’s Market to help out. She told me that her family came here from Brazil in 2004. First moved to Florida for a short period of time, then to Martha’s Vineyard, where they have remained ever since. Robert taught Portuguese through ACE MV and helped translate at the MV Hospital.

Splittgerber also told me about his connection with the Ribeiros; they joined the Vineyard Assembly of God Church in 2017. “Robert and his family have been very active in the church, although his illness has limited much of his ability to participate,” said Pastor Splittberger.

He said that shortly after they joined, Robert became involved with the Translation Ministry, which provides live translation of the service into Portuguese for those requesting assistance in that area. Nilma was elected to the church’s deacon board in 2021 and continues to serve.

“It would be an understatement for me to say that Robert and Nilma are loved by the church,” the pastor wrote to me in an email. “Not only have people prayed for them for God’s sustaining grace, peace and healing, many in the church have also helped them financially, either through GoFundMe or directly or indirectly through the church. Last week, someone who lives off-island but watches the livestream of our services on YouTube sent the church a $1,000 gift to be addressed to Robert and Nilma.”

That’s the way people support each other in this community – and those connected to it. I asked the family if they would like to add any information, and they were particularly interested in expressing their gratitude to both the American and Brazilian communities on the island. Let us keep them close to us in our prayers.

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The Interfaith Climate Action Team is gearing up for the 2024 Climate Action Fair on May 19 at the Ag Society. They will have a table there where they plan to register people for the Environmental Voter Project. They will also have native red maple seedlings to distribute, propagated from the seeds of an island tree by Polly Hill Arboretum.

Abby Bates of Grace Church sent some information and said that in the lead up to the fair, five of their member congregations, Grace Episcopal Church, the Federated Church, the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha’s Vineyard, all plan to ring their bells 40 times on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 17, 18 and 19 at noon.

“The number 40 was chosen to symbolize the island planners’ goal of making the island fossil fuel-free by 2040,” Bates explains.

“All of us in the interfaith community are called by our faith and our scriptures to care for creation – all that our creator has given us – so that we can pass on a sustainable world to future generations,” Bates said. “We all recognize that this tremendous responsibility is impossible to fulfill alone, so we are working together toward our common goal.”

Well done! We will visit you at the Climate Action Fair!