John Mark Briglia
1956 – August 17, 2025
On June 5th, just over two months ago, my good friend John Briglia and I flew to Guatemala Bible Seminary to work on the studio construction. John was the husband of Cheryl, who serves on the CMRC board and has faithfully edited and proofed our newsletters for many years. John and Cheryl have been dear friends of ours for more than 20 years, and their daughter Grace once participated in a missions trip to Peru.
From the moment we arrived in Guatemala, John was smiling—and he never stopped. He worked tirelessly on the studio project with a joyful spirit. On August 17, 2025, surrounded peacefully by his family, John passed away at the age of 69. He was a devoted husband to Cheryl and deeply dedicated to his family.
John grew up in London, Ontario, where he enjoyed riding his motorcycle and camping with his wife and friends. He became a pilot, flying air ambulance and charter flights before moving on to Air Canada, where he retired as a Captain.
We grieve with Cheryl and her family, but we do so with hope, knowing that one day we will join John in the presence of the Lord. He set a wonderful example for all of us through his prayers, his generosity, and his service to others.
Thank you, John, for the time you shared with us.
Update Iquitos Peru Girls Education Program
Community service volunteering – Medical Campaign
In the month of June, the girls had the opportunity for community service volunteering through a medical campaign where they were able to put into practice everything they have learned, in a real environment. The medical campaign took place in the community of San Pedro, which is about 45 minutes along the Nanay River from the Rumococha (Iquitos) port. The experiences are shared by the girls below.
Mss. Sindi Mayan:
The medical campaign has been a beautiful experience. On this occasion, I served in the kitchen; due to my experience and knowledge in cooking, I was assigned to help with the preparation of food for the medical staff.
Seeing so many people coming to receive medical support filled me with lot of emotion. I say this because people cannot access health services due to being remote or because at the public health centers they only receive general or basic treatment.
Although it is true that my service this time was not directly related to health, I was able to help by giving my best in preparing and serving food to the medical staff and volunteers who were committed to this medical campaign. I am thankful to our God for giving me the opportunity, strength, and motivation during the preparation of each meal along with the kitchen team.
Mss. Paxi Tamayo:
This was the first time I participated in a medical campaign, and for me, it was an enriching and rewarding experience, as it allowed me to interact with people of different ages, providing support in the dispensing of medications prescribed by the medical team.
The San Pedro village welcomed us with warmth, and the gratitude of the people from the community was felt. People from nearby villages such as San José de Lupuna, Santa Rita and Tres Unidos also came this medical campaign.
The work was hard, with long hours during the day, but the collaboration of the whole team was exceptional. On one occasion we faced a complex case due to a hemorrhage in a patient, however, the medical team responded and created a calm environment. I believe that the connection with the team and with the people in the community created bonds of friendship and solidarity.
This experience in the medical campaign reaffirmed my commitment to serving the community to promote social well-being and allowed me to apply the knowledge I acquired at the institute in a real-life context.
Mss. Rocksy Tamayo
Thanks to this experience, I was able to strengthen my values such as solidarity, patience, and empathy, which I consider fundamental for my personal and professional growth. Moreover, participating in this activity allowed me to develop practical skills and to understand better the challenges that people, in rural communities, face in accessing health services.
One of the limitations was the time, due to the campaign lasting only three days. Also the lack of staff or more volunteers to assist in admissions and filling out forms prolonged the time it took for the people to go through all the services required. We offered medication, pediatrics, gynecology, dental, and visual health.
The lessons I learned from this experience are patience, respect, and it taught me the value of serving others. I learned that although medical campaigns are temporary, it is essential to seek sustainable ways to support these villages in the long term.
I also learned that every single help counts and is valuable; teamwork is a key to achieving good results. It was a pleasure to have shared this time with the brothers, missionaries and medical team, these are unique moments that will be in my memory and in my heart.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for the pastors and their families in Cuba as they continually struggle with power outages, food shortages, lack of transportation and other challenges in their daily lives.
- Pray for Anna as she continues to adjust to life without her husband Joshua.
- Pray for Karen as she leads the girl’s education program in Iquitos Peru.
- Pray for Douglas and Marni Springer as they travel to Guatemala September 5th to 14th to finish and dedicate the studios at Guatemala Bible Seminary.
