Interesting people at the pre-World Mission Celebration 2009 and pre-celebration activities in Cincinnati:
- Amy Robinson, now long-term international mission worker in northern Mexico and El Paso and one-time college roommate of former Youth Team member Kelsey Rice (now Kelsey Rice Bogdan).
- Carolyn Thalman, mother of Jennifer Thalman, one of the leader of the Looking for Lilith theater group that presented “Strangers/Extranjeras” in Louisville this summer. Carolyn subtlely promoted “Strangers,” which has been touring.
- Richard and Debbie Welch, both from the Spokane (Washington) area in the Inland Northwest presbytery. It was Richard who uttered that pivotal statement: “They need someone who cares.” Debbie had not been involved with Inland Northwest’s partnership when they were trying to connect with five Q’eqchi presbyteries (including with Izabal) but has gotten involved as the refocused their partnership with a central Guatemala Q’eqchi’ presbytery (Polochick).
- Becky and Morton, from Howard County (Maryland) First Presbyterian Church. It was Becky with whom Pastor Jane, Ben, and I spoke in the pivotal speaker-phone conversation a year or so ago. Morton, Guatemala mission network convener, is co-pastor with his wife, Susan, with whom Soni and I had spoken (along with with Becky) at the 2007 Louisville network gathering.
- Rich, a retired business executive who has worked with U.S. church on central Guatemala Habitat for Humanity projects and then other school-oriented construction projects. Like the Inland Northwest folks in their new partnership and us, Dan’s familiarity with some Guatemalan communities – in this case near Coban, essentially the capital of Q’eqchi’ Guatemala – goes back about two or three years ago. He’s got no church partner and seems more intent on being involved in projects, particularly related to education.
- Roger Marriott, the PC(USA) international mission worker whose week had started with a tough e-mail from a Amigos activist from Roger’s home state of Tennessee that was essentially a letter of resignation from the Amigos steering committee, who was stressed when he realized that no one from Tennessee was coming and yet tried to salvage the Amigos gathering and some kind of Amigos agenda with just the five of us in the basement of downtown Cincinnati’s Covenant Presbyterian Church (including two newcomers, Becky and Dan).
- Maria Zack, a Southern California professor and World Mission activist with whom I worked on one of several projects for World Mission.
- Tracey King (now Tracey King Ortega), the PC(USA) Nicaragua-based Central America regional liaison, who had been active in past network and Amigos gatherings, and who at this gathering led an interesting personal values clarification exercise – a self-awareness activity to help people their and others’ values and help inform cultural sensitivity efforts – and then translated for the tough-minded presentation by Ivan Paz, the head of the national Guatemalan evangelical Presbyterian church.
-- Perry
- Amy Robinson, now long-term international mission worker in northern Mexico and El Paso and one-time college roommate of former Youth Team member Kelsey Rice (now Kelsey Rice Bogdan).
- Carolyn Thalman, mother of Jennifer Thalman, one of the leader of the Looking for Lilith theater group that presented “Strangers/Extranjeras” in Louisville this summer. Carolyn subtlely promoted “Strangers,” which has been touring.
- Richard and Debbie Welch, both from the Spokane (Washington) area in the Inland Northwest presbytery. It was Richard who uttered that pivotal statement: “They need someone who cares.” Debbie had not been involved with Inland Northwest’s partnership when they were trying to connect with five Q’eqchi presbyteries (including with Izabal) but has gotten involved as the refocused their partnership with a central Guatemala Q’eqchi’ presbytery (Polochick).
- Becky and Morton, from Howard County (Maryland) First Presbyterian Church. It was Becky with whom Pastor Jane, Ben, and I spoke in the pivotal speaker-phone conversation a year or so ago. Morton, Guatemala mission network convener, is co-pastor with his wife, Susan, with whom Soni and I had spoken (along with with Becky) at the 2007 Louisville network gathering.
- Rich, a retired business executive who has worked with U.S. church on central Guatemala Habitat for Humanity projects and then other school-oriented construction projects. Like the Inland Northwest folks in their new partnership and us, Dan’s familiarity with some Guatemalan communities – in this case near Coban, essentially the capital of Q’eqchi’ Guatemala – goes back about two or three years ago. He’s got no church partner and seems more intent on being involved in projects, particularly related to education.
- Roger Marriott, the PC(USA) international mission worker whose week had started with a tough e-mail from a Amigos activist from Roger’s home state of Tennessee that was essentially a letter of resignation from the Amigos steering committee, who was stressed when he realized that no one from Tennessee was coming and yet tried to salvage the Amigos gathering and some kind of Amigos agenda with just the five of us in the basement of downtown Cincinnati’s Covenant Presbyterian Church (including two newcomers, Becky and Dan).
- Maria Zack, a Southern California professor and World Mission activist with whom I worked on one of several projects for World Mission.
- Tracey King (now Tracey King Ortega), the PC(USA) Nicaragua-based Central America regional liaison, who had been active in past network and Amigos gatherings, and who at this gathering led an interesting personal values clarification exercise – a self-awareness activity to help people their and others’ values and help inform cultural sensitivity efforts – and then translated for the tough-minded presentation by Ivan Paz, the head of the national Guatemalan evangelical Presbyterian church.
-- Perry
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