Thusday evening gathering

Half a dozen folks – the July 2010 Guatemala mission trip mission team plus Soni and Frisco – gathered last Thursday night – to talk about the trip and the partnership. Ellen shared some insights about working with Guatemalans, including the insight that the volcano ash and the tropical storm landslides were a great example and metaphor for how out-of-control most Guatemalans feel their lives are and how this sets them apart from North Americans, with their can-do attitude. Ellen also suggested some mission team members might keep a journal for themselves during the trip. The group decided to table seeking more sponsors for Guatemalan partners participating in the Coban gathering the middle two Sundays of June, with Lowell doing a Minute for Mission about the trip on Father’s Day Sunday, the group going out to lunch the next Sunday after church (June 27), and being commissioned on Sunday, July 4. The group peppered Ellen and others with questions about what the trip would be like and went over the schedule, with Ellen and others making a few suggestions. The group was unable to reach Gerardo, but Ellen reached him the next night after reaching home. Gerardo was apparently unfazed by all of the natural disasters, and apparently no ash and no inordinate amount of rain had reached the Izabal area. Gerardo told Ellen they were still up for the rendezvous and talked some about the Christian education curriculum project, for which he has been pitching for financial support. Ellen asked him to bring some materials for the project to Coban. Friday AM Perry and Carlos nailed down with Carlos’ brother Roberto that the team would stay in the hotel Carmen – very centrally located – for the two nights in Coban, at affordable rate. On the first night the driver of the team’s van will stay with Lowell and Perry or at another site.

-- Perry