Saturday AM (Oct. 2) prayer vigil

Start off World Communion weekend by stopping by the Crescent Hill church sanctuary, between 9 a.m. and 12 noon Saturday, to pray for the world. On the window sills of the sanctuary will be visual reminders of the many countries where Crescent Hill folks already have friends and family members (including long-term international mission workers the church supports). We will be praying for these individuals, for other people within these countries, and for peace, justice, and love in all countries across the world. Next to the visual reminders of each country will be note cards on which you may write prayer concerns.

Among the countries and regions whose people and prayer concerns we may highlight are:
-Cameroon
-Canada
-Cuba
-Democratic Republic of the Congo
-Dominican Republic
-Guatemala
-Kenya
-India
-Japan
-Korea
-Lebanon
-Lesotho
-Malawi
-Mexico
-Taiwan
-Vanuatu
-Zambia

Unlike a year ago when we ask participants to fast during the Saturday morning of the prayer vigil, we are not asking folks to do that this year. Anyone who is not able to make it to the sanctuary may of course pick one of these countries or another country of your choice and pray for the people there.

Hope to see many of you Saturday and then again at worship on World Communion Sunday.

-- Perry

Safe for now: Luis Botzoc e-mail

Hermanos miembros de nuestra Iglesia Presbiteriana de los Estados Unidos:

Yo como Luis Botzoc, miembro del comite ejecutivo del Presbiterio Qeqchi Estoreño, en el municipio de El Estor, departamento de Izabal Guatemala.

Quiero decirle hermanos, gracias a dios que en nuestro municipio no hay mucho inundacion. El tiempo esta normal gracias a dios, pero no sabemos mas adelante cómo vamos a estar solo dios sabe.

La Iglesia Presbiteriana Arca de Noe,la segunda Iglesia Altar de Noe y la tercera iglesia Espiritu Santo - siempre oran por ustedes y por todo los hermanos de Estados Unidos.

La Iglesia Monte Sinai San Carlos Porveni Puerto Barrios, gracias a Dios, esta contentos sin novedades. Ellos oran por ustedes.

Late September e-mail (English translatoin)

We read about another storm and floods near Puerto Barrios. How is the Monte Sinai church and Pastor José Sub and the members and areas and churches in other parts of Izabal, including El Estor and Livingston? It is dry in Louisville.

This past Wednesday Jane, the pastor of our church, and Jack, the clerk of our church, signed a covenant agreement between our church and your presbytery (in English). Some photographs are here: http://guatemalacrescenthill.blogspot.com/2010/09/its-super-official.html And the covenant (in English) is here: http://guatemalacrescenthill.blogspot.com/2010/09/signed-sealed-delivered-click-on-it-to.html We are also going to send you all the paper also.

This past Sunday en the service and during the week people from our church are praying for the church in El Chupon and for persons in parts of Izabal with floods.
Andrea, one of the deacons who were with us in Coban, is planning a prayer vigil for this Saturday at our church. We are going to pray for and with our brothers and sisters in Christ in various places in the world where we know people, including you all in Guatemala, our North American friends in Guatemala, and some people in other places, including Africa. Also this Saturday, the youth of our church are going to go to a retreat at a lake in Indiana.

In October or November we hope to talk with some people from another Presbyterian church in Louisville which has worked with water other places in Guatemala.
We trust that God is going to be with you all and your brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of Izabal during this time of bad weather.

Perry

Late September e-mail to Guatemala

Leemos sobre una otra tormenta y inundiaciones acerca de Puerto Barrios. Como esta la iglesia Monte Sinai y Pastor José Sub y los miembros y los areas y Iglesias en otras partes de Izabal, incluyendo El Estor y Livingston? Esta seco en Louisville.
El Miercoles pasado Juana, la pastora de nuestra iglesia, y Juan, el sacristan de nuestra iglesia, firmaron el convenio entre nuestra iglesia y su presbiterio (en Ingles). Unas fotografias estan aqui: http://guatemalacrescenthill.blogspot.com/2010/09/its-super-official.html Y el convenio (en Ingles) esta aqui: http://guatemalacrescenthill.blogspot.com/2010/09/signed-sealed-delivered-click-on-it-to.html Vamos a mandar a Ustedes el papel tambien.

El Domingo pasado en el culto y durante esta semana las personas de nuestra iglesia estamos orando para la iglesia en El Chupon y para personas en partes de Izabal con inundaciones.

Andrea, una de los diaconos y diaconas quienes estuvieron con nosotros en Coban, planea una vigilia de oraciones para el Sabado a nuestra iglesia. Vamos a orar para nuestra hermanos y hermanas en Cristo en varios lugares en el mundo donde sabemos unas personas, incluyendo Ustedes en Guatemala, nuestros amigos Norteamericanos en Guatemala, y unas personas en otras lugares, incluyendo en Africa. Tambien el Sabado, los jovenes y las jovenes de nuestra iglesia van a ir a una retirada a un lago en Indiana.

En Octubre o Noviembre esparamos hablar con unas personas de una otra iglesia Presbiteriana en Louisville que trabajaba con agua en otras lugares en Guatemala.

Confiamos Dios va a estar con Ustedes y sus hermanos y hermanas en Cristo en otras partes de Izabal durante este tiempo de tiempo malo.

-- Pedro

Flooding

Hurricane season continues to takes it toll on Guatemala, and now in Izabal itself. Hurricane Matthew has battered areas of Belize, eastern Guatemala, and eastern Honduras, on the of Gulf of Honduras coast, causing widespread flooding including in the Puerto Barrios area, where the Estoreño Presbyter's Monte Sinai church is located. No word from our partners yet and the fate of the church or conditions in other parts of Izabal.

-- Perry

Saturday prayer vigil

A prayer vigil is scheduled for Satuday, October 2, in the sanctuary, any time during the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 12 noon. the prayer vigil is a form of worship observed by our partners in Guatemala, and on in which we will practice to honor our relationship. To prepare for World Communion Sunday, stations will be set up around the sanctuary inviting ou to pray for different countries represented by the members of our congregation. (Pictured above is Andrea, who helped organize September 2009 and September 2010 prayer vigils - with Ana helping set up for last year's vigil.)

Honduran coup talk

Friday 10 or so folks - including a couple of Crescent Hill people - gathered in a Presbyterian Center to watch a short documentary on the coup a year ago in Honduras, a country that shares a border with Guatemala, and the aftermath, and to hear from Elmer (pictured above) spouse of Ellen S., who briefly attended Crescent Hill with their kids. Elmer, who is now one of the pastors of a Nasvhille church with Guatemala connections came down hard on the coup and its aftermath: he and the documentary sharply contested that the coup was popular and bloodless. Both detailed the continuing resistance to the coup and the coup-influenced governments that have followed in Honduras. A wave of left and center-left governments have swept over Latin America, through elections, and the Honduran coup was a attempt to go back to the bloody methods of the 1970s and 1980s to reverse this leftward electoral drift. Elmer said the Honduran coup endangers other countries like Guatemala also, because it's clear that the United States - even with a center-left Democrat in the White House - will do nothing to stop these coups. Not only will the government not call the coup a coup and not threaten U.S. miliary connections with the Honduran government (we have bases there) or U.S.-Honduran trade, which is very extensive, but there is also evidence that the U.S. government supported the coup from the start. The plane that flew that kidnapped Honduran president, Zelaya, out of the country, stopped at a U.S. base to refuel. And a very important figure in the Reagan/Bush war on the Latin American left - in the 1980s, met with most of the key coup figures in Honduras a week before the coup happened.

-- Perry

Signed, sealed, delivered!

Double click on the document to magnify it:

It's super official!

With some encouragement from our partners in Guatemala, during session meeting Wednesday, Pastor Jane and Jack, Crescent Hill's clerk of session, took out their pens and signed English-language versions of Crescent Hill church's and Estoreño Presbytery's commitments, made earlier this summer, and now confirmed by the session and - apparently - by the presbytery. (See above for another version of the texts).

-- Perry

Honduras talk

This Friday, at 11:45 a.m. in Conference Room 4000 (4th floor), of the Presbyterian Center, Elmer Zavala, a Honduran human rights activist, will show a documentary on the coup a year ago in Honduras, and will speak about the aftermath of the coup. Elmer is the spouse of Ellen S., who worshiped with their kids at Crescent Hill for a time last year. The coup, which deposed the president and set the stage for a crackdown on community groups and a very imperfect election, yielded calls for a similar coup against President Colom in Guatemala. Guatemala and Honduras are neighbors, and Soila, who was a mission worker at Crescent Hill in 2004, is from Honduras.

- Perry

E-mail from Gerardo (via Rene) (October 21)

Gracias hermano Pedro por la informacion. Ya tengo impreso los documentos. Saludos a todos y a muchas beniciones.

Att. Pastor: Gerardo Pop

Luis Boztoc e-mails

From Luis Botzoc, the presbytery’s corresponding secretary (Tuesday, July 14):

Hermano pedro te saludo a nombre de nuestro señor jesucristo. Saludo para todo los hermanos miembros presbiteriana crecengil.

Atenatamente: hermano Luis Botzoc, miembro del Comite Ejecutivo Presbiterio Estoreño


From Tuesday, July 21:

Hermanos en cristo como presbiteriano - ya resibimos el documento entre pocos dias estaremos enviando la lisatado de la nueva junta directiva del presbitario estoreño. La fueron electo por la asamblea general del presbiterio el dia 2 y 3 de septiembre de este año 2010.

El nuevo comite ejecutivo quedo con la manera siguiente:
- Presidente: Pablo Sacul
- Vice Presidente: Raul Contrera Tut
- Secretario de Acta: Gerardo Ich pop
- Secretario Corresponsal: Luis Botzoc
- Tesorero: Ramiro Quib
- Vocal 1: Antonio Cucul
- Vocal 2: Jose Domingo Xó Ical
- Vocal 3: Jose Sub

Atentamente: hermano Luis Botzoc, secretario corresponsal

E-mail to Rene (English translation)

September 14, 2010

Greetings to our brothers and sisters in Izabal. The teachers and students in our church returned to their schools during the past month. This month Christian education classes start at our church. Two weeks ago we celebrate the 10 years of service of our pastor, Jane, at our church. Thanks to God, three people from our church for whom we prayed in Coban are well. Doug found work, Martha went to Tennessee to be with her mother, and a new person and now part of the staff of the church, Jennifer, began her work with us. Thanks to you all for praying for these folks, and thanks to God. For a month or so, Roger and Gloria were in Tennessee also for the wedding of their daughter. They returned to Coban this week.

Also this week people from our church and two other churches are going to offer again English classes for people who cannot speak English, including to some Guatemalans.

During the past two weeks we have been reading about the rain, the storm, and the landslides in Guatemala. Ellen and Rene exchanged e-mails, and, Rene, you wrote that the rain is heavy in Izabal, but the storm and landslides are worse in other parts of Izabal, for example, in Morales.

I am going to include three other elements in this e-mail: (1) the words that I wrote when I read the commitment that Pastor Fidel Juc and Pastor Gerardo Pop Ich wrote before our final worship service on Wednesday, July 14, in Coban. After this, Pastor Fidel combined the two documents into one document. It is also possible that the executive committee of the presbytery changed the document. I would like to receive by e-mail the final text. (2) In Spanish, the commitment of Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church; and (3) a survey of your presbytery about the partnership with us and about a meeting of groups which met in November 2008 (including Pastor Pablo Sacul, Pastor Gerardo, Ellen, and Stephanie). The groups plan a meeting in the first week of February 2011. Is possible that two people from your presbytery and two people from our church are going to be able to go to the meeting? The PC(USA) would like you all to respond to the survey and send the survey to Tracey King by e-mail at traceysking@gmail.com.

Also, we read your commitment and our comments twice to other people. We read the commitments to the elders of our church, and the elders approved. We read the commitments also in a worship service about the trip and our discussions in Coban in July. Four people (Jane, Andrea, Claudia, and Perry) also talked in the service about their experiences in Coban during the trip. We are planning to talk with our people from the Mid-Kentucky presbytery at a meeting in one week. We are also talking about a Spanish class at our church for the fall. And we are planning to write about our church in Spanish in an information sheet for you all.

1.
Commitment

From Pastor Gerardo Pop Ich

The Presbytery of Estoreño and Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church

How can we come to know one another in partnership? Through communication by telephone, through writing emails, and prayers each Sunday. We have dreams to make personal visits but we do not know when; we can only plan and put dates on the calendar.

How can we know one another? Though written information about our churches and their ministries, and when we are together, when brothers and sisters from Crescent Hill come to visit members of the Presbytery of Estoreño.

How can we encourage one another? As we share experiences as we understand God commands us to do.

We continue praying asking that God would reveal his understanding to both groups.

From Pastor Fidel Juc:

Our commitment

To arrive. To arrive is a goal of a dream for the future together. To practice is partnership.

To know. To encourage one another: To encourage the American brothers and sisters through prayer, so that we are in communication with God and sharing the Word of God between the American brothers and the Presbytery of Q’eqchi’ Estrogeno.


Note: This commitment - and Crescent Hill church's commitment - is based on the verses in Romans 1 and the three words that Pastor Fidel saw in those verses – to arrive, to know, to encourage

2.
Crescent Hill church's commitments
With God’s help, we, Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church, enter into partnership with Estoreño Presbytery of Guatemala, with the common goal of learning what it means to be in partnership.
We will:

Visit, by
-being in regular communication by e-mail and phone
-visiting in person when possible

Learning/get to know one another, by:
-sharing news and information and prayer concerns
-doing Bible study together even when in different places
-learning Spanish and about the Guatemalan and Q’eqchi’ cultures and the IENPG

Encourage our sisters and brothers, by:
-praying every Sunday for a particular church and its pastor (or a particular group)
-holding prayer vigils
-providing teachers for workshops
-telling others in our presbytery about our partnership and possibilities for their involvement

We also discussed reviewing the partnership after three years (in 2012).

3.
SURVEY
to guide in the planning of the next
Guatemala Partnership Network Meeting

To be held in Guatemala the 1st week of Feb. 2011; exact dates to be decided.
Please be as specific as possible in your answers; thank you!
Please return completed survey by August 27th to: Marisa Bustamante, administrative assistant for the Latin America Area Office of the PCUSA, marisa.bustamante@pcusa.org

Your group name:

Contact person for your group & how to contact:

Your partner’s name:

1. How would you characterize your partnership?

2. Does your partnership have a formal written agreement?

3. When was your partnership established?

4. What has been the greatest benefit of your partnership to date for you?

5. What do you think has been the greatest benefit for your partner?

6. What has been the greatest challenge of the partnership?

7. How has your partnership grown?

8. What is the greatest need of your partnership?

9. How and how often are you able to communicate with your partner?

10. Do you share news of your partnership with either the IENPG or the PC(USA) leadership? If so, how?

11. When partners visit Guatemala, are there logistical services that would be helpful to have provided via the IENPG (eg, the type of services that PRESGOV had been providing)? Are there other organizations that you work with to provide services?

12. Do you collaborate with any other Guatemala partnership(s)? If so, how?

13. Is there an area (or areas) in which collaboration with other Guatemala partnerships would be helpful?

14. What attitudes, cultural aspects, or beliefs of the people in the United States do you not understand or question?

15. What specific issues would you like to see addressed during the meeting?

16. Do you recommend any particular people or resources to help address those issues?

17. Would you like time during the meeting dates to meet with your partner representatives, or will you plan to visit with them before or after the network meeting?

18. When is the best time of the week for the network meeting, from your perspective? more than one may be marked)

___ Mon-Tu-Wed, ___ Tu-Wed-Th, ___ Wed-Th-Fri, ___ Thurs-Fri-Sat, ___ Fri-Sat-Sun


19. Other comments or suggestions:


Blessings of God for you all and your churches and all of the Guatemalan people, with the rain, the poverty, and the violence. This week we are praying for the Family of Noah Presbyterian Church, for Pastor Benjamin and his spouse Carlotta, and for the members, elders, and deacons of the church.

E-mail to Rene (in Spanish)

14 Septiembre 2010

Saludos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Izabal. Los maestros y maestras y estudiantes en nuestra iglesia regresaron a sus escuelas durante el mes pasado. Este mes los clases de educacion Christiana comenzan a nuestra iglesia. Dos semanas pasadas nosotros celebramos los diez años de servicio de nuestra pastora, Juana, a nuestra iglesia. Gracias a Dios, tres personas de nuestra iglesia para quienes nosotros oramos en Coban estan bien. Douglas encontro trabajo, Marta fue a Tennessee estar con su madre, y una persona nueva a nuestra iglesia y ahora parte del personal de la iglesia, Jenifer, comenzo su trabajo con nosotros. Gracias a Ustedes para orando para ellos y ellas, y Gracias a Dios. Para un mes o mas, Rogelio y Gloria estuvieron en Tennessee tambien para la boda de su hija. Regresaron a Coban esta semana.

Tambien este mes personas de nuestra iglesia y dos otras Iglesias vamos a ofrecer otra vez clases de Ingles para personas quienes no pueden hablar Ingles, incluyendo personas Guatemalatecas.

Durante los dos semanas pasadas nosotros leiamos sobre la lluvia, la tormenta, y los corrimientos de tierra en Guatemala. Elena y Rene intercambiaron cartas electronicas, y, Rene, Usted escribie que la lluvia es pesado en Izabal, pero la tormenta y los corrimientos de tierra son peor en otras partes de Izabal por ejemplo en Morales.

Voy a incluir tres otros elementos en esta carta electronica: (1) las palabras que escribe cuando lee el compromiso que Pastor Fidel Juc and Pastor Gerardo Pop Ich escribieron antes de culta ultimo nuestro la Miercoles, 14 Julio, en Coban. Despues de esto, Pastor Fidel combino los dos documentos en documento uno. Es tambien posible que el comite ejecutivo del presbiterio cambio el documento. Quiesiera a recibir por correa electronica el documento ultimo. (2) en Castillano, el compromiso de la Iglesia Presbyteriana Crescent Hill; y (3) una encuesta de su presbiterio sobre el compañerismo con nosotros y sobre una reunion de los grupos cuales reunieron se en Noviembre de 2008 (incluyendo Pastor Pablo Sacul, Pastor Gerardo, Elena, and Stefania). Los grupos planean una reunion en la semana primera de Febrero 2011. Es posible que dos personas de su prebiterio y dos personas de nuestra iglesia vamos a poder ir a la reunion? PCUSA, la iglesia Presbiteriana nacional en los Estados Unidos, quisiera que Ustedes responder a la encuesta y mandar la encuesta a Tracey King por correa electronica a traceysking@gmail.com.

Tambien, nosotros leiamos a personas otras su compromiso y nuestro compromise dos veces. Leiamos los compromisos a los ancianos y ancianas de nuestra iglesia, y ellos y ellas aprobaron. Leimos los compromisos tambien en un culto sobre el viaje y las conversaciones en Coban en Julio. Cuatro personas (Juana, Andrea, Claudia, y Pedro) tambien hablaron en el culto sobre nuestras experiencias en Coban durante el viaje. Nosotros planeamos a hablar a otras personas de el prebiterio Mid-Kentucky a un asemblea en una semana. Nosotros tambien hablamos sobre el clase de Castillano a nuestra iglesia para el atomno. Y nosotros planeamos escribir sobre nuestra iglesia en Castillano en un informes para Ustedes.

1. Compromiso
De Pastor Gerardo:

Compromiso:

El Presbiterio Estoreño, con la Iglesia Crescent Hill.

Como podemos llegar para conocer en compañerismo? A través de la comunicación por vía telefónica, y por escrito se envía por correo electrónico, con la oración cada Domingo. Tenemos sueños llegar personal, pero no sabemos cuando; sola planificamos y calendarizar.

Como podemos a conocer? Por medio de los informes por escrito, y cuando nos juntamos en cuanta vienen a los hermanos y hermanas miembros Crescent Hill; miembro del presbiterio Estoreño.

En qué manera podemos animar? Con las experiencia compartido en las entendimiento del mandato de Dios

Seguir orando para que Dios revelaran sus entendimiento, amos grupo.


De Pastor Fidel:

Temo compromiso

Llegar: Llegar de una meta de un sueño para el futuro juntos. Practicar es compañerismo.

Conocer: Conocerlo aelios compañerismo

Animarlos: Animarlos a los hermanos y hermanas Americano por media de la oración, para que estamos en comunicación con Dios y compartiendo la palabra de Dios. Entre los hermanos de americanos y como presbiterio El Estoreño.


2. El Compromiso de la Iglesia Presbiteriana Crescent Hill

Una nota: Este compromiso, y el compromiso del Presbiterio Estoreño, está basado sobre los versículos en Romanos 1:8-12 y las tres palabras claves que el Pastor Fidel vio en esto versículos – llegar, conocer y animar.

Con la ayuda de Dios, nosotros y nosotras, la Iglesia Presbiteriana Crescent Hill, entramos al compañerismo con el Presbiterio Estoreño de la Iglesia Evangélica Nacional Presbiteriana de Guatemala, con la meta común de aprender lo que significa ser y vivir compañerismo.

Comprometimos:

Visitar -
-por comunicación en seguida por medio de correo electrónico y teléfono
-por visitas de delegaciones cuando es posible

Conocer unos a otras –
-compartir noticias y información y peticiones por oración
-estudiar a la Biblia juntos a pesar de estamos en distintos lugar
-aprender Español
-aprender sobre la cultura de Guatemala y específico, la cultura de los Q’eqchís
-aprender más de la Iglesia Evangélica Nacional Presbiteriana de Guatemala

Animar nuestros hermanas u hermanos -
-orar cada domingo por una iglesia local del Presbiterio Estoreño y su pastor, o por un grupo particular
-participar en vigilias de oración
-proveer maestros para talleres en el Presbiterio de Estoreño
-contar a otras personas de nuestro presbiterio sobre nuestro compañerismo y las posibilidades que otras puedan participar (involucrarse)

También discutimos la importancia de revisar el compromiso después de 3 años, en 2012

3. ENCUESTA
para ayudar en la planificación de la próxima
Reunión de la Red Presbiteriana de Misión
(Relaciones de Compañerismo GUA/EUA)

Para llevarse a cabo en Guatemala la primera semana de febrero de 2,011.
Favor de ser lo más específico posible con sus respuestas, gracias.
Al terminar con la encuesta, favor de enviarla a mas tardar el 27 de agosto de 2010: Marisa Bustamante, asistente administrativa del Area de Latino América para la Iglesia Presbiteriana de los EUA, por correo electronico a :marisa.bustamante@pcusa.org o por correo normal, Marisa Bustamante, World Mission, PCUSA, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202


El nombre de su presbiterio o grupo aquí en Guatemala:

El nombre de la persona quien llena esta encuesta y ¿cómo contactarlo?

¿Con qué entidad de la PC(USA) tiene una relación de compañerismo?

1. ¿Cómo se caracteriza su relación de compañerismo?




2. ¿Se tiene un convenio formal? SI NO

3. ¿Desde cuándo se estableció la relación de compañerismo? (fecha)

4. ¿Cuál ha sido el mayor beneficio para su presbiterio de esta relación?

5. ¿Qué piensa que ha sido el mayor beneficio para los hermanos/as de los Estados Unidos de América?

6. ¿Cuál ha sido el mayor desafío de la relación?

7. ¿En qué manera ha crecido la relación de compañerismo?

8. ¿Cuál es la mayor necesidad de la relación?

9. ¿Cómo y con qué frecuencia logran comunicarse con los hermanos de los EUA?

10. ¿Comparten noticias de esta relación con el Sínodo? ¿En qué manera?

11. ¿Cuándo vienen los hermanos de los EUA, hay servicios logísticos con que les gustaría tener ayuda? (Por ejemplo, el tipo de servicio que antes prestaba PRESGOV.) ¿Trabajan Uds con otras organizaciones para proveer algunos de estos servicios, por ejemplo, transporte, hotel, itinerario?

12. ¿Colaboran Uds aquí en Guatemala con los hermanos/as de otra relación de compañerismo ya establecida?

13. ¿Existe un area (o areas) de necesidad en donde sería de ayuda colaborar con las personas de otra relación de compañerismo ya establecida?

14. ¿Cuáles actitudes, aspectos culturales, o creencias de los hermanos de los Estados Unidos de América no entienden o cuestionan Uds?

15. ¿Cuáles temas específicos quisieran ver incluidos en la reunión de febrero próximo?

16. ¿Pueden recomendar personas en particular para encargarse de tales temas?

17. ¿Quisieran tener tiempo durante la reunión para reunirse específicamente con los hermanos/as de su relación de compañerismo, o es preferible hacer esto antes o después de la Reunión de la Red?

18. ¿Cuáles días serían los mejores para la Reunión de la Red desde su perspectiva? (Se puede indicar más que uno.)

__ Lunes-Mart-Mier, __ Mart-Mier-Jueves, __ Mier-Juev-Vier, __ Juev-Vier-Sab, __Vier-Sab-Dom


19. Otras sugerencias u otros comentarios:


Bendiciones de Dios para Ustedes y sus Iglesias y todos de las personas Guatemalatecas con la lluvia, la pobreza, y la violencia. Esta semana oramos para la iglesia Presbiteriana Familia de Noe, para Pastor Benjamin Sacul y su esposa, Carlota, y para los miembres y las miembres, los ancianos, y los diaconos de la iglesia.

Pedro

Weekend

At Saturday's Mid-Kentucky Presbytery meeting at Camp Cedar Ridge, which Pastor Jane helped organize and which featured singing by a four-church choir, Jane led a prayer and Perry made an announcement about the Crescent Hill-Estoreño Presbytery partnership.

The announcemen triggered other stories of missin partnership, including folks from Anchorage Presbyterian who have been involvd in Living wateres for the World projects in Guatemala.

Sunday was another big day, with the inaugural Spanish-language Sunday school class of the school year, led by Carlos. The topic starting out is the Old Testament book of Joshua, using a Spanish-language Presbyterian Women study guide: http://horizons.pcusa.org/biblestudies/0910joshua/joshua.htm. Class is in a mix of Spanish and English.

Also on Sunday, after class and during and after worship, Crescent Hill folks reached out to others in the congregatoin and asked them to become involved in the joint English as a foreign language education ministry. Gayle gave a Minute for Mission about her experiences and the need for folks to help teach, prepare food, and work with children.

Andrea made a great poster.

Ana helped staff the poster and half a dozen people signed up.

Later Sunday afternoon some half a dozen Crescent Hill folks plus helped Martha, who had been long involved in Guatemala mission, pack up her moving truck, as she headed back to Nashville to spend time with family members.

Martha's Original Highlands house is stil on the market.

Monday was evening of the fall term at the joint James Lees-Covenant Community-Crescent Hill EFL education ministry. Crescent Hill had a decent turnout, including two new folks - Rob and Judy - both helping with teaching, Ana in her first night as children's activities coordinator, and Jane agreeing to close up some nights. Eva, Soni, Gayle, and Izzy were there as veteran teachers and teachers' assistants.

With the ad in the Spanish-language paper a week ago, student turnout was light. But there were enough students to break out into the usual beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes. And the food - provided by James Lees - was good and ready on time, and included rice.

-- Perry

EFL and beyond

The fall term of the joint James Lees-Covenant Community–Crescent Hill English as a foreign language teaching ministry was to start on Monday, September 20, and run through Monday, November 22. The churches will again serve supper to students, teachers, and all involved in the ministry (and their families), starting at 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Most classes will follow supper and run from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Children’s activities will be included.

This ministry provides a wonderful opportunity for Crescent Hill folks to connect with our neighbors, to build on our Guatemala mission partnership and study of Spanish, and to further learning and show Christ’s love.

There are additional opportunities for involvement in this ministry, for those who are able:
(1) to serve as teachers and teachers’ assistants (particularly on Wednesday night) (for more information about becoming involved, contact Eva at 727-6778).
(2) to cook and serve meals and clean up (particularly on Monday, October 4; Wednesday, October 6; Monday, October 25; Wednesday, October 27; Monday, November 15; and Wednesday, November 17) (for more information about becoming involved, contact Andrea at 429-4558).
(3) to be involved in children’s activities (for more information about becoming involved, contact Ana at 762-3463).

Folks participating in the EFL ministry and allies in the three churches have begun brainstorming about other possible ministries with new immigrants, including possibly establishing immigrant-run cooperative enterprises or establishing a center for new immigrants. Share your own ideas with Pastor Jane or Holly. More information will be forthcoming.

- Perry

Mid-September gathering

Half a dozen plus Crescent Hill folks interested in Guatemala mission gathered this past Wednesday evening to brainstorm about following up on July’s mission trip to Coban.

The group talked by phone with Ellen, who shared some perspectives, after having stayed in Guatemala, after the Coban trip, to be part of a second mission trip, with her presbytery (Western North Carolina). An underlying lesson: North American shouldn’t throw money at partners in Guatemala, unless it’s for a project in which the North Americans are going to be intimately involved. Both Guatemalans and North American should be accountable for the money and the project.

The group also talked by phone with Estoreño Presbytery’s Pastor Gerardo. Instead of rain from the hurricane then attacking southern Mexico, Gerardo met us with noise from independence day celebrations in El Estor. Gerardo had told Carlos earlier that – although Estoreño mission trip folks had been nervous at some points – he came away from the Coban trip/retreat energized. Gerardo said that materials from the presbytery’s Christian Education project were already in the Guatemala national church office, awaiting Ellen’s arrival in November. The group said we would e-mail and then send with Ellen signed copies of Crescent Hill church’s section of the official partnership agreement. The group also asked Gerardo and his colleagues to send us the most recent version of their section of the partnership agreement.

Gerardo suggested that the presbytery’s annual meeting had taken place earlier in the month. Among other things, elected as new president was Pastor Pablo Sacul, as vice president Pastor Raul Contreras, and as presbytery executive committee members at large: Pastor José Domingo, Antonio Cucul, and Pastor José Sub. Gerardo will remain as secretary, and Ramiro Quib (also the presbytery’s delegate at national church meetings) will remain as treasurer. In March Raul will be ordained as an official pastor.

For the first time, the group called Pastor Gerardo (45349397) via conventional telephone, using the church phone and a new international calling plan just acquired.

Early on, a discussion about the rain and landslides also triggered a more general discussion about the situation in Guatemala.

Plans made: Perry – perhaps with some visual aids – will speak very briefly at Saturday’s Mid-Kentucky Presbytery meeting about the partnership, starting to fulfill one of Crescent Hill’s commitments. The visual aids Perry prepares for the presbytery meeting may also be useful if the mission partnership task force is to participate in the after worship Sunday, October 24 Ministry Opportunities Fair, which is supposed to help connect people in the congregation with the church’s missions and ministries. Perry will also send a semi-completed survey in to the PC(USA) in connection with a possible February 2011 Guatemala Mission Network gathering in Guatemala, which Crescent and the presbytery might each send a couple of people, like the network gathering in November 2008 that Gerardo, Pablo, Ellen, and Stephanie attended. Soni will try to expand publicity about the start of the English as a foreign language teaching ministry’s fall term to potential students, just as Gayle, Andrea, and Ana will do that among potential Crescent Hill volunteers this Sunday. EFL classes will start Monday. Carlos will again teach the Spanish-language Bible study class, which will begin this Sunday. Carlos also agreed to edit a detailed, Spanish-language e-mail text, which Perry would in turn e-mail to Carlos cc:-ing Luis and Armando. Jane may work on a informes, sharing information with the presbytery about our church. Andrea will look into a Saturday, October 2 prayer vigil, on World Communion weekend, focused on our various partners around the world. The task force will meet next, at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 23 at Soni’s, and then at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 20, at Carlos, Nora, and Ana’s on the seminary campus.

--Perry

Primer dia

The Spanish-language youth/adult Sunday school class gets started at 9:45 a.m. this Sunday (September 19) The next day, Monday (September 20), is the first day of the fall term for the English as a foreign language teaching ministry, at James Lees Memorial Presbyterian Church. Folks helping with supper should arrive at 5:45 p.m., supper is at 6:30 p.m., and most classes and children's activities run from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. See you there!

New day and new place

Weekly Spanish classes are slated to resume but on a new day. After meeting periodically during the last school year at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings, the class will switch to 6:00 p.m. Thursdays (before choir). The class will be back in the Fireside Room, where it began last fall, and will pick up with material where it left off this past June. The class will start Thursday, October 7, and will run for seven weeks (until November 18, the Thursday before Thanksgiving). As before, it will run for an hour and a half. New students are welcome to jump in. The cost is $70. Contact Ada at 896-9171 if you have any questions.

Wednesday’s 7:00 p.m. Guatemala mission partnership task force gathering will meet not at the Youth Room, as originally scheduled, but in Pastor Jane’s study. Phone conversations with Ellen and Pastor Gerardo and brainstorming about participation in Saturday’s 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. September 18 presbytery camp meeting at Cedar Ridge will be on the agenda.

No flooding yet

Via Facebook Ellen has learned that - although parts of Izabal have seen flooding due to torrential rain - the area immediately around El Estor has so far been exempt from flooding. As we pray for relief and peace for all of Guatemala, let us thank God for the limited rain in and around El Estor.

-- Perry

Friends stateside

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission co-workers who played a key role in Crescent Hill's Guatemala mission trip earlier this summer were back in the United States later this summer, partly for key family events. Crescent Hill folks got to see Amanda, who was in town largely for the baptism of her son Ethan, at their Louisville home church of Highland Presbyterian Church (Amanda and Ethan pictured above). By that Sunday, Amanda had recovered from the illness that she was still recovering from when she spoke at Crescent Hill on Saturday. Gloria and Roger left Guatemala days after the first four Crescent Hill mission team members did, partly en route to their daughter's wedding in Charleston, South Carolina, which we're told went well (Gloria and Roger pictured below). All four of these folks were slated to return to Guatemala in the past week, where tropical depression, rain, and landslides apparently awaited them. Hopefully, more information will be available about conditions around Antigua and Alta Verapaz, where the church mission team visited, soon.

-- Perry

Disaster

Ellen and Karla remind us what some of us had already learned from the media: In the wake of a tropical depression, it’s been raining heavily in much of Guatemala for some time and this past week triggered landslides that have now killed several dozen people and closed in the Inter-American Highway which snakes through Central America, including through western Guatemala (see picture above). President Colom has declared a state of emergency and a day of morning. It’s possible to follow news about the landslides and so on at: www.prensalibre.com. Let us pray for flood survivors, for the physical and spiritual health, and for transformation of this disaster-torn country. We’ll hope to hear this month about the flooding might have affected the folks in eastern Guatemala where our partners live.

-- Perry