November gathering

Half a dozen plus other Crescent Hill folks gathered at Carlos, Nora, and Ana’s seminary campus apartment. The group had great food and serious discussions about why the Guatemala partnership, how to communicate about it with others in the congregation, and whether and how to provide storm relief and recovery or other assistance to Estoreño partners. Why international mission? Why a partnership? And: why Guatemala? were all questions the group discussed. Connecting with people different from us and Pastor Jane’s Guatemala history should be among the key points, the group agreed.

The group decided to follow up on Ellen’s research about the presbytery’s Christian education materials, with possible support for reproduction of the materials, and continue to pursue avenues for storm relief and recovery assistance for the partners, possibly through CEDEPCA or through other agencies with which partners are already working. Tne group talked at length about how to best get a small amount of money for emergency use through channels, and no easy options are available. There may be up to $350 available through the Crescent Hill church Outreach Council and perhaps additional funds available in the Guatemala partnership fund. The group wavered between trying to get aid to Izabal before Christmas, and waiting until January, perhaps to team together a fund-raiser (like the breakfast fund-raiser Amy and Ken proposed) with the Friday, January 21 LiErin Probasco “Theologies of Receiving: Recipients’ Explanations of Cross-national Aid” talk already tentatively planned.

Discussion touched on a number of other areas - including how to boost participation in the English as a foreign language classes, the Spanish-language Sunday-school class, and the prayer vigil, as well as trying to do some joint/shared Bible study/theological reflection along with the Estoreño partners around Holy Week/Easter-time – before the group focused on some key dates:
-Monday, November 22: “graduation day” for the fall EFL ministry term. Some Crescent Hill Guatemala partnership task force folks would help with this.
-Saturday, December 12: Advent celebration of the Spanish-language worship/fellowship group, at 6 p.m. at James Lee church. Please be there.
-Wednesday, January 5: next Guatemala gathering, at 6:30 p.m. at Keith and Andrea’s house, at 7000 Woods Club Court (call 429-4558)
-Monday, January 10: start of EFL ministry winter term
-Friday, January 21: 6 p.m. LiErin Probasco talk
-Sunday, January 23: 9:45 a.m. possible breakfast fund-raiser (???)

Hopefully, an EFL planning gathering will take place at some point before January 10 and Ada’s Spanish class will start up again in January.

The group was unable to reach Pastor Gerardo by phone, and Carlos agreed to try again, in hopes to find out about storm damage, among other things. The group leaned against trying to participate in the February Guatemala mission network gathering, which is on the other side of the country from Izabal, and also against fund-raising for the theological training program. The possibility of bringing some Estoreño partners to Louisville in 2011 seemed more popular. Hopefully, how extensive the storm damage is and how best to promote storm recovery will become more clear.

-- Perry