February gathering

Half a dozen plus Crescent Hill folks brainstormed over a yummy breakfast at Phil and Claudia’s home about our partnership with the Estoreño Presbytery and made a key phone call to Pastor Gerardo, as he rode the bus into El Estor, coming from the Guatemala Mission Network gathering at the seminary in San Felipe.

A day or two before the Crescent Hill gathering Maria, at the San Felipe gathering because of her leadership position with the PC(USA) World Mission ministry area, had talked with Gerardo and Ramiro, an elder who also represented the presbytery at the gathering. Also a day or two before the Crescent Hill gathering, we had made a modest donation to the presbytery.

After reviewing this recent history and the January 21 LiErin Probasco talk, the Crescent Hill group opted to invite five Estoreño Presbytery representatives to visit Kentuckiana, in July or preferably this fall. There was some discussion about where we might go and what we might do, with the premise that the representatives would stay with families. Folks recognized that our claims of relative poverty may not be quite as convincing after a visit to our homes. After some discussion, folks also recognized that, just to get folks there and back (given that they probably need to go to Guatemala City not once but twice, in order to obtain passports and visas), would cost us more than $1,000 per person (which would require some fund-raising). We talked about asking each of the visitors who would need passports to cover the cost of the passport application ($13).

Carlos reached Gerardo and talked with him about the possible trip, who might go, and what they might have to do to obtain passports and visas. Carlos passed on the group’s request that they bring two women, a youth or young adult, an elder or deacon, and a passport. Carlos also mentioned that the church had sent a small amount of money to the presbytery and asked Gerardo about possible joint/shared Bible study. Gerardo suggested studying something about the early church (a topic that had surfaced during Bible study in Coban also).

Gerardo, who said he was exhausted and still planned to work all day Saturday to plan worship Sunday, said the presbytery executive committee would be meeting Monday and would talk about this opportunity.

As the gathering ended, the group agreed that it would meet on the second Saturday morning of each month for the next three months: March 12, April 9, and May 14. The group has traditionally gathered at 9:30 a.m., but may let the hosts pick the time. After the gathering, Carlos, Nora, and Ana agreed to host the March 12 gathering.

Also after the gathering, Maria passed the Estoreño information sheet on to the group. It included a proposal with a budget of $1,000 (the group had sent 40 percent of that). Also, Carlos suggested as a basis for shared Bible study a section of Elsa Tamez’s “Struggles for Power in Early Christianity: A Study of the First Letter to Timothy,” written originally in Spanish, and suggest a chapter or two of 1st Timothy as the basis for Bible study.

-Perry