Early March gathering

Half a dozen plus Crescent Hill folks interested in the Guatemala partnership gathered on the last Monday of the English language learners ministry winter term (March 12). Doug translated the official letter from the presbytery e-mailed in mid-February. Responding to our December request that they prioritize their project proposals, Estoreño Presbytery reps asked that Crescent Hill provide 10 Bibles to the Presbytery Women group at each of the presbytery’s 12 churches (120 Bibles, at an approximate cost of $10 per Bible, for a total of $100 per church and $1,200 for the whole thing). Gathering participants were favorably inclined towards this proposal – a sharpened version of a request that Macaria talked about with Crescent Hill’s Presbyterian Women - but wondered about bringing Bibles, sending the money ahead so they can present them during a trip this summer, or the summer mission team simply bringing the money with them. Following up with literacy training for women in the congregations was also presented as a possibility. Perry also wondered about whether it would be possible to send or bring money for the Bible and/or for building improvement for the Esperanza church. This was one of the possibilities for a trip that Pastor Gerardo mentioned two gatherings ago, along with partnership planning/review, workshops for women and youth, and sharing information about PC(USA) history.

On money, Perry also reported that he had transmitted $300 for six month’s worth of a communications budget to the Estoreño Presbytery. The group did not talk about Perry and Rene’s instant messaging back and forth about this might or might not purchase.

Gathering participants talked about Perry’s various proposals for the trip, which included three days and two nights (staying with families) in El Estor, then a night each in Livingston and Puerto Barrios, and two nights in Antigua. Alternative possibilities included splitting mission team members in El Estor between a hotel and staying with families; spending more time in El Estor; going to Tikal instead of Antigua and/or instead of going to Livingston and Puerto Barrios, or going to Livingston (and not Puerto Barrios). Perry agreed to develop a new itinerary or two (as well as a new budget), in time for the lunchtime program about the partnership and the trip.

The group also talked about trip money for a while. They refined Perry’s estimates that the trip would cost $1,100 for youth and $1,300 for adults, before fund-raising and financial aid. They tentatively refined that to costing $1,000 (for both youth and adults), not counting fund-raising and financial aid. Soni volunteered that doing another garage sale (either late this spring or early this summer?) was a sure way to raise money, and outside money. A lunch/Talent Show/silent auction was to raise funds for youth participation in international summer mission trips (to Eastern Kentucky and Guatemala). The group also talked about raising funds for the Bibles for women of the presbytery by asking people to contribute $10 per Bible and perhaps setting up a prayer partner relationship between the Crescent Hill person who paid for the Bible and the woman who received it. (The CHPC session has approved of the trip, and fund-raising for it, and the Outreach Council blessed it two night after the Guatemala group’s Monday gathering.)

The group talked briefly about the lunchtime program scheduled for Sunday, March 25, after Sunday morning worship. In addition to Perry and Peter cooking rice, Eva and Jane bringing fruit, Nora making tortillas, and Doug and Stephanie bringing bean soup, Lowell will bring meat and Claudia will bring dessert. The group OKed in principle Perry’s draft PowerPoint, but – except for a possible schedule/itinerary – thought the possible handouts Perry had brought should be included (just one copy total) in a binder to pass around/share with people there. Perry observed that previous such pre-trip gatherings (when publicized properly) had attracted about 40 people each. (The probable program: prayer, lunch, and then quickly PowerPoint, discussion of schedule, and then questions and answers/discussion among everyone.) Perry projected that as many as 15 people might end up participating on the mission team, although others believed that the number of final team members would be smaller.

Gathering participants also talked about the prayer vigil sponsored jointly with the Worship Council scheduled for Saturday, March 23, the day before the lunchtime program. Scheduled from 10:00 to 2;00 p.m. in the sanctuary, the vigil will include a dozen or so “stations” with different mission partners and mission projects and a short prayer service at 12 noon that Pastor Jane will help lead. Andrea has been contacting people involved in the partnerships, who will provide emblems and hopefully help set them up as stations, the two nights before the vigil (when Andrea, Perry, and Soni will help intake and set up stations). The group strategized about different ways to promote the vigil, with Soni offering to get copy/information for Doug to turning into signs to put up for people at the Talent Show the Sunday before to see, and to ask the elder of the week to make an announcement about before worship Sunday (Bill Gee did so). Perry stressed the importance of as many people interested in the Guatemala partnership as possible to participate in the vigil (which was inspired by vigil practices in our partner presbytery and will take place two days before the start of a quarterly presbytery meeting), as well as personally inviting others to participate. Guatemala partnership folks have been involve in three such vigils, with some of them better attended than others.

Carlos tried calling Pastor Gerardo but was not able to reach him. Among the questions the group hoped to ask him was whether the presbytery had in mind receiving money for the Bibles, where the Esperanza church improvement project might fit into things (including money-wise), and whether, during the trip, the presbytery will in bring leaders from the La Guitarra (near Livingston) and Monte Sinai (near Puerto Barrios) churches to El Estor, or the Crescent Hill mission team will travel to see them at home, or both. (There had also been a discussion about whether some Estoreño representatiaves could go with the team to La Guitarra/Livingston and Monte Sinai/Puerto Barrios and/or to Tikal, somewhat as Perry had envisioned.)

The group agreed to gather next at 9:30 a.m. on the Saturday after Easter, on April 14, at Perry, Stephanie, and Vincent’s home at 3928 Kennison Avenue in St. Mathews (384-4339). It’s possible a smaller group of people may gather before then to talk about trip scheduling.

- Perry