Tuesday afternoon, first the whole team, then a subgroup, sat down with the members of the presbytery’s partnership committee: the three December Kentuckiana visitors plus the two would-be visitors who were not able to obtain visas: Raul Contreras and Maria. Maria was one of women who participated in the 2010 Coban retreat. The two sides agreed to continue the partnership for at least another three years, until 2015. Crescent Hill mission team members agreed that a couple of hundred dollars leftover from the Q’eqchi’ Bible purchases could go towards for transportation of pastors and other church leaders of faraway Estoreño churches to and from El Estor for the theological training institute and for food and refreshments for the visitors (and other participants) while they were in El Estor. There was also some discussion about the $50 a month communication budget, which Crescent Hill folks had thought might go towards Internet access. Instead, the Estoreño folks said they preferred to talk with Crescent Hill by phone and use the money for cell phone minutes. They also said they had office space and could use money to pay an administrative assistant. Eventually, Crescent Hill folks said the presbytery leaders could choose how to spend the money, but they wanted the presbytery to report to the church twice a year how it was being spent (partly since CHPC had started sending six months’ worth of money every six months). (Other Crescent Hill folks wondered if Rene got money to pay for more bandwidth, which Rene has confirmed he could use, if Skype between El Estor and Kentuckiana might work.) Ramiro asked about the Guatemalans’ request that a fraternal worker, even a youth or young adult, be sent to Izabal, and Crescent Hill folks said they had tried (through the PC(USA)) to have a Young Adult Volunteer sent there. The Estoreño folks also agreed that the visits were worthwhile (although a woman at the La Union church had asked about their cost.) (Separately, Crescent Hill folks talked about trying on the next trip to visit the Monte Sinai church in San Carlos El Porvenir near Puerto Barrios and the Hijo del Dios Viviente church in La Guitarra.) The two sides each agreed to write up some plans for the future (as well as the Crescent Hill folks confirming the partnership extension with the church session). Seven people – members of the Estoreño partnership committee and Doug (Sr.) and Peter – exchanged telephone numbers.
Before the formal partnership dialogue, a small group huddled over expense reimbursement for the visit. Crescent Hill had offered to cover the cost of transportation for up to five visitors from each of the outlying churches (Panzos, Monte Sinai, Buen Samaritano, and Hijo del Dios Viviente) who would travel to and from El Estor for the Crescent Hill-led workshops and for groceries for the group lunches Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and for the host families for Sunday supper and Monday breakfast. It was a little ambiguous as to whether Crescent Hill was to pay for the cost of groceries for lunch for the outlying visitors. In the relatively detailed bill that Roberto, the presbytery treasurer, presented Crescent Hill representatives, no grocery money for the host families was included, but the cost of the three lunches for the Crescent Hill mission team members, the visitors, and – in the case of Tuesday – all of the theological training institute students was included. Crescent Hill reps balked at paying all of this. When Crescent Hill added in the money to the family, the difference between what Roberto asked for and what the presbytery received in cash was about 400 quetzales, or about $50. Next time Crescent Hill and the presbytery may want to be more clear about the food costs.
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