June gathering

Crescent Hill folks interested in the church's Guatemala partnership will gather at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, at the Yeagers' home at 206 Cornell Place in St. Matthews (near the entrance to the Masonic home, pictured above).  Reconncecting for the second of the year, fund-raising and partnership extension, and a conversation with Guatemala partners by video may be on tap.  Everyone is welcome.

More mixed news

More mixed news from Guatemala in the past week:  A Guatemalan high court threw out the conviction of General Rios Montt for genocide on a procedural issue and sent the case back to a lower court. Also, Rene, the presbytery IT specialist, reported that forest fires west of El Estor threaten the La Union and El Chupon communities, which include some Presbyterians.  (The La Union church is pictured above.)

 -Perry

June prayers

This month Crescent Hill church will pray with and for our Guatemala partners:

-On Sunday, June 2, and during the week thereafter:  Luisa, the Guatemala Presbyterian church Presbyterian women organization’s organizer in Estoreño Presbytery and her peers across the country.

-On Sunday, June 9, and during the week thereafter:  Peniel church in Boqueron, Pastor Pablo Sacul, and members, deacons, and elders.

-On Sunday, June 16, and during the week thereafter: Familia de Noe church in El Estor’s Sinai neighborhood, Pastor Benjamin Sacul and family, and members, deacons, and elders.

-On Sunday, June 23, and during the week thereafter:  Lirio de los Valles church in El Estor’s San Jorge neighborhood, Pastor Mario Xo Ical and family, and members, deacons, and elders.

-On Sunday, June 30, and during the week thereafter:  Puerto del Cielo church in the El Estor suburb of La Union.

Vigil schedule

Every month, Estoreño Presbytery leaders reported earlier this month, a church of the presbytery is holding a prayer vigil for Crescent Hill church.  This month, for example, a vigil was held (last Monday) at the Espiritu Santo church.  Other monthly vigils will follow (as per the schedule that follows - click on the schedule to enlarge it).

-Perry

April info sheet: English-language summary

Earlier this month Doug translated the 8- or 9-page information packet Estoreño sent us earlier this week. The packet basically contained three elements: (1) a report on the pastoral theology boot camp

that Pastor Gerardo led last month (during U.S. Tax Week) for pastors and other congregational leaders in the presbytery); (2) a report on how the presbytery has spent funds Crescent Hill had sent recently for theological education and communication; and (3) a report on activities of the presbytery Presbyterian Women.

 

The boot camp focused on general theology (including social and political background) theological principles of Presbyterian worship, and Presbyterian polity/governance.  Theological education expenses included travel, refreshments, and photo-copying for the theological education boot camp and three-quarters of the transportation costs for several men to attend the the Q’eqchi’ language training led by the Guatemalan Presbyterian seminary in Coban.  The presbytery reported spending only some of the budget for communications with Crescent Hill, mostly for the purchase of a digital camera and small amounts for Rene for handling e-mail and Facebook messages from and to us.  The presbytery PW organization reported that its leaders had visited the women’s groups at most of the churches and led Bible studies with many of them.  PW also sent two (or three?) women to the Coban training.  (My guess is that no women participated in the boot camp).  PW gave a 2012 financial report, which included financial support from women’s groups at most of the churches.  PW leaders participated in the March presbytery-wide assembly, which also involved the men.  The partnership between the presbytery and Crescent Hill was one of the topics of the assembly.  Presbytery leaders decided to extend the partnership for another three years (apparently with new text).

 

-Perry

Mid-April information sheet

Notes from April 13 conversation

Phone call to Guate partners on Saturday April 13, 2013, via Skype. (Best connection in any phone call that I’ve been on, by a long shot. Whatever we did today, let’s do it again next time.)

Presentes: Gerardo, Benjamin, Roberto, Presidenta, Marlene.

Present: Doug, Stephanie, Perry, Peter

We wanted to ask these questions: How was the presbytery meeting last month? Who are the members of the International Committee? What’s the treasurer’s email address.

We prayed. Doug mentioned Alec’s family. I didn’t take notes.

Someone said that a group went to visit the church in Puerto Barrios to teach Bible to the hermanos.

They had an assembly (of the presbytery, I suppose) to discuss companerismo and communication last month.

“Quiero decir received Kekchi. Centro Teologico en Coban en Centro Naz. Five pastores in course. Gerardo was going to be one of them but he ceded his place to Antonio, who needed it more. But Antonio didn’t show.”

I think they said that on April 15 they would study the book at the SEE, Seminary Evangelico. Went to study in Kekchi. People don’t know Presbyterian structure and leis.

Perry took copy of something. To clarify.

Women. Last year wanted Gerardo to give them training. Very happy when they take.

Perry: Youth meeting?

Gerardo: His training is for youth, too. When went to Montecino, elder had died and did funeral one day.

Pls pray Andres Che (dead)

They had a culto after studying two pages of coros.

At their last assembly they prayed for CHPC.

Panzos. The elders/representatives from Panzos didn’t show at last assembly. Tomorrow a commission goes. Rec’d plans and escritorio of IENPG.

Hermana Carmen, presidenta of women at April 25 assembly in Arca de Noe. Only directive will attend. Will install new directorship. Visit in all churches, capacitator.

Committee of Companerismo international. Raul, Paulo, German (rep presbyter) Ramiro (rep youth) Marlene and Carmen (rep women).

The next section of notes is even more daunting. We were talking with two people: Benjamin and Roberto. I got mixed up who was who. Benjamin’s cell is 457226285. Roberto’s cell is 49729379 and home 56295386.

There’s a meeting April 22 at San Carlos, a vigilia, we pray at Congregacion Amanacer (new) make plans, made first visit. Will go May 3 to visit with culto. Will visit every month. They built templo. They are 10 families and Antonio Yak is officially the obrero there.

Pls pray for unity, for Benjamin (president and moderator) and Macaria who has diabetes.

Someone said (I wrote that it was Benjamin but I think I was still confused over who was who) that on 11/24/11 they received 1 mil Q. On 2/29/12 rec’d 2,286.25 Q. On 7/2/12, they received *,591.52 Q (for Kekchi Bibles). On 8/31/12, they received 3,120.50 Q. On 1/28/13, they received 5,390 Q. Total of 20,388.27 Q

Marlene Zion Zinai (P. Benj) 30 women in church. Five children born.

Stephanie asked Robt how goes school that he build. Some confusion about which school. Escuela con miles de estudiantes, Instituto INEP.

Next call 1^st Sat. in Mayo (Derby)

-Peter

May prayers

This month Crescent Hill church will pray with and for our Guatemala partners:

-On Sunday, May 5, and during the week thereafter: Acacar church, Pastor Mariano Cuz, and members, deacons, and elders.

-On Sunday, May 12, and during the week thereafter: Estoreño Presbytery Executive Committee, President Benjamin Sacul, and other officers.

-On Sunday, May 19, and during the week thereafter: Estoreño Presbytery Presbyterian Women organization, President Carmen Quib Caal, and other officers.

-On Sunday, May 26, and during the week thereafter: Estoreño Presbytery youth and young adult organization, President Ramiro Quib, and other officers.

Complex news

A lot of rejoicing in Guatemala and around the world earlier this month when a Guatemalan judge ruled that Guatemala's de facto head of state during the early 1980s, when the Guatemalan government was prosecuting a brutal antiguerilla war, was guilty of genocide against a Mayan group and of crimes against humanity.  General Rios Montt (pictured above) was sentenced to 80 years in prison.  The intelligence chief in his government was acquitted.

At the same time, the current government - headed by a former antiguerilla commander from that war - cited drug-running and gangs as the reason to declare martial law - allowing the government to legally hold people without charging them with anything - in first, one, and, then, another department (the Guatemalan equivalent of state or province) (but not yet Izabal) - but then went after people organizing against land seizures for projects like mines and palm oil plantations.

Apparently some groups in El Estor are doing some similar organizing, and it remains to be seen what will come to there, where the nickel mine company - among others - have also embarked on this type of land seizure.

-Perry