No communication with
Guatemalans took place at a Saturday, September 28 Crescent Hill Guatemala mission
task force gathering, but the half a dozen folks presented got to talk
extensively with Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission co-workers Amanda Craft
and Omar Chan. Amanda and Omar explained how PC(USA) World Mission has created
a new Regional Liaison for Guatemala and Mexico position and tapped the two of
them to serve in it. They will be based either in Guatemala or on the
Mexico-U.S. border (perhaps in El Paso), with their two children. Omar has been
working for a different mission organization in Guatemala and has a business
background. World Mission has prioritized replacing Amanda as the PC(USA)
liaison with the Guatemala national church’s Presbyterian Women organization.
Amanda explained how support for women’s ordination within the Guatemalan
church has plateaued a bit with a reunion with some conservative Presbyterian Guatemalan
congregations that originally left when the church officially adopted women’s
ordination in the 1990s.
Amanda also gave some
suggestions for trying to maintain partnership energy and focus, both across
the partnership and within the U.S. congregation. Amanda suggested trips are
essential and the group brainstormed briefly with Amanda about ways to keep the
congregation engaged. Activities that pull in some more people (like, perhaps,
the scrapbooking activity idea) (often including food) are good, the group
agreed. Jane also suggested that a couple of people particularly active in the
partnership consider giving Evangelism talks, reflecting concretely on how
participating in the Guatemala partnership has been a central part of their
faith/spiritual journeys.
Amanda also explained
that Richard and Debby Welch – based in a place to be decided – would be
involved in promoting theological education among indigenous Guatemalan Presbyterians,
including perhaps someday unlocking some of the fabled Walton funds. A couple
of issues discussed: whether the Guatemalan national Presbyterian seminary’s
theological education program for Q’eqchi’ Presbyterians would include women,
and whether it would take place in Spanish or Q’eqchi’.The group heard that the Crescent Hill session had approved the partnership extension/partnership plan and Perry promised to work with Maria Arroyo to transmit a Spanish-language version of the Crescent Hill partnership extension/partnership plan to the partners. The Guatemalan presbytery has apparently approved the partnership extension, but without a plan/extensive written document.
The group looked back
briefly at three written documents transmitted from Guatemalan partners, including
two from Gerardo Pop Ich and one official one from the whole presbytery. A
recent communication from Gerardo indicated that he had been hit by a
motorcycle and that others in his family were ailing. The official
communication gave information about the participation of five people from the
presbytery in the Guatemala Presbyterian seminary’s theological education in
Coban. With Gerardo’s number apparently having changed as well as his status,
Perry had talked twice with Pastor Raul Contreras, another leader of the
presbytery’s International Relations committee, about possibly communicating at
12 noon on September 28. The group resolved to ask Guatemalan partners how the
Coban and El Estor theological education programs were going, what happened at
the mid-September presbytery assembly, what Gerardo’s status was, and who the Guatemalan
point person should be (should we continue to be calling Raul Contreras to set
up communications?) and whether it would be possible to continue communications
on the web. Doug talked briefly with Raul Contreras, but they weren’t ready,
and when Doug called back all the circuits were apparently busy and it was not
possible to reach the Guatemalans – who were apparently gathering to
communicate – via Raul Contreras’s cell phone, Gerardo’s cell phone, or
Ramiro’s cell phone.
The group talked about gathering
again at 11:00 a.m. on the first Saturday in November 2 at a place to be
decided, and trying again.
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