Estoreño Presbytery statistical report

Tuesday lunch

A group of Crescent Hill folks will be meeting, talking with, and eating lunch with two new PC(USA) mission co-workers headed to Guatemala in a few months, at 12 noon at El Tarasco Mexican restaurant near Fairfax Avenue and Shelbyville Road in St. Matthews.  Everyone is invited.  Dutch treat.

New friends

This past Sunday we met the couple – Brian and Sandi Thompson-Royer – originally from the Spokane area of Inland Northwest Presbytery – who will be taking Amanda’s, and before that Ellen’s, place as Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) liaison to the Guatemalan national Presbyterian church’s Presbyterian Women organization.  They’ll be heading to language school and then to the mission field in Guatemala this summer.   Sandy has been to El Estor in connection with her anti-domestic violence work with CEDEPCA.  In Guatemala, Brian and Sandy will be working with their former Inland Northwest colleagues Richard and Debbie, who will be working in indigenous education issues, as well as with Amanda, who will now be PC(USA) regional liaison for Guatemala, Mexico, and border ministries.  Apparently Omar, Amanda’s husband, will now be heading up border ministries, and they and their family will live in El Paso, Texas.

In related news, Ellen is stepping down from her volunteer position as the Guatemala mission partnership facilitator for the Western North Carolina.  Ellen lives in Brevard, North Carolina.

-Perry

December gathering notes

A quick conversation with a Guatemalan pastor and big plans for early 2013 were highlights of the Saturday, December 13 Crescent Hill Guatemala mission gathering.

Doug reached Pastor Raul Contreras by phone.  Pastor Raul was preparing for a wedding at his Altar de Noe church, and Doug explained that Douglas Jr. was engaged.  Doug and Raul talked about us continuing to communicate in the future.

The group brainstormed about 2014 opportunities.  On the table were short – or somewhat longer-term – visits by Guatemalans here or Crescent Hill folks there; a shift into more project-based work – for example, clean water projects – and more communication with the congregation about Crescent Hill’s Guatemalan partners and mission partnership opportunities.  Outstanding were ideas about bringing together Guatemala mission activity photos and a faith journeys/e-minute during worship by a Guatemala mission activist.

The group tentatively mapped out a schedule:  in January the group will organize a visit to or by WaterStep (the local clean water organization formerly called Edge Outreach and recently featured in the Courier-Journal in connection with projects in the Philippines) that a wider congregational audience might connect with.

In February and March, the group will also connect wider CHPC audiences with Presbyterian Hunger Program partnership specialist Alexa Smith, who Peter will pursue, and Inland Northwest Presbytery folks involved with their presbytery’s partnership with Guatemalan’s Q’eqchi’ Polocic presbytery, with whom we might speak via Skype, FaceTime, or whatever. 

Soni agreed to take charge of the January activity, including contacting WaterStep and deciding whether CHPC folks would go there, they would come to CHPC, and what time of day/day of the week this would be.  Peter agreed to contact Alexa Smith and Inland Northwest foils via Amanda Craft and Omar Chan.  The group talked about trying to call Guatemalan pastors each month in and around these activities.  Perry agreed to check in with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Guatemala Mission Network, whose January 2013 Guatemala City gathering he was part of and which originally agreed to meet annually – rotating between Guatemala and the United States.

-Perry

January prayers

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

-On Sunday, January 5, and during the week thereafter: Estoreño Presbytery Executive Committee, President Benjamin Sacul, and other officers.

-On Sunday, January 12, and during the week thereafter:  Estoreño Presbytery Presbyterian Women organization, President Carmen Quib Caal, and other officers.

-On Sunday, January 19, and during the week thereafter:  Estoreño Presbytery youth and young adult organization, President Ramiro Quib, and other officers.

-On Sunday, January 26, 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, February 2, and during the week thereafter:  Peniel church in Boqueron, Pastor Pablo Sacul, and members, deacons, and elders.