New name

The group of folks who meet regularly to communicate with our Guatemalan partners and plan activities with them last met Oct. 3. One item of business was renaming the group the Guatemalan Connection. The reason was to better reflect the group’s purpose as it stands today. When it began as a task force in 2006 to explore the possibility of a trip to Guatemala, we saw ourselves primarily as a temporary trip planning group.  Little did we know that God would lead CHPC into a partnership with the people of the Estoreño Presbytery and a ministry that would actively involve a major part of our congregation for nearly a decade.

Changing the group’s name to Guatemalan Connection hopefully makes it clear that those who meet regularly are neither the partnership nor the mission group. Instead, they are facilitators who help our church stay connected with our partners and help interested CHPCers become involved in this part of our church’s ministry. All are welcome to attend Guatemalan Connection meetings either to simply see what they are all about or hopefully to become more deeply involved. Some members have been on one or more of the trips to Guatemala. Others have not yet been able to make a trip and some never plan to go. All regular attendees, however, have come to feel a special connection with the people of Guatemala. Some will say these experiences have been life-changing. Others will say this is one way that they see God at work in our church and in their lives.

The next meeting of the Guatemalan Connection will be Sat., Nov. 14 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Gathering Room in the back building at CHPC. Please consider joining us and seeing for yourself what this ministry is about. We will plan to talk by phone with our partners as well as discuss possible itineraries for the June 25 to July 3, 2016 proposed trip. Even if you cannot attend this meeting, we hope that you will prayerfully consider the possibility of making this trip next year.

Other highlights from October included:

-Facebook messages were sent and received between Doug Yeager and Ramiro Quib, treasurer for the Estoreño Presbytery. During the summer we had sent $750 to the Presbytery. This sum was the total of the first installment of $500 designated for our partners from CHPC’s 2015 budget and an additional $250 from CHPC’s Presbyterian Women group to support the work of Rosa Marina Tacaj Pop, organizer for the Presbytery’s Presbyterian Women. Ramiro assured us that Rosa Marina’s expenses were included in how the $750 (5700 Quetzales) was spent:

n  2400Q – Travel to theological training in Coban for eight persons

n  1200Q – Scholarships for theological training in Coban for three persons

n  400 Q – Travel expenses to Guatemala City for pastors

n  800 Q – Theological training materials and communication expenses

n  900Q – Hosting expenses for workshops and assemblies

 

-On the meeting day, the final $500 from CHPC’s 2015 budget was sent to our partners.

-Soni Castleberry