Partnership dialogue

Team members and Estore  o  Presbytery leaders essentially engaged in three partnership dialogues.  In worship services Pastor Jane and Pastor Gerardo  - among others - spoke about partnership in the course of preaching, speaking, and reading scripture - and some of this was translated for each other. The formal partnership dialogue came late Wednesday after a full day of visiting churches, and after stopping by the house of Ema, a presbytery's sororital worker, where some of the team members drank juice and the van picked up Ema and another leader of the presbytery's Presbyterian Women organization to participate in the dialogue outside at the hotel.  The formal dialogue focused on money, which seemed fine.  Ramiro did a lot of the talking, but Gerardo, Raul, Jane, and (once or two) one of the woman spoke some also.  Eventually, a proposal surfaced that Crescent Hill send $1,000 to the presbytery for this year's theological education program, with possibly another $250 to help five Estore o folks register for the 2017 theological education program (hopefully with one or two women included).  The group eventually also talked about the possibility of giving a discretionary fund to the presbytery women's group to help women and families with pastoral needs across the presbytery, and possibly some additional money to the presbytery for other projects (such as improving the presbytery offices).  An extension of this discussion came afterwards, as the presbytery leaders (male and female) dined with team members.

A third partnership dialogue late Friday night, after a debriefing and devotions that involved all team members plus Martin, Raul, and Ramiro. Raul, Ramiro, Perry, Ben Langley, and Jane discussed costs of the visit that Crescent Hill church would pay for (including a contribution to the families that hosted team members but not including reimbursement for the surprise lunches/refreshments offered by churches to team members and presbytery leaders).  Raul and Ramiro also explained how much they appreciated being included in the Puerto Barrios and Livingston trips.  Jane and Ben tried to explain a little more about Thursday night conversations between them and Rosa Marina.  Ramiro explained a little bit more about their perspective on issues with Rosa Marina.  Raul also drew a parallel to Jesus' parable about the good seeds and bad seeds, as is to suggest that Rosa Marina was a bad seed.

-Perry