Bird´s eye view

Leslie Vogel, the Prebyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission co-worker who works in Guatemala with the progressive theological program known by the acronym CEDEPCA, gave the visit team a bird´s eye view of Guatemala political history and then focused on recent protests and reform.  Leslie highlighted some key events:
-Spanish conquest of Guatemala
-Guatemalan independence from Spain
-weakening of the government alliance with the Catholic Church and the incorporation of U.S. Presbyterian missionaries into Guatemala
- the 10-year success and then 1954 U.S.-sponsored coup that toppled the social reform Arbenz government
-the 25-year civil war that pitted Guatemalan elites and the military against guerillas and - in the end - the indigenous population

Leslie then concentrated on the past 15 months of Guatemalan politics, with a United Nations-sponsored effort to root out corruption in the Guatemala government and then a swelling anti-corruption movement - complete with a (nationwide?) general strike last summer, the impeachment of the president, and a complex national election.  With the culture of silence apparently diminished, things are far from perfect but activism and organizing continue - including small protests that continue every Saturday (and which team members witnessed in front of the Presidential Palace a couple of hours earlier).

Leslie wrapped up by saying that the indigenous people in the part of the country the team will visit have a reputation for being docile), but that the recent presidential candidate that at least some of Crescent Hill´s partners supported apparently slid in the polls because of possible links between his businesses and drug trafficking. Leslie also highlighted immigration to the United States (with the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that kept the U.S. government from opening up more immigration, daily flights into Guatemala City of Guatemalans being deported back from the United States and Mexico, and the importance of remissions from the United States to Guatemalan famlies in Guatemala and the Guatemalan economy) and femicide (the widespread and largely unpoliced torture and killing of hundreds and thousands of Guatemalan women) as key issues.  And she also closed by sharing a prayer and reading suggestions ("Bitter Fruit," "The Brothers," and "Silence on the Mountain) with the team and huddling especially with the younger people about the team about more information/resources.

-Perry Chang

Voyage vistas

In Guatemala City

The 2016 Guatemala visit team arrived in Guatemala City Saturday, having arrived at the Louisville airport at 4:45 a.m., flown through the Houston airport, and encountered the most serious roadblock at the Guatemala airport when two team members´ luggage did not arrive. Planning to return to the airport Sunday morning, team members visited ate lunch and dinner and walked through Guatemala City´s main plaza, past the Presidential Palace and largest Catholic Cathedral, and through the three-level downtown underground market, doing a little shopping. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission co-worker shared background info about Guatemala, Pastor Jane led debriefing, and Ben Langley led a short devotion focused on team members´call to the visit, through the lens of God´s call to Samuel in the temple.  During the debriefing, the consensus was team members were exhausted but hopeful about and engaged in the visit.  Sunday team members plan to get a pretty early start, stop by the airport, and arrive in El Estor in time for worship at Arca de Noe church and supper, fellowship time, and sleep at host families´ homes.  Central to much of Sunday´s activites will be working with Alfredo, a contractor with the branch of the Guatemalan Presbyterian church that helps out with visits by North American who is driving the van the team is traveling in and de facto helping guide the group. Alfredo also drove and helped guide Crescent Hill´s 2012 visit.

-Perry

Visit team commissioning

[To Guatemala Visit Team:]

God has called you to a particular mission—to visit our Kekchi sisters and brothers and to deepen our partnership relationship with Estoreño Presbytery.  Do you welcome the responsibility of this service as a part of your commitment to follow Jesus, to love neighbors, and to work for the reconciling of the world?  I do.

[To the congregation:]

And do you, members and friends of Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church, promise to prayerfully support and encourage all of these friends in this ministry?  We do.

Let us pray:

We ask your blessing, O God, on these friends

who stand before us this day.

Bless their journey and their visit.

May they be strengthened in their faith

and upheld in your love.

May this visit further our partnership—

not just with Guatemalan sisters and brothers,

But also with the Christ whom we follow.

In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

[To Guatemalan Visit Team:]

You are commissioned to service on our behalf and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  GO with our prayers and be mutually encouraged through your visit with our Kekchi sisters and brothers.

Hello!

Revised 2016 visit schedule

Mission Visit Schedule

Saturday/ Sabido, Junio 25

-       Depart / Salida Louisville at 6:00a.m.

-       Arrive / Llegada Guatemala City Airport 1:00p.m.

-       Check in/Llegar al Hotel Hostal De Don Pedro

-       CEDEPCA Workshop/Taller

-       Dinner/Cena

Sunday/Domingo, Junio 26

-       Depart /Salir Guatemala City

-       Lunch /Almuerzo in route

-       Arrive/Llegar in El Estor

-       worship service/Culto  in Arcas de Noé

-       go to host families and enjoy dinner/Ir a las casas de nuestras familias a comer Cena

Monday/ Lunes, Junio 27

-       Breakfast with host families/Desyuno en las casas con familias

-       Visit / Visitar Hurricane Mitch Church por la manana

-       Lunch and Check in Hotel Calle Real/ Almuerzo y ir al hotel Calle Real

-       Visit Boqueròn in the afternoon/ Visitar Boqueron por la tarde

-        

Tuesday/ Martes, Junio 28

    - VBS 8:00AM/ Esquella Biblica

-       Morning meeting with Youth of the Church/ Reunion con los jovenes de el presbeterio

-       Lunch/ Almuerzo

    - Afternoon meeting with Women of the Church/Por la tarde una reunion con las mujeres del presbitario. 

Wednesday/Miercoles, Junio 29th

-       Visiting various churches /Visitar Varios iglesias

-       Lunch/Almuerzo

-       4PM meeting at the hotel with church leaders to discuss the partnership./Reunion con la junta y lideres del presbitario en el hotel

Thursday/Jueves, Junio 30^th

-       Depart hotel and visit the churches of La Guitarra with Pastor Gerardo and San Carlos.  Then check into the hotel in Puerto Barrios.  Eat lunch somewhere along the way/ Salir el hotel para PuertosBarrios y comer almuerzo en el camino.  Visitar las Iglesias de La Guitarra y San Carlos.

-      Check into Hotel and  Dinner/ Llegar al hotel en Puertos Barrios

Friday/Viernes, Julio 1^st

-       Breakfast /Desyuno

-       Depart on boat to Livingston/Montar un barco a ir al Livingston

-      Check into hotel and have lunch /Llegar al hotel y comer Almuerzo

-      Enjoy the afternoon at the beach or visiting  different local sites/Desfrutar la playa y visitor diferente tiendas

-      Dinner/Cena

Saturday/Sabido Julio 2^nd

-       Breakfast/Desyiuno

-       Checkout and boat trip to Rio Dulce/Salir al hotel, montar una Barca a ir a Rio Dulce y a reunir con el Pilot Jose

-       Lunch/Almuerzo

-       Travel to Guatemala City/Ir a Ciudad de Guatemala

-       Arrive at Seminary Casa Emaus/Llegar al Seminario Casa Emaus

-       Dinner/Cena

Sunday/Domingo, Julio 3^rd

-      Breakfast and depart for Airport/Ir Al Areopuerto

2016 visit team prayer partners

Shannon Bostrom:  Elizabeth Thiele, Mark Barnes

Ben Bridgman:  Lee Cybulski and Joanne Cybulski, Stewart Bridgman (Sr.)

Cara Bridgman: Nikki Green and Dalen, Gail DeMarch, Claudia Foulkes, Stewart Bridgman (Sr.)

Soni Castlebery:  Ada Asenjo, Jim Bartlett Turner

Perry Chang:  Janine Linder, Beverly Bartlett Turner, Lucy Steilberg

Stephanie Gregory:  Laura Proctor, Mary Love

Ben Langley:  Carol Roderick, Stephen Bartlett, Carlos, Amy Linfield and Ken Linfield

Jane Larsen-Wigger:  Tricia Lloyd-Sidle, William Farrell, Mary Love

Elisabeth McNinch: Ada Asenjo, Gayle Trautwein

Doug Yeager:  Bruce Whearty, Barbara Barnes, Peter Kemmerle