Volcano

Pacaya, the central Guatemala volcano that a dozen Crescent Hill mission team folks climbed in 2007, erupted this week, killing three so far, damaging nearby towns, spewing ash all over Guatemala City, and shutting down the airport (like the volcano in Iceland). So far we've heard from one of the mission co-workers in Guatemala, Karla Koll, who said she and her family - who live further away - are OK. Izabal is far enough away from the city that they should not be receiving any ash, for now. Pictured above is a house that the ash damaged.

-- Perry

Mother's Day tabling

Mid-May update

Mother’s Day Sunday half a dozen folks involved in Guatemala mission – Lowell, Soni, Sarah, Carlos, Claudia – helped solicit money from Crescent Hill church folks to sponsor our Guatemalan partners to travel by bus from the Izabal area to Coban and back again and for room and board at the Nazarene retreat center in Coban. This past Sunday Andrea led the effort, which will take a break on Pentecost Sunday. It’s not totally clear if the July mission team and planning group will need to spearhead an additional fund-raiser such as food sales or a yard sale.

This past week Perry and one of the mission co-workers in Coban, Roger Marriott, have been in discussion in about the trip schedule, including about whether the team and partners can go to the Semuc Champey waterfall area. Thursday night – on the eve of Layoff Day at the Presbyterian Center - Perry and Jane bought tickets for the last of the group, Andrea and Ana, after some additional communications with immigration specialists and Ana’s family. Four team members – Andrea, Claudia, Lowell, and Perry – are slated to leave Saturday, July 10, and return Saturday, July 17, on Continental through Houston. Ana and Jane will fly though Houston with the group, but Jane will stay an extra week in Antigua to go to language school and Ana will stay an extra month in Guatemala to visit family and friends. It is possible that immigration barriers will keep Ana in Guatemala until she is set to enroll in college and receives completed paper work about that.

Ellen will travel separately on Delta, and will meet the group in the Guatemala airport (she is slated to arrive first). She will stay for almost a month more, connecting with a mission team from her own Western North Carolina presbytery in early August.

Friday was Layoff Day at the Presbyterian Center. Crescent Hill folks were sad to see the departure of Stan DeVoogd, laid off as Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) area coordinator for Central America and Mexico, but happy to be connected with Maria Arroyo, of Crescent Hill church, who will not coordinate work not only in South America and the Caribbean, but also in Central America and Mexico.

This past week Andrea made supper for what turned out to be Monday and Wednesday nights at the joint James Lees-Covenant Community-Crescent Hill English as a foreign language teaching ministry, which is poised to finish the spring term next week.

-- Perry

Trip meeting

A group of folks who have been planning the July Guatemala mission trip and those going met Wednesday evening in Pastor Jane’s office. Ana and Andrea both signed on to the mission team. Apparently a very modest crowd will gather for a follow-up task force meeting Saturday morning, when Carlos, Nora, and Ana (among others) will not be able to be there (so no phone call). The group talked about soliciting sponsorships – giving people Guatemala cards, one each with a name of a Guatemalan person going (Carlos will try to call Gerardo later this week to get names), as the name of the person that the Crescent Hill person is sponsoring. (On Mother's Day Sunday Claudia will be involved, and on the next Sunday, May 16, Andrea will be involved. Laras will write names on cards and Perry will provide some props.) The group also brainstormed about other fund-raising possibilities, including tabling with Guatemalan food and information about our partnership as part of one or more Frankfort Avenue/Crescent Hill-related events. No follow-up trip group meeting scheduled yet. Also discussed were some other individual preparation issues. The group also spent some time talking about what Coban was like, discussing Ana’s decision to go, and reassuring Andrea about her then possible participation.

-- Perry

Latest trip schedule

Here’s another stab at a July 2010 Guatemala mission trip schedule, this one with Semuc Champey but without Guatemala City museum time, and with two nights in Antigua but no Guatemala City overnight stay (Plan B2):

-Saturday AM: fly out of Louisville
-1:30 p.m. Saturday: fly into Guatemala City
-2 p.m. Saturday: board van for Coban
-7 p.m. Saturday: arrive in Coban; dinner en route or at Nazarene Center
-8 p.m. Saturday: evening devotions/orientation/debriefing

-8 a.m. Sunday: breakfast at Nazarene Center
-11 a.m. Sunday: greet Estoreño folks
-12 noon Sunday: lunch at the Nazarene Center
-2 p.m. Sunday: visit La Patria school in Coban
-3 p.m. Sunday: worship service at the school, as planned by Estoreño folks
-5:30 p.m. Sunday: dinner at the Nazarene Center
-7 p.m. Sunday: devotions/orientation

-8 a.m. Monday: breakfast at Nazarene Center
-9 a.m. Monday: Bible study with reference to our partnership
-10:30 a.m. Monday: partnership Wall of Wonder activity
-12 noon Monday: lunch at Nazarene Center
-1 p.m. Monday: Delia Leal talk about Coban history and culture
-2 p.m. Monday: Delia Leal-led walk through Coban
- 3 p.m. Monday: Finca Santa Margarita (coffee plantation) tour
-5:30 p.m. Monday: dinner at Nazarene Center
-7 p.m. Monday: devotions/singing

-8 a.m. Tuesday: breakfast at Nazarene Center
-9 a.m. Tuesday: Bible study with reference to our partnership
-10:30 a.m. Tuesday: outreach/mission/evangelism: sharing approaches workshop
-12 noon Tuesday: lunch at Nazarene Center
-1 p.m. Tuesday: tour Principe Maya Archeological Museum in Coban
-5:30 p.m. Tuesday: dinner at Nazarene Center
-7 p.m. Tuesday: devotions/singing

-8 a.m. Wednesday: breakfast at Nazarene Center
-9 a.m. Wednesday: depart by van for Semuc Champey
-10 a.m. Wednesday: tour Semuc Champey
-12 noon Wednesday: lunch at Semuc Champey
-3 p.m. Wednesday: return by van to Nazarene Center
-4:30 p.m. Wednesday: small group plans closing worship
-5:30 p.m. Wednesday: dinner at Nazarene Center
-7 p.m. Wednesday: closing worship

-8 a.m. Thursday: breakfast at Nazarene Center
-9 a.m. Thursday: debriefing/disorientation/farewell
-10 a.m. Thursday: Estoreño and Crescent Hill folks depart separately
-1 p.m. Thursday: lunch (en route)
-6 p.m. Thursday: arrive in Antigua
-6:30 p.m. Thursday: dinner
-8 p.m. Thursday: devotions/debriefing

-9 a.m. Friday: brunch
-1o a.m. Friday: free time
-5:30 p.m. Friday: dinner
-7 p.m. Friday: devotions/debriefing

-8 a.m. Saturday: depart for Guatemala City airport
-11:30 a.m. Saturday: fly out of Guatemala City for Louisville

To be sent to and discussed with: team members, Ellen, trip planning group, task force, Estoreño partners, Roger, Amanda, Delia

Most likely possible Crescent Hill mission team members and friends:
Ana
Andrea
Claudia
Ellen
Jane
Lowell
Perry
Roger

-- Perry

E-mail to Rene (in Spanish)

Saludos de la IPCH Iglesia Presbiteriana Crescent Hill (semana del Día de la Madre, Dom. 9 de Mayo)

Saludos de la Iglesia Presbiteriana Crescent Hill. En Abril unas personas de la iglesia oramos juntos para la asamblea de jóvenes de las iglesias en el Q’eqchi’ Estoreño, Izabal Presbiterio y para dos personas del presbiterio, Pastor Pablo y Pastor José Sub, quienes viajaron a Cobán. También oramos por jóvenes en nuestra iglesia.

También en Abril dijimos al Pastor Gerardo que nuestra iglesia va a poder enviar cuatro o cinco personas solamente a Cobán en Julio. Gerardo dijo que ese es OK.

Nos comunicamos con Rogelio Marriott y otras personas sobre el viaje y el congreso. Pero quisiéramos saber sus ideas del viaje. Ese es un posible itinerario (temporal) para el viaje:

-11 de la mañana del domingo: personas del Presbiterio Estoreño vienen al Centro Nazareno a Cobán
-12 del mediodía del domingo: el almuerzo en el Centro Nazareno
- 2 de la tarde del domingo: vamos a la escuela La Patria (escuela evangélica presbiteriana en Cobán)
-3 de la tarde, del domingo: culto en la escuela, y haciendo planes con de las personas del Presbiterio Estoreño
-5 y media de la tarde del domingo: la cena en el Centro Nazareno
- 7 de la tarde del domingo: orientación y devocional

-8 por la mañana del lunes: el desayuno en el Centro Nazareno
-9 por la mañana del lunes: estudio de la biblia (relacionado con nuestro compañerismo)
-10 y la media por la mañana: actividad con la pared sobre nuestro compañerismo
-12 del mediodía del lunes: el almuerzo en el Centro Nazareno
-1 de la tarde del lunes: Pastora Delia Leal (charla sobre la historia y la cultura de Cobán)
-2 de la tarde del lunes: caminata por Cobán con Pastora Delia Leal a la cabeza
-3 de la tarde, el lunes: viaje de la Finca Santa Margarita
-5 y media de la tarde: la cena en el Centro Nazareno
-7 de la tarde del lunes: devocional y cantos

-8 por la mañana, el martes: el desayuno en el Centro Nazareno
-9 por la mañana del martes: estudio de la biblia (relacionado con nuestro compañerismo)
-10 y la media del martes: dialogo sobre nuestras estrategias de misión y evangelizacion
- 12 del mediodía del martes: el almuerzo en el Centro Nazareno
- 1 de la tarde del martes: viaje al Museo El Príncipe Maya en Cobán
- 5 y la media de la tarde del martes: la cena en el Centro Nazareno
- 7 de la tarde: devocional y cantos

-8 por la mañana del miércoles: el desayuno en el Centro Nazareno
-9 por la mañana del miércoles: vamos en la camioneta para Semuc Champey
-10 por la mañana del miércoles: viajamos Semuc Champey
-12 del mediodía del miércoles: el almuerzo en Semuc Champey
- 3 de la tarde del miércoles: volvemos en la camioneta al Centro Nazareno
- 4 y media de la tarde del miércoles: un grupo pequeño platica culto y despedida
- 5 y media de la tarde del miércoles: la cena al Centro Nazareno
- 7 de la tarde del miércoles: culto y despidida

-8 por la mañana del jueves: el desayuno en el Centro Nazareno
-9 por la mañana del jueves: preguntas y despedida
-10 por la mañana del jueves: personas del presbiterio Estoreño y de la Iglesia Presbiteriana Crescent Hill salen de Cobán para sus respecticos hogares.

Es posible que Ustedes puedan hacer la platica o predicación y dirigir el culto del domingo? Otros talleres y devociones para personas de nuestro grupo o de su grupo podrían encontrar quien hace la meditación y dirigir uno de los talleres y un devocional; diferentes personas cada vez. Ese es nuestra idea ahora. Será posible?

En nuestro culto hoy (domingo) oramos para el comité ejecutivo de su presbiterio incluyendo el Pastor Fidel. Bendiciones de Dios para su ministerio y sus vidas durante el mes de Mayo.

Pedro

P.S. Esperamos poder a hablar con Pastor Gerardo, posiblemente el sábado por la mañana. P

Busy week

Members of the July 2010 Guatemala mission team (headed for Coban, pictured above), and the mission planning group, will gather at Pastor Jane's office at 6:30 p.m., this Wednesday, May 5. The larger Guatemala mission task force will gather at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 8, at Java Brewing Company on Frankfort Avenue. The Wednesday gathering will zero on on planning and preparation for the trip, while the task force gathering will likely include a phone conversation with partners in Guatemala and fund-raising and congregational engagement.

This Tuesday, May 4, term 2 of Ada's Spanish class, which will review material from the first term and also plow ahead, will start up weekly 6:30 p.m. classes. And next week - Monday, May 10, and Wednesday, May 12 - Crescent Hill folks will again be responsible for supplying the dinner meal for the joint James Lees-Covenant Community-Crescent Hill English as a foreign language teaching ministry.

-- Perry

May prayer schedule

We will pray this month with our Guatemalan partners:

- On Derby Sunday, May 2, and during the week that follows: Estoreño Presbytery Executive Committee, including President Fidel Juc (pictured above in glasses).

- On Mother’s Day Sunday, May 9, and during the week that follows: Estoreño Presbytery Presbyterian Women organization, including President Maria Coc Tial.

- On Sunday, May 16, and during the week that follows: Estoreño Presbytery young and young adult organization, including President Armando Chub.

- On Pentecost Sunday, May 23, and during the week that follows: Peniel church, Pastor Fidel Juc and spouse Jesus, and its members, deacons, and elders.

- On Memorial Day weekend Sunday, May 30, and during the week that follows: Familia de Noe church, Pastor Benjamin Sacul and spouse Carlotta, and members, deacons, and elders.