It is with great joy that we report on our trip this past November to visit our brothers and sisters at Iglesia Evangelica Presbiteriana Getsemani in Villa Nueva, Guatemala. We went down with much anticipation, excitement and gifts for our brothers and sisters there, and returned with so much more. We divided our time between visiting with Getsemani church (and their wonderful members), traveling with CEDEPCA (our wonderful guides Hector & Dania, and capable driver Hector II) to visit other ministries, and spending time with our group (Al, Bill, Marvin, Roger, Dan, Tim, Elizabeth, Bob, Irene, Ed and Andrea).
We arrived at the airport in Guatemala City to a warm welcome by some of our brothers and sisters from Getsemani (Alfredo, Betty, Lupita, Donal, Ramiro, Herbert, Johanna, William & Josue), and shared a meal with them at Pollo Campero (Guatemala’s ubiquitous fast-food restaurant). After leaving our brothers and sisters, we saw some of the poverty in Guatemala City (the trash dump and Zone 3) and one of the wealthy neighborhoods (quite a contrast!). After dinner, we settled into our accommodations at Casa San Jose, where Dona Alma and crew took great care of us all week.
 Sunday was the day the Lord had made, indeed! It was a glorious day to spend with all our friends at Getsemani. Arriving at 9 am for the 9ish service, we were again warmly greeted by all our brothers and sisters and enjoyed the service: the beautiful singing by their choir, sermons by Pastor Alfredo and Pastor Bill, our singing in Spanish, presentation of our generous gift, a communion which was simultaneously shared with our brothers and sisters at First Pres, and the renewal of the covenant between First Presbyterian Church of West Chester and Iglesia Evangelica Presbiteriana Getsemani in Villa Nueva, Guatemala. After  the service, we were treated to a delicious lunch of pepian (traditional Guatemalan stew of chicken and spices that is only served on special occasions since it is expensive and takes all day to prepare) and had a wonderful time of fellowship. We met with the various Sunday School classes where we were treated to skits, songs, and lovely gifts. Our craft project (making bookmarks with Genesis 1:31 in English and Spanish) with the small children was a big hit, and soon caught on with all ages!
After such a wonderful time of fellowship with the whole church, we met with their Partnership Committee and were delighted to hear how God has blessed their medical clinic outreach. They showed a video of their latest one, and shared with us their hope that next year in 2007 they would be able to do these clinics once a month. Their request for support in this endeavor is being presented to our Mission Committee, with much gratitude for our past support. We also discussed their idea for an exchange of young people during our respective Vacation Bible Schools, which is being presented to our Christian Education and Mission Committees. And during our visit, we saw the many improvements that they have made to the church (2nd floor is mostly finished, 3rd floor is still in progress) and the surrounding area (the former trash heap in front is now a lovely neighborhood park with swings, monkey bars and benches), and saw the property next door that they have expressed interest in purchasing to expand the church by about 50%, God willing. All in all, it was a day to rejoice and be glad in!
Monday morning was spent at CEDEPCA’s offices downtown, where we were given an overview of their ministries in Pastoral Education (in a country where most pastors have no more than an elementary education) and Women’s Ministry (working to improve self esteem, promote education and end domestic violence). Matt Creelman, a journalist from Inforpress, then gave an interesting overview of Guatemala’s history and challenged us to consider the different types of “charity” – are we promoting a country of self-sufficient empowered citizens or creating a society of co-dependent beneficiaries? After a nice lunch in CEDEPCA’s courtyard, we drove up to Common Hope – New Hope to take a tour of the development and their headquarters. Elizabeth and Tim had an opportunity to meet Cindy Mishelle, the student their family has been sponsoring since Peter and Aaron returned from the trip two years ago. It was a blessing for them to meet her and her family in person after all the letters and pictures. They learned a lot about each other and created a stronger connection and deeper commitment to the ministry of supporting Cindy Mishelle’s schooling in a country where the majority of children do not receive a high school education. It was inspiring to see all that has been accomplished at the New Hope site in the last couple years. We ended the day with reflections on Jesus’ call to help the poor, led by Marvin.
The next morning was spent at Museo Ixchel, a museum of Mayan textiles and history. After lunch we met Edgar (director of Hope Worldwide Ministries in Guatemala) and a few volunteers to visit the school they have set up on the edge of the old railroad to serve the kids that live in shacks along the tracks. What an eye-opening experience to see such desperate living conditions and yet, at the same time, witness such hope in the eyes of the volunteers and the children to whom they are ministering. Currently they educate kids through 4th grade, but plan with God’s help to add more grades every year. They also offer medical and dental care, help improve infrastructure, and set up recreation areas for the kids. These volunteers are indeed heeding Jesus’ call to help the poor.
Wednesday we left Guatemala City and, after a short visit to the First Presbyterian Church in Guatemala (Getsemani’s presbytery), arrived at Heart of the Women. We had an opportunity to hear from Justina and some of the women about their experiences during “La Violencia” (Guatemala’s civil war) and their experiences with the Heart of the Women ministry. They expressed their appreciation for the sisterly support, business opportunities and workshops that this group offers. After sharing a delicious lunch the women had prepared, some of us took time to purchase items at their gift shop, visit with them and play some soccer. Then, on our way to Antigua, we visited Josefina, a pastor in the Mayan Kachikel Presbytery (one of the few women pastors in Guatemala) and were inspired by her ministry. Hopefully more churches will realize what wonderful servants women can be in the leadership of the Church. We spent a lovely evening in Antigua, shopping, sharing a delicious meal, and getting ice cream, of course!
Early on Thursday we loaded the bus again and headed out to Common Hope – Antigua. There we were divided into pairs and accompanied social workers on visits to the homes of some of the students sponsored through Common Hope. We all had different experiences, ranging from the distressing (Susanna, whose father had not yet paid her registration fee to start middle school because he felt she had had enough schooling) to the amazing (12 year old Deborah, who has been deaf since birth and only got hearing aids a few years ago through Common Hope, was valedictorian of her class last year and is starting the next level in January). It was a privilege to meet these families and witness the good work being done through Common Hope in education, health care, and improved housing. We also had the opportunity to visit the Mayan ruins at Iximche (the ancient capital of the Kachikel Maya kingdom, site of the first Spanish settlement and first capital of Guatemala) on our way back to Guatemala City. Our experiences on these past two days allowed us to observe a small part of the intriguing, though often tragic, history of the Mayan people, both past and present.
Friday we were hosted all day by Getsemani. We started the day at the church, meeting with their deacons, eight men and women of all ages. We then visited two of the members’ homes (Herbert & Carolina’s and Donal & Saralli’s) for fellowship and light refreshments. After lunch we went back to the church to share in more fellowship and worship in a program led by the women’s group. We sang, prayed, listened to scripture and heard a wonderful message given by Suzy. Then we had a chance to go to various members’ homes for much-needed siestas (when in Latin America…). In the evening we attended Getsemani’s worship service at Maritzka’s home, where we enjoyed a delicious tamale dinner, sang, were challenged by Pastor Alfredo’s sermon on giving oneself to God, and sang some more. It was truly a blessing that we could share in this delightful day of fellowship and worship.
Our last full day in Guatemala was spent at Camp Monte Sion, the Central Presbytery’s camp on Lake Amatitlan, where we toured the camp and enjoyed its beautiful views, and back at the church, where we met with the youth group and were treated to more gifts, songs and games. Their own Sacred Dance Ensemble (Johanna, Brenda, and Cindi) performed a dance from last year’s talent show, after Cindi gave a short testimony. These young people are such a blessing to the church, full of passion for the Lord and their country. After a bittersweet farewell party, email address exchanges, and lots of hugs and kisses, we headed back to Casa San Jose for a typical Saturday dinner and our last night in Guatemala. We ended our evening reflections with a meditation on Phillipians 1:3-6 that seemed to sum up our feelings toward our brothers and sisters in Guatemala:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. |
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Our trip to Guatemala was filled with the warmth and love of our brothers and sisters at Getsemani, the challenge of intense poverty, the hope of a country rebuilding itself, and the joy of witnessing God’s work everywhere we went. We enjoyed the camaraderie of our team, Dona Alma’s delicious meals, Bill and Al’s practical jokes, and lots of singing (Alabare!). And we were thankful for our wonderful guides Hector and Dania, and driver Hector II, and God’s protection on our many travels (those windy roads!). Most of all we praise God for the blessing of our partnership with Iglesia Getsemani. We hope to continue to nurture this relationship with our brothers and sisters in Guatemala, through email correspondence, occasional mailings, and constant prayer. And, may God help us share their warmth and love for the entire congregation of First Presbyterian Church by forwarding their emails to any interested church members, sharing their praises and concerns in our newsletters, and getting other groups (i.e. our Sacred Dance Ensemble, youth group, etc.) in touch with their sister groups in Guatemala. Let us all carry on this good work!
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