Roger and me

Stephanie and I had dinner at Saffron’s with Gloria and Roger Marriott, PC(USA) mission co-workers in Guatemala who work especially with the Kek’chi. Roger said U.S. folks must resist the dual temptations of: (1) trying to fix things for the Kek’chi or giving the Kek’chi lots of stuff; and (2) considering the Kek’chi as Christians with superior faith and spirituality, only to discover eventually that the Kek’chi are as human – and flawed – as we are. Roger said North Americans have been trying to fix Latin America – that the Spanish and Portuguese screwed up 500 years ago – and we’re not going to be able to do it. Asking open-ended questions and trying to get know Kek’chi individuals as a way to learn about other ways to think about faith and other ways to see ourselves as Christians is what is needed, he said.

In the short run, Roger praised us in our relationship with the Kek’chi folks near El Estor for not starting with money (though I confessed about cementing the floors) and taking our time to draft a partnership agreement that we and others would consider over time. He also thought a mission group of six was the perfect size. And he thought Carlos was a great person to work with on this.

Gloria did pipe in with an easy suggestion for a gift to take the women of the houses/homes that the March group will be staying with. Since these women will be doing the cooking for an extra person and their families she suggested a small gift such as a new dishtowel (like we saw the women waving in the churches to keep cool) and soup dipper. Even a potholder with a soup dipper would be appreciated.

Gloria also talked about a project in which she is doing essentially math and business education, trying to train Kek’chi church leaders basic accounting fundamentals, so that they can develop simple financial reports, so that funds donated for education among the Kek’chi by the late Helen Walton, a Wal-Mart widow and Presbyterian, can be released. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has cut off these funds unless Guatemalans can account more for their use and the Kek’chi won’t be able to do that unless they can keep records and file reports. This basic training could help Kek’chi individuals in their home business and personal finances and promote transparency and trust within the Guatemalan church. Kek’chi are lucky if they have a very rudimentary elementary-school education. Even Kek’chi folks who have attended elementary school may not be able to add and subtract with decimals and may not have learned critical thinking skills. Guatemalan schools don’t teach critical thinking skills because Guatemalan authorities don’t want people to be able to think, opined Gloria.

Both Gloria and Roger were involved in the business world before they embarked in mission service. And Gloria is getting a chance to put those business skills to work in this Walton-financed training. Some of us met Gloria and Roger at the Amigos de Kek’chi gathering in Nashville in August, and Ellen and Stephanie also talked with Gloria at the mission network gathering in Guatemala in November. Roger pitched for at least one of us to go to the Amigos de Kek’chi gathering in Spokane in April (see ). Roger also pitched for he and Gloria to help arrange and lead a bigger mission trip (like in summer 2010?). Roger and Gloria are based in Nashville, but will be traveling around the country speaking with church groups through this spring (though Roger also hopes to travel around Latin America).

-- Perry