You're invited!

Be part of the conversation about Crescent Hill’s Guatemala mission partnership. Join us at a gathering of the Guatemala mission partnership task force at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, at Ken and Amy Linfields’ home (directions and contact information below). We’ll start with reflections on Acts 2. Everyone is welcome!

Pictures of the landmark meeting

Laura helped open - with reflection on scripture - tonight's meeting of Crescent Hill church's session, at which elders serving on the session approved the church's partnership plan with the Q'eqchi' Estoreño, Izabal Presbytery. Pastor Jane (below) followed session meeting discussion with a smile.

Ana, Carlos, Anita, and Eva (below) took the discussion seriously.

Stephen (below) listened carefully.

Marcus (below) looked over written information carefully.

Peter took careful notes about the brief Guatemala mission partnership discussion and other debates.

We helped close the meeting (in a still picture and short video clip below) by singing - in Spanish and English - "Song of Hope" - the same song the spring 2007 Guatemala mission team sang in worship services at Iglesia Familia de Noe and Iglesia Arca de Noe a month ago.

-- Perry

We're official!

Having already listed the Guatemala mission trip worship service this past Sunday as one of the occasions in the last month during which they felt God’s presence, elders currently serving on the Crescent Hill church session this evening approved with little discussion the partnership and partnership plan between Crescent Hill and the Q’eqchi’ Estoreño, Izabal Presbytery. We’ll share news of this – and the content of the information given to the session (text below) - with our new partners.

March 29-30 discussions between members of the spring 2009 Guatemala mission team (Perry Chang, Ellen Dozier, Jane Larsen-Wigger, Ben Langley, Lowell Linder, and Luke Van Marter) and leaders of Guatemala’s Q’eqchi Estoreño, Izabal Presbytery produced a partnership plan that include:

Regular prayer for each other.
- At least monthly e-mail communication, with sharing of celebrations, prayer concerns, and news (possibly supplemented by telephone conversations).
- Joint scripture study – this spring, of the second chapter of Acts, leading up to Pentecost Sunday, May 31.
- A Saturday morning, September 19 Crescent Hill church prayer vigil and fast, timed to coincide with the start of the Estoreño Presbytery annual meeting.
- Additional travel and visits as possible.

In May we’ll be praying for the following Estoreño Presbytery churches:
- La Union mission church, pastors Pablo Sacul Chub, Antonio Tec, and Robert Caal, and worshipers there (on Sunday, May 3 and during the week that follows).
- El Chupon mission church, pastors Gerardo Ich Pop and Antonio Tec, and worshipers there (on Sunday, May 10, and during the week that follows).
- Arca de Noe church in central El Estor, Pastor Gerardo Ich Pop, and church elders, deacons, and members (on Sunday, May 17 and during the week that follows).
- Altar de Noe church in the Los Cerritos neighborhood of El Estor, Pastor Raul Contreras, and church elders, deacons, and members (on Sunday, May 24, and during the week that follows).
- Espiritu Santo church in the San Marcos neighborhood of El Estor, Pastor Jose Domingo Xo Ical, and church elders, deacons, and members (on Sunday, May 31 and during the week that follows).

-- Perry

Amigos de K'ekchi news

Roger Marriott e-mailed us that the Amigos de K’ekchi gathering this past weekend in Spokane went well. The Amigos group brings together half a dozen different Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations and presbyteries that have partnered with Q'eqchi' communities and presbyteries in Guatemala. He said the group, which sponsored a trip to Peten earlier this month, is putting together a steering committee and asked our church to nominate a representative. He and Tracey King are to be involved in the committee. Roger is a PC(USA) mission co-worker who works with the K’ekchi in Guatemala. Tracey is the PC(USA)’s regional liaison to Central America. She is based in Nicaragua. Each of the congregations/presbyteries represented in the Nashville gathering some of us attended last July would also have reps on the committee. They might meet by Skype. The larger Guatemala Mission Network will apparently gather in Cincinnati in connection with the PC(USA) mission conference this October. Instead of trying to meet there, Amigos – with reps of partner congregations and presbyteries – might gather next at the Nazarene Center in Coban (pictured above), in north central Guatemala – somewhat a la the Lago Amatitlan Guatemala Mission Network gathering that Stephanie, Ellen, Pastor Gerardo, and Pastor Pablo participated in this past November.

-- Perry

Pastor José of Iglesia Monte Sinai

Guatemala features two port towns on its eastern coast, on the Gulf of Honduras - one nearer the country's northern border and its border with Belize (Livingston) - which also features an Afro-Caribbean Garifina population - and one nearer the country's southern border and its border with Honduras (Puerto Barrios). Traveling from Guatemala City northeast towards El Estor, if one keeps going on the main road - instead of turning north towards Rio Dulce - one heads straight for Puerto Barrios.

The Estoreño Presbytery now has one church each in or near these two towns (both more ethnically and linguistically diverse than El Estor). The pastor from the farthest away church - the one near Puerto Barrios, José Sub, also traveled to El Estor to visit with us during the summer 2007 mission trip. José is picture above - to the right of his Livingston counterpart (Abelino Tec Chub) - just minutes after he disembarked from the microbus from El Estor - before these two pastors went their separate ways towards the two different port areas.

Pastor José church is the Iglesia Monte Sinai (Mt. Sinai) in the San Carlos El Porvenir village, outside of Puerto Barrios. The church has some 135 members. The presbytery ordained José in November 2007, just a few months after we'd met him during our 2007 trip. It seems that José is one of the pastors whose Q'eqchi' is better than his Spanish. He sat silently while Pastor Gerardo talked during a conversation that took place during the 2007 women's workshops. Then José traveled with a group of us men to the monkey preserve near the nickel mine.

After Pastor Abelino and his family left, a truckload of the El Estor area pastors - who had been - like last time - tailing us - appeared and Pastor José and they walked up to our hotel rooms with us. For a few minutes - while Benjamin went to buy them sodas - they relaxed on the balcony outside of our rooms. Then they we were off - in José's case - headed for a bus to Puerto Barrios, and in the others' cases - headed in the truck back to El Estor. We felt a little sheepish showing off our relatively luxurious hotel accommodations. But we got to say good-bye and I showed some of my pictures to some of the pastors (on the camera itself). We hope Pastor José's bus ride was mercifully short.

-- Perry

En route

Somewhat a la the 2007 trip, the Espiritu Santo church was the last one we stopped at. Wrapping up our partnership discussions with "Unidos, Unidos," having lunch together (without Serafina), and then Ben videotaping some greetings to us (which we saw in Sunday worship), we then jumped in another microbus, with our stuff, that Pastor Gerardo had corraled for us in downtown El Estor. The bus already had a couple of passengers, and Ellen worked hard to have additional passengers they were taking on because she knew Gerardo had already offered what would be a very good price for a very full bus. And so we didn't entirely replicate the experience of bussing to El Estor. Instead of 21 people, there were more like 10. And, in fact, we ended up feeling a little bad as the bus emptied out a little more and the driver wouldn't stop along the way to pick up a woman and child a couple of times. I was chatting so much with Ellen that too my discredit I essentially forgot that the two pastors of Estoreño Presbytery churches near the Gulf of Honduras coast - in the very far eastern part of the presbytery - were riding with us to Rio Dulce. We passed close to the shores of Lago Izabal again on the way.

-- Perry

From the new president

Below is the text of an e-mail message from the president of the Estoreño Presbytery's new youth and young adult organization, Iglesia Arca de Noe's Armando Chub (shown in the picture above on the far right):

Hermanos en Cristo de la Iglesia de Crescent Hill: Tengo el gusto de saludarles en este dia tan muy especial que nos da o regala nuestro creador y permanece para siempre, para mi es el gusto de saudarle a todo los hermanos de su diglesia los ancianos y pastora y sociedades de jovenes les mando un saludo a todo por recordarle que han venido a visitar a nuestro Iglesia Presbiteriana Arca de Noe de aqui en nuestro municipio de El Estor Izabal me despido de ustedes y atento servidor Armando que dios les vendiga.

Soni's message

I did not just come back from Guatemala. I was, however, one of 19 who was a part of Guatemala 2007. I am here today because I was asked to share why I volunteered this year to coordinate fundraisers, drive folks to the airport and be a prayer partner when I wasn’t going on the trip.

Before I can answer that question, I need to explain why I went two years ago.

Ben Langley, who helped to coordinate the 2007 trip, had each of us write the answer to that before we left for Guatemala. I wrote that: 1) It would be my first cross-cultural experience in another country 2) I may never have the opportunity again and 3) It would be a vacation like none other. I also wrote that I expected a life-changing spiritual awakening.

When I left for Guatemala I tried to remember something that Jerry Van Marter – a frequent world traveler – had said in one of our orientation meetings: “Set aside what you think you know. And let God step in.”

For me, that meant letting go of what I had heard and read about the abject poverty, strict gender roles and violence-- especially against women. I knew I was going to feel so helpless – knowing there wasn’t any quick fix for the conditions people lived in.

But, I knew that the purpose of our trip was to get to know people in El Estor and see if God might be leading us and them to build relationships to help each other on our spiritual journeys.

I saw for myself in Guatemala just how important church is to the people there. It was clear that it is within the church building that God’s presence is mostly felt.

Stenciled on the church wall at Arca de Noe was “Dios es Amor” – God is love. Those words were also included in the scripture from I John 4:8 that was read and recited and recited and recited as part of my first worship experience there.

Although that lesson is one that I was taught as a child growing up in the USA, I felt it even more deeply in my soul in that small, hot church in El Estor, Guatemala. It’s really hard to explain in words but having the opportunity to witness God’s presence among people who in many ways were so different than me, truly expanded my world vision and understanding of what it means to be children of God.

And so, why did I want to work so closely with this year’s Guatemala group?

Simply because although I wasn’t going, I already felt a part of the experience and had to be involved however I could.

I feel like I did have a spiritual awakening as a result of my 2007 trip. Guatemala is no longer just the name of a Central American country. Instead, it is a place close to my heart. As a child, and as a parent, I sang “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Although I have become more uncomfortable with the male language, I also have become increasingly comfortable with the concept. The whole world is in God’s hands. And, my view of that world has dramatically changed by my involvement with Guatemala.

That’s what’s wonderful about this agreement with the people of the Estoreño Presbytery. It’s an agreement for ALL of us. Anyone can be part of the personal growth that can come through learning of another’s history, culture, language, and life experiences. We can be mutually encouraged by each other in the faith and by so doing, praise a God who embraces us -- as we do each other -- with open hands and arms.

-- Soni

Notes for Ellen's message

GIFTS WE GAVE,

from ALL of YOU.
YOU went with us,
prayers, financial support, concern and thoughts

"Crescent Hill"

PRESENCE
traveled together,
in van meant for 9, there were 21
back of pickup truck
your pastor on motorcycle
stayed in their homes
ate
slept, "mosquito netting"
worshipped
prayed, sang, heard God’s word

PRIDE in themselves
their abilities
dignity
respect
respect

They prepared for our visit,
trusted one another

a continuing gift

We gave no gifts that we purchased in the store
left no checks
nor made promised that funds would be sent

In the face of overwhelming needs

The gifts of our Presence and their Pride were the important ones
As we enter into life together.

-- Ellen

Jane's message

Today we are celebrating an agreement for a partnership relationship with Presbyterians in another part of the world -- Getting to this place has been a long and thoughtful and prayerful journey. It began years and years ago with many of us who have had connections of one sort or another in Latin America. It came very much into our awareness three years ago when I went to Guatemala during my sabbatical – and Carlos and his family came from Guatemala to minister among us. It took a real turn when 19 of us went to Guatemala together two years ago – and came home with a keen sense that we couldn’t just let go of this budding relationship. So, that led to congregational conversations about mission in general – and mission as partnership in particular. And all the while we were paying attention to the opportunity in front of us. Several of us gathered last summer with other N.A. Presbyterians who are working among the Kek’chi in Guatemala and learned a lot from them. Then last fall Stephanie Gregory and Ellen Dozier went to Guatemala for a Partnership meeting and met up with Pastor Gerardo and Pastor Pablo there.

After all that, it was decided by our session to indeed pursue a formal partnership agreement with the churches that make up Estoreno Presbytery. And so we dispatched a team of 6 folks to go there this spring for that purpose. We didn’t go to pour cement or even to lead workshops. We went to deepen relationships.

The scripture that became a guide for us as we prepared for this trip was from the introduction of Paul’s letter to the church at Rome.

Listen – for God’s word to us all – here and around Lake Izabal in Guatemala:

Read Romans 1:8-12

This is the text that I read the night I preached at the Arce de Noe church in El Estor. My sermon, like this scripture, was in the form of a letter to the Presbyterians in Estoreno Presbytery – a letter from our Church to them. So, since it was ostensibly from you, I thought I’d let yo know what “you” said! -- (remarkably, Perry was able to decipher my scribbles and has the whole thing on the Blog. But, I wanted to simply share part of it with you today – because it gets at this the heart of why we are where we are today:

Dear Sisters and Brothers of Estoreno Presbytery:

We thank God for all of you. We have heard of your faith from those who visited here before. Ever since that first trip we have been praying for you—and asking God how we can remain in relationship with you. We have been hoping that some people from our church could come to you again. We have worked hard to make it possible . . .We have also talked – a lot because we do that! – about what this means and why we want to develop a partnership relationship with you.

Some of it is that we realize there probably are gifts we have that we can share with you. We have a few skills that may be helpful and we are a congregation who knows a lot about being Presbyterian and maybe we can be helpful in that way. We also can offer moral, spiritual and emotional support as we offer our prayers and encouragement.

But, the more we have talked about this as a congregation and listened to the group who came here before, we realize how much this relationship will be mutually encouraging. You already have helped strengthen our faith. And simply by your prayers for us we are encouraged. But you have so much to teach us – new insights on the Bible; evangelism and church growth, hospitality, helping us see our place in the bigger world and become more aware of the Lake Izabal area as more than just a spot on a map. Learn from your way of life what is important. Give us new eyes for seeing our faith and life – and for looking at our own neighborhood in Louisville.

Mostly though we want to be in partnership with you because it is together that we can best understand what Christ is all about. From one another we learn abut compassion and how to care – which is what Jesus was about. In Christ our lives ARE entertwined – and the more we experience that the better chance we have of understanding what life in Christ means.

Two years ago, after our group left here, one woman shared with us how important the time with you had been. She said: “I’ve never known so much what it is to be a Christian.”

That is our deepest hope for this partnership – that we will all learn more about what it is to be Christians.

-- Jane

Before, during, and after the service

Program for the April 26 worship service

Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church
Service for the Lord’s Day
Third Sunday of Easter
April 26, 2009

Liturgists: Guatemala Team

We Gather in God’s Name

Welcome Guests!

The Marimba Calls Us to Worship

Greeting (Elder Elaine Trautwein)
Leader: The grace of the risen Christ be with you.
People: And also with you.

The Life of the Church

Greetings from Estoreño Presbyterians (Ben Langley)

Prelude

*Call to Worship (Carlos Lara)

Leader: In life and in death we belong to God.
People: We trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. We trust in Jesus Christ. We trust in God. We trust in the Holy Spirit.
Leader: Let us rejoice and worship God with enthusiasm.

*Hymn #472 PH “Cantad al Señor” (Sing in the language of your heart)

*Call to Confession (Carlos Lara)

*Prayer of Confession
All: We rebel against God; we hide from our Creator, ignoring God’s commandments. We violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation.

Silence (for examination of conscience and personal prayers of confession)

*Pouring of the Baptismal Water

*Declaration of Forgiveness (Carlos Lara)
Leader: Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.
People: We rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Leader: We have been saved.

*Sung Response #2026 SF
Halle, Halle, Halleluja! Halle, Halle, Halleluja!
Halle, Halle, Halleluja! Halleluja! Halleluja!

*The Peace in Q´eqchi´ (Perry Chang)
Leader: Chicuank taxak li tuktuquil usilal eriq’uin.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Please exchange signs of Christ’s peace.
(Translation: Peace be with you.)

Litany of Parting
Congregation: May God be with you there.
Children: May God be with you here.

We Hear and Proclaim God’s Word

Prayer for Illumination (Ellen Dozier)

The Scriptures
Psalm 133 (Ellen Dozier)
Romans 1#8-12 (Jane Larsen-Wigger)

The Message
Jane Larsen-Wigger
Lowell Linder
Ben Langley and Luke Van Marter
Ellen Dozier
Soni Castleberry

We Respond to God’s Word

*Hymn #377 PH “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore” (Sing in the language of your heart)

Gathering the Prayers of the People (Lowell Linder)
Response:
Leader: . . . In your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.

The Offering

Offertory Marimba Video

*Sung Response “Unidos, Unidos”

Spanish:
Unidos, unidos, en tu nombre unidos.
Unidos, unidos, en tu nombre unidos.
Pues en este mundo—paz ya amor—tendremos,
Pues en este mundo—paz y amor—tendremos.
Unidos, siempre unidos, tomandonos las manos
Iremos por el mundo cantando al amor.
La Gloria de Jesus, al fin resplandecera
Y el mundo llenara de amor y de paz.

English:
Together, together, in your name, we gather.
Together, together, in your name, we gather.
Then we’ll have in this world—peace and love—around us.
Then we’ll have in this world peace and love—around us.
Together we’re united;
We hold hands as we struggle;
We walk into the world singing God’s song of love.
The glory of our Lord, resplendent ever will shine.
The whole world will be joyful with love and peace.

We Give Thanks to God

*Prayer of Thanksgiving (Perry Chang)
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We Go in God’s Name

*Hymn #432 PH “Song of Hope” (Sing first in Spanish, then in English)

*Blessing and Sending

*All: Alleluia! Amen.

Service Notes: The Call to Worship, Prayer of Confession, and Declaration of Forgiveness are taken from A Brief Statement of Faith—Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)


Announcements

Leading today’s worship service include the members of the team which recently made a visit on our behalf to Guatemala: Perry Chang, Ellen Dozier, Ben Langley, Jane Larsen-Wigger, Lowell Linder, and Luke Van Marter. Also assisting are Carlos Lara Gabb and Soni Castleberry who were both very instrumental in planning for this trip.

You can contribute at any time to the Guatemala Mission Partnership Fund which supports partnership activities between CHPC and the Q´eqchi´Estoreño, Izabal presbytery. Make checks payable to CHPC with the designation “Guatemala Mission Partnership Fund.”

Pray for our partners in eastern Guatemala: For the San Jorge church in northern El Estor; Pastor Mario Xo Ical; church elders, deacons, and members; and their building program.

Partnership dialogues pictured

Ben took these pictures of us talking about a possible Estoreño-Crescent Hill partnership - above and immediately below - on Sunday morning outside Pastor Gerardo's home in the Iglesia Arca de Noe campus.

Ben took additional pictures of us as we contined the dialogue in the Iglesia Espiritu Santo sanctuary.

Hangin' at Gerardo's

Along among us, Benjamin and Lucas stayed at the same house, on the campus of Iglesia Arca de Noe, with the family of the pastor, Gerardo Ich Pop. Benjamin and Lucas probably spent more time with members of their host family, because we also spent all Sunday morning near the manse. Benjamin and Lucas also got beds (pictured above), conventional toilets with toilet seats (not pictured), and a fan (pictured below)! Ben found time to take some pictures (above and below).

Benjamin and Lucas took a crack at making tortillas - ultimately, tortillas cooked in this outdoot kitchen, next to the manse, were part of our lunch meal, Sunday.

Gerardo's kids appeared to get a kick out of posing for pictures with Lucas.

Wood seemed to be the main source of heat for cooking, and I believe this stack of wood was outside Gerardo's home.

-- Perry