Guatemala Partnership, Author at Guatemala Partnership

Traveling the Rough Road

January 25, 2026January 25, 2026Guatemala Partnership

By Gloria Kilby, West Nottingham Presbyterian Church

On Wednesday, we hopped in the bus and took a 30 minute trip to the Association office, then another 30 minute trip to a small village where we switched into three pickup trucks with local drivers so we could make the two hour drive up the mountain, along the top of the ridge, and over the other side toward the valley below to Las Barrancas (which means “the ravines.”) As always, Rosario, and several Association Board and staff members accompanied us – with a few kids in tow – for the day.

Click this photo or here to join our journey on the rough road!

We laughed a lot as we bounced upward on steep inclines of rough narrow road, with lots of gullies and pot holes, then down again. Often there was little or no shoulder and treacherous dropoffs straight down into a deep ravine. The views were spectacular!

Never a Full Bus in Guatemala

January 24, 2026January 24, 2026Guatemala Partnership

By Bruce Shumway, Trinity Presbyterian Church

Today had a usual morning start with breakfast and a twenty minute drive to the Association’s headquarters. We’re traveling in a super, brand new bus that comfortably holds our driver, our CEDEPCA guide, our interpreter and our five intrepid travelers. Well, if we aren’t intrepid yet, we will be by the end of the day. The bus holds ten in it’s initial configuration and we have eight aboard.

Work before lunch, party after!

January 22, 2026January 22, 2026Guatemala Partnership

Today, we headed to the Association office for an all-day meeting. Usually we only have half a day together in the office and always feel rushed. So this time, it was lovely to be more relaxed, get more accomplished, and have some really good laughs together.

In the Heart of Guatemala

January 21, 2026January 21, 2026Guatemala Partnership

Today we had the privilege of spending the morning at the office of our partner CEDEPCA (the Protestant Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America). Just to review, the Guatemala Partnership of New Castle Presbytery has two formal partners in Guatemala: CEDEPCA and the Association of Mam Christian Women for Development (Association). With both of these non-profit organizations, we have signed multiple three-year covenant agreements which specifically outline how we intend to work together to improve the lives of all, as God intended. And not just the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalized in the communities we mutually serve, but the lives of each and every one of us involved in this partnership (this includes you!). Of course, we also have several informal partners such as AJPU (who make the stoves) and JESELCA (Jesus Es El Camino church) which initiated the Utz Pan bakery youth project and has an incredible after-school program.