Blog - Guatemala Partnership

There’s No Escaping

February 16, 2026February 26, 2026Guatemala Partnership

By Betsey Moe and Matt Beach

The CEDEPCA USA Board met last week in Guatemala. Revs. Betsey Moe and Matt Beach, two new board members, are today’s guest writers for the blog as they reflect back on the week of meetings and traveling to visit partners. Betsey was a PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker with CEDEPCA from 2020-2024 and now serves as the installed Solo Pastor at Community Presbyterian Church in Post Falls, Idaho. Matt is a PhD candidate at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California and recently served Heights Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas. Carrie Saathoff, co-chair of the Guatemala Partnership of New Castle Presbytery, has now rotated off of this Board after serving for six years, three as president.

CEDEPCA USA Board in Guatemala this week. Back row is Betsey Moe (2nd from left), Matt Beach (2nd from right) and Carrie Saathoff (far right).

Women United Can Never Be Defeated

February 9, 2026February 26, 2026Guatemala Partnership

By Valery Nodem, International Coordinator for the Presbyterian Hunger Program PC(USA)

This week, I traveled with Carrie Saathoff, co-chair of the Guatemala Partnership of New Castle Presbytery to the Western Highlands of Guatemala to witness the work of the Association of Mam Christian Women for Development (Association) in person. New Castle Presbytery has worked in formal partnership with the Association for more than a decade and the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) has recently begun supporting the Association as well. I was excited to see the projects that I have heard so much about in the last two years. Accompanying us were Andrea Ramirez, our expert interpreter, and Kevin de León, our trusted driver. The four of us had a lot of laughs and good conversation on the road.

Two Histories

January 28, 2026January 28, 2026Guatemala Partnership

By Cathy Higgins and Carrie Saathoff, Co-Chairs, Guatemala Partnership of New Castle Presbytery

Visiting La Merced, a famous church in Antigua

This post shares two histories – one of our partnership and one of Guatemala’s most well-known cities.

As we left the mountains of Totonicapán on our way to Antigua, Cathy was reflecting on all of the progress these faithful, hardworking women and men have made. She had a watershed moment during our visit with AJPU. There are currently 59 women of the Association who are on the waiting list to receive water filters. WHAT?? This was our first project with AJPU that began 15 years ago and now it is being resurrected.

Winding Down Guatemala Style

January 26, 2026January 26, 2026Guatemala Partnership

By Carol Shumway, Trinity Presbyterian Church

After our high altitude hike yesterday to visit a remote group of the Association (28 members) and a visit to the mountainous forest where we saw scores of seedlings having lovingly been planted by each woman of the group, we wound down figuratively and literally as we descended from Xela to Antigua. We stopped en route at AJPU to visit the workshop where the fuel-efficient stoves are manufactured.