partner – Guatemala Partnership

Coming to a Church Near You

January 28, 2019March 6, 2019Guatemala Partnership

As mentioned previously, the Association had an amazing and transformative 2018. We met with the Association Board to deliver checks and review its 2018 annual report as well as its 2019 plan of work. Composing these documents is a requirement per the partnership agreement with the New Castle Presbytery.

One sentence in the annual report that emphasized the increase in work read “Please note we can ordinarily fit our activities on one-page, but this year the number exceeds what can be stated with that limit.” (It was four pages long.) Some projects that they worked on in 2018 included: family gardens, stoves, VIP latrines, water filters, CEDEPCA training, health clinics, maintaining the health of livestock, formalizing the association, and prayer partnerships. They are truly working so hard and impacting many communities in and around San Juan Ostuncalco. The women shared that “through working together, we are making God’s love visible.” (Read the entire 2018 Annual Report here.)

La Cruz y Los Claveles

January 25, 2019February 25, 2019Guatemala Partnership

Today we got to encounter women in the Association as we ventured to three micro loan groups. We started off the day by picking up some old friends: Rosario Diaz, Coordinator of the Association and two Board members. We also picked up Vicente and Alfredo of AJPU, the men who build the stoves, latrines, and filters, and Carlos who provides information about proper animal and plant care for the women. The bus ride was interesting as four languages were being spoken: English, Spanish, Mam, and K’iche!

CEDEPCA and NCP Agreement Signing and more!

January 24, 2019February 25, 2019Guatemala Partnership

What a great start to an inevitably remarkable trip! After arriving late Tuesday evening, the New Castle Presbytery Leadership Team visited CEDEPCA and a local church. One team member Rev. Edwin Estevez of Riverfront and Grace Methodist Churches preached in Spanish.

Trip members from Community, Dover, Ocean View, Riverfront, and Westminster Wilmington Churches as well as NCP staff

Like all trips to Guatemala, CEDEPCA is the first stop. We learned a brief history of Guatemala and how it got to present day. Additionally, we got to learn more about CEDEPCA’s women’s ministry. Through providing empowerment training to redefine such a patriarchal society for these women, they are doing transformative work throughout Guatemala. These classes are also used by women in the Association.

Microloan Groups: A Key Piece to a Sustainable Partnership

March 21, 2018March 12, 2019Guatemala Partnership

During this trip, Cathy and Carrie made sure to meet with a variety of microloan groups. These microloan groups help fulfill the pillar of incoming-earning power in the Guatemala Partnership.

The Association of Mam Christian Women for Development has 500 members. As these women live across a large geographic area in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, they organize themselves into smaller groups of 12-18 women in each aldea, a term for village or local community. Together, each group is encouraged to write a business plan and apply to the Association Board for an interest-free microloan.

Continuing Our Youth Partnership

March 20, 2018April 29, 2018Guatemala Partnership

This past Sunday, Cathy and Carrie paid a visit to our partner church, El Verbo Divino. The church is absolutely breathtaking and has the most scenic view from its balcony. If that name sounds a tad familiar, this is the same church whose youth group graciously hosted Westminster youth this past summer for the inaugural youth partnership trip to Guatemala.

View from the balcony of El Verbo Divino

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