partner – Guatemala Partnership

Coming to a Church Near You

January 28, 2019November 28, 2019Guatemala Partnership

As mentioned previously, the Association had an amazing and transformative 2018. We met with the Association Board to review its annual report to NCP for 2018 and 2019 plan of work. Composing these documents are a requirement per the signed covenant between the Association and NCP.

One sentence in their annual report to NCP 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.) Read more →

La Cruz y Los Claveles

January 25, 2019November 28, 2019Guatemala Partnership

Today we got to encounter women in the Association as we ventured to three microloan groups. We started off the day by picking up some old friends: Rosario, 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.

Continuing Our Youth Partnership

March 20, 2018November 28, 2019Guatemala 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

Reconnecting with CEDEPCA

March 15, 2018July 9, 2019Guatemala Partnership

After much planning, packing, and flying, Westminster Presbyterian Church members, Carrie and Cathy, arrived safely in Guatemala City Wednesday afternoon. Upon their arrival, they immediately connected with Emerson Morales of CEDEPCA. As CEDEPCA’s Program Coordinator in its Intercultural Encounters program, Emerson is a vital figure throughout all trips to Guatemala. Beyond his amazing translation skills, he acts as the perfect liaison between the visiting group or church and the local community with whom the group or church is partnering. In this case, Emerson helps Westminster and its efforts to assist the Association, so that partnership projects are helpful to the Association and local communities and not hurtful.

Emerson, Carrie, and Cathy discussed two upcoming trips in 2019. Though the dates are not finalized, we plan to take two groups to Guatemala in 2019. Read more →

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