presbyterian church Archives - Guatemala Partnership

Seen and Unseen

February 12, 2023February 12, 2023Guatemala Partnership

By Chad Mattingly, outgoing President, and Carrie Saathoff, incoming President of the CEDEPCA USA Board.

So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 5:18)

The above scripture passage was the focus of our final devotion at the CEDEPCA USA Board meeting yesterday. This past week, Board members flew in from all corners of the US to hold their annual meeting, strategize ways to increase support for CEDEPCA, travel together, and witness the incredible, and often unseen, work that CEDEPCA is doing to transform lives and realities here in Guatemala…and beyond.

Gems of Guatemala

February 8, 2023February 7, 2023Guatemala Partnership

By Carrie Saathoff, Co-Chair of the Guatemala Partnership of New Castle Presbytery

What a trip! I first want to say how impressed I was with this tenacious group of travelers. True gems! We had very full days filled with new sights and sounds, situations that pushed us outside our comfort zones, and experiences that will reshape who we are and how we see the world. These 16 travelers persevered without a single complaint, misstep, or issue. They even stayed up late at night to get their blog posts out. A huge shout out goes to Chris Hickey who provided technical support stateside to be sure the posts looked good and got out on time. Thank you, Chris! We hope you have enjoyed following along with us.

Transfiguration: Witnessing Sights, Stories, and the Spirit

February 6, 2023February 6, 2023Guatemala Partnership

By Tracy Keenan, NCP Missional Presbyter

What does it mean to be a witness? It can mean simply that we have seen something. But it can also mean that we are called upon to share what we have seen as vividly as we can, to make it real to others.

This was a far different experience for me from the visit three years ago, just before Covid.

Heart and Soul

February 3, 2023February 3, 2023Guatemala Partnership

We made it back to Guatemala City, our last full day of site visits. We had gotten in late following the overheating of our bus as it climbed the steep mountains surrounding Atitlán, only to be met as we arrived in Guatemala City with a three-hour traffic jam. We had heard that traffic could be bad, but never imagined we’d experience anything like this firsthand.