Profile: Guatemala Partnership

In our SERVE profiles, we will offer a closer look into the work of a service group at Grace Covenant. The first profile is for our Guatemala Partnership. Thank you to Lynne Meacham for providing the content of this profile!

GCPC team makes pastoral visits to Guatemala, 2010

What is the Guatemala Partnership?

Our sister church Iglesia Presbiteriana Jerusalem (Jerusalem Church) is located in Coatepeque, a city in southwest Guatemala a short drive from the border with Mexico.  For over 15 years, our churches have built close ties through visits both in Coatepeque and Asheville.  These are deep relationships based on our shared faith and our response to the call to join as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Projects we have worked on together include creating gardens, home repair and construction, and educational scholarships for elementary and high school students.  We always learn from each other new ways of being in ministry in our communities.

What are some activities or accomplishments of this group over the past year?

• Invited Jerusalem Church's Alejandra Solano to attend Presbyterian Youth Triennium with other young people of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina.
• Sent GCPC team of 2 adults and 3 youth to Jerusalem Church.
• Raised funds for Timothy Project scholarships for 35 children, a program administered by the Jerusalem Church.

Some of the youth who receive Timothy Project scholarships.

•  Held "Mardi Gras" party to raise funds for a November, 2011, visit from four of our Guatemalan brother and sisters from Jerusalem Church.

Mardi Gras musicians

What kind of service opportunities exist for church members or visitors? 

• Pray for the Jerusalem Church and its members
• Plan ways to support and encourage Jerusalem Church
• Develop relationships between people of the two churches
• Seek to learn from our Guatemalan partner
• Host, feed, transport, entertain, accompany, interpret for our Guatemalan brothers and sisters when they visit us 
• Translate letters and documents English/Spanish 
• Contribute to the scholarship program 
• Develop ways to teach our congregation about the needs and opportunities in Central America
• Travel to Guatemala to visit our partner church for relationship building and other projects (construction, gardens, educational)

When someone “joins” your group, what kind of time commitment/long-term ownership is expected or required of that person?

Monthly one-hour meetings, though more time is required for special projects (fundraisers, visits). 

Alejandra Solano and Fredy Paz Rivera attended Presbyterian Youth Triennium with youth from Presbytery of WNC

Is there an unspoken culture to this group?

 There is a core group that has been involved with the partnership for years; however, we welcome new members.  We usually meet after church one Sunday a month.

Who is the current contact person for this group, and how can that person be reached?

Lynne Meacham, larkm99@gmail.com, 828-505-7277