Report on GCPC Delegation Visit to Jerusalem Church, Summer 2015

A fourteen-person delegation represented Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church on a visit to Jerusalem Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Coatepeque, Guatemala, June 23 – July 3, 2015.  Included in the fourteen were four families visiting the partner church for the first time:  Pam and Tadd Clarkson and daughter Hannah, Chris Hartbarger and daughter Colleen, Elizabeth and Matt Mullen and daughter Luci and son Simon, married couple Mary Berg and Lee Smith.  Buzz Durham, Lloyd Horton, and Lynne Meacham were co-leaders. (Carolyn Horton helped plan and organize the trip, but did not travel.)

A main objective was building relationships between Jerusalem Church members and Grace Covenant members as we lived and worshipped together and shared our lives and faith stories.   We had hoped to help with construction of the church building, but they were not yet ready to break ground.

Activities:

--Worshipped with Jerusalem Church on Sunday morning and two Wednesday evenings.  Our group participated with songs in Spanish; Tadd Clarkson delivered the Sunday sermon in Spanish.

--Presented GCPC children’s banner to Sunday school and had Jerusalem Church children make artwork for a banner for GCPC children.

--Held workshop on vegetable gardening in containers for thirty church health promoters from Suroccidente Presbytery.   The health promotors liked the idea of raising food for the family in small spaces, using free readily-available materials for the soil mix, elevation of tire gardens on benches, recycling of tires.  Several health promotors shared their knowledge of organic gardening and pest control techniques.

--Heard presentation of church building plans by their architect and discussed design, function, materials, and staging with architect and Session members.  Some final decisions need to be made before construction can begin on phase 1 (classroom/parsonage).   Pastor Julio and the Session led a “dedication of the first stone” devotional with us at the building site.

--Shared ministry ideas with Session members, for example, how to allocate scarce resources to the many people with needs, collaboration with other churches and community ministries.

--Shared ministry ideas with Deacons,  made pastoral visits to church members in outlying areas of La Unión and La Aurora,  bought and bagged food staples for widows and elderly people the Deacons help support, toured Fundabien Rehabilitation Center.

--Visited Community of Love youth center financed by Compassion International and administered by Jerusalem Church; watched and performed in student show of songs and dances; met teachers and toured the facility, which provides after-school enrichment, tutoring, and classes in keyboarding, sewing, and carpentry.  They would like to add classes in computer-repair, but this depends on government approval and acquisition of computers.

--Met scholarship students and parents, who thanked Grace Covenant donors with touching words and handmade gifts.   Discussed program with Jerusalem Church Partnership Committee.

--Met Jerusalem Church Health Promotor and heard report of health needs and activities.

Needs identified:

1.  Continue praying for Jerusalem Church families, session, deacons, pastor, pastoral search committee, building committee, partnership committee, scholarship students; prayer for Guatemala during September elections.

2.  Scholarship student support.  Continue annual scholarships for primary and secondary education, plus:

--Food assistance, vitamins, parasite medications, clean water.

--Funds for short-term vocational education in addition to regular program

--Funds for university study

3.  Building project, phase 1, classrooms.  Financial assistance, hands-on help with construction.

4.  Deacon’s Fund support.

--Widows/widowers food provisions

--Parkinson’s medications for an individual

--Financial help for individuals

5.  Community of Love

-- Computer lab, computer repair class.  Donate used laptop computers.  The Guatemalan government must issue a permit for the class.

--Typing/keyboarding class.  They have been using typewriters, but need to shift to computers with operating system in Spanish.

6.  Anti-gang ministry of Pastor José Sánchez, Iglesia Ebenezer, Las Mercedes, Colomba, GT.

Email:  allankenny.sv@gmail.com

Phone:  51897272, 57953118

--Elizabeth Mullen to share his information with her friend who works with Play for Peace.

--Other ways to assist? Contact foundations, churches, etc.

--Victor Solano of IJ made the contact.

7.  Cookbook with recipes from Jerusalem Church and GCPC members for fundraiser.

8.  Story Corps -type ministry, exchange of stories, especially stories related to migration.

 

The fourteen people in the delegation are very grateful for the support of Grace Covenant and we appreciate the chance to be your representatives to our partner church.  We hope to share more of our experiences at a whole-church event soon.  We join the people of Jerusalem Church in saying “God bless you”.

Report prepared by Lynne Meacham, August 20, 2015