Dear Friends and Partners in Mission,
Summertime in Guatemala brings several changes
to life and work in this “eternally spring” part of the world. We’re now in the
rainy season. For us that means regular downpours usually in the mid to late
afternoon. The summer months have also provided an opportunity to engage in our
work more intentionally.
In order to serve the theological training
needs of the church’s indigenous community, projects to take the training to
the people are starting up around the country. The first of such projects is
taking place here in Cobán, offering much needed and much asked for theological
education to pastors and leaders of the surrounding indigenous presbyteries.
The national seminary provides teachers and materials for the classes, the
national church provides for food, lodging, and rented classrooms, and the
participants (many with help from their US Presbyterian partners) provide for
their travel expenses to attend the one week sessions.
Being able to sit in on these classes has been
a great privilege for us. It has given us a glimpse into the lives of the
participants, and an opportunity to understand their thirst for greater
knowledge of our faith, our church, and those elements of pastoring that make
them more effective servants of their congregations and their communities. A
young man named Arturo personifies the profile of so many of these students. He
first captured our attention when he took a turn translating the professor’s
lecture into the Q’eqchí language for the benefit of those who needed
translation from Spanish. He was the youngest translator to volunteer, and the
only one to translate simultaneously during the lecture. He had a natural poise
and confidence not often seen in the indigenous. We had the opportunity to get
to know Arturo better when he volunteered to help with another project related
to the new Presbyterian Complex in Cobán. Assuming he had benefitted from
greater educational opportunities, we asked him about his schooling. We were
surprised to learn that his formal education amounted to the third year of “Primaria”,
or roughly a third grade education. He could tell we were surprised to hear
this, so he went on to tell us that, being from a large family, there wasn’t
enough money in the household to supply all the kids with everything they
needed to attend school. So after the third year, the older kids stop so the
brothers and sisters behind them get their chance at getting some education.
Most of his literacy training is self-taught or learned from friends and other
mentors.
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| Arturo and Debbie |
Clearly, this 26 year old has a lot on the
ball. His quiet nature, ready smile, and quick sense of humor cause him to find
favor among his peers as well as those outside the indigenous community. He’s a
natural leader which is why his pastor put his name in for participation in the
training program. When asked if his dream is to be a pastor, he said “perhaps”.
“Right now I want to learn more about our church and about God who has done so
much for me”. When asked about which part of the training interested him the
most, he said he was interested in the lecture on how the church makes
decisions (polity) and that each elder and pastor in the church has the same
voice and vote. He, like many indigenous, always thought the church was run by
the powerful and sophisticated people who live in the capital city. “But now
we’re learning that we have the same voice and vote that they have”. He says,
“I think our church has a lot to say to the young people in my town.” (He is
from the community of Chisec). There are so many among the indigenous who have
lived without a voice or a vote in so many critical aspects of their lives. Who
would have thought that educating young indigenous Presbyterians (about church
polity of all things) would help them start finding their voices in their
church, and in their communities?
One of
the critical global issues identified by our church’s mission agency is focused
on evangelism: “Together with other members of Christ’s body, we will share the
good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ.” Educating leaders like Arturo
empowers those ‘other members of Christ’s body’ to bring the church’s gospel
message to those looking to find their voices. Your
support for us and our ministry is truly bearing fruit that will improve the
lives and ministries of this generation of leaders; and of leaders of
generations yet to come. Thank you for believing in us and our work. Thank you
for your prayers for us; we sense them regularly. Thank you for communicating
with us and encouraging us. And thank you for the financial support that
sustains our ministry here in Guatemala.
For the summer of 2014, please pray for us in
the following areas:
1)
Our
language study: We found a language school here in Cobán!
That story alone is quite interesting. We will probably always be students of
Spanish. There is so much new to learn. Please pray that we will learn what we
need to know in order to be effective ministers of the work God puts before us.
2)
The
nature of our work: We love all aspects of our
work so far. We’re excited about the current and potential plans the church is
creating to build learning opportunities for the many indigenous members of
this church. Please pray also for the many US Presbyterians who travel to
Guatemala during this time of year to visit their partners.
3)
Ongoing
financial support: Sustaining mission workers
in the field continues to be an involved and costly challenge for our denomination.
Please pray that those touched by a passion to serve our indigenous sisters and
brothers of Guatemala with the enabling blessings of education will be moved to
support this ministry. Also pray that we will be
effective communicators of this imperative initiative.
Blessings for a wonderful summer!
Richard and Debbie Welch
Richard and Debbie Welch
PC(USA) Mission Co-Workers, Guatemala
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