Petrichor

Dear Friends and Partners in mission,

“It was predicted, but it was still unexpected.”

Folks around the world are no strangers to the sweet smell that comes after a rainfall, but did you know there is a special name for it? It’s called, petrichor. It’s defined as the pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather. This morning, as we prepared for our morning walk in the woods near our home, we stepped out into an unexpected and very welcome morning rain. The chance of this rain had been predicted. But with no measurable rainfall since the first of July, we didn’t take it seriously. So, the sight, the sound, and yes, the fragrance of the rain was poignant. While beautiful, the rain did force us to take another route for our walk. The tall wet grass would soak us. The change made for an invigorating start to our day.

2013, Our journey begins. In route to
language school. Lake Atitlán Overlook

While predicted as a possibility, but still unexpected and yet another disruption to our plans, our Presbyterian Mission Agency has offered a Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) to employees who meet age and length of service criteria. We meet those criteria. After much prayer and deliberation, we have decided to take the offer. Over the years we’ve grown weary of the vague “God has called me in a new direction” reason given by some colleagues who leave this work, so we decided to be as transparent as possible about our discernment process and what led us to this decision. At the end of this letter is a list of reasons that finally convinced us that this was the best choice for us.

We believe that for you, of most interest is, what’s next for us, and how does this decision impact the work we’ve been doing alongside you, our partners? The short answer is, “Together we can ensure they will continue”. Some of you already know about our “exit strategy” that includes our continued involvement in Guatemala once we are no longer mission coworkers for Presbyterian World Mission. That strategy is based on our working with the Guatemala Partnership Network and reengaging with our home presbytery’s mission partnership and other partnerships that would like our continued support. We need to point out that as former PC(USA) mission coworkers, we will coordinate our involvement with World Mission. It is not our desire to impede or duplicate the ongoing mission of the church we love.

Here are some specifics of our ministry areas and projects:

Scholarships for young indigenous people to attend school:

Scholarship student and class valedictorian 

Candy's High School Graduation

This program has blessed and continues to bless the lives of many indigenous youth in many places in Guatemala with opportunities to obtain a quality education through the secondary grades. We will be doing all that we can to ensure the programs we have supported will continue. As the program has grown and adapted to the different needs of donors and recipients, how we go forward will depend on how you have participated in this program. For those funding tuition-only scholarships via the logistics and international relations ministry of the Guatemalan Presbyterian Church, PresGOV (Presbyterian Groups, Organizations, and Volunteers) the process should remain the same as before. The same goes for partners who have been funding their scholarship programs directly to your Guatemalan partner. Where we have helped facilitate communications with and visits to your partner, we continue to be available to provide that service for and with you. Those sponsoring students with full scholarships via PC(USA) World Mission and the Guatemalan Presbyterian Church, the administration staff at our World Mission area office will continue to manage your generous donations to this program as it has in the past. Coordination with national church  leaders and the schools will be performed by our regional liaison,Rev. Leslie Vogel (leslie.vogel@pcusa.org).

Libros Abiertos children’s literacy program:

We have been inspired and amazed by how this program has ignited the passions of our partners as we’ve explored together how a creative approach to language and culture appropriate children’s literature can transform the learning experiences of so many children. We are exploring some creative and exciting ways to sustain this program with our partnerships for the long term. As long as our PC(USA) partners continue to engage and support this program, and it’s supporting institution, La Puerta Abierta school in Atitlán, we will continue to support them in a faithful method compatible with the missiological goals of our denomination.

Learning to fall in love with reading.
Dinosaurs capture a young reader's 
imagination.

Theological education for indigenous pastors and leaders:

Our position as consultants to the Guatemalan Presbyterian Church’s committee for planning these programs will end when we separate from World Mission. As with the youth scholarship program, Coordination with national church leaders and the committee will be performed by our regional liaison, Leslie Vogel. Some of you are in partnership with some of the indigenous presbyteries involved in these programs (including our home presbytery) and have supported your partner’s participation in some manner or another. We will continue to be available to our World Mission colleagues to provide secondary support this program as needed.

Indigenous pastors complete a week of study
in Cobán, Guatemala

Guatemala Mission Partnership Network:

A first look through a telescope at the 2020
Partnership Network Gathering in Guatemala

Our involvement with the network predates our appointment as mission coworkers. We have long held the belief that the network can be a helpful tool as we seek to keep our partnerships relevant both at home and with our Guatemalan partners. We hope to continue as participants in the network, helping our home presbytery in its involvement, and working alongside you in planning helpful and fun gatherings in Guatemala and in the US.

Helping in the church kitchen. US visitors
and Guatemalans celebrate their
partnership

Supporting partnerships and logistics and accompaniment of visiting groups:

Traveling with and accompanying many of you on your visits to your Guatemalan partners has been one of the highlights of our time as mission coworkers. Debbie says, “It was working with visiting groups that kept us sane!” When appropriate, and when it makes the most sense for all involved, we will be delighted to continue supporting you in your partnerships. Of course, the dynamics will be different. Before making Debbie and Richard your ‘go to’ people for your visit, remember that PresGov continues to support visitors to Presbyterian churches and presbyteries in Guatemala. And we encourage you to connect with our friend and colleague, Rev. Betsey Moe, facilitator for the intercultural ministries program at CEDEPCA, another PC(USA) partner in Guatemala.

Now we begin the process of stepping back from our roles as mission coworkers and stepping back into the role as Presbyterians with a love and passion for our partners in the Guatemalan Presbyterian Church. We’ve wanted to pass on as much information about our immediate plans as possible (hence the length of this letter) in order to address the many questions and concerns you have. Should you have further questions, comments, or suggestions for us, we remain available to you via all of the previous communications methods. Our pcusa.org email addresses will be made inactive on September 17^th. If you don’t have them already, our personal email addresses are: Debbie: djwelch2k@gmail.com, Richard: dwelch2k@gmail.com.

God’s blessings and peace to you all!

Richard and Debbie Welch

 Our reasons for separating at this time:

1)    For the “good of the order”: From the initial introduction of the program, our colleagues in World Mission have stressed the importance of making our decisions based on “what is right for you (the Welches)”. Such a statement reflects the ongoing concern and caring, by and for the people who make up our World Mission Agency. It is something we have experienced throughout our history with this organization. As we contemplated what was “right for us”, we found that it was not possible to separate what seemed right for us and what was right for the church and the mission of which we have been a part these last eight years. And it’s clear that the impact of the pandemic means, among other things, the church needs to reduce spending in all areas of its ministry. Having joined World Mission at a later stage in our lives, we enter this separation in a God-given ‘good place’ to begin the next chapter of our lives and ministries.

2)    God’s perfect timing: Our current term of service will end on June 30, 2021. Originally, we had plans to extend our service in Guatemala for one or two more years. In addition to the early separation offer, World Mission is also under a hiring freeze. The possibility of our being able to extend our appointment when several key positions in World Mission remain unfilled is unlikely. As the border closure continues, the time we will have in country to finish our work continues to diminish.

3)    The work can and will go on: This offer of early separation comes at a time when friends and colleagues with whom we have worked over the past several years are leaving or have left, and new faces are arriving to ensure the ministry moves forward. Many of you have helped educate and equip several Guatemalan men and women with leadership and facilitation skills to carry some of these projects forward. The Guatemalan Presbyterian Church’s ministries of providing facilitation and logistical support to groups (PresGOV) continues, as do the various committees supporting secular and theological education. And… we are most excited about the (pre-COVID, pre hiring freeze) appointment of our good friend and colleague Rev. Betsey Moe. Betsey, her husband Eric, and their three children are poised to move to Guatemala as soon as the conditions permit. We’ve known Betsey for many years as a pastor in our home presbytery, a leader of several of delegations to Guatemala, and an active participant in the Guatemala Partnership Network. We are confident that Betsey’s intercultural ministries team will be a good fit for many existing partnerships we know.

Yes, we would have wanted more time. We probably would always have wanted more time. In reality, we hope God blesses us with more time to experience and participate in the work God is doing through the ministries of partnership.