Celebrating Partnership

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Dear friends,

Psalm 145:9, says, “God is good to everyone. God showers compassion on all God’s creation.”

God is good all the time.  For everything God has done for each of us, we are immensely grateful to God. We experience God’s goodness in our midst each moment. We see around us miracles happening, and it gives us hope for continuing to act and live in a way that we glory God in all things.

We learn in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that “For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field. You are also God's building.” As we serve God’s ministry, we work together, sharing our gifts in partnership with God and with one another. We work in partnership according to God’s purpose for the world. Together, we work to establish connections and actively participate in spreading the gospel in many places. Our mission has been given to us, and by working together, we may effectively serve one another in love. We support one another as partners in sharing God’s grace and blessings to those we come across on our spiritual journey.

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I feel blessed to be called to this service, working in partnership with our sisters in Guatemala and our siblings in the U.S., and I express my gratitude to God for giving me the opportunity to serve in this amazing ministry.

When I first joined the National Union of Presbyterian Women of Guatemala (UNMP), I recognized the chance to strengthen the relationship between UNMP and additional partners in support of their mission. It is crucial to emphasize that during its existence, UNMP has benefited from the support of numerous churches, presbyteries and people. For UNMP to continue its services to assist women in Guatemala, who frequently find themselves in precarious positions in their communities, the support of faithful partners is essential.

Churches and presbyteries, though, have the chance to make this help a more persistent kind of reciprocal assistance. Together, they form a partnership that develops into a commitment. An agreement is signed in which the two parties agree to work together to fulfill God's purpose in those ministries in order to solidify this relationship between the two parties.

Flint River Presbytery has honored this pledge to collaborate in mission with the UNMP for more than 20 years, exemplifying this spirit of partnership. This long-term mission partner is valued and cherished by UNMP because it has enriched the lives of Presbyterian women in Guatemala.

As part of our attempts to reach out and build new connections for mission partners, we have the opportunity to enter into conversations with churches and presbyteries. Through these interactions, we are able to give them information about the ministry of the UNMP and learn more about their interests and willingness to formally collaborate with our Guatemalan sisters as mission partners.

In one of these interactions, Florida Presbytery expressed interest in starting a partnership with UNMP. Then, after about two years of conversations, the desire to learn more about each other’s ministries, and prayers UNMP signed the agreement of mission partnership with the Florida Presbytery. We are very thankful for our sisters and brothers that with so much love and compassion reached out for this important partnership. The signing ceremony virtually took place on October 3 where the Florida Presbytery representatives including the General Presbyter Roy A. Martin, and the members of the committee on mission and outreach (Becky Rose, Hugh Hamilton, and Edward Horne) met with the UNMP board of directors to officially inaugurated the partnership. We have covenanted to pray for each other, make efforts to be in touch, get to know more about each other, to exchange updates about each other’s ministries, and, when possible, to visit one another in person.

Celebrating this partnership brings us joy and holds us accountable to one another's ministries through prayers, friendship and support. This event gives us the sense that we are accomplishing the commandment of loving one another as we take care of one another. Even though we were not meeting face-to-face but virtually, we could experience the love all over the screen with smiling faces and the commitment to work together for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

As you can see, this ministry is moving forward with the blessings that all of you are sharing with women in Guatemala. We are grateful for your willingness to be a partner with this ministry as we take this journey together. I encourage you to support this ministry by means of prayer, thoughts and financial support.

May God keep blessing all of you.

Eliane