Encounters for Faith

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Hello, friends!

The year has gotten off to a good start here in Guatemala. In the Intercultural Encounters program of CEDEPCA, we hosted nine groups between January and March. I (Betsey) was a facilitator on three of those trips. CEDEPCA has a team of internal and external facilitators who are able to accompany groups and share the load. I don’t often talk about what exactly goes on during a trip, so I’ll take you along on my journey on two of those visits.

On the first trip, I accompanied a group of pastors and former mission co-workers from the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest (my home presbytery!) to the Alta Verapaz area, where we visited two churches in the Polochic Presbytery as well as a school reading project sponsored by one of the churches. The Inland Northwest Presbytery has had a presbytery-to-presbytery partnership with the Polochic Presbytery for more than 20 years, but their last visit was at least seven years ago. This visit was to get reacquainted, to learn and share about the state of the church and the communities we come from, and to pray with one another. Presbyteries in the United States and in Guatemala go through a lot of changes within seven years, both with turnover in leadership and membership – so these kinds of reconnection visits are important. I served as the Spanish-to-English interpreter alongside Josué, our Q’eqchi’-to-Spanish interpreter. With 22 Mayan languages being spoken in Guatemala, it is not uncommon in rural communities to encounter people who only speak their Mayan language. So, I thank God for people like Josué who make relationships and partnerships possible!

[ngg src="galleries" ids="1223" display="pro_horizontal_filmstrip" show_captions="1"]Through CEDEPCA’s connections in the country, we were also able to introduce the Inland Northwest pastors to the Self-Development of People youth bakery project in Guatemala City and the Corazón de Mujer weaving co-op in Chimaltenango, two organizations where stories of resilience and hope abound.

During the second trip, I served as the Logistics Facilitator for the Faith Stories project, a collaboration between a Louisville-based theater company (Looking for Lilith), First Presbyterian Church of Winchester Virginia, and a group of indigenous women from various rural communities in Guatemala. This trip was filled with creativity, movement, story-sharing and laughter as all the participants shared memories of people who made an impact in their lives and then brought some of those stories to life through acting. On our final night all together, we enacted John 13, Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, as a way to express our mutual love and service to, for, and with one another.

What a privilege it is for me to come alongside travelers to Guatemala who, as Rick Steves would say, are “getting to know their neighbors.” Knowing our global neighbors and allowing ourselves to be known is the one path I see toward the just and peaceful community that God has created us for.

Of course, there is so much more to tell about each trip I facilitate for CEDEPCA. I do hope that if you are able, you will come one day on an Intercultural Encounters trip to Guatemala! Eric and I send our sincere thanks to all of you who come alongside us and make our work possible through your prayers, your friendship, and your financial support.

Que Dios les bendiga!

Rev. Betsey Moe

Intercultural Encounters Facilitator, CEDEPCA