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Friday morning we woke up early and prepared for our trip to UPAVIM. The ride through downtown Guatemala City and into the outskirts of town (Zone 12) was scenic, and our tightly packed bus enjoyed the trip. When we arrived at UPAVIM, we were warmly welcomed by the UPAVIM women. We were then given a tour of the facility where we saw the school, the bakery, the library, and the arts and crafts work area. We had a huge lunch (that was quite delicious!) and then we were introduced to our host families. We all slept well and early on Friday night, and each had our own stories to share of the experiences we had at the houses. Almost all of the host families have children and large families, which makes evenings enjoyable and fun.

Hola! Today was day two of our Guatemala mission, and we were exposed to a closer look at Guatemalan history and scenery. We started off the day with a representative from NISGUA (Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala), which is an organization that works for justice in Guatemala. Carrie came to the Sister Parish Center to help provide the DGFUMC delegation a better understanding of the history of Guatemala and the involvement that the United States had in the Guatemalan civil war. We learned that, in order to understand the present, a knowledge of the past is necessary. 

The 2011 DGFUMC delegation to our sisters in UPAVIM has arrived in Guatemala City. After an early morning flight from Chicago and a brief stopover in Houston, we landed safely in Guatemala City (with all our luggage) just after 1pm. We were greeted by a number of UPAVIMAs, including several who visited Downers Grove in 2009, waiting patiently outside with the Sister Parish coordinator, Ellen Moore. The value of our hermanamiento was once again demonstrated by the warmth of their welcome, whether renewing past friendships or meeting new faces. This is a relationship that is enriching both communities, and we are excited that it is being refreshed once again.

Thank you for all your prayers and good wishes. We will try to post messages whenever we have access to the internet. You can follow our progress on the Guatemala blog.

Hola and Felice Ano Nuevo!

Hello and Happy New Year from Bolivia!

Tuesday, June 21, we and many thousands of Aymara celebrated the Winter Solstice here, which also marks the start of a New Year for the Aymara – it’s the year 5,519.

Pentecost happened again at Kaukauna, Wisconsin on June 24 at the trial of Rev. Amy DeLong. Amy, her trial team and supportive witnesses, gathered from many states, felt the loving wind of the Spirit as the trial court (jury) found Amy innocent of the charge of being a self-avowed, practicing homosexual by a vote of 12 to 1.

16 June, 2011

Hola y Bendiciones desde el Mision Fronteras a Lago Titicaca!

Hello and Blessings from the Border Mission at Lake Titicaca!

Since the death of Jesus, the Church often speaks of his blood saving us. I don’t use this language much because it has been hijacked by religious conservatives who take it to mean that they, individually, and those who are just like them have been elevated to a privileged position in God’s sight, which is odious heresy. However, this morning I’m thinking that the blood language might still be useful if we think about it in terms of being open to receiving a spiritual transfusion of the life-force, aka blood, of Jesus.

“Would you like to live in a world where it was always June?” the signboard outside the business asked.

Hola,

A lot of you knew we were having a meeting in Puno, Peru, on Friday with Pastor Venancio who is a Methodist pastor in Peru and is in charge of the Lake Titicaca area for the Methodist Church. Many of you are also aware of the political tensions in the Puno area. We feel compelled to give an update on the situation in this area of Peru.

We’ve just walked back “home” to our house in Copacabana, after a regional worship service in nearby Iglesia Manko Capak (named after the 1st Incan Emperor and the name of the Province in which Copacabana is located). The Bolivian Methodist Church (Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en Bolivia) is celebrating its 100-year jubilee. Each church district is hosting celebrations of this kind. The 4.5-hour service was unusually brief, probably because Bishop Javier Rojas (the only Bolivian Bishop), officiated.