“Offerings Off The Wall”
FIVE FOR GUATEMALA
Having lived in and slept in a wide variety of settings in South America, I wasn’t too nervous about where or how I would be sleeping in Guatemala. Before the trip, though, I had been a bit nervous about being the “team leader,” so to speak, of the 5 other members of “my” group. I had been given a makeshift map of how to walk to our hotel from the airport and was assured it was a short walk. The day before I left I confess I was relieved when the head of the project called me from Guatemala and said she was going to be in Guatemala city on the night we arrived and would pick us up at that airport. That was a load off my mind. We arrived in Guatemala City later than expected at 10:00PM. I assured my traveling companions that we were to be picked up by Carol and her husband. But as we stood on the sidewalk outside the airport in the rainy night, our suitcases and carry-ons in tow, there was no sign of her. I didn’t have an international plan for my cell phone, I had checked before I left the states. Luckily both of the men in our party of 5 did. It took us a minute or two to figure out that the international call we were making on their highly capable cell phones was now a “local call.”
We got through to Carol and found out why she wasn’t there. Rain and more rain, mudslides, mud-falls and washed out roads had made it impossible for her to get to us. She told us to call the hotel where we were to stay and ask for Carlos. He answered the phone and said he would be there to pick us up in 2 minutes. Thirty minutes later, Carlos was there with his tiny car and transported us in mini-groups to the hotel, which was right around the corner from the airport. I am certain I never would have found it from the picture and the map I held in my hand. Carlos was very kind and even managed to find us some bottled water at what was now 11:00PM. We got the lay of the land, the location of the shared bathroom, and the breakfast hour.
I woke up before the sun and took my cool shower. We ate a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bread and jam and coffee. I wasn’t sure what to expect that first day. We weren’t sure of the itinerary; were we going to Chichicastenango which was at an elevation of 6800 feet or where? Armando and Tomas arrived at 8:15 ready to drive us to Panajachel, Lake Atitlan. It was wonderful to be speaking Spanish again. I announced to Tomas and Armando that I had a small problem and wanted to know if it would be possible to find a store that could sell me a memory card for my new camera. They didn’t see why not and knew right where to go at 9:00AM on a Saturday morning. On the road again we were off to the Guatemalan Playground of Lake Atitlan. Armando pointed out sites of interest and sites of destruction along the route. It was overcast and rainy and everything was just ‘wet.’ After checking in to our hotel, the five of us went foraging for lunch at a place called The Bistro. After some Caprece salad and Antipasto, followed by various other delicious dishes we took a bit of a walk and then Mike and Lynn suggested we go on an adventure: the “Cable Extremos” (that’s Spanish for Zip Line) and before I knew it we had boarded Tuk-Tuks and were on our way to Zip down the mountainside on a cable. I survived.
That evening we had a lovely dinner overlooking the Lake and the next morning headed out to Chichicastenango. It was market day in “Chichi” and the church service we were to attend wasn’t until 4:30PM. We arrived late, after 5:00PM, and I was invited immediately to translate the pastor’s sermon from Spanish into English for the group. Work began the next morning and I woke up feeling the altitude pretty badly. However after a few Tylenol, 2 cups of coffee and a cup of tea for good measure, I was determined to go to work.
In the afternoon on Monday we walked up the road in Xepocól (pronounced Chepohcól) to visit their Methodist Church which was having their regular worship service on Monday afternoon the day following Market Day. Most all of the churches are equipped with loudspeakers mounted on their roofs so the singing and prayers are heard through the hills and valleys. During the time of the “Violencia” (1978-1984) the government compelled the protestant churches to broadcast their services, because they believed the churches were secretly plotting to overthrow the government. In the Methodist Church of Xepocól the women were seated on the right side of the sanctuary and the men on the left. Guess which side had most chairs?
I know I will return to Guatemala for a number of reasons, but mostly because each day we learned something new and important about ourselves. We were moved and challenged by the stories of those who survived La Violencia and who lived to inspire their children. What a blessing to be so moved, so changed, so inspired. Thank you to Carol Conger-Cross for her devotion to the Guatemala Mission Project and the people of Guatemala. And thank you to my new Guatemalteco friends, who I hope to see again very soon.
Blessings, Rev. Amanda
OFFERTORY THOUGHT BY REV. AMANDA
AUGUST
August 1....My Father always said: “It’s important to see how the other half lives.” I knew the point he was making. Not everyone in the world possesses what we possess and realizing that might make me a better person. For those of us who see ourselves in the middle between the rich and the poor, it’s not about halves, it more like 3rd’s; the third that is fiscally above me and the third that is fiscally below me. But it can’t really be 3rd’s either, because 80% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 per day. I guess that puts all of us in the other 20%.
20/20 VISIONING TEAM MEETS AGAIN AUGUST 16TH!
The first meeting of the 20/20 Visioning Team took place on Tuesday July 6th. Our objective was to brainstorm, plan and work out how we will approach the next 10 years of ministry. Our goal is to have a plan ready to present to the entire congregation by November 2010. The next meeting will be held August 16th at 6:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. If you are interested in representing your committee or yourself on this 20/20 team, tell your committee chair or call the church office and sign up to be a member.
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
MISSION GIVING
The members of the Palm Springs Unit of the United Methodist Women (UMW) are eager to share the joy and satisfaction of belonging to an organization that is dedicated to the improvement in the lives of women, children and youth around the world. There are over 800,000 members throughout the United States, and we are proud of the help we have been able to provide.
The individual units are the backbone of the organization, in that we provide the money to be allocated to Missions, schools, and residences for abused, neglected or disabled people. With our help, the Women’s Division Board of 50 women, has been able to provide over $25 million dollars in grants for these concerns. The Palm Springs Unit has been sending at least $1000 annually to National, and almost the same amount for the same causes locally.
Mission giving starts small in the individual units, and like the mustard seed, or a bit of yeast, it grows and provides for many, letting them know that God is still with us. In this, we are following the Purpose of UMW, in that we are “….expanding the concept of Mission through the participation in the global ministries of the world.” Does this sound like something that would interest you? We would welcome you to our next meeting on Wednesday, October 6th, at 10:00am in the Fellowship Hall.
News from the Library.......
While the rest of you have spent the summer lolling around reading books, we have been busy with new projects. Come in and see our new window blinds. They enhance an already-inviting room. Our thanks to Betty Bidwell, Mel Nelson, Valerie Simmons of JCPenney, Charles Stumpf, and the Ladies of the UMW for their help in making these possible. We also have a new bookcase, located in the church office just to the right of the Library door. It will house special authors or displays, seasonal items and books we want you to notice. They all may be checked out as usual.
The Library Ladies
VBS "GALACTIC BLAST" - OUT OF THIS WORLD! AND UMYF - BLASTING OFF, ROLLING AROUND AND GETTING WET!
Thank you to all who made Vacation Bible School a “galactic blast” this year! Fourteen children attended the week-long program of space adventure, bible stories, crafts and fun! The energy was high, the volunteers were always ready to lend a hand, and the cadets were filled with the spirit of adventure, friendship, and most importantly: Jesus Christ!
The 2011 VBS themes have just been announced: Shake It Up: Where Kids Carry out God’s Recipe or Island Odyssey: To the Ends of the Earth with Jesus Christ. Planning for 2011 will start in December, so all those interested, please contact the church office and we will add your name to the volunteer list. Start thinking about ideas, tips, supplies, anything that will make next year’s VBS even better than this year. Though it was my first year experiencing a vacation bible school, it was certainly one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever been a part of. Come, join, take the journey with us!
The UMYF Youth Group has been keeping busy this summer! From June 21st - 25th, they worked as the core group of volunteers for Galactic Blast!, this year’s Vacation Bible school program. Every morning for a week they showed up singing and dancing, and helped lead for the rest of the day through the many science experiments, crafts, snacks and activities.
On June 27th we held an end-of-the-year swim party at Alan Scott’s house; a HUGE thank you to Alan for the use of his gorgeous pool and also for his always-gracious hospitality. A few weeks later the youth were off to camp for a week! Out at Camp Wrightwood from July 18th - 24th, the group learned what it is to make a “mix-tape” of your life, and how God can be included every day. When they returned we had a sushi-rolling party, where the kids learned how to roll sushi, talked about camp and friendship, and had a discussion on what it is to be a good neighbor. We also had new Youth member Isaiah join us for sushi. Welcome, Isaiah!
Coming Up: Knott’s Berry Farm, a mission trip, and a rescheduled retreat. Stay tuned!
~ Chrysta, UMYF Coordinator
