Equals

During a visit to our newest church in La Libertad with the August delegation from SPAS, Esther Castillo (who is responsible for women’s ministry and education within the ILAG) commented on the artistic map in the middle of the partnership certificate which was presented that day to the community. The map is of the Americans horizontally positioned rather than vertically as they are in the globe. She said that it shows that while in many ways the United States acts as if they are above countries and people like Guatemala that in this map our brothers and sisters of these two Synods want to show that they do not want to be above us, rather they want to be our equals, our brothers and sisters. They want to walk beside us. I feel that this is a valuable lesson for not only the Guatemalan but also the American counterpart of this relationship.

Through this relationship we can all learn to see, truly see, our brothers and sisters as valuable members of the body of Christ. I believe that this can also teach us that we all have important vocations in our own contexts as well… as mothers, as business people, as committee members, as teachers, as fathers, as members of our churches, as... What we are doing here in Guatemala, walking with those who were refugees and now have returned or those who were internally displaced by a 36 year internal war, bringing the Gospel that Jesus loves them because they are His own and helping them receive the Daily Bread which we all pray for in the prayer that our Lord taught us, clearly is mission work. However, what you all do in your lives is ministry as well. Together we can learn to see our mission field both at home and in the homes of our brothers and sisters.