WMS Mission Trip to Guatemala

Margaret McGillivray presents a gift to the Fraternidad of Mayan Presbyterials

In May 2006, nine women traveled on a Women's Missionary Society exposure trip to Guatemala. The ten day trip focused on the sharing of Guatemalan and Mayan culture and history, with a focus on the specific challenges faced by local Christian women Participants were led by missionaries and local organizations partnered with the Presbyterian Church in Canada and toured the country side, visiting a number of historically and culturally significant sites, projects, and communities.

In Retalhuleu, participants met with CEIDEC (an organization working on development projects in Guatemala) partners and visited with local Guatemalans. Led by missionary Ken Kim, they witnessed the ongoing challenges of this community as it struggles with limited resources, and fights for the education and betterment of their youth: "we met some amazing women and got our first taste of Guatemalan hospitality...the women are proud of what they have accomplished and have great plans and hopes of the future! I admired their grit and determination."

Fraternidad Maya is an organization of Presbyterian Mayan women.. With their guidance, participants learned about, visited and worshipped with Mayan and indigenous Mam women. One participant reports: "Mayan women have been...exploited for over 500 years. Although there is no conflict now, much injustice still exists, and poverty is growing worse. The women's vision is to train as catalysts for change and to create a better future through education and health programs. They also provide training in handcraft projects such as weaving, sewing and gardening. The women can then use these skills to augment their income."

One participant was touched by the spirit of the Mam women: "What impressed me about this experience was witnessing the strong faith of the Mam women and hearing words of hope in spite of so many difficulties: sloped and dangerous farm land, hurricanes, landslides, polluted waters and isolation. It was a humbling experience to listen to these shy women."

Mam Women present their work

The trip concluded when participants visited the children of Francisco Coll Middle School, toured the community surrounding it, and visited the Centre of Evangelical Pastoral Studies in Central America (CEDEPCA)

Mission Participant: "We visited a class of women (at CEDEPCA) who were taking a course called To be a Woman is Marvelous. The women told us that they felt the course had helped them develop an appreciation of themselves as women, to see themselves as strong and worthy of holistic self-care."

The WMS group had time to interact with local women, reflect and even shop. They returned with gifts Guatemalan women, stories of their struggles and ongoing need for support, and a challenge: "We have a lot to learn from the Fraternidad and their views on spirituality. They see God in everything and treat everything with respect. They work with the earth but try not to damage and pollute. They work with many different people and try to find peace in every one of them. This is our challenge as Christians in Canada."