Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

Welcoming, Caring, Nurturing

Stitch and Stuff

Our sewing group, Stitch and Stuff, produced tote bags like these for Guatemala.  Act Locally and Globally!

GUATEMALA MISSION TRIP:  LCR will be taking its first trip to Guatemala May 21-31, 2008.  We will visit a Lutheran congregation in Guatemala City and a Roman Catholic church in San Marcos (a rural area in the western party of the country).  We are hoping to develop on-going companion relationships with these congregations.  If you would like to join us on the trip, or are in need of additional information, please contact Christie Brown by January 15, 2008.

Why Guatemala?  

A New Companion Church Relationship

LCR is embarking on an exciting new opportunity to accompany our brother and sister Lutherans in this Central American country. Guatemala is about the size of Tennessee and was involved in a 36-year civil war which ended with peace accords in 1996.  The war caused much devastation and displacement of people.

The Lutheran Church in Guatemala was founded in 1991 and currently has 17 congregations and 2 schools.  There is much need in this impoverished country, where 71% of the adults are illiterate, many children don’t attend school because they need to work or beg to earn money to support their family, and there is but 1 physician for every 2,400 people.

Guatemala – a land of contrasts.  A country of breathtaking natural beauty with volcanoes and rainforests and a country of 14 million people with 75% of the population living in poverty. We see poor people in our own country, but being poor in other countries gives a whole new meaning to the word.

People usually think of mission work as a time of helping other people or doing charitable work building homes, churches or schools.  But in talking to people who have been on a mission trip, they often comment on how much they received from the experience, rather than what they gave. “It is in giving that we receive” is realized in a very impactful way!

Even though not everyone at LCR will visit Guatemala, our hope is that the experience of community-building will be a positive experience for all – giving each of us an expanded world view.  As one friend once told me, “We need to discover the world outside our limited view.  Mission work doesn’t happen while on the trip, it begins once we get back home.”  Our hope is that our relationship in Guatemala will be a companion experience where we learn and grow together in our love for Christ and each other.

In the months ahead we will be working toward establishing a sister-congregation in Guatemala.  You can support this effort by:

§         Joining our Guatemala Task Force

§         Praying for God’s continued gift of discernment

§         Visiting the Guatemalan-made jewelry display during the second weekend of each month at our Fair Trade Coffee table

§         Learning more by visiting the ELCA Global Mission website for Guatemala at  www.elca.org/countrypackets/guatemala/desc.html

§         Supporting the addition of this ministry to our church budget in 2007

If you would like to become involved in this new ministry at LCR, contact Christie Brown.

1950 Nagel Road, Cincinnati, OH  45255

513-474-4938

www.lcresurrection.org