Year 2008: The search

The year 2008 brought about some major changes in our lives. We sensed that the time had come for a new direction in our ministry. We once again began praying and exploring. Our search opened three doors of opportunity.

St. David's Episcopal Church Mission to Chimaltenango

In late February, Laurel participated with a team of men from St. David's Episcopal Church who painted the interior of Santiago de Jerusalén Episcopal Church in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. St. David's is located in Wayne, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia.

The Episcopal Church has a program which provides the opportunity for a Diocese in the United States to be a "sister" diocese to one in a developing nation. The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is the sister diocese of the Episcopal Diocese of Guatemala . St. David's is the sister parish of Santiago de Jerusalén. The help that St. David's has given to the church and people of Chimaltenango is continuous and immeasurable. The relationship between these two parishes, from two very different cultures, exemplifies the heart and standard of what it means to be a "sister" parish.

On Sunday the team had the opportunity to worship with the Guatemalan congregation. The following day they painted the interior of the church and made other repairs. But, more significantly they continued their bond of worship, fellowship and service with a sister parish. The warmth and friendship between the team members and the people of Chimaltenango was abundantly evident.

Santiago de Jerusalén recently lost their beloved pastor, Padre Lucas, to cancer. The new rector, Padre Miguel, and his family, had just arrived from his home in Xela. This will be his first parish following graduation from seminary. St. David's rector, the Rev. W. Frank Allen, participated with the group and established a new relationship with Padre Miguel.

Diocese of North Dakota Medical Mission
Laurel and Audrey also applied to serve as translators with a medical mission from the Diocese of North Dakota. The medical mission will be conducted in July in the city of Xela, a location we have never visited.

Inter-American School

We also discovered Inter-American School, also located in Xela. Laurel applied and was accepted to teach Bible and Religion to the high school students. IAS is a Christian school which teaches all classes (grades Pre-K through 12) in English, using a curriculum based upon North American college preparatory standards. All of the teachers are Christian volunteers from English speaking countries. There are 150 students in the school, with class sizes no larger than 15 students. The overwhelming majority of the students are Guatemalans, with the remainder coming from North and South America, Europe, and Asia.