Presbyterian Mission Agency

A letter from Steve and Brenda Stelle serving in Ethiopia

March 2016 - NEW ROOFS AT BESS

Before moving to Africa we had participated in a number of short mission trips—trips where a team of volunteers from the U.S. travelled to a particular place in need of assistance, and then, upon arrival, proceeded to do the assigned “work for” the people.  However, just recently we were honored to host a completely different type of mission trip, a mission work team from the U.S.  The Americans came to “work with” our Ethiopian partners, and together we put new roofs on both the main classroom building and the boys’ dormitory, and also replaced two of the water-damaged ceilings at BESS (Bethel Evangelical Secondary School).  Here Americans learned and worked side by side with Ethiopians, the Americans instructing how to line up metal roof sheeting, use power tools to secure the roofing, and replace tongue and groove ceiling tiles; the Ethiopians teaching us how accomplish certain tasks without the tools we all take for granted, like ensuring that corners were at a right angle without a T-square or making a new ceiling flat and horizontal without a level.  

The American work crew was a small group of only three men: Ed Pollock, Tom Kaufman (from a church in our home presbytery) and Bill Sync.  And us: Steve joined the men on the roof and Brenda cooked meals for the team each day; when Steve was teaching at Gidada, Brenda assisted with the painting of ceiling tiles.  BESS Principal Amanuel Tesfaye provided a dozen maintenance men, farmworkers, and drivers from BESS along with hiring five local carpenters to assist in the project.

A letter from Justin Sundberg serving in Nicaragua

September 2015 - The Beautiful Hues of Relationship, Untangling Poverty

A thank you.
“Queridos!”  Perhaps you know just how frequently a communication in Spanish begins with the word, queridos, meaning “loved ones.”  Renee and I can think of no better way to share an update with you, our beloved friends, family and church partners of CEPAD (Council of Protestant Denominations Committed to Development), no better way to share our depth of gratitude, than to simply begin by saying, “Beloved!”  We love you.  Thank you for praying for us, for giving in so many ways . . . freely giving your hearts, your time, your advocacy, your financial resources, sending emails and letters and even packages of stickers and cards and art supplies, often interminably held up in customs!

We are now a little jump into our second year of service in Nicaragua.  But because of our initial work in the U.S., we are nearly finishing our second year with Presbyterian World Mission.  So for those of you who made a financial gift to us in 2014 but not yet this year, we would urge you to make a similar gift now for 2015.   And since we are still short of our goal, we welcome new or increased gifts, too.  You can do so here by clicking on the “Make a donation” link on this webpage:  http://www.presbyterianmission.org/donate/E200391/  Gracias, queridos!

A letter from Justin Sundberg serving in Nicaragua

June 2015 - a preposition you can't refuse.

Kennedy and 24 others from her Morgantown, W.Va., church and I just finished a week together. She captured the essence of the trip at the very beginning of her visit. In describing her overnight with a Nicaraguan family, she shared with sober clarity: "[Their house] wasn't 5-star, but [my hosts] were happy. And I know that when I get back I have a long Amazon order to make and none of that stuff will make me happy."

At 20 years old, Kennedy had discovered the life-changing truth that though we need some of the material stuff in our lives, it doesn't fill us up, bring us joy, nor does it move us outward to love and serve others.

A letter from Tim and Gloria Wheeler serving in Honduras

March 2015 - The Passion of Christ, Easter

Dear Friends,

Her smile belied all of the pain that she held in as she explained her hope for the future and of a better life for her family.  She was participating in the new housing project in Las Lagunas, Copan, which many PC(USA) mission teams have been accompanying. Her family was one of 27 families who had come together to qualify for the new project in which they would all get a housing lot if they were willing to work on building their own homes.

Suddenly her smile was lost as her face conveyed some of the pain and difficulties that she had suffered over many years. Doña Cruz told us that she had lived on roadside right-of-ways, under bridges, vacant smidges of land, and a number of places with her family. Time and again she would receive a notification from the city government that she could not inhabit the place that she called home with her 11 children and husband.  She would have to pack her array of pots and pans, mattresses, and clothes and set out to another location.  Her family would put up another little dwelling made of sticks, poles, plastic and mud that they would call home.  The pain that she felt for her children is hard to fathom—how can we?  What we can fathom is the huge change taking place for Doña Cruz and her family as expressed in the changes in her face.

A letter from Sara Armstrong serving in Peru

november 2014 - an unexpected impact

We were delighted to help organize seven new mission partnerships in 2014.  We never know the extent of the impact that teams are making as they travel and work in Peru. The Woodlands Community Presbyterian Church in Spring, Texas,  sent a mission team in August to Ayaviri in the altiplano of southern Peru. Their work was to help with a synodwide training for young Sunday School teachers who would then establish Christian Education programs all around the area. It was an exciting week with training in three languages.  At the same time, Dr. Jackson Dzakuma was visiting farmers and agricultural projects in the area.  Here he writes about one day of his Peru trip:

Education Resources

This page offers a sample of earth care programs, curriculum, and experiences for Christian education as well as best practices and helpful hints to "try this at (your) home (church)!" 

Children

• God's Creation: Our Health, Taking Action Together (for older elementary)
• Just Eating? Practicing Our Faith at the Table (middle school version). Hard copy version, click here.
• Vacation Bible School from Synod projects: Living Waters for the World, and Solar Under the Sun
• To peruse an ecumenical review of available curriculum, click here.
• 5 session VBS or children's class by New Community Project, available here.

Youth

•    …

A letter from Dennis Smith in Argentina (Regional liaison for Brazil and Southern Cone)

April 2014

Dear friends:

On March 24 Maribel and I found ourselves in the Plaza de Mayo, the public square in front of the presidential palace in Buenos Aires.  We were accompanying a mission group from Highland Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Highland has been a faithful supporter of our ministry for many years.  March 24 is the Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice in Argentina, a national holiday to remember that on this day in 1976 a decade of terror began that saw tens of thousands disappeared.

Our Pennsylvania friends were startled to see banners with the slogan: Don’t Forget, Don’t Forgive. In 1987, after the military had released their hold on power, their civilian allies had passed an amnesty law to protect the armed forces from prosecution for crimes against humanity.  In 2005 the Supreme Court overturned this law and senior military leaders began to be arrested and placed on trial.

Reflection/Action Trips

The Presbyterian Hunger Program is promoting experiential trips which analyze the root causes of hunger and poverty while calling participants to engage in solidarity actions with our local and global partners.

International Trips to Joining Hands Countries

Go, Join, act!  El Salvador

Working toward Food Sovereignty:
 Experience the struggles of Salvadoran communities to restore a broken food system to wholeness, and explore ways to partner with them for positive change

Status: OPEN

Dates: July 7-14, 2016

Registration Deadline: June 5, 2016

Details Coming Soon!

For more trip details, contact Eileen Schuhmann

Go, Join, act!  Peru …

Africa

Ebibeyin 
Countries: Equatorial Guinea
Address: Calle Zambia s/n Apdo 227, Bata
Contact: Rev. Manuel Nzoh Asumu; +240 222 292 777 or +240 222 669 052
Nature of Work:Develop long-term relationship and/or refurbish old missionary home to be used as a guest house.
Group Specifications: Minimum - 3; Maximum - 6; Minimum age - 22 years old 
Cost: The budget will depend on the duration of the stay, the number in the group and the work to be undertaken.  Cost estimates can be developed.
Dates:  Preference for June, July or August, but open for other …