GuatemalaSisterParishCommittee,AnnualReport2020TheChristChurchGuatemalaSisterParishCommitteecontinuestojoininsolidaritywithourbrothersandsistersinChristinSanAndrésItzapa,GuatemalaaspartoftheinternationalecumenicalorganizationSisterParish/IglesiasHermanas.YouwillrecognizethenameSanAndrésItzapafromourweeklyprayerlist;ChristChurchBlacksburgisalwaysontheprayerlistoftheSanAndrésItzapaEpiscopalCommunityaswell.SisterParish“promotesinterculturalandecumenicalunderstandingbyestablishinglinkagesbetweenchurchesintheUnitedStatesandfaith-basedcommunitiesinCentralAmerica.Thelinkagesarebasedondirectperson-to-personcontact,withdelegateslivingineachother’shomesandsharingeachother’srealities”(http://sisterparish.org/).Severalchangeshaveoccurredin2020.First,oursisterparishregionalcoordinator,BrianTyler,haslefthispositiontoattendlawschoolinChicago,andCarrieStengel,theSisterParishexecutivedirector,isfillingthatgapforthemoment.WewishBrian,hiswifeAnaLucia,andtheirdaughterLunawellintheirnewjourneyandthankhimforhisserviceasabridgebetweenthetwocommunities,anindispensablerolesupportedbyourlinkagefee.Second,duetothepandemic,allplanneddelegations,fromNorthtoSouthandSouthtoNorth,havebeencancelled.Thesetripsalsohelptosupportthebridge-buildingworkofSisterParish.WehavefondmemoriesofhostingourSisterParishfriendsinBlacksburgin2018.ThisyearhasalsobroughtchangesintheworldthathavegreatlyaffectedourSisterParishinGuatemala,includingthepandemic,acontinuationofthelong-lastingdrought,anddevastatinghurricaneswiththeirrainsandflooding.WethankthoseindividualmembersofChristChurchwhorespondedtothecallfordonationsforfoodandhealthsupplies(stillcurrentathttps://www.mightycause.com/story/Coronaviruscentralamerica),andmembersoftheSAIcommitteewhohelpedwiththedistributionintheircommunity(seephoto).SanAndrésItzapaisintheCentralAmericanDryCorridor(seemap),anddroughthascreatedseriousproblemsformanyfamiliesinSAIwhodependongrowingtheirowncorn,abasicstable,servedupasdelicioustortillas(seeascreenshotofapersonalreportfromSAI;JorgeLuisispicturedandhiswordstranslated).ThenHurricanesEtaandIotabroughttorrentialrainsandflooding(seemap).

Ofcourse,schoolsinGuatemala,likeschoolsthroughouttheworld,havefacedchangesin2020,but,amidthesechanges,ourongoingprojectwithSanAndrésItzapacontinuestooffer30scholarshipstoenablepoorerchildrenwhohavecompletedthesecondgradetocontinueinthethirdthroughsixthgrades,completingelementaryschool.WhenwemadeourvisittoSanAndrésin2015,thedelegationmetwithsomeofthesestudentsandtheirfamilies.Weweretouchedbytheirloveoflearningandtheirdesiretotellusabouttheirlivesandfamilies.About$135ayearcansupplyregistrationandfees,schoolsupplies,aschooluniform,andapairofshoestomakeanenormousdifferenceinthelifeofayoungstudentandhisorherfamily.TheChristChurchOutreachCommitteehasbeensupportiveofthisministryforanumberofyears.ThemoneyreceivedthroughtheparishgrantprocessandtheremainingamountraisedduringtheSeasonofGivingfromChristChurchfamiliesandindividualsallowsthesechildrentocontinuetheschoolingthatwetakeforgrantedinourcountry.OurpartnersinSanAndrésItzapa,anindigenous(Maya)community,workwiththebilingual(Kaqchikel/Spanish)elementaryschool,ChayBalam,toidentifythestudentsandworkwithPadreMiguelSalanic,thestudents,andtheirparentsthroughouttheyeartokeepthingsontrack.TheSAInewschoolyearbeginsinJanuary.WealwayswelcomeparishionerstojoinwiththeGuatemalaSisterParishCommitteeaswefindwaystoaffirmoursolidaritywithourneighborstotheSouth.Perhapsyouwouldliketovolunteerasaprayerpartnerforoneofourscholarshipstudentsin2021.OrperhapsyouwouldliketobeapartofanoccasionalZoomconversation(Spanishnotrequiredbecauseatranslatorwillbewithus).OrperhapsyouarereadytothinkaboutbeingapartofournextNorthtoSouthdelegationwhenitissafetoresumetravel.PleaseletusknowhowYOUarereadytoconnecttoourbrothersandsistersinChristinSanAndrésItzapa.MuchasgraciasforyourcontinuedsupportofourcommitteeandourSisterParish.Contacts:ElizabethStruthersMalbon,MaureenPerry,SharonHarrell