We Are Home!

A Letter from Betsey and Eric Moe, serving in Guatemala

Fall Update 2023

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Warm greetings from Guatemala!

Eric, Zoey and I just returned home on August 8 from a whirlwind summer Interpretation Ministry trip through nine U.S. states (We called it our “Thank You” tour). Eric and I participated in six Sunday worship services, gave eleven formal presentations about our life and work with CEDEPCA, and went on various tours to learn more about the communities we visited. We were faithfully housed and fed well by friends and supporters and had thought-provoking and encouraging conversations over meals. We enjoyed reconnecting with people who have recently visited Guatemala through CEDEPCA and with church friends we used to work with in our former days in local church leadership. In Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, we had the opportunity to visit a mushroom farm, an industry in which Guatemalan migrants currently comprise a huge part of the labor force. As we continue to think about ways to learn as a church about the push-factors for migration out of Central America, it was helpful to see a glimpse of the realities of life and work in one particular corner of the United States.

One personal change we are facing is returning to Guatemala without our son, Owen, who is almost 18. He will be spending his senior year of high school living with his best friend’s family in Spokane. Please pray for our family as we figure out new family routines here in Guatemala without him. And pray for Owen as he adjusts to a new phase of independence!

Here in Guatemala, the presidential election is at the forefront of the news. A candidate from the Semilla (Seed) party unexpectedly rose to the final run-off on an anti-corruption platform, and on August 20, won a landslide victory. People are excited about the changes that could take place in Guatemala under the governance of someone who cares about justice for the oppressed, but there is a cautious optimism – because the issues in this country are complex, with layers upon layers of obstacles. Interestingly, the sermon I preached at churches this summer was based on a parable about seeds from Matthew 13, in which Jesus issues both a warning about obstacles that often seem to stand in the way of God’s reign and also a vision for the abundant life possible for all when Gospel seeds are planted. Follow the links below to read a transcript, listen to audio, or to watch a video of the sermon.

Worship at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Madison, WI on June 25, 2023: youtube.com/watch?v=fWLw78nj1X8

Worship at Hamblen Presbyterian Church in Spokane, WA on July 9, 2023: youtube.com/watch?v=0e47RYkUtnw&t=2519s | Sermon Text

In almost every place we visited, Eric played the tune, “Tenemos Esperanza” on his trumpet, which he learned in worship services at CEDEPCA. Not only does the melody move people to tears, the lyrics give tremendous hope in the face of trials:

“Tenemos Esperanza” by Federico José Pagura, Argentina

 
We are so very thankful for your partnership in the gospel with us, and we pray that you have hope, that you fight tenaciously for it, and that you look with confidence to the future because of Jesus in our midst!
Sincerely,

Betsey and Eric Moe

Please read this important message from Director of World Mission Rev. Mienda Uriarte

 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Matthew 25: 34-36

Dear friends,

Great things are happening in World Mission! As you know from the letters you’ve been receiving, our mission co-workers are at the forefront of showing us what Matthew 25 looks like in the U.S. and in the wider world. They are addressing issues related to eradicating systemic poverty, building congregational vitality and dismantling structural racism. Together with our partners, mission co-workers are engaged in life-transforming ministries in 80 countries around the world. Here are just a few examples:

As an education consultant in the Democratic Republic of Congo, José Jones assists the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa (CPK) education department in the development, implementation and evaluation of strategic plans to strengthen the church’s primary and secondary education programs for more than 350 schools.

Based in Manila, Rev. Cathy Chang works closely with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and other partners in ministry to engage programs and networks across Asia that advocate for people vulnerable to forced migration and human trafficking.

Nadia Ayoub works alongside our Greek partners as they faithfully hold to the biblical call to welcome the stranger. Nadia serves with Perichoresis, a ministry of the Evangelical Church of Greece that provides housing and support to refugees; most of whom have come to Greece from Arabic-speaking countries.

Joseph Russ strengthens and supports a network of partners working in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to address migration issues in the Northern Triangle. Based on the needs people on the ground identify, Joseph empowers U.S. congregations to engage in advocacy related to Central America and immigration reform.

Revs. Drs. Noah Park and Esther Shin serve as professors at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (ETSC). ETSC graduates work toward revitalizing congregational ministries in Egypt and work with refugee and peace ministries in various countries in the Middle East.

Please consider giving an extra gift this year to support our mission co-workers as they walk alongside our partners and help shape a more life-giving, equitable and hopeful world!

Prayerfully,

Rev. Mienda Uriarte, Director of World Mission
Presbyterian Mission Agency
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

To give online, visit https://bit.ly/23MC-YE.

Honorary gifts can be made by checking the box and writing the mission co-worker’s name in the comment field online.