An update on the El Cedro/San Jacinto Project.

By Pastor Ken Herfst

After a time of stagnation, a government official who has seen the work done by our local church agreed to make the necessary contacts for us with Eduardo González, the president’s executive secretary. On May 31, I met with González in Guatemala City. After this key meeting, I received more telephone calls in half an hour from different government offices than I had received in the previous months. Within days, surveyors had measured the land purchased with help from Word & Deed, and engineers are currently preparing a site plan, including layout of streets, green space, and so on.

Land purchased for the relocation of the El Cedro Community

The El Cedro community is extremely grateful. People have been working with the surveyors and engineers. Visiting the location of their future community has been a real encouragement to them; it is “a dream come true.”

On the other hand, the rainy season started with more rain than usual. Numerous communities on the coast were flooded and major highways were affected as well. Thankfully, we have had some respite, giving us time to catch our breath.

At the same time, cultural issues quickly come to the surface. A request from the government to accommodate a number of families from another community was met with reluctance. However, we worked through the issues from a biblical perspective and now the folks from El Cedro are willing to allow other needy families to be a part of the project.

Due to the vulnerability of this part of Guatemala, COEB (Bethel’s emergency

committee) is training a network of representatives from our churches in an effort to facilitate communication and a rapid response in the event of another disaster.

OPPORTUNITIES IN XE’ABAJ II

Prior to the El Cedro project, we had been working in a community called Xe’abaj (shay a bach), where 600 people live in poverty. Nestled high in the mountains, Xe’abaj is one of many communities in an area called—interestingly enough—“Alaska.” The combination of high elevation and cooler temperatures limit agricultural options. Dr. Victor Mallorga, a member of Bethel Presbyterian Church, has had more than 27 years of experience in rural development. Together we visited the community and discussed possible solutions to their poverty.

We are developing a diversified approach that should encourage this indigenous group to work together to find meaningful alternatives. The project includes small greenhouses as well as animal husbandry. Xe’abaj is strategically located, and we envision impacting the entire region with its population of about 6,000.

As we concluded our meeting with community leaders, we took the opportunity to talk about God and His Word. None of these men are Christians, and yet it was encouraging to see their openness. Any genuine transformation can take place only if there is a right relationship with God, and that is why the deed can never be effective without the Word.

Pastor Ken Herfst is director of the mission department at the Presbyterian Seminary in Guatemala and coordinator of the Emergency Relief Committee of Bethel Presbyterian Church, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.