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Sister Parish, Inc. promotes intercultural and ecumenical understanding by establishing linkages between churches in the United States and faith-based communities in Central America. Our members tell you more in the brief video Introduction to Sister Parish.
Category Archives: Delegations
On Spiritual Richness – Faith Lutheran / Journey in Faith Delegation
Vicki Schmidt participated in a delegation from Faith Lutheran/Journey in Faith to visit their sister community in Tierra Nueva I in June of 2013. She shares the following reflection. Tierra Nueva Uno (New Land 1), located in Chinautla, Guatemala, is … Continue reading
Posted in Delegations, General, Guatemala
Tagged delegate reflections, delegations, Faith Lutheran, tierra nueva i, vicki
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United in God’s Love – St. Joan of Arc Delegates Share Experiences
En español St. Joan of Arc delegates visited their sister community in Tierra Nueva II from August 1-11, 2014. Four participants gave the following homily at their church the week after the delegation. See delegation photos. Meghan: Sister Parish exists … Continue reading
Posted in Delegations, Guatemala
Tagged delegate reflections, delegations, st joan of arc, tierra nueva ii
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Living the Gospel – Wallingford Participants Reflect on 2013 Delegation
En español Delegates from Wallingford United Methodist Church visited Guarjila in July of 2013. A number of participants sent the following reflections on their experience. As we traveled home from our recent trip to Guarjila, I was thinking a lot … Continue reading
Posted in Delegations, El Salvador, General
Tagged delegate reflections, delegations, guarjila, wallingford
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Center for Mission delegation experiences Sister Parish
[This summer, Sister Parish hosted a delegation from the Center for Mission, which coordinates the global mission work of the Catholic Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis. Michael Haasl, the Global Solidarity Coordinator for the Center for Mission wrote this reflection … Continue reading
It’s a Grandma Thing.
[By Sister Parish founder Vicki Schmidt] There’s no end to possibilities for how I live out my life, but right now what I want to do most is to be a grandma to my four beautiful grandchildren. So when I was challenged during my recent visit to El Salvador and Guatemala to find the best way to work for a justice-filled world, I wrestled within myself how to balance social justice work with being a grandma. Hearing once again the heart-twisting stories about systemic abuse and inept and oppressive governments, and about the long term effects of past civil wars and current gang violence on the daily lives of people, the nagging considerations kept surfacing: “What do I do with all this? I just want to be a grandma.” Continue reading
Watching the fields we tend to grow fruit
[By Walter Arreaza, former SP Staff] I have been away from Sister Parish for a number of years (most of which I have spent living in Scotland) and so to come back and re-enter the experience has made a big impact on me again… Continue reading
Visions from Guarjila
[By Greg Huang-Dale, Sister Parish President] As Vicki Schmidt described, Sister Parish is a space where God intervenes in our lives creating kairos moments of revelation. This delegation had kairos moments galore. God intervened so frequently that we began to expect the unexpected. And my revelation was that kairos moments happen whenever we allow God to lead. But these moments are not only connections to God, they are also the core of solidarity, allowing ourselves to be led by each other in the Spirit of God. Continue reading
Building Community… Seed by Seed
[By Nancy Wiens, Sister Parish Board Member] When I first went on a Sister Parish delegation from St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis, I didn’t realize I was starting the long journey to ‘build community’ across borders. My motivations were simple — to see a part of the world unfamiliar to me and to learn about Guatemala’s culture, history and people. Little did I know that, through my experiences and the people I met there, I was planting seeds that would eventually blossom into a much deeper interconnectedness with our community of friends in Guatemala. Continue reading
Eating the Bread of Life Together: St. Joan of Arc – Tierra Nueva II 2012
by Meghan Grossman After washing down the last bites of fresh tortilla with sweet hibiscus iced tea in the sunny courtyard of the church, the pastor requested that one of the Saint Joan of Arc delegates speak at mass for … Continue reading
Posted in Delegations, General, Guatemala
Tagged delegate reflections, st joan of arc, tierra nueva ii
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