| Meet the Delegates who are going to visit our Sister Parish in Guatemala, San Marcos Evangelista in Tierra Nueva Dos, from June 20th to June 30th. They will be representing St. Joan of Arc and will engage in many activites and learning experiences that will enhance our Sister Parish relationship. They are participating in an extensive orientation program to prepare intellectually, spiritually and physically for this adventure. If you see them in church please congratulate them and encourage them on their way!
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The orientation for the delegates began on April 6th and will continue through June 8th. They will spend a total of approximately 24 hours learning about the history of Guatemala, the mission of Sister Parish, the history of Tierra Nueva Dos, personal needs while travelling in Central America, a little bit of Spanish and a lot about each other. They will spend a weekend reflecting on what is their own response to the global distribution of wealth as it currently exists and their feelings of inadecuacy in dealing with it. They will learn a bit about liberation theology and the Catholic Church's strong tradition of social justice. The orientation is designed to help delegates get the most from their experience and enable them to be emotionally present to their experiences in Guatemala.
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| It is very difficult for someone in the U.S. to travel to a poor country and not feel some need to give money to help the poor. The reality is that kind of gift only perpetuates the problem. The issue is about our attitude, not their poverty. In general, they are doing just fine from day to day. It's the injustice of the system that sucks wealth out of their county and accumulates it to ours that is the issue. The causes are many and complex. There is no way to solve that in the short term. The only thing we can do together is continue in solidarity and work (each in our own country and on our own issues) for the benefit of our Sister Parish community. What helps Tierra Nueva Dos be a global citizen helps St. Joan's and what helps St. Joan's become a global citizen helps Tierra Nueva Dos. The idea is "solidarity." That's different than "charity." If you do charity, you can give some money and forget about the issue until next year when it's time to give again. That's important and needed, but it's not what Sister Parish is about. If you are in solidarity with someone you can't forget them. Every issue that comes up in the U.S. is evaluated for it's impact on Tierra Nueva Dos. Then, we vote or act on their behalf to enable changes in the system that make the world more just for us both. We are all in this together. What hurts our brothers and sisters in Tierra Nueva Dos hurts us. That's what a Sister Parish relationship, a hermanamiento, means - Solidarity.
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| The nine people you will meet below are on the journey to Tierra Nueva Dos. Their lives will be forever changed by their encounter with our Sister Parish community and the culture that it is a part of. This is not a "mission trip" or a "vacation." It is a life event and one more step toward peace in the world.
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I'm Mary Ahler. I've been active at St. Joan's in various ways including the Peace and Justice Committee, the Women's Retreat Committee and as a member of a Small Christian Community. Mindy (my daughter) has suggested visiting Tierra Nueva 2 several times. However, Rose Grengs' article on the St. Joan's web page put the final "desire to go" in me. I expect to gain a greater understanding of the people and the culture of TN2 as well as a spiritual connection with them. I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences with SJA, family and friends when I get back, in order to encourage them to become more involved in Sister Parish activities.
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Hi, my name is Mindy Ahler Olmstead. I've been involved with the Sister Parish Committee since traveling with the second delegation in 1996. I have traveled on several delegations since then and have been involved with the committee at St. Joan's in many ways including a number of years as chair of the committee. Over the years I have watched our relationship deepen and many new people become involved and I have seen many changes in Tierra Nueva Dos. I look forward to seeing many dear friends in Tierra Nueva Dos, watching new relationships form and others deepen as we continue on this journey together. I'm sure many children have grown since I was last there in 2004. I am particularly excited to share the experience with my mom who has watched me change dramatically over the years because of my involvement with Sister Parish. My experiences with Sister Parish, my involvement with the Sister Parish bible study group and other Peace and Justice activities feed my soul and have convinced me that relationships such as ours with Tierra Nueva Dos are the greatest hope for peace in the world.
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I'm Louise Eidsmoe. I have visited our Sister Parish many times and am looking forward to visiting agoin on this delegation to meet long-time friends. I am currently serving as the Sister Parish Board President (the organization that coordinates the delegations) and want to deepen my understanding of the dynamics of a delegation and the relationship between the two communities. I am a past chairperson of the Sister Parish Committee at St. Joan's. When I get back I hope to use the energy from the trip to make presentations to SJA and other churches interested in a sister parish relationship.
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Hello. My name is Sharon Fries. I am excited to join in the experience of the St. Joan of Arc delegation to Tierra Nueva II. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice, and a wife and mother of three. I have been a member of St. Joan's since 2001. I am excited at the honor to share in the friendship and solidarity with our sister parish and to offer respectful witness to the lives and stories that will continue our mutual friendship and respect. I believe and expect that I will be amazed at the gift of being welcomed into the lives of people who give us their trust and love. This experience will likely forever deepen my understandings and change my perspectives toward our individual and collective impact on the world.
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I'm Leslie Knoblauch. This will be the second time I have been on a delegation to TN2. I'm active in Ministries, International, Peace and Justice activities as well as Sister Parish at SJA. I miss the people in TN2 and the staff people at Sister Parish in Guatemala and am looking forward to seeing them again. I also want to revisit the spirit of Guatemala and continue to be a part of building this wonderful relationship. I'm trying to be very open for the trip this year in order to let it be what it wants to be in my life. When I come back I'll continue to be involved in Sister Parish and try to communicate what this experience means to whomever I can.
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My name is Julie Madden. I'm the Peace and Justice Ministries Coordinator at St. Joan, and I'm SO excited to go on this delegation! In our work connecting to other parts of the world at St. Joan's the Sister Parish model of Solidarity as contrasted with Charity has been a pattern we are trying to implement. I fell in love with Catholic social teaching on the journey trying to understand my own faith. Guatemala is one of the places where that social teaching has been forged, tested and is still transforming people's lives. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the people from TN2 that I've met on their visits to St. Joan's, to making new friends and simply having a fun time together. I'm hoping to get a deeper understanding of our relationship with TN2 and having memories and experiences that will help me dream about all the ways St. Joan's can help make peace a reality around the world.
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My name is Mary Molzahn. I'm very impressed with the St. Joan's committment and its approach to people-to-people contact. I've been fortunate in being able to travel and meet new people and cultures as a tourist. This is an opportinity to meet people in a deeper way, to get to know them and to have a long-term relationship on a global scale. I'm interested in learning Spanish and getting closer to this culture and its history. I'm not exactly sure how I will react to the trip when I get back, but I know that I will be telling lots of stories about the people I will meet and the places I will see. I want to encourage others to get involved in this.
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I'm Rick Nelson. I've been active in Sister Parish and the Sister Parish Bible Study at SJA for a while. I went on the second delegation and found it an enriching experience in so many ways; cultural, personal, political, and intra-personal. I find value in connecting with others from diverse backgrounds. It helps us see ourselves (and as a country) better - as well as understanding their perspective. I'm also looking forward to experiencing this with my wife, Nancy. It will be great to renew relationships with TN2 friends and to make some new ones. I feel we have a lot we can learn from TN2 folks about relationships, community and spirituality. I want to help further the North-South relationship and connection. I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences with friends, family, the Sister Parish Committee, my Small Christian Community and the parish as a whole.
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My name is Nancy Wiens. What's important to me on this delegation is to make one-on-one connections with people whose lives are so different than mine. I want to discover what we have in common - values, concerns, dreams - and to touch hearts and have my heart touched. This is one way I can make the world "smaller" and friendlier. I have been involved with Isaiah and am in a Small Christian Community. When I get back I hope to have a lot of stories to tell, experiences to share and memories to relate to family, friends and parishoners.
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