{"id":45871,"date":"2021-12-15T13:55:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T18:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?p=45871"},"modified":"2022-01-04T11:44:46","modified_gmt":"2022-01-04T16:44:46","slug":"ministry-in-times-of-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/ministry-in-times-of-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Ministry in Times of Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ricardo Mayol serves with the Ecumenical Christian Council of Guatemala (CECG).<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first months of 2020, before the pandemic began, we were excited to find communities organized as guardians of creation in 6 countries. They take care of their rivers and mountains, seeking sustainability for future generations. We were expecting to connect churches in Canada, the United States, and Puerto Rico as allies with these communities. We prepared a one-and-a-half-month trip with contacts from the three locations. The theme would be “With Faith and Action be the Guardians of Creation.” Right before that journey, the pandemic came to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We experienced a plague that sickens and kills us and that spreads throughout the world. The borders of all countries were closed, we were locked in our homes, and our mouths and noses were covered with masks. That plague puzzled us. It wanted to destroy us. However, we didn’t allow it. We kept busy preparing materials to demonstrate the attacks on Mother Earth and her children (album of songs, 7 Bible studies, a model liturgy, written and audiovisual testimonies, videos).  We shared the resources and campaign in the 8 countries where RECONPAZ is active. We met in person and virtually with the guardian communities to reflect on the word and pray for them. We realized that, while they had us cloistered, isolated, and prohibited public demonstrations, the mining and hydroelectric companies continued in their exploitation and looting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read what the seven guardian communities in Guatemala shared at the time of the pilgrimage of prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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rhdr<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. Santa Rosa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the mountains where the tributaries of the Los Esclavos River are born is the ancestral land of the Xinca Natives. This is also the land of Do\u00f1a Paty, a member of the Xinca Parliament, with her husband, Manuel. Both are founders of the Peaceful Resistance against the Canadian Pan American Silver mining company, El Escobal. The struggle of these organized communities led the Constitutional Court to order the closure of this mine. It is closed until the Xinca people determine if they want this mining project in their territory. As the people prepare for this decision, Do\u00f1a Paty says, “They are intimidating us. They shot comrade Julio. Our lives are in danger.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. La Puya<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

La Puya is located on the border between San Jos\u00e9 del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc. You pass through the Progreso Siete Derivada mining project entrance while traveling on a dirt road from one municipality to the other. This area is known as La Puya, and the resistance has adopted that name. Do\u00f1a Licha, a woman of determination and leader of the struggle, poetically says, “We are resisting and defending. God is present, and the people are with el pueblo<\/em>. We must continue to resist bravely. Resist, even if it includes suffering.” She adds that the police repression continues. As the people prepare the required consultation of the Constitutional Court, they continue to be intimidated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Aldea El Calvario<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

El Calvario village is on a steep mountain of coveted sand. Siblings in the Catholic Church united with siblings of Evangelical churches to defend their territory against the extraction of sand and minerals from a company that deceitfully entered their territory. The extraction process causes respiratory diseases. They invite all Christians to join in protecting creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Cahabon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the ancestral lands of the indigenous Q’eqchies in Cahabon, Alta Verapaz, Mar\u00eda, a leader, demands the release of her brother Bernardo Ca’al Xol. He was unjustly imprisoned for organizing protests against the Oxeb SA hydroelectric plant on the Cahabon and Oxeb rivers. The crimes of this company in the Q’eqchi territory include piped rivers, more than 15 hectares of natural forest destroyed, and sacred hills stripped. Our delegation of churches, in unison with Mar\u00eda and our Q’eqchies siblings, demand the freedom of Bernardo and that they stop the death threats against the defenders of the rivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. San Miguel Ixtahuac\u00e1n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Miguel Ixtahuac\u00e1n is an 8-hour trip from the capital. For more than 30 years, the Marlin Mine of Montana Exploradora and the Canadian Gold Corp extracted gold and silver in this area. Maudilia L\u00f3pez Cardona shared that the mining companies entered with deception, offering development and progress, but generating divisions. She shared how they polluted the environment and sickened workers with heavy metals in their blood and became rich at the cost of ecocide. The mine repressed the community, censuring teachers and nurses who made critical judgments against it. If the communities criticized it, the mining company would withdraw subsidies for education and health. In 2017, the mine closed but left its garbage, contamination, and diseases in the territory. It was not held responsible for repairing the damage. However, Maudilia affirms that we must remain vigilant so that frozen exploitation licenses are not activated. We must also continue to speak out so that our words and experiences serve to warn other communities where companies arrive with false social responsibility claims. To the churches of North America, Maudilia shares, \u201cYou who have investment funds in mining companies, we call you to withdraw your resources from them. Do not let your money wreak havoc on the life of our communities. Make sure your money and your spirituality are consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. San Juan Sacatep\u00e9quez<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The community of Pajoques de San Juan Sacatep\u00e9que is an ancestral land of the Kaqchiquel indigenous people. In the past, the community had plenty of water, but now it\u2019s without the precious resource. Don Francisco Guamuch’s family, Kaqchikel monolinguals, live in an open hut on a piece of land where the Cementos Progreso company wants to build. The family is determined to keep the ancestral heritage of their grandparents and not to allow the company to intimidate them and usurp their territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. San Buenaventura<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In San Buenaventura, Guatemala there is a playful river that is enjoyed by families of that town. When the El Sisimite hydroelectric plant was begun, the town united to defend the Motagua River against development. Don Adolfo told us how he, his wife and daughters, and the community stood united to protect the river which led to the project’s closing. The community is vigilant, but still enjoys swimming and splashing in the Motagua River every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid the pandemic, there were violations of justice in Guatemala, where the judicial system is allied to power. Communities that defend human and environmental rights have suffered increased attacks, in clear violation of international agreements such as ILO Convention 169. That convention established the obligation to consult indigenous peoples about their willingness to receive projects before introducing them into their territories. During the pandemic, people of faith stood with the guardian communities.  They said with gratitude, “It strengthens us that they come and be with us.” Even in during the pandemic, we strengthened national and continental understandings of guardians. Now a continental network of female guardians and another of youths is beginning to crystallize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join and help strengthen the guardians of nature. Canada, the United States, and Puerto Rico have come together. Believers and good people of the region, let us unite with the guardians of the rivers and forests as they fight for the common home we all share. Join the campaign so that we have rivers to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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El ministerio en tiempos de pandemia, por Ricardo Mayol-Bracero<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En los primeros meses del a\u00f1o 2020, antes de que iniciara la pandemia, entusiasmados est\u00e1bamos de haber hallado en 6 pa\u00edses del continente (CO, SV, HD, GT, MX Y PR) comunidades organizadas como guardianas de la creaci\u00f3n, las cuales cuidan sus r\u00edos y monta\u00f1as, procurando la sostenibilidad de las futuras generaciones. Est\u00e1bamos a la expectativa de ir a sumar las iglesias de Canad\u00e1, Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico como aliadas con estas comunidades. Ten\u00edamos preparado un viaje de un mes y medio, con los contactos en esos tres pa\u00edses ya establecidos, a los cuales ir\u00edamos con la campa\u00f1a, \u201ccon fe y acci\u00f3n s\u00e9 guardi\u00e1n de la creaci\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d. Casi para salir a esa jornada, que iba a ser durante todo el mes de abril y la mitad de mayo, nos lleg\u00f3 la pandemia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Algo nunca visto, una plaga que nos enferma y mata y que se propag\u00f3 por todo el mundo. Se cerraron las fronteras de todos los pa\u00edses, se nos enclaustr\u00f3 a todos en nuestras casas y nos taparon las bocas y narices con mascarillas. Nos desconcert\u00f3 esa plaga, quiso desconcentrarnos. No obstante, no lo permitimos, ocupamos el enclaustramiento en preparar materiales para evidenciar las agresiones a la madre tierra y sus hijos (\u00e1lbum de canciones, 7 estudios b\u00edblicos, una liturgia modelo, testimonios escritos y audiovisuales, videos), los cuales subimos en una p\u00e1gina Web, e hicimos la campa\u00f1a en los 8 pa\u00edses en donde est\u00e1 RECONPAZ. Fuimos presencial y virtualmente a donde est\u00e1n las comunidades guardianas, para reflexionar con ellas la palabra y orar por ellas; y estado con ellas nos dimos cuenta de que mientras nos ten\u00edan enclaustrados, aislados, amordazados, prohibiendo manifestaciones p\u00fablicas, empresa mineras e hidroel\u00e9ctricas agresivamente intensificaban la explotaci\u00f3n y el saqueo de los bienes comunes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oigan lo que dijeron, en Guatemala, 7 comunidades guardianas en el momento que las acompa\u00f1amos con la peregrinaci\u00f3n de oraci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n