Tuesday, March 12
The Presbytery of Northumberland
Pennsylvania
A providential meeting during a medical mission trip in 2002 has resulted in a 10-year partnership between Kairos Ministries in Guatemala and the First Presbyterian Church of Lewisburg. Guatemalan pastor Paco Valdez and his wife, Priscila, founded Kairos Ministries, which includes Kairos House, a place where families of patients at one of the two public hospitals in the capital can find a place to sleep, a hot meal, and the love and support of a Christian family. The ministry also provides logistical support for short-term mission trips from the U.S. Its mission to demonstrate Christ’s love to Guatemalans in need resonated with a core of First Presbyterian’s members, who have joined with the Valdez family to lead mission trips to two mountain villages in southeastern Guatemala.
Pat Ringkamp, a ruling elder at First Presbyterian Church of Lewisburg, gives instructions on how to take a medicine.
What began as a mission to provide basic health care to villagers has diversified to take advantage of the congregation’s skills and talents. Weeklong biannual mission trips include distributing a wide variety of vegetable seeds, planting fruit trees (which have flourished), serving as translators for the doctors, distributing and maintaining water filters, providing dental services (including much-needed extractions), and painting a mural on the wall of a school that serves as a clinic. Over 50 members of First Presbyterian have participated in one or more of 13 mission trips with Kairos Ministries. Whether participants are doctors, nurses, or agricultural specialists, all have expressed the belief that the blessings they receive from serving the Lord are exponentially greater than the blessings they provide to God’s people.
The Presbytery of Northumberland’s 44 congregations have 5,009 total members.
Let us join in prayer for:
Presbytery Staff
Rev. Dr. William Knudsen, executive presbyter
Robert Shandry, stated clerk
Peter Wallace, treasurer
Patty Beggs, administrative assistant
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Gloria Davis, Board of Pensions
Melissa Garrett Davis, Office of the General Assembly
Jennifer Decker, Board of Pensions
Let us pray
Dear Lord, thank you for the privilege of planting the seeds of health, nutrition, relationship, and your gospel for the people you bring into our lives. May we be your faithful ambassadors wherever you lead us. Amen.
Daily Lectionary
Morning Psalms 34; 146
First Reading Jeremiah 17:19-27
Second Reading Romans 7:13-25
Gospel Reading John 6:16-27
Evening Psalms 25; 91
