Mission

St. Stephen's is a community called by Christ through the Holy Spirit

• to give thanks to God in weekly common worship

• to be faithful stewards of the gifts and resources entrusted to us

• to be bearers of God's healing and reconciling love

 

Links

• Episcopal Links
• Fargo
• Links We Like

Guatemala Medical Mission

Interacting with people from a different culture is a wonderful experience.  St. Stephen’s members have led a Medical & Dental Mission to Guatemala since 2003.  For 10 days in July, a group representing the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota works with our local Episcopal partners, Padre Dr. Roberto and the members of San Marcos Parish (St. Mark’s) in Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala.

The 2007 mission trip was very successful. Our team of 14 included members were from ND, MN, MT, MO, IN and Manitoba. We saw almost 850 people, distributed 450 pounds of medicines and pulled 227 teeth in five days of clinics. We held our clinics at San Marcos church, in a small midwife clinic at Santa Maria de Jesus near Zunil, and in two Episcopal mission churches in rural villages. The Church of the Transfiguration in Chumanzana serves Quiché speaking Mayan people who live in very poor conditions. San Lucas church (St. Luke’s) at San Juan Atitan near Huehuetenango in the los Cuchumantes mountains is a mission to Mam speaking Mayan people who live in a very isolated area at about 10,000 ft. elevation.

Our team provides basic medical and dental care and leaves money with Padre Roberto for follow-up testing and treatment of more difficult situations.  On a recent trip we found a baby with a loud heart murmur.  The child was further evaluated and found to have a life threatening congenital heart problem.  He had successful heart surgery and on our last visit was a healthy, happy, growing child.  Financial assistance from our mission team made the survival of this miracle baby possible.

The mission team saw the beauty of the country of Guatemala and was touched by the people we served. God’s people are the same all over the world. We left feeling we had done some good and that we were spiritually enriched. We appreciate the support from the Diocese and everyone’s prayers while we were gone.

Plans are underway for our next mission trip which is scheduled for Sunday, June 29 through Wednesday, July 9, 2008.

If you are interested in being on the team or supporting next year’s mission please contact John Baird [jbaird (at) cableone.net] or the Diocesan Office.  Donations can be sent to St. Stephen’s or directly to the Diocesan Office marked for the Guatemala Mission.

The Lord works in many ways to draw us together and further his work in the world.  Thank all of you who supported us in prayer or donated money and supplies.

Plans are being made for a Trail Run in Jamestown, ND, Saturday, May 3, 2008, to support the Guatemala Mission.  Contact Pamela Pranke [pamelapranke (at) yahoo.com] in Jamestown with any questions about the run.

 

Hotel Quinta de las Flores – where we stay in Antigua at the end of the mission for R&R
http://www.quintadelasflores.com/

US Embassy in Guatemala
http://guatemala.usembassy.gov/

Home page for Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala where our mission trip is based
http://www.xelapages.com/

Space Travel – the travel agency in Antigua that makes all of our in-country arrangements
http://www.travellog.com/guatemala/antigua/space/travel.html