A NEW CONGREGATION JOINS ILAG!

Southeastern Synod Trip to Guatemala

June 18 - 26, 2010

This coming June, a new congregation will be officially received into Iglesia Luterana Augustina de Guatemala (ILAG), and a delegation from the Southeastern Synod will be there to celebrate with them!

Our synod relationship with ILAG has expanded and deepened over the course of many years.  We have learned much from each other, and we continue to share our resources and our passion for mission and ministry, with reciprocity, mutuality, and respect. 

One of the best tools for cultivating this relationship is an annual trip by a delegation of people from our synod.  Each year, the pastoral team of ILAG develops an itinerary that offers rich engagement with the land and the people of Guatemala - as well as a thorough immersion into the ministries of the ILAG in that region.  IDEAL for the adventurer, this annual excursion promises to both inspire and challenge all who participate.

This year's trip, from June 18-26, will be no exception.  Traveling by van, by boat, and by foot, the Southeastern Synod group will go from the ILAG Lutheran Center in Guatemala to the rural villages of Chumila Ixila II and Community El Porvenir de los Martires, where a new congregation will be received into ILAG on June 22. 

While in these villages, the delegation will stay with families, share meals, engage with the children, worship together, and learn about all the joys and the struggles of everyday life.  Healthcare activities will also be included, as well as extended opportunities for prayer and conversation.  A visit to Antigua Guatemala, and to Pacaya Volcano will be included in this trip as well.

The cost for the trip, including airfare, will be between $1,000 - $1,500, depending on the number of people in the delegation.  To reserve your spot, or for more information, please contact Bill Emerson at bemerson@knology.net, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

At the 2009 Southeastern Synod Assembly, Resolution 2009-08 was adopted. This resolution encourages all synod congregations to promote suicide education, suicide prevention, and to provide ministry to those impacted by the suicide of a friend or loved one. Suicide is the 11^th leading cause of death in the United States and claimed over 32,000 lives in 2005. It is the 8^th leading cause of death for men of all ages, the second leading cause of death for people ages 25-34, the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds, and claims over 350 ELCA members annually.  Suicide is a very real and tragic problem that continues to affect the lives of many people in our nation.

The Southeastern Synod is truly blessed to have Gerald and Elsie Weyrauch who, through tragic personal experience, have made suicide awareness and prevention their life's work. The Weyrauchs founded the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (Span USA) in 1996. "This organization was created to raise awareness, build political will, and call for action with regard to creating, advancing, implementing, and evaluating a national strategy to address suicide in our nation." (SPAN USA 2009) The Weyrauchs are an excellent resource and are willing to travel to your congregation to lead suicide education and prevention workshops. They can be reached at JerryWeyrauch@comcast.net or (770) 992-0482. (Financial assistance to help offset their travel expenses would be greatly appreciated.)

In November of 1999, The ELCA Message on Suicide Prevention was approved by the Synod Council, and memorialized at the 2009 Southeastern Synod Assembly. This document provides a basis for ELCA prevention action in these words "our efforts to prevent suicide grow out of our obligation to protect and promote life, our hope in God amid suffering and adversity, and our love for our troubled neighbor." One of the ways you can be a part of promoting suicide prevention is to be a part of the Volunteer Suicide Prevention Ministry by volunteering to be a contact person to receive and distribute information to your congregation and then communicate back what is happening on the congregational level. Another way to be a part of this wonderful ministry is to host a National Survivors of Suicide Day, a day dedicated to inviting those affected by suicide to come tell their story and share their grief.

The Synod Council urges members of the Southeastern Synod to support suicide prevention ministries and to be involved in helping to promote education, information, and support to those in need. May God bless you richly as you faithfully use your hands for God's work.

Other resources that are available are posted on our synod's website under the Resources menu.