By Sher Atkinson

I started going on the Intercultural Encounters trips offered by CEDEPCA as far back as 2015 when the Baltimore / Guatemala partnership first began. Each time I go, I leave another piece of my heart there.

For six years, I served on the Baltimore/Guatemala partnership team and wrote our monthly prayer letter. It was a way to keep our friendship alive across the miles – sharing joys and concerns, lifting one another up, and reminding ourselves that these relationships are always on our hearts.

What strikes me again and again is the incredible work CEDEPCA accomplishes with such limited resources. The past few trips I’ve taken have focused on immigration. We’ve visited centers where migrants can pause to “refuel and refresh” on their way to the U.S. – or sadly, sometimes on their way back home.

Transforming Communities, One Life at a Time

The dedication of the CEDEPCA team is nothing short of phenomenal. They don’t simply provide resources; they train local leaders who return to their villages to share what they’ve learned. Their programs reach across so many areas of life:

• Bible studies and theological training at every level, with a focus on empowering Indigenous women to see themselves as beloved children of God.
• Enrichment classes for women, along with sexual awareness classes for both girls and boys, to encourage girls to stay in school and challenge harmful cultural norms.
• Sustainable living projects like small plot gardens, chicken starter kits, and microloans for small businesses.
• Support for schools, weaving collectives, and coffee cooperatives – often women-led enterprises that strengthen entire communities.
• Disaster relief and recovery, offering not just food, hygiene kits, and medical packets, but also psychological and mental health support after hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and famine.

On our most recent trip, we visited Hope Academy, Chica Bean coffee cooperative, and the weaving cooperative Corazón de Mujeres – just a few of the incredible initiatives CEDEPCA helps sustain. At each site, we didn’t just see programs; we heard the personal stories of resilience and hope from the people themselves.

More Than a Mission Trip

CEDEPCA began more than 30 years ago as a Protestant seminary to train pastors. Since then, it has expanded into four ministries: Women’s Ministry, Disaster Ministry, Intercultural Encounters, and of course its continuing Theological Education.

The Intercultural Encounters are not “typical” mission trips where you build a school or paint a church (though youth groups sometimes do hands-on projects in the summer). Instead, these trips are designed to immerse participants in the culture and history of Guatemala, while introducing them to the life-changing programs CEDEPCA offers. The goal is that we return home ready to share what we’ve experienced: spreading awareness, inspiring prayer, and encouraging financial and material support.

Over the years, groups from our Presbytery have carried everything from yarn and school supplies to medical kits, depending on the needs of the communities at the time.

An Invitation

I know I’m rambling – but it’s because I believe so strongly in the work CEDEPCA is doing, and I want others to experience it too. If you have never been, I encourage you to consider signing up for the next trip in March 2026.

When you go, everything is included: airfare, food, lodging, transportation, guides, and interpreters. Scholarships are also available.

If you’d like to talk with me personally about the trips or the partnership, please feel free to reach out. You can find me at Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church in Odenton.

I promise, if you go, you’ll leave a piece of your heart in Guatemala too!