The Cuba Partnership Resource Manual
Sharing Your Experience
Last Updated (Wednesday, 23 February 2011 18:08) Written by John Walter Wednesday, 23 February 2011 18:06
Here in the US we begin at the church level, in relationship with our IPRC sister
churches. Next we are linked to other Baltimore Presbytery churches participating
in the Cuba Partnership with their IPRC sister churches, which are linked to bilateral
task force groups helping to guide ideas and events, as well as projects that benefit
both entities. And beyond that is our denomination’s World Mission Division
Partnership Networks, thirty five country networks like the Cuba Partners that ideally
can complete the communication structure.
The idea of “best practices” is what we learn from sharing our experiences within this
vertical structure. We append the knowledge and experiences of seasoned missionaries
(now called Mission Co-Workers) when we engage in the network’s communications
instrument. They in turn learn from us, because the few cannot possibly cover this amount
of territory. That’s the promise of the short term mission (STM) mission experience:
Exposure.
What instrument?
Lis Valle, from the World Mission Division of our General Assembly has created a new
communication vehicle for our PCUSA Country Groups, it’s called Mission Crossroad.
When completed, all 35 (or so) individual country networks will be hosted under this
one roof (URL).
Interconnectivity.
Learning,
Sharing.
Growing.
Shaping the form of the world in front of us.
As Milton Friedman said in The World is Flat, “we are now one global economic network”.
He continued on for another 450 pages with examples.
A good question might be, “do we have the appetite to adapt this model, creating a Christ
based structure of the same dimension, changing equality for inequality; peace for war;
friendship for enmity? It’s up to you and me, us.
If you have been out there, you have such experiences to share. A story.
If you are about to go, then blessings be upon you. Be prepared and knowledgeable
about your host country. That’s the goal of this manual. Of course, if you should be
“sitting on” a reflection - a story from one of your trips- then you can share it at www.
cubapartnership.org. You never know what kind of miracle might arise from your
inspiration…