The Illinois Maya Ministry group had a retreat at Tower Hill Camp in Sawyer, Michigan, August 23 - 25, 2009. The purpose of the retreat was to plan the year ahead. This group has an ongoing interest in Central America, with special focus on Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. In the last several years we have found ourselves doing more in regard to immigration reform and justice for immigrants. I guess this is because it is the same Mayan people from Southern Mexico, Guatemala and Central America who bear the brunt of events like the ICE raid in Postville, Iowa, May 12, 2008.
My part of this event was to coordinate the devotions, and we learned more about various Madonnas and how they are part of the spirituality of the region. This is something that is not part of the background for most Protestants! The theme was taken from the Bible; And Jesus replied, “Who is my mother?” (Matthew 12:48) We looked at various images and discussed our responses. One was Our Lady of Guadalupe, here from tiles in a wall at Mission San Xavier del Bac, near Tucson, Arizona.
The setting at Tower Hill is beautiful, and we enjoyed swimming in Lake Michigan.
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