Click here (or the image below) for RESOURCES
Guatemala Sunday is an opportunity for congregations throughout our Synod to be involved in the partnership we share with ILAG. Congregations are invited to pray, learn, and connect. Resources are now available to help spark your congregation's imagination for how you might get your congregation involved on Guatemala Sunday and the partnership we share with ILAG.
THANK YOU from the young women from the MILAGRO Education Center, 2022.
Thank you to those of you who attended the 2022 Gala!
Thank you to those of you who participated in gatherings in Knoxville and Nashville and Griffin!
Thank you to our host families!
Thank you to everyone who prayed, who shared stories, who participated in the joy of accompaniment with our companion synod.
Keep your eye on this website for general communications and additional information about upcoming delegations and travel to Guatemala.
Click the button below to donate:
You may also mail donations to:
ELCA Southeastern Synod
Attn: GALA
PO Box 400
Decatur, GA 30031
Pastor Karen Castillo, President of ILAG and Bishop Kevin Strickland at the Guatemala Gala 2022.
Click the graphic below to view videos and more from the 2021 Guatemala Gala:
Click the button below to donate:
You may also mail donations to:
ELCA Southeastern Synod
Attn: GALA
PO Box 400
Decatur, GA 30031
Commitments Continue Despite Pandemic
While the response to the pandemic has forced all of us to live life differently, some things have remained the same, including the ILAG’s commitment to education and our commitment to walk with ILAG.
While our goal is to raise money to support ILAG and MILAGRO, we also know these are difficult economic times for many of us, so give as you are able. Your interest and prayerful support are welcome!
Click HERE to DONATE, or mail a check to:
ELCA Southeastern Synod
PO Box 400
Decatur, GA 30031
(in memo line, write Gala or Gala 2020)
The ELCA Southeastern Synod and the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG) are companion synods—we offer mutual care to one another through relationship building, prayer, and program support. Since its founding in 1991, ILAG has ministered to people living on the margins of Guatemalan society, particularly the indigenous poor. One of ILAG’s key programs is the MILAGRO Women’s Education Center, a school dedicated to empowering rural Guatemalan women through education.
The Southeastern Synod has hosted a Guatemala Gala the past two years to raise funds for the school. This year we are going VIRTUAL, so save the date and stay tuned for more details about how you can support this work. #MILAGROGALA2020
Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala
Since its founding in 1991, the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG) has always been about ministering to people living on the margins of Guatemalan society, particularly the indigenous poor. From the lowlands of Petén in the north to the ravines of Guatemala City, the ILAG works to make God’s grace known to all. Currently, the Lutheran Church in Guatemala has more than 2,000 members in 17 congregations.
Southeastern Synod and ILAG
The Southeastern Synod and the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala have been walking together as companion synods for many years, teaching us what it means to be Lutheran in our global church. Through visits to ILAG, receiving the ILAG pastoral team as guests here in the Southeastern Synod, prayerful support, financial support, and living through the values of accompaniment, all of us have grown more deeply in our faith.
MILAGRO
In Spanish, Milagro means Miracle. The MILAGRO Women’s Education Center is located in the Lutheran Center in Guatemala City. Sometimes called Casa Milagro, MILAGRO is also an acronym:
M – Mujeres (women)
ILAG – Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala
RO – Ropiendo paradigmas (breaking paradigms)
At Casa MILAGRO, young women receive an education and develop a wide range of skills vital to a future with great possibilities. They learn skills to start a sustainable business and prepare them to be leaders in their families, churches, and communities.
CLICK HERE to view the Southeastern Synod’s Give Guatemala a High Five Campaign to support ILAG’s COVID-19 Response
Synod Contacts: Assistant to the Bishop Rev. Jill Henning and Rev. Stephen Friedrich
The Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG) is our companion synod in Guatemala.
Click here to visit the ILAG website.
If you have questions about our companion synod in Guatemala, please contact our synod contacts above, or call the synod office at 404-589-1977.