Revealing comments by US partners & the Latin Americans

Multicultural team of professors being taught by Dr. Plueddemann at Ligonier Camp (July 2013)

Said by US partners	Said by Latin Americans
How are things going in Mexico, Lisa? (I served in Mexico in the 1980’s)	I have never met any North Americans who are as proud of their city as you folks from Pittsburgh!
There are other churches in the Pittsburgh area supporting you? (Six churches support me, all from Pittsburgh)	I didn’t know you were Presbyterian. (Since CCI/LA is interdenominational, we don’t emphasize our church background.)
How long have we been supporting you, Lisa? (North Way Christian Community & Memorial Park sent me out as their missionary in separate ceremonies in the Fall of 1982 and I arrived in Costa Rica to learn the language Jan.11, 1983. Since then, North Park started supporting me in 1984, then First Pres. in 1986, then Union Pres. In 2004, and finally Elfinwild in 2011.	I had no idea that so many churches and individuals backed you.
I thought you only worked in Honduras. (I live in Honduras, but actively develop leaders in all nine countries where CCI/LA has national associations—Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru & soon in Paraguay).	These churches have displayed great trust in you; they give you funds when they don’t even see you but once a year and they trust you to do what you say you will do. It’s good we’re here to show them the results.
Has it been that long? (Many supporters remember those first years I served in Mexico and can’t believe 30 years have passed.)	So many people congratulated us and spoke admiringly of our work as Latin Americans on the front line ministering to needy children. It was strange to be celebrated here. That rarely happens in our countries. We had to leave our own countries to fully appreciate what we are a part of.
I am a banker and understand ROI. As chairmen of the Mission committee of Union Pres., I feel like we have gotten a great ROI as I see the publications and hear the first-hand testimonies of what our church has been a part of.
This is far bigger than I thought it was!	This is far bigger than I thought it was!
Both sets of people said the same thing. Neither of them had ever seen all of CCI/LA’s publications together and arranged to show how leadership in Christian camping was being developed in layers, from the stage of being campers to becoming professors of instructors who in turn trained camp counselor who serve campers, an entire learning cycle.