This is the greeting I receive from the young man who helps at Les and Rita's property. It is early in the morning, and I have just walked the 7 minutes down the gravel road, through the soggy cow pasture, along the highway, and past the armed guard to their home, where I pick up a vehicle for the day.
My response is "Oots!" This is a simple exchage in the indigenous language of Achi-Rabinal. He is saying, "Good morning. How are you?" And, my reply is, "Very well."
This young man and his wife, both of whom are under 20 years old, live at the back of Les and Rita's property, right next to the chicken coop. Their "house" is built from cut off slabs of logs. It is about 12'x12' and has a dirt floor. There is a covered area outside that doubles as a kitchen and bath/laundry area. Although I don't know their story and how they came to settle here, I do know they are real people, created by God with a purpose in this life.
Yesterday he asked me, in Spanish, if he could learn the morning greetings in English. I said sure, and so, now, for the next few days when we meet, we will greet one another in English.
It is a joy to work with the Guatemalan people. Even though my greatest challenge is the languages, I can work alongside my brothers and sisters, knowing we have the same purpose in mind. It is the Kingdom of God and its advancement into the unreached corners of the world. There are villages not too far from Tactic where the people still have not heard the Gospel. Part of the vision of Impact Ministries is to train up people from this community who will go and take the Truth to these places. In two of the outlying communities where we have schools, cell groups have sprung up. We are proceeding this week with building meeting rooms, because the classrooms where they meet are now too small to accomodate all who attend. The harvest is ripe here!
Impact Ministries is also moving ahead with plans on the property at Chisac. The guesthouse construction started on September 1st and we are considering plans for the church and Bible School as well as shops for woodworking, mechanics and metal work. The desire of the ministry is not only to teach the Bible, but also to give people a chance to develop skills that would enable them to sustain their families and communities. Thank you, Canadians, for your generosity in supplying funds and equipment for thes endeavours.
We covet your prayers as we continue to labour in the Kingdom for His glory and we are confident in Him to supply the wisdom and strength we need to carry on. Our lives belong to Him and we are finding new ways to trust the Lord as we grow in Him. May God bless you as you do your part in the Kingdom, knowing that our eternal reward is far greater than anything we can receive on this earth. Let's not be consumed with what we can have here on this earth, but rather focus on His eternal puposes. We really are seeking for another country (Hebrews 11: 14-16). So, "Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3: 1-3).
Rocky
Oh wow! It's begun! That's so exciting!
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