The Adventure...Bringing Hope!

We have two movies in the Keqchi language. One is the Jesus film and the other is called Hope. It starts with the biblical account of creation and gives several stories from the Old Testament that lead into the purposes of God in bringing Jesus to redeem mankind. The movie is a great tool to explain the message of salvation and it gives an invitation to receive Christ at the end.

So, off I go to the village Montaña se Acte to show the movie. On this particular adventure (I have come to call these outings adventures because each time I go, the evening has something unique and unusual to offer), I picked up the mission pastor (Arnoldo) and his 8 year old son in front of the Nazarene church office in Chisec. We drove for about 45 minutes on pavement before hitting the back road. It was in unusually good condition so I asked the pastor’s son if he would like to drive. He jumped at the chance and I set him on my lap and put his hands on the steering wheel. His dad pulled out his phone and recorded the event on his phone camera. Dad had never driven anything except a bicycle if you can call that driving and he was feeling a little jealous.

We arrived in the village 10 minutes later and all the children gathered around the car as they normally do. There were lots of laughs as this young boy climbed off my lap and out the driver’s side. He was so proud.

I was introduced to some of the men and I ask them few questions about their village. How many families live here?  Do you have a school?  What do you do for work?  Is there a church?  What kind of animals are there and do they eat them?... and so on. Then I followed them down a little dirt path to a place where this pastor had started a house church. The church ladies were inside making supper so they brought me a plastic chair and set it outside by the door.  The children were gathered around me, all curious about the “gringo grande” (big white guy).

I love to try and connect with these kids so I usually try to get them to teach me a word or two in Keqchi, then reciprocate with some English. I hold up my fingers and count. One, two, three. They copy me and soon we are counting all the way to ten in English. Great fun! Then it’s my turn to do it in Keqchi. Hun, Qweep, Osheep, and that is about as far as I get before my tongue is bent out of shape in trying to pronounce the numbers they are teaching me. Supper is about ready as dusk sets in and they invite me into the wooden walled hut with an uneven dirt floor. I bring my plastic chair in and  try to find a flat spot near the table to set it. There is a small battery powered light overhead and they are trying to adjust it for maximum light. They want to watch the “gringo” eat.

I notice that there are two open fires in this small hut, one on a raised dirt platform, the other on the open floor. Yes, it was smoky in there. There were about 15 young children sitting on the dirt floor around the outside walls while the ladies scurried about, flipping tortillas and serving up the usual chicken soup that they serve to guests in a Guatemalan village. A young woman brings me a bowl of water and I rinse my hands as she pours the water out onto the dirt floor.  A huge bowl of soup is set in front of me with two big pieces of chicken on the side. As per custom the 3 men at the table are served first.  We all pray out loud and at the same, and then as I look for hints on how to eat soup without a spoon, we all dig in.  As I was eating, I noticed that there was some kind of order in which the children were fed. Some received a little soup and others only tortillas. There were clear signs of malnutrition in this village and one can only wonder what a day holds for these little ones.

 After supper I set up my big flat screen (a king sized sheet) and projector outside the hut in an open area under a roof. They sang a couple of songs and I started the movie as people from the village trickled in and stood around where they could see the picture. I found myself looking up at the stars as the people engaged in the message of salvation. I pray that these wonderful Guatemalan people would receive the message of truth and that hearts would be changed for the glory of God.  I don’t really know the impact this message has on the people that watch the movie, but I leave that up to the Lord. I know seeds have been planted and the pastor will follow up and water them, but it is the Lord that will make them grow.

Near the end of the movie a man approached Arnoldo and asked him if we could visit his house after the presentation. I knew it would make for a late night but I agreed.  I packed up my gear, lockd it in the car and followed the man who invited us to his house. About 20 other villagers also followed us.  After a short walk down a muddy trail we found his home, where I was greeted by a woman holding a young child.  I did my best to visit with the family in a mix of broken Spanish and some Keqchi.  I learned that the child is 7 years old, has downs syndrome and has never walked.  He appeared to be crippled in some way. 

I asked to hold him and as I took him from his mother, he gave me a huge smile.  The parents asked if I could help him, and I was at a loss for words (in more ways than one). I took the time to pray with the family explaining to them that my heart language was English so I may sound strange to them. “Lord, would you bless little Sergio and fulfill your purposes in his life…” 

As I left the house after the short visit, I felt a little helpless, but I knew that the Lord knew this family by name. I headed back down the dark trail and made the journey back to the Mission. I pulled up to the iron gate at 11:00  pm, and gave thanks to God for His hand upon my life.

Would you pray, along with me, for Sergio and his family? 
Thanks, Rocky.