Our Mayan Village Experience

Well, we've been home for just over a week now. I am still exhausted! The time change hasn't helped matters either!

I didn't get to write anything about our experience in Chan Chen. What an amazing way to cap off our trip.

The night before, we packed up as much as we could and early the next morning, put our luggage in storage. By 8:00 AM we were back at Doug & Darla's, along with the team from North Carolina. (I think I have posted that a team from Alabama was coming. But I got that all mixed up! Sorry about that.) I have never met sweeter people!

We all piled into trucks & a 15 passenger van and off we went! Before we could settle into the 2 hour drive, we needed to stop and gas up. For the last hour before you get to Chan Chen, there is NO place to stop for ANYTHING! Not banos (bathrooms) either!!!! Well, good thing we're tough prairie dwellers, cuz we had to stop and use whatever patch of grass was nearest to the road! This is how the conversation went:

Girl: Dad, I have to go to the bathroom!
Dad: Well, we're not anywhere near a bathroom. Can yo wait til we get there?
Girl: How much longer?
Dad: About 15 minutes.

(5 minutes later)

Girl: Dad, I REALLY have to go! How much longer?
Dad: About 15 minutes.
Girl: I can't wait!

(Sound of gravel spewing from sudden stop and truck doors opening.)

Girl: Um, right here dad? (along with a cute little dance)
Dad: RIGHT HERE!
Girl: But I can't!
Dad: Well, what'll it be?
Girl: RIGHT HERE???
Dad: YES! RIGHT HERE!

Yep, she proved to be quite the prairie girl...and she felt soooooo much better after!

When we finally got to the village we broke into 3 groups - one group painted, one held a children's time and one walked through the streets handing out kid's booklets and New Testaments door to door...or shall we say, space to space, cuz I think we actually only saw a few doors!

Our family was one group and we prayed as we walked, handing out the Bibles. A Mexican woman who could thankfully speak some English joined us and translated for us. We walked along what we thought, were quiet, deserted streets. Once we started to hand out the materials, it was amazing how lively the streets got! Who knew there were so many people in this village?

For the most part, it is the younger generation of Mayan people that can speak some Spanish, and no one can speak English. The older generation can only speak Mayan.

Please pray for the younger generation. Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth of God's Word to them and that they will feel the urgency to share it with the older generation.

It was amazing to experience this sort of ministry. I am here, back at the warehouse in Steinbach, where it feels like we have a church on every corner! Bibles in our city are readily available. Most of us have at least half a dozen kicking around in our homes. The thrift shops have a bunch on their shelves. The American man that Rick gave a Bible to couldn't get one, unless he ordered it from Amazon! What is so very taken for granted here, is hard to come by at the edge of our continent.

Here, we often think that offering someone a Bible is not enough, or even silly. While we walked along the dusty streets in the village, it took us only an hour or two to dwindle our stack of Bibles and booklets. And what's more, people came, asking for more! This was especially true of the children's booklets. These are the easiest way to present the gospel to these villagers because they are at a primary reading level.

It is amazing to me how we feel as though we are offending or inconveniencing someone if we offer them God's Word and then we don't. It is the only thing we can give that gives real hope and lasts for ever.

...too bad it's so inconvenient.