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Monday, December 3rd
We were up bright and early today to head out with Arnulio and the other teachers who had to go turn in grades. We were traveling in a cayuco (large wooden canoe) with two 10-horse-power engines. The trip was about 5 hours long with a break at the halfway point at an island called Narganá. Narganá is really different from all the rest of the islands because it's like the rest of Panamá...they have lights 24 hours per day, the houses and buildings are made of cement block with tin or cement roofs instead of the narrow bamboo rods and thatched roofs. They have police, a bank, wide streets, and very few women who use the traditional dress. This was where the teachers had to make copies for the grades and yearly reports that they would be turning in.
Up until Narganá, the waves weren't that bad because we were traveling between lots of islands and the mainland. After Narganá, there was no such protection from the oceans waves. They were really big, and we were slamming down pretty hard into the trough after every crest since we weren't moving very fast. The last hour and a half of the journey, I learned what it felt like to be seasick. I just hung over the side and let everything out until we got to Playón Chico. About 45 minutes before we got there, they noticed that water was leaking in at the front of the cayuco...it was taking a pounding and was splitting open around a hole that had been patched up. Some of the teachers were stressing out...there weren't enough lifejackets for us all. I had so much peace though...I knew we were going to make it just fine to Playón Chico. God hadn't brought us to the middle of the ocean to drop us off. The thing I kept thinking about was that we were only 1/3 of the way through the islands...there would be a lot more travel by boat before we reached Colombia. I tried no to worry about the future and the possibility of being seasick again. Instead I focused on thanking God for opening doors.
One of the guys, Lester, in the cayuco wasn't a teacher; he was coming home from studying in Honduras. He offered to take us to Pastor Aris's house when arrived at the dock in Playón Chico. I was so exhausted; I just wanted to sit on the dock. Chris did his best to prod me along. So much for a good first impression, I could barely function when we got to Pastor Aris's house! Thankfully, Pastor Aris speaks really good Spanish, so he and Chris were able to communicate! I did, however, ask for the bathroom, but they don't have one. Most people on the island (approximately 4,000 people live here) don't have a bathroom. When you have to go to the bathroom, you find a good spot and go squat at the edge of the water...in broad daylight. I decided I could wait until later...at least until it was dark!
Pastor Aris took Chris to show him around the island. I stayed at the house and met Nenita, Nitzia, and Benito. They are distant relatives of Hna Tita (Pastor Aris's wife) who needed a place to stay. They've been living with Pastor Aris and Hna Tita for over a year now. (This was a big clue as to the type of people Pastor Aris and Hna Tita are...they are servants, and they give sacrificially without exception!) When Pastor Aris and Chris got back, we met Hna Tita, Don Efrain (her dad who also lives with them), Belzazar (their son who has frequent epileptic seizures), and Manases (their youngest son). Although they have 6 children, only 2 live with them...the rest of them live in Panama City and Nargandi (another island).
After a little supper, Pastor Aris walked us over to the church. We would be staying in a little hut behind the church that the women of the church used to use to bake bread. The oven doesn't work any more, so it's empty now...perfect for visitors...they just string up some hammocks and ready to go! I was extremely thankful when Hna Tita also took me to Hna Zeida's house. She has an indoor bathroom! So at least during the day I can go to the bathroom!! Praise God! Also Playón Chico has electricity from 6 pm to 10 pm daily! Wahoo! Not enough time to charge batteries, but at least we can read our Bibles at night without a flashlight! The lights flick on and off about 5 minutes before they go off for the night!!
We set our stuff down, and Pastor Aris sat down to talk to us a bit. He shared his testimony...wow...God is big! He left Playón Chico when he was a teenager to go to Panama City (where he learned to speak Spanish so well). He got really mixed up in drugs and alcohol there, and when he came back to Playón Chico, he wasn't the same. Hna Tita prayed for her friend...she wanted him to know Jesus. Her prayers were answered!! God began to turn Aris's life around, and he was eventually called to be a pastor. He went to a small village that was pretty far away from Playón Chico. They had no land there, so they struggled to have food to eat and it was impossible for their kids to continue studying. After a short period of time, Hna Tita and the kids had to come back to Playón Chico where they had family and could find food to eat. Pastor Aris stayed for about year, but it was a strain not having the family together. He resigned and went back to Playón Chico. There was a pastor at the time there who really took him under his wing and discipled Aris. Before he knew it, Aris was offered the church in Playón Chico. He agreed, but only until they could find a man more suitable. (Pastor Aris has never studied in a seminary.) Two years later he was still preaching there...they hadn't found anyone to be the preacher. Pastor Aris and Hna Tita decided to take the church. They hadn't really been devoting that much to it though. Then God really began to burden his heart. God showed him that many of the people who were attending the church weren't Christians or they were just babies in their faith after years of being a Christian. So after 7 years of being the pastor, he tells us, "In many ways, we are just beginning here." He also shared testimony of God's provision for their children's schooling even though they were devoting themselves to the ministry. (As a pastor, he makes about $30 per month.) What an exciting time for God to cross our paths! We're excited about getting to know Pastor Aris and Hna Tita more!
More about the Kuna:
• A typical day for a man: going to the mainland by canoe to look wood (for cooking), to find plantains (to make soup for lunch), to find coconuts (to make the broth for the soup or to make rice or to sell to the Colombian merchant boats), and to tend to whatever other crop that is in season OR going out fishing for lunch OR diving all day to find lobster or crab to sell to the airplane that lands every other day. (The divers can only make a living 6 months out of the year...3 months are prohibited and these 3 months the tide is too high and the waves are too big and the sea is too stirred up to see clearly underwater.)
• A typical day for a women: cooking over a fire, washing clothes, sewing molas (to sell to tourist if they come to that island OR for herself to wear), and taking care of the kids.
• Although it's changing a little bit as children leave to study in Panama City, the Kuna basically live off the land and what they catch in the ocean. Sometimes of the year there is more abundance as far as food goes because there are more crops to harvest. They only have to buy flour, oil, sugar, salt, and occasionally rice and lentils (beans). Meat other than fish is basically none existent (including eggs). Sometimes you can find chicken...especially if it's a special occasion. (It's flown in from Panama City.)
• Most of the larger islands have a short airstrip where small airplanes can land.
Tuesday, December 4th
This morning we helped serve the students in Manases's class breakfast--bread with a piece of American cheese, bread with an egg, and a hot oatmeal drink. Today is their last day of school. (Apparently there's not a specific ending date on every island...the mainland doesn't finish until next week??) So much like what we witnessed on the first Monday in Carti Mulatupu, we are seeing again today. The parents are fixing special meals for the kids to celebrate the end of school. The school provides the food. This is a huge breakfast...a real treat for these kids.
After breakfast, we went with Hna Tita to visit Beto in the hospital. He is a young man from the church who is a leader, but occasionally, he has seizures. This past Friday night, he was working on decorating the church for Christmas, and he fell off the ladder. No one was with him, but they suspect that he had a seizure and fell off the ladder and hit his head. He's in coma. We prayed with him and read scripture to him. Both of us fully believe that Beto will get up from that bed! He is not going to die or remain in that state!! In Jesus’ Name!!
Pastor Pascasio was talking to Pastor Aris when we got back to the house. Pastor Pascasio is from Carreto, a mainland Kuna village that's about a day's walk from the border of Colombia. He was in Playón Chico for his cousin's graduation from their equivalent of high school. Playón Chico has one of the only high schools in the entire Comarca, and it has existed the longest. So people who can afford to send their children to high school, send them to Playón Chico to study. Pastor Pascasio's cousin's parents died, so Pastor Pascasio and his wife have taken the responsibility of raising him. They've sacrificed a lot, but today, they are going to see the results as he graduates!!
Chris and I both thought that this might be an open door that would take us nearly to the border especially after Pastor Pascasio told us that he would walk with us to the border! (It didn't turn out that way...God had different plans!!) Pastor Aris urged Pastor Pascasio to share with us some of the things that had been going on in Carreto with his church. He began to share...participating in the Chicha Fuerte in Carreto is obligatory, but he didn't want to participate. He started praying and asking God to give him favor with the Sahila so that he didn't have to be a part of that ceremony. About a month and a half ago, the Sahila told him that he didn't have to drink and that he wouldn't be punished for not participating. So the ceremony came and went, and Pastor Pascasio was overjoyed that he didn't have to go...until a month ago. The community burned the church down in retaliation for his not participating in the Chicha Fuerte! I've heard stories of people taking a stand for their faith in Christ, but I've never met anyone who has been persecuted for their faith. It impacted my heart. He asks for our prayers...that he will be able to continue ministering in his community. That there will be a breakthrough...the Kuna traditions are very strong! He also asks that we pray for additional services during the week. Right now, they only have permission to meet on Sunday mornings. He wants to have services on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well. (Most of us don't even go to mid-week services or we take it for granted that we can meet at church anytime we want...something to think about!)
After our time with Pastor Pascasio, it was time to serve lunch to the kids, so Chris and I crossed the bridge from the island to the mainland to take the food to Manases's class. (The airstrip, the central offices for the entire Comarca Kuna Yala's education department, the environmental protection agency, the school, and the Mormon church are all located on the mainland.) We were able to meet several teachers and lots of students!! (Another shock...the kids brought their own bowl, spoon, and cup from home. No such thing as disposable plates, cups, or plasticware.) The high school graduation was late this afternoon, so Chris and I went to see it...Pastor Aris was invited to share briefly and to pray for the graduates.
Tonight we met with a small group of women. Tuesday night is usually Women's Bible study, but because of the graduation only a few women were there. I shared with them out of Romans 12:1-2 and encouraged them to start hiding God's Word in their hearts so that they can be transformed more into Christ's likeness. When I finished, they had a ton of questions about who we were and where we came from! So Pastor Aris translated as Chris and I shared our testimony and about the journey!
Wednesday, December 5th
We had another long conversation with Pastor Aris this morning...this time talking about the benefits and problems of short term mission teams. It's good because the teams meet temporary needs that exist on the island and the people of the church are motivated serve the Lord. The problem is the needs continue to exist after the team leaves and many times there's been no authentic change in the people of the church or on the island. The large group just showed up because of what they might receive from the team. Something for us to pray about and to think about for the future! He also shared that missionaries from Mexico have been coming on short term trips for quite some time to Playón Chico...it serves as a training ground to see if they can make it as missionaries! From Playón Chico, they’ve been sent out to Asia and Africa! (Interesting that God has brought Chris and me here as well!)
This afternoon Pastor Aris took us to the other side of the island. There's a big drug problem, the people are much less educated, and people are poorer. To me, this was shocking...it's such a small place and the houses are packed so tightly together...how is it that it could be so different? However, we could make a distinction.
(I'm sure you are wondering where the drugs come from on an island. To be honest, I'm not sure about the marijuana...it's probably grown on the mainland. Who knows? What baffled us is that there's a problem with cocaine! How do the get cocaine on these islands?!! Well, there's a drug season too! In these months when the waves are huge and the tides are high, the people who are running drugs from Colombia up the coast loose a lot of cargo! It is in plastic, water-proof containers, and it floats up on shore or the divers find it when they diving for lobsters and crabs. Who ever finds it either turns it into the police or hides it and sells it. Then you see a cement block house pop up over night and a family with all of the sudden a lot of money. In some communities, this isn't tolerated. They move together full force and tear the house down and take away all of the newly acquired possessions. On other islands, you pay the Sahila $500 and you are free to sell the cocaine. While we were on the island, no cocaine washed up, but TVs, speakers, and huge quantities of Q-tips came on shore at the coast and at some of the uninhabited islands that are nearby but belong to Playón Chico.)
Tonight we spoke at church again...about half the crowd was teenagers, so we talked to them about relationships and seeking God to find their purpose. We were able to hang out with them quite a bit after the service. We met a precious couple, Olo and Arni, who have been married about a year and are expecting their first child in January. We especially talked to them and a couple of other folks.
Thursday, December 6th
This morning we tried to explain to Pastor Aris what the internet is and what e-mail is. Now you think about how you would explain that to someone who didn't have a clue and you couldn't show it to them to make your explanation more clear!!! What fun?!
Do you remember Beto, the young man in coma that we met on Monday? Ok...they couldn't airlift him from Playón Chico because the family didn't have the money to transport him. (They needed to send him on the commercial flight because the hospital in Panama City couldn't send a plane for him.) So they decided to send him to Ailigandi, another island that had a hospital. They hoped that the doctor there would be able to help or that since it is a hospital, Panama City would send their plane to get Beto. No, so they brought him back to Playón Chico because a special plane was being sent out today with teachers and principals who were going home for "summer vacation." The doctor in Playón Chico decided to take advantage of the 2 extra flights and send Beto and a lady who hadn't been able to go into labor. (They transported Beto back and forth to Ailigandi...an hour each way...in motor boat...it slams up and down on when the waves are bad like they are right now!!) Then when he arrived back at the health department of Playón Chico, there was no bed, so they left him on the gurney on the floor. He has regained consciousness, but he's in a lot of pain. There have been no x-rays, MRIs, cat scans, nothing!! done for him so far because those things DO NOT EXIST on the islands! He began complaining that his back was hurting. When the men lifted him up, they saw that the gurney was ripped. The neck brace that he had on was 2 sizes too big for him, so he was uncomfortable and not really being immobilized! I've NEVER seen conditions like I saw today. We are soooo blessed in the US to have quality medical care! Now here's the kicker...Beto wasn't complaining about the pain nor the conditions surrounding his situation. He was asking Pastor Aris and Hna Tita about his Sunday school students. He asked them to take good care of them while he was gone and he apologized because he wasn't going to be able to be there to celebrate Christmas with them. OKAY that is dedication...that is a heart of love...that is glorifying to God! I was touched and challenged! Before they flew him out, we prayed with him and read more scripture to him. We were even more sure that he was going to be okay...this situation is actually an example of a spiritual attack. Satan will not have the victory...Jesus has already secured it for us!
Pastor Aris invited us to share with the Sunday School teachers...they are teens who have no teaching experience, but they are willing servants. So Chris and I met with them today to share teaching strategies, new songs, classroom management, ideas for memorizing Bible verses, and games. Five of the six teachers were able to come--Clinio, Zelibeth, Paguindili, Roynel, and Olo. They were sooo receptive! We were shocked at how quickly they learned AND they want to meet together again tomorrow.
This afternoon, we met a brother in Christ named Eudilio. He's from Playón Chico, but he lives in Panama City now. In the beginning of January, a large group of Kuna Christians are coming to Playón Chico to go door to door sharing Jesus with everyone on the island; they are also going to have leadership training for the church leaders, seminars on purity for the teens, and revival services at night. The 5 churches on the island will all be involved in the outreach as well! Be praying Jan 13-19, 2008...that God will be glorified and that there will be spiritual breakthroughs!!
Friday, December 7th
First thing this morning, we met Hno Aureliano. He's a diver, but he goes at night. (Oh, I think I forgot to tell you this...when these guys dive, they don't use oxygen tanks...it's free-diving with a mask and a snorkel AND they go down 15-22 brazos...a brazo=5.5 to 6 feet...that means 80-130 feet!! It's amazing to see these guys and to realize what God made our bodies capable of!!) Apparently Hno Aureliano has a huge testimony, but he didn't share that this morning. He did however show us his foot. A barracuda bit him when he shot him with a hand-held, home-made harpoon. The barracuda got away from him, but the hook was still in him and the harpoon was attached to Hno Aureliano. A shark bit the barracuda freeing Hno Aureliano, so he hurried back to the surface and the guy how as paddling the boat to hold it in place pulled Hno Aureliano into the boat! He walks with a limp now, but he can still dive! If God saved his life from a barracuda and a shark, He's got something huge planned for Hno Aureliano's life. We are excited to get to hear his testimony!
When we met with the teachers today, we reviewed what we shared yesterday. Then, we taught them more songs and games. Finally we planned out the lesson for Sunday. Chris and I are so excited to see them in action on Sunday morning!!! This group of teachers is absolutely precious!!!
On Friday nights, they have prayer meeting. So tonight, Chris and I shared short devotion on the power of prayer, and we all prayed together for quite some time! It was really awesome! They shared testimony of how they have been praying for different family members to come to know Jesus over the last year or so AND how they've seen God answer those prayers! We serve the only true God! He is alive and well, and He responds when His people seek Him!!
Saturday, December 8th--Happy Mother's Day!! Today is Mother's Day in Panama!!
This morning we made hojaldras...different from the ones that Aurora made, but good just the same. The women of the church are making them and selling them to raise money to go to a women's conference in Panama City in February! We were so excited to see their desire and dedication to work for this opportunity. Plus, I got a new recipe!
Then it was time to wash clothes...I thanked God today for my sisters in Guatemala who taught me to wash clothes by hand! Most of the spots came out and the clothes smelled a hundred times better than they did smell! I'm sure that I'm going to have lots more practice in the next couple of weeks...until whenever we get to a place where we can walk again!
This afternoon we spent some time fellowshipping with Pastor Aris and I worked on translating some handouts that they received at the Pastor's conference in Panama because they were in English. We also helped Olo and Arni finish decorating the church for the Mother's day service that was tonight.
The Mother's day service was really touching! All of the mothers who had children in the congregation received a small gift from their child (no matter how young the child!!). It was really sweet. Then we had supper together! (Remember that there's no such thing as disposable plates, cups, or plasticware...they served 15 or so people to start with, collected their plates, "washed" them, and served the next 15 or so people until everyone had eaten. We were thanking God that we were in the first group!!)
Sunday, December 9th
Today we went to the children's Sunday school, and were excited and amazed at how the teachers were applying what they had learned. We also observed some other areas that needed to be worked on. After the classes were over, we decided to meet together again on Monday to talk about how things went in their classes!
After the adult Sunday School, we met Cariel and Arisnelda, Pastor Aris and Hna Tita's daughter and son-in-law. Cariel shared his testimony of how God radically changed his life. One night without realized how it happened, he ended up in revival service where the Holy Spirit touched his heart and he's never been the same! Apparently on the 20th of this month, he and several others are going to be baptized. That's a really long time away...we probably won't get to see it, but we'll have to wait and see what God's plan is!
Today Chris and I spent some time talking about and writing down more of the vision that God is giving us for the future...it's becoming more clear as we go! He continues to reveal vital parts that we hadn't thought of before. We are sure that at least the vision and the mission will be clear by the time we arrive in Peru! We can't wait to share it with you...our God is amazing!
A little history of the Kuna Indians...
• They are originally from Colombia.
• They came across the mountains between Colombia and Panama to avoid the Spanish, but many Kuna still live in Colombia. (at the time the whole area was Colombia...the territory that is now Panama was taken from Colombia to construct the Panama Canal.)
• When the Spanish Conquistadors entered into what is now Panama, the Kuna crossed the mountains that you can see in our pictures of the mainland to live on the coast...again to avoid problems.
• In the early 1900s, there was a maremoto (I'm not sure of the English word, but it means an earthquake in the ocean.) and many of the villages were flooded and the oceans rose, so the Kuna moved to the islands that they could see from the mainland.
• In the 1950s, Panama wanted to make them be like the rest of Panama, so there was a Tule Revolution. The Kuna fought against Panama to keep their culture, and Panama relented. So today the rich culture of the Kuna still exists!!!
Monday, December 3rd
We were up bright and early today to head out with Arnulio and the other teachers who had to go turn in grades. We were traveling in a cayuco (large wooden canoe) with two 10-horse-power engines. The trip was about 5 hours long with a break at the halfway point at an island called Narganá. Narganá is really different from all the rest of the islands because it's like the rest of Panamá...they have lights 24 hours per day, the houses and buildings are made of cement block with tin or cement roofs instead of the narrow bamboo rods and thatched roofs. They have police, a bank, wide streets, and very few women who use the traditional dress. This was where the teachers had to make copies for the grades and yearly reports that they would be turning in.
Up until Narganá, the waves weren't that bad because we were traveling between lots of islands and the mainland. After Narganá, there was no such protection from the oceans waves. They were really big, and we were slamming down pretty hard into the trough after every crest since we weren't moving very fast. The last hour and a half of the journey, I learned what it felt like to be seasick. I just hung over the side and let everything out until we got to Playón Chico. About 45 minutes before we got there, they noticed that water was leaking in at the front of the cayuco...it was taking a pounding and was splitting open around a hole that had been patched up. Some of the teachers were stressing out...there weren't enough lifejackets for us all. I had so much peace though...I knew we were going to make it just fine to Playón Chico. God hadn't brought us to the middle of the ocean to drop us off. The thing I kept thinking about was that we were only 1/3 of the way through the islands...there would be a lot more travel by boat before we reached Colombia. I tried no to worry about the future and the possibility of being seasick again. Instead I focused on thanking God for opening doors.
One of the guys, Lester, in the cayuco wasn't a teacher; he was coming home from studying in Honduras. He offered to take us to Pastor Aris's house when arrived at the dock in Playón Chico. I was so exhausted; I just wanted to sit on the dock. Chris did his best to prod me along. So much for a good first impression, I could barely function when we got to Pastor Aris's house! Thankfully, Pastor Aris speaks really good Spanish, so he and Chris were able to communicate! I did, however, ask for the bathroom, but they don't have one. Most people on the island (approximately 4,000 people live here) don't have a bathroom. When you have to go to the bathroom, you find a good spot and go squat at the edge of the water...in broad daylight. I decided I could wait until later...at least until it was dark!
Pastor Aris took Chris to show him around the island. I stayed at the house and met Nenita, Nitzia, and Benito. They are distant relatives of Hna Tita (Pastor Aris's wife) who needed a place to stay. They've been living with Pastor Aris and Hna Tita for over a year now. (This was a big clue as to the type of people Pastor Aris and Hna Tita are...they are servants, and they give sacrificially without exception!) When Pastor Aris and Chris got back, we met Hna Tita, Don Efrain (her dad who also lives with them), Belzazar (their son who has frequent epileptic seizures), and Manases (their youngest son). Although they have 6 children, only 2 live with them...the rest of them live in Panama City and Nargandi (another island).
After a little supper, Pastor Aris walked us over to the church. We would be staying in a little hut behind the church that the women of the church used to use to bake bread. The oven doesn't work any more, so it's empty now...perfect for visitors...they just string up some hammocks and ready to go! I was extremely thankful when Hna Tita also took me to Hna Zeida's house. She has an indoor bathroom! So at least during the day I can go to the bathroom!! Praise God! Also Playón Chico has electricity from 6 pm to 10 pm daily! Wahoo! Not enough time to charge batteries, but at least we can read our Bibles at night without a flashlight! The lights flick on and off about 5 minutes before they go off for the night!!
We set our stuff down, and Pastor Aris sat down to talk to us a bit. He shared his testimony...wow...God is big! He left Playón Chico when he was a teenager to go to Panama City (where he learned to speak Spanish so well). He got really mixed up in drugs and alcohol there, and when he came back to Playón Chico, he wasn't the same. Hna Tita prayed for her friend...she wanted him to know Jesus. Her prayers were answered!! God began to turn Aris's life around, and he was eventually called to be a pastor. He went to a small village that was pretty far away from Playón Chico. They had no land there, so they struggled to have food to eat and it was impossible for their kids to continue studying. After a short period of time, Hna Tita and the kids had to come back to Playón Chico where they had family and could find food to eat. Pastor Aris stayed for about year, but it was a strain not having the family together. He resigned and went back to Playón Chico. There was a pastor at the time there who really took him under his wing and discipled Aris. Before he knew it, Aris was offered the church in Playón Chico. He agreed, but only until they could find a man more suitable. (Pastor Aris has never studied in a seminary.) Two years later he was still preaching there...they hadn't found anyone to be the preacher. Pastor Aris and Hna Tita decided to take the church. They hadn't really been devoting that much to it though. Then God really began to burden his heart. God showed him that many of the people who were attending the church weren't Christians or they were just babies in their faith after years of being a Christian. So after 7 years of being the pastor, he tells us, "In many ways, we are just beginning here." He also shared testimony of God's provision for their children's schooling even though they were devoting themselves to the ministry. (As a pastor, he makes about $30 per month.) What an exciting time for God to cross our paths! We're excited about getting to know Pastor Aris and Hna Tita more!
More about the Kuna:
• A typical day for a man: going to the mainland by canoe to look wood (for cooking), to find plantains (to make soup for lunch), to find coconuts (to make the broth for the soup or to make rice or to sell to the Colombian merchant boats), and to tend to whatever other crop that is in season OR going out fishing for lunch OR diving all day to find lobster or crab to sell to the airplane that lands every other day. (The divers can only make a living 6 months out of the year...3 months are prohibited and these 3 months the tide is too high and the waves are too big and the sea is too stirred up to see clearly underwater.)
• A typical day for a women: cooking over a fire, washing clothes, sewing molas (to sell to tourist if they come to that island OR for herself to wear), and taking care of the kids.
• Although it's changing a little bit as children leave to study in Panama City, the Kuna basically live off the land and what they catch in the ocean. Sometimes of the year there is more abundance as far as food goes because there are more crops to harvest. They only have to buy flour, oil, sugar, salt, and occasionally rice and lentils (beans). Meat other than fish is basically none existent (including eggs). Sometimes you can find chicken...especially if it's a special occasion. (It's flown in from Panama City.)
• Most of the larger islands have a short airstrip where small airplanes can land.
Tuesday, December 4th
This morning we helped serve the students in Manases's class breakfast--bread with a piece of American cheese, bread with an egg, and a hot oatmeal drink. Today is their last day of school. (Apparently there's not a specific ending date on every island...the mainland doesn't finish until next week??) So much like what we witnessed on the first Monday in Carti Mulatupu, we are seeing again today. The parents are fixing special meals for the kids to celebrate the end of school. The school provides the food. This is a huge breakfast...a real treat for these kids.
After breakfast, we went with Hna Tita to visit Beto in the hospital. He is a young man from the church who is a leader, but occasionally, he has seizures. This past Friday night, he was working on decorating the church for Christmas, and he fell off the ladder. No one was with him, but they suspect that he had a seizure and fell off the ladder and hit his head. He's in coma. We prayed with him and read scripture to him. Both of us fully believe that Beto will get up from that bed! He is not going to die or remain in that state!! In Jesus’ Name!!
Pastor Pascasio was talking to Pastor Aris when we got back to the house. Pastor Pascasio is from Carreto, a mainland Kuna village that's about a day's walk from the border of Colombia. He was in Playón Chico for his cousin's graduation from their equivalent of high school. Playón Chico has one of the only high schools in the entire Comarca, and it has existed the longest. So people who can afford to send their children to high school, send them to Playón Chico to study. Pastor Pascasio's cousin's parents died, so Pastor Pascasio and his wife have taken the responsibility of raising him. They've sacrificed a lot, but today, they are going to see the results as he graduates!!
Chris and I both thought that this might be an open door that would take us nearly to the border especially after Pastor Pascasio told us that he would walk with us to the border! (It didn't turn out that way...God had different plans!!) Pastor Aris urged Pastor Pascasio to share with us some of the things that had been going on in Carreto with his church. He began to share...participating in the Chicha Fuerte in Carreto is obligatory, but he didn't want to participate. He started praying and asking God to give him favor with the Sahila so that he didn't have to be a part of that ceremony. About a month and a half ago, the Sahila told him that he didn't have to drink and that he wouldn't be punished for not participating. So the ceremony came and went, and Pastor Pascasio was overjoyed that he didn't have to go...until a month ago. The community burned the church down in retaliation for his not participating in the Chicha Fuerte! I've heard stories of people taking a stand for their faith in Christ, but I've never met anyone who has been persecuted for their faith. It impacted my heart. He asks for our prayers...that he will be able to continue ministering in his community. That there will be a breakthrough...the Kuna traditions are very strong! He also asks that we pray for additional services during the week. Right now, they only have permission to meet on Sunday mornings. He wants to have services on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well. (Most of us don't even go to mid-week services or we take it for granted that we can meet at church anytime we want...something to think about!)
After our time with Pastor Pascasio, it was time to serve lunch to the kids, so Chris and I crossed the bridge from the island to the mainland to take the food to Manases's class. (The airstrip, the central offices for the entire Comarca Kuna Yala's education department, the environmental protection agency, the school, and the Mormon church are all located on the mainland.) We were able to meet several teachers and lots of students!! (Another shock...the kids brought their own bowl, spoon, and cup from home. No such thing as disposable plates, cups, or plasticware.) The high school graduation was late this afternoon, so Chris and I went to see it...Pastor Aris was invited to share briefly and to pray for the graduates.
Tonight we met with a small group of women. Tuesday night is usually Women's Bible study, but because of the graduation only a few women were there. I shared with them out of Romans 12:1-2 and encouraged them to start hiding God's Word in their hearts so that they can be transformed more into Christ's likeness. When I finished, they had a ton of questions about who we were and where we came from! So Pastor Aris translated as Chris and I shared our testimony and about the journey!
Wednesday, December 5th
We had another long conversation with Pastor Aris this morning...this time talking about the benefits and problems of short term mission teams. It's good because the teams meet temporary needs that exist on the island and the people of the church are motivated serve the Lord. The problem is the needs continue to exist after the team leaves and many times there's been no authentic change in the people of the church or on the island. The large group just showed up because of what they might receive from the team. Something for us to pray about and to think about for the future! He also shared that missionaries from Mexico have been coming on short term trips for quite some time to Playón Chico...it serves as a training ground to see if they can make it as missionaries! From Playón Chico, they’ve been sent out to Asia and Africa! (Interesting that God has brought Chris and me here as well!)
This afternoon Pastor Aris took us to the other side of the island. There's a big drug problem, the people are much less educated, and people are poorer. To me, this was shocking...it's such a small place and the houses are packed so tightly together...how is it that it could be so different? However, we could make a distinction.
(I'm sure you are wondering where the drugs come from on an island. To be honest, I'm not sure about the marijuana...it's probably grown on the mainland. Who knows? What baffled us is that there's a problem with cocaine! How do the get cocaine on these islands?!! Well, there's a drug season too! In these months when the waves are huge and the tides are high, the people who are running drugs from Colombia up the coast loose a lot of cargo! It is in plastic, water-proof containers, and it floats up on shore or the divers find it when they diving for lobsters and crabs. Who ever finds it either turns it into the police or hides it and sells it. Then you see a cement block house pop up over night and a family with all of the sudden a lot of money. In some communities, this isn't tolerated. They move together full force and tear the house down and take away all of the newly acquired possessions. On other islands, you pay the Sahila $500 and you are free to sell the cocaine. While we were on the island, no cocaine washed up, but TVs, speakers, and huge quantities of Q-tips came on shore at the coast and at some of the uninhabited islands that are nearby but belong to Playón Chico.)
Tonight we spoke at church again...about half the crowd was teenagers, so we talked to them about relationships and seeking God to find their purpose. We were able to hang out with them quite a bit after the service. We met a precious couple, Olo and Arni, who have been married about a year and are expecting their first child in January. We especially talked to them and a couple of other folks.
Thursday, December 6th
This morning we tried to explain to Pastor Aris what the internet is and what e-mail is. Now you think about how you would explain that to someone who didn't have a clue and you couldn't show it to them to make your explanation more clear!!! What fun?!
Do you remember Beto, the young man in coma that we met on Monday? Ok...they couldn't airlift him from Playón Chico because the family didn't have the money to transport him. (They needed to send him on the commercial flight because the hospital in Panama City couldn't send a plane for him.) So they decided to send him to Ailigandi, another island that had a hospital. They hoped that the doctor there would be able to help or that since it is a hospital, Panama City would send their plane to get Beto. No, so they brought him back to Playón Chico because a special plane was being sent out today with teachers and principals who were going home for "summer vacation." The doctor in Playón Chico decided to take advantage of the 2 extra flights and send Beto and a lady who hadn't been able to go into labor. (They transported Beto back and forth to Ailigandi...an hour each way...in motor boat...it slams up and down on when the waves are bad like they are right now!!) Then when he arrived back at the health department of Playón Chico, there was no bed, so they left him on the gurney on the floor. He has regained consciousness, but he's in a lot of pain. There have been no x-rays, MRIs, cat scans, nothing!! done for him so far because those things DO NOT EXIST on the islands! He began complaining that his back was hurting. When the men lifted him up, they saw that the gurney was ripped. The neck brace that he had on was 2 sizes too big for him, so he was uncomfortable and not really being immobilized! I've NEVER seen conditions like I saw today. We are soooo blessed in the US to have quality medical care! Now here's the kicker...Beto wasn't complaining about the pain nor the conditions surrounding his situation. He was asking Pastor Aris and Hna Tita about his Sunday school students. He asked them to take good care of them while he was gone and he apologized because he wasn't going to be able to be there to celebrate Christmas with them. OKAY that is dedication...that is a heart of love...that is glorifying to God! I was touched and challenged! Before they flew him out, we prayed with him and read more scripture to him. We were even more sure that he was going to be okay...this situation is actually an example of a spiritual attack. Satan will not have the victory...Jesus has already secured it for us!
Pastor Aris invited us to share with the Sunday School teachers...they are teens who have no teaching experience, but they are willing servants. So Chris and I met with them today to share teaching strategies, new songs, classroom management, ideas for memorizing Bible verses, and games. Five of the six teachers were able to come--Clinio, Zelibeth, Paguindili, Roynel, and Olo. They were sooo receptive! We were shocked at how quickly they learned AND they want to meet together again tomorrow.
This afternoon, we met a brother in Christ named Eudilio. He's from Playón Chico, but he lives in Panama City now. In the beginning of January, a large group of Kuna Christians are coming to Playón Chico to go door to door sharing Jesus with everyone on the island; they are also going to have leadership training for the church leaders, seminars on purity for the teens, and revival services at night. The 5 churches on the island will all be involved in the outreach as well! Be praying Jan 13-19, 2008...that God will be glorified and that there will be spiritual breakthroughs!!
Friday, December 7th
First thing this morning, we met Hno Aureliano. He's a diver, but he goes at night. (Oh, I think I forgot to tell you this...when these guys dive, they don't use oxygen tanks...it's free-diving with a mask and a snorkel AND they go down 15-22 brazos...a brazo=5.5 to 6 feet...that means 80-130 feet!! It's amazing to see these guys and to realize what God made our bodies capable of!!) Apparently Hno Aureliano has a huge testimony, but he didn't share that this morning. He did however show us his foot. A barracuda bit him when he shot him with a hand-held, home-made harpoon. The barracuda got away from him, but the hook was still in him and the harpoon was attached to Hno Aureliano. A shark bit the barracuda freeing Hno Aureliano, so he hurried back to the surface and the guy how as paddling the boat to hold it in place pulled Hno Aureliano into the boat! He walks with a limp now, but he can still dive! If God saved his life from a barracuda and a shark, He's got something huge planned for Hno Aureliano's life. We are excited to get to hear his testimony!
When we met with the teachers today, we reviewed what we shared yesterday. Then, we taught them more songs and games. Finally we planned out the lesson for Sunday. Chris and I are so excited to see them in action on Sunday morning!!! This group of teachers is absolutely precious!!!
On Friday nights, they have prayer meeting. So tonight, Chris and I shared short devotion on the power of prayer, and we all prayed together for quite some time! It was really awesome! They shared testimony of how they have been praying for different family members to come to know Jesus over the last year or so AND how they've seen God answer those prayers! We serve the only true God! He is alive and well, and He responds when His people seek Him!!
Saturday, December 8th--Happy Mother's Day!! Today is Mother's Day in Panama!!
This morning we made hojaldras...different from the ones that Aurora made, but good just the same. The women of the church are making them and selling them to raise money to go to a women's conference in Panama City in February! We were so excited to see their desire and dedication to work for this opportunity. Plus, I got a new recipe!
Then it was time to wash clothes...I thanked God today for my sisters in Guatemala who taught me to wash clothes by hand! Most of the spots came out and the clothes smelled a hundred times better than they did smell! I'm sure that I'm going to have lots more practice in the next couple of weeks...until whenever we get to a place where we can walk again!
This afternoon we spent some time fellowshipping with Pastor Aris and I worked on translating some handouts that they received at the Pastor's conference in Panama because they were in English. We also helped Olo and Arni finish decorating the church for the Mother's day service that was tonight.
The Mother's day service was really touching! All of the mothers who had children in the congregation received a small gift from their child (no matter how young the child!!). It was really sweet. Then we had supper together! (Remember that there's no such thing as disposable plates, cups, or plasticware...they served 15 or so people to start with, collected their plates, "washed" them, and served the next 15 or so people until everyone had eaten. We were thanking God that we were in the first group!!)
Sunday, December 9th
Today we went to the children's Sunday school, and were excited and amazed at how the teachers were applying what they had learned. We also observed some other areas that needed to be worked on. After the classes were over, we decided to meet together again on Monday to talk about how things went in their classes!
After the adult Sunday School, we met Cariel and Arisnelda, Pastor Aris and Hna Tita's daughter and son-in-law. Cariel shared his testimony of how God radically changed his life. One night without realized how it happened, he ended up in revival service where the Holy Spirit touched his heart and he's never been the same! Apparently on the 20th of this month, he and several others are going to be baptized. That's a really long time away...we probably won't get to see it, but we'll have to wait and see what God's plan is!
Today Chris and I spent some time talking about and writing down more of the vision that God is giving us for the future...it's becoming more clear as we go! He continues to reveal vital parts that we hadn't thought of before. We are sure that at least the vision and the mission will be clear by the time we arrive in Peru! We can't wait to share it with you...our God is amazing!
A little history of the Kuna Indians...
• They are originally from Colombia.
• They came across the mountains between Colombia and Panama to avoid the Spanish, but many Kuna still live in Colombia. (at the time the whole area was Colombia...the territory that is now Panama was taken from Colombia to construct the Panama Canal.)
• When the Spanish Conquistadors entered into what is now Panama, the Kuna crossed the mountains that you can see in our pictures of the mainland to live on the coast...again to avoid problems.
• In the early 1900s, there was a maremoto (I'm not sure of the English word, but it means an earthquake in the ocean.) and many of the villages were flooded and the oceans rose, so the Kuna moved to the islands that they could see from the mainland.
• In the 1950s, Panama wanted to make them be like the rest of Panama, so there was a Tule Revolution. The Kuna fought against Panama to keep their culture, and Panama relented. So today the rich culture of the Kuna still exists!!!
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