I am most overwhelmed by the Chorti people in the villages. They captured my heart with their first smile. When we go into the villages, we work with the children at the school and the rest of the village shows up (except for the men who are working in the fields). At one village, the teacher told the children it was time to go outside and play........they screamed and laughed and ran outside as fast as they could. They play simple games for as long as we would play them. They are not spoiled like American children who always want the latest and greatest toy and then get tired of it after just a few minutes. They will play the same game over and over and over. The only "toys" that I saw in the villages were a few balls. The children crave to be loved but most are very shy. They listen so intently to the bible stories that we told. I pray that they truly understand or will someday understand how much they are loved by their Lord.
I am very humbled by the work ethic of these people. They start working at a very young age. We saw a boy who was about 2 years old following his mother carrying a sack of "groceries". We saw a boy about the age of 7 cutting wood with his machete and carrying the piles to his house. The women wash clothes by hand, some have to haul water a very long way, grind corn, cook over stoves with open fires, etc. The men work long, long days 7 days a week in the fields. And, I complain about laundry, dishes, and scrubbing the bathroom.
The missionaries here have been doing an Ag Project with the Chorti people for 6 years. There are over 100 families now involved in this project. The men come to the Ag Center and they spend a week there. Half of the day is learning about the bible and the other half is learning how to farm more efficiently for their family. Before the enter the Ag Project, they farm on the side of the steep, steep mountains and most of the soil washes away. At the Ag Center, they are taught to plant hedge rows and crops between each of the hedgerows. They are taught to rotate their crops. Once this is done, they can get some goats. The goats are kept in pens off of the ground. The hedgerows provide food for the goats. The goats provide fertilizer and milk for the families. They give back one baby goat to the Ag Center. The families in the Ag Project come back over the years for more education. They can also get a stove with a chimney which gets the smoke out of their homes. Many of the Chorti suffer from respiratory problems because their stoves have no chimneys. The Ag Center also teaches basic health education classes.
At one of the villages, many of the men spoke to us about their Ag Projects. It was a miracle that they would stand in front of a big group and talk and they each thanked God for their Ag Projects and how it has changed their family's lives. They even thanked us Americans......I was extremely humbled.
Hearing the Chorti men preach and speak to us has been the biggest blessing in my life this week. I have been coming here since 2003 and this is the first time that I have ever seen that! These villages are changing because of God's love. His love has been revealed to me this week through these people, this beautiful country, our students giving their testimonies, and through the people here who work with Billy and Mary who serve Him non-stop.
I have a specific prayer request - the village of El Zapote has a clinic that serves several villages but it has been closed for over a year now. The government controls it and has not provided a nurse there. They have to go into a nearby town but are not very welcome there. Please pray that the clinic can get a nurse and re-open.
We serve a mighty God worthy of all praise!
I am glad that you had a great trip mom can not wait to see you tomorrow!!!
ReplyDeleteLove you
Bailey