Amber-- Eye Opening

Today we went to a village called San Isidro. It was the first time I had ever been there. When we arrived, everyone in the village met in the school for what we would call a town meeting. After introductions, Jase and Steve had a chance to share our reason for being there. After that, we took all the children outside to play. We played duck, duck, goose. “pato, pato, ganzo”. They loved it. We also jumped rope, played soccer, and played with the parachute. When it was time to share a bible story with them, Audrey, Trish, Marcia and I went to visit a home across from where we were playing. I will admit I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Upon arriving we were met by a very nice lady. She is the mother of four children and her husband was attending the town meeting. She spoke openly with us. So you all will understand I need to share some background info… This is one if the first villages Billy and Mary started visiting years ago. They built relationships and God was moving. Billy actually baptized this lady’s husband. They would hold Bible studies but then the Catholic Church got word of this. The villagers stopped coming to the Bible studies. Come to find out, the Catholic church came in and told them that if they continued to come to the bible studies that Billy and Mary were holding, they would abandon them and no longer burry their dead. The Catholic Church here has a very powerful stronghold on these Chorti people. We also found out that in 2007 when the last food distribution took place, we sent food to that village. The Catholic Church said that no one from the village could accept the food, so it was left in the school. So here you have people who were starving knowingly having food to eat and were afraid to. After some time they were told it did not come from us and were permitted to eat it. Basically the Catholic Church has been blackmailing these people. The crazy thing to me is that it all has to do with money. The people give the Catholic Church money to help them when they need it. For example, when someone dies, the Catholic Church will burry them for a fee. The annual income for this village is not even $300 a year. But there are tons of villages just like the one we visited today. After we visited with this lady for a long time we split up into two groups and went on a prayer walk. We went to one home after another asking it we could pray for them. You have to understand these people do not live on tree-lined streets in an organized community like most of us live in. You hike up a mountain to each house. We were met by the mother and a few of her children at the first house. We were invited in. We entered a room that was about 8ftx8ft. She had a fire going and there was no ventilation. There was no floor and there we two small children there. One of the kids was 3 years old and was so filthy. Come to find out, he cannot walk. He pulls himself around with his arms. She wanted us to pray for her family and their crops. I was in tears by the time we left. At the next house we went to we were greeted buy several young girls. After chatting for a minute we again asked what prayer concerns they had and the oldest girl told us that they lost their mother 6 months ago. We were asked to pray for their dad and also their crops. Went we left we noticed a grave marker right outside the front door. Yes… it was their mother… At this point I am thinking I can’t go on. I am so tore up inside but we continue because God never fails and gave me a second wind. When we got to the next house we again were greeted by a lady and her 8 children. This home disturbed me more that any of the others. I don’t even know how all these people fit inside and it was barely standing. I will try to post pics. She wanted us to pray for her family because they had nothing to eat. She also wanted us to pray that their crops would grow and also for the health of her little boy. He did not look good at all. His eyeball was black and right after we prayed he excused himself and vomited in front of their “front door”. He was so sick. God totally sent us their today. We brought him back into town with us so he could go to the doctor. Things like going to the Dr. are not a big deal for us at all. We get in our fancy SUVs and off we go. But for the Chorti that have to walk literally hours into town off a steep mountain and then back up afterwards. We all eventually loaded into the back of the trucks and headed back to Copan. I could go on and on but I have rambled long enough. Please continue to pray for health and safety for the team. There is much work to be done here. Also, continue to pray for the Chorti’s crops. They are in desperate need of food. We saw lots of corn planted but that does not do anything for their immediate need. Pray for a slow and steady rain so that the corn is not washed off the side of the mountain. One last thing: please pray that through Jesus the spiritual strongholds of the Catholic Church here in Copan are broken for these sweet people. This is not to say that the Catholic Church as a whole functions in this way… but the one here has a definite control over the villagers and manipulates them, and it is wrong. Please pray.

In His Service,

Amber