Beware the Giant Chicken-Eating Spiders!

Some of the travelers from the week at Yax were real arachnophobes. And wouldn’t you know it, we saw lots of spiders that week! We found a tarantula, one person had a big spider in her suitcase one night, and it seemed every day produced another spider to test the nerves of some group members.

The funniest encounter occurred behind the kitchen worksite in a banana grove where we were picking up rocks to use as filling for the foundation of the kitchen. Nancy picked up a rock that was lying beside a pile of chicken feathers and out scampered a rather large spider with a big egg sack on its back. Another similar spider scrambled to find darkness under the chicken feathers. That’s all it took for stories to start about the spider having eaten the chicken --- leaving behind only its feathers as evidence!

We laughed and kept up the humor as a way to calm to nerves of those that were really afraid of the spiders. So if you find yourself face to face on a dark night in the jungles of Chiapas with a giant chicken eating spider, just remember not to cluck.

The Magic of Jungle Camp

Yaxoquintela, Chiapas is the site of the former jungle training camp for Wycliffe Bible Translators. The camp operated from the early 1940s until it closed in 1979. Wycliffe trained people there to work with unreached people groups, mostly in remote village locations where they learned the native language, then translated the Bible into that language. This camp was where all Wycliffe trainees got their first taste of what it would be like to live and work in primitive conditions. The camp closed and was turned over to the Tzeltal people that have helped to maintain it. We have returned with a group of former Wycliffe staff members, their family members, and friends to rekindle relationships and to assist in the construction of a new kitchen.

Yax is now a beautiful Tzeltal village located in a high valley between two mountain ranges with a large river running nearby. There are approximately 32 family compounds in the village with most houses constructed from local wood slats with a tin roof. Most of Pablo’s family live here. His father was employed by the camp from the age of 17 until it closed, so Pablo and most of his 7 brothers and sisters grew up around Americans, attended the camp school, learned English and made lasting friendships with Wycliffe staff members.

Yax was once described to us as "a magical place," and as work groups from the US join with local Tzeltal, we are confident that God has new plans for the people of Yax as they seek to develop a new camping ministry there ~ reaching out in Christian love to young people. Camping ministries in the US have a long and wonderful history of helping non-believers feel ready to make a decision to trust in Jesus Christ and helping believers learn important Biblical precepts that will help them develop their spiritual potential throughout their whole lives.

Yax offers the perfect setting for such transformative experiences to occur, and it offers a great location for youth mission trips to come and contribute. Let us know if you'd like to arrange a youth mission from your area to come down to experience "The Magic of Jungle Camp!"

Gas Station?

Out in the remote village areas, there are no convenient stores or gas stations. If you need to fill up your vehicle, you look for hand painted signs that read “se vende gasoline.” I found one of these last week while we were working in the Lacandon reservation. It was a wooden shack filled with plastic drums containing gasoline. I requested a fillup, and the helpful owner hoisted a 50 litre container of gasoline onto his shoulder then blew into the end of a plastic hose that snaked inside the opening of the container. Almost immediately, a stream of gasoline spurted out of the hose so he inserted that end into my gas tank. Gas stations - just another interesting way our cultures are different.

Sun's up!

Village life begins early each day. Before the sun rises, taxis drive through blowing their horns to alert those that must travel to work of their availability. Community messages are often broadcast over load speakers at 5:30 am, and by dawn, the village is humming with activity….and noise. The sounds are varied, some natural, some man made. The sound of an ax splitting the morning fire wood necessary for cooking breakfast, the chatter of ladies in the kitchen, and the incessant barking of dogs all make it difficult to sleep past dawn.

As I struggled to go back to sleep one last time before my 5:30 am internal alarm went off, I recalled a special morning several years ago. Our friends and fellow church members David and Dawn Bradley were both in Mexico on a mission trip, and us to look after their three daughters Brooke, Cameron and Kate.

Kate was just 3 or so, but she was a real morning person. One morning towards the end of our week together, I was awaken by two small fingers prying my eyelids open. I awoke to little Kate sitting on our bed saying “sun's up!” I laughed, and wrapped my arms around her, and we snuggled down to go back to sleep in the quiet of my suburban Winston-Salem neighborhood.

As I recalled that one moment out of one morning in a life of many mornings, I smiled and said a prayer for Kate, Cameron, Brooke, David and Dawn. God has blessed me with friends that enrich my life, both here and in North Carolina. Thanks be to God.

Roosters!

According to the latest Mexican census, Plan de Ayutla has more roosters per capita than any village in Chiapas, and someone forgot to tell them that they are only to crow at daybreak. Because I grew up "in town," not on a farm, I naturally assumed that roosters knew this and acted accordingly. Being in a rural area such as Chiapas has been a real learning experience. The roosters here crow all the darn time…all day and all night! Debbie Freeman, a Presbyterian pastor from Little Rock Ark, had a revelation about roosters and the story of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus.

We read the account in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus tells Peter that before the cock crows Peter will deny him three times. Peter is confronted by a servant girl who recognized him as a follower of Jesus. Peter says "Woman, I do not know him." Then he is recognized by another, and Peter says again “I am not one of them.” Finally, he denies Jesus a third time, and a rooster crows.

After spending a couple days in Plan de Ayutla, Debbie realized that roosters crow all the time, and she began to consider how Peter must have felt every time he heard a rooster crow after that fateful morning when he betrayed his friend, teacher and Lord. He must have relived the feelings of shame and guilt many times over the hours and days after Jesus was crucified. I imagine him cringing each time he hears a rooster crow.

But, the rest of the story is that Jesus was raised from the dead after 3 days and stood before Peter. I am sure forgave him and released him from his guilt. So my revelation about roosters is that they should remind me that Christ lives! I’ll be reminded of that many times each day as we spend time in the villages of Chiapas.

Ingenuity

I am always impressed by the creativity and ingenuity of my Tzeltal friends. This week gave me several examples. We were working in San Javier, a remote Lacandon Indian village 80 miles from the nearest city, so we could not just drive to Lowes when we needed something at the worksite.

We needed a generator to operate our power tools because the site has not been connected to the electrical grid. We brought the generator from Ocosingo, but somehow left the key required to start it. One of the group members offered to attempt to “hot wire” it, but Pablo’s brother Santiago mumbled something in Spanish (even though he id fluent in English, he rarely uses that language) and went in search of the tool box. He came back with a flat blade screw driver, a sledge hammer and a file. He proceeded to make a key for the generator by pounding the screw driver blade flat, then filing notches into it until it fit the ignition and started the generator.

Then we learned the table saw motor required 220 volts of power, but the generator only produced 110 volts. No problem! San rewired the motor to accept 110 volts. It did not work quite as well that way, but we used it all week.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Here, ingenuity is a requirement if you live and work without access to services and vendors we take for granted back home.

Dangerous Work

In all my visits to Mexico for work/mission trips, I have never seen anyone injured on the worksite. That in itself is pretty amazing because OSHA does not exist here and travelers are routinely surprised by the perilous position that some native workers take to accomplish a task.

That all changed last week when Pablo’s brother Pasqual was struck by a piece of wood thrown off by the blade of a table saw he was using to “rip” board. The wood scrap flew off the saw blade and hit him just below his lip, creating a nice diagonal gash from lip to chin and fair amount of blood.

We were able to close the womb using steri-strips and gauze and get him to the local clinic for stitches. He refused to leave the worksite for the rest of the day and was back the next morning working as if nothing had happened.

Breaking New Ground

March 20 was a big day us at Hebron Foundation! We officially broke ground on the clinic project. We were joined by the leaders of the Maya Synod, leaders from three Presbyteries, pastors, elders, barefoot doctors (local health care providers), local government officials and the leading candidate for Governor of Chiapas. Everyone laughed when I brought a new shovel painted gold for the ceremonial turning of the first dirt, but we had people lined up to be photographed throwing soil from the worksite with that gold shovel.

A group of pastors and barefoot doctors worked for five days digging the footings, tying rebar and preparing for the first concrete pour. It will be essential for us to get financial support to be able to pay skilled and unskilled laborers to keep the project construction moving between volunteer work crews if we want to start serving patients in this decade!

The clinic will be built in 3 phases: outpatient clinic, surgical/OB clinic and overnight beds, and a second floor with dormitory and teaching space for visiting physicians and interning barefoot doctors. It is our hope to get the first phase of the clinic built, equipped, staffed and operational before the end of our mission in August, 2008. On Mexico Time, which means only building when there's money in hand (no one goes into debt to build there, even something like a medical clinic), it will take a very concentrated effort to accomplish this goal.

If you church, Rotary Club or other organization is not actively involved in an international project and would be open to learning more about the need for a medical clinic in Chiapas please let us know!

The excitement of the ground breaking must not lose its steam! We need to keep the energy, enthusiasm and resources (human, financial, prayer and practical) coming in order for the Hebron Foundation Board and supporters to keep the vision! Please let us know how you can help!

The River

One of the real treats of working in a village setting is the ability to find hidden gems, experiences that are unusual or different that makes the trip particularly memorable. Our hidden gem this week was a beautiful waterfall near the village of Plan de Ayutla. The group members could walk to the cascadas every day after working in the hot sun and soak in the cool mountain water and shower in the falls, always accompanied by a gaggle of children eager to play and watch the funny looking white people.

As the work day grew hotter and longer, group members would begin to talk about the falls and look forward to relaxing and cooling off. This gem really made living in Plan de Ayutla really enjoyable!

What a week!

The week of March 12 we hosted six members of River Glen Presbyterian Church in Chicago. We traveled to a remote part of Chiapas just 20 miles from the border with Guatemala to build a kitchen in the Lacandon Indian village San Javier. The Lacandon are considered to be the most direct descendants of the ancient Mayan people, yet there are less than 800 living members of their tribe. They only recently have welcomed Christian missionaries in their villages, and only one of five Lacandon communities has allowed a church to be built. I was fortunate to be one of the Salem Presbytery mission travelers that build the first church for this unreached people.

Just like that trip, this one combined four cultures in mission work-American, Spanish, Tzeltal and Lacandon, and this one accomplish a similar feat of completing a building in just 5 days!

The building will have a variety of uses initially. It will provide temporary housing for the missionary family serving in that community, and its kitchen will also be used by the Ladies' Society of the church. In addition to preparing food there for church gatherings, the Ladies' Society will use the kitchen to prepare food for sale at a nearby tourist center. Sales of empanadas (a delicious turnover often filled with meat or sweet filling) will help generate income for their families and raise funds for the church.

The River Glen group was joined in Villahermosa by 3 members of a large Presbyterian Church in Comocalco, plus the son and daughter-in-law of the Hebron Foundation President. We were hosted by the members of the Tzeltal village of Plan de Ayutla, and they continued the tradition of offering incredible hospitality to the group.

The church in Plan de Ayutla (in conjunction with the Lacandon Presbytery, Hebron Foundation and PCUSA) sponsors the missionary to the Lacandon. Manuel and his wife and children moved from Plan de Ayutla to San Javier two years ago. The church in Plan de Ayutla sent 15 to 20 men each day to work on the kitchen project and their contribution made completing the project in 5 days possible.

Through good planning before the build and long days of hard work, we were able to finish the building in 5 days. We ended the week with a community celebration with over 150 people from San Javier and Plan de Ayutla. Pastor Doug Bradshaw gave an inspiring message at the celebration that was translated into the native Indian language.

Another great week! Lives were changed, a building was constructed that will serve the people for many years, and cross cultural relationships were forged that will transcend this lifetime. I love this work!!

Mission Groups

Before I moved to Mexico, coming here each summer on the Salem Presbytery mission trip had become the highlight of my year. It recharged me, helped keep my life in perspective, and let me re-connect with the folks here that I had come to know and love. Now, as a full-time volunteer with Hebron Foundation, I get to go on all the mission trips! So, one of the really fun things I get to do is to work with groups that come from the US.

This week we have had a group of 8 seminary students from Pittsburg Theological Seminary. They came to visit indigenous churches in Chiapas and to be matched with seminarians from the Presbyterian Seminary of the South for a weekend at that student’s home church. Several of the students from both schools will graduate in May and begin their ministry this summer.

My role with groups is a combination of camp counselor, tour guide, business manager, driver, translator (don’t laugh), project co-worker, cook and host. Hebron has eleven groups scheduled for this year with room for more in the fall.

I believe a universal truth with groups that go on mission trips, either domestic or international, is that they intend to serve the people of the community, village or country they visit. Many times individuals say they are going “to help those poor people in…(insert destination).” At some point during the group’s time with their hosts, they usually realize that they are being served much more than serving. The individuals are receiving more than they are giving.

If they realize that, then I believe the experience has been a success. They have come to realize that “it’s not about the project.” While it is important to help a community build a church, school, water system, or provide health care with a medical team, I believe the project is secondary to a larger purpose. I believe these trips are about humbling yourself, getting out of your comfort zone, being served by fellow Christians whose standard of living is much lower than your own and opening yourself up to the presence of God in all situations.

This group has been true to that model. They have been humbled by the faith of Christians persecuted for their beliefs. They have been served the wonderful meals prepared with the best a small impoverished village had to offer. They have felt the presence of God as they ministered to each other, ministered to two orphaned children, and as they have been lovingly received by total strangers at each church they visited.

This group returns to Pittsburg tomorrow as converts to foreign mission - eager to involve their new churches in this life changing experience. One student has felt a call to return and minister here when he graduates. I’d say this trip was a success!

Below you'll see a "reprint" of an email sent home by a member of this group to family and friends describing their experiences as mission travelers. Pleaseread on to get their perspective!

This note is shared with permission by one of the students from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary who participated in last week’s group. It is an email home to friends and family to share about their experiences as participants on their mission trip to Chiapas and Tabasco.

Hello all!!!

Sorry it has been so long since our last e-mail. After lunch at the Bible school we left for San Juan Chamula - outside of San Cristobol. When we arrived we discovered that there was a festival going on. San Juan Chamula is known as a hot bed for Christian persecution. The "church" in San Juan Chamula is no church like we know it. It is a blend of the Spanish imposed Catholicism and the indigenous Mayan religion. It was a most bizarre and powerful sight!

Thousands of candles, people kneeling and bowing before them, offering the candles to the gods (?) along with - get this - bottles of Pepsi and liquor!!!?!? There were three or four families in their "praying" for their sick babies - chanting. It did not feel good for any of us in there. The Chamulas are very intolerant of anything other than "their" religion. They have persecuted, expelled, burned out, and killed many Christians. Our time in San Juan Chamula was an eye opener for all of us.

From San Juan Chamula we went to the attorney's house - a beautiful house that us was the closest thing to home we've seen in days. Hot water!!!!! There we met and heard the story of an incredible woman - a Chamula Christian who, when she was 14, was almost killed by the Chumula for being a Christian. We were all touched DEEPLY by this woman's story and the story of the persecuted Christians in Chamula.

Needless to say, this was an overwhelming day.

The next day we spent the morning and part of the afternoon in the beautiful marketplace of San Cristobol - buying all of you presents! From San Cristobol we left for Tanejape - a village like Estella de Belen but not as primitive.

We had a wonderful time worshipping with our brothers and sisters in Tanejape - and Janet preached a marvelous sermon in a very male dominated culture. After she was finished the pastor praised her sermon - even used some of it in the sermon he preached the following morning. We were all so proud of her!

As is their custom, they spread fresh pine needles out on the floor of our sleeping quarters. We slept on top of the pine needles and stayed very warm even though it was cold outside.

From Tanejape, we went to Chiapa de Corso and took an unbelievable boat ride through the Canyon de Sumidero. The river was flanked on both sides by the highest cliff walls any of us have ever seen. At the highest point the canyon wall was 1,000 meters high (approx.
3,000 ft.) and the water was 100 meters deep (approx. 300 ft. deep) We passed some incredible sights along with a lazy alligator sunning him/herself on the shore. To prove that it wasn't a fake the guide had Michael throw a rock at it to see it move. IT did!

We had a nice lunch in Chiapa de Corso and left to return to Villahermosa - approx. 4 hours on some of the steepest and most windy roads.

Tommorrow we go to the seminary in Villahermosa - across the street from where we are staying tonight - and being paired up with a seminary student with whom we will spend the next 2 and a half days (back here Sunday evening) We will go with that seminary student to their home and to the church where they work, helping them in any way we can. We are all hoping we get the students who can speak English!!!

Well, its bed time. Than you again for your love, your support, and your prayers. We are praying for you. We will write again as soon as possible.

Yours in Christ,

the Gang

The Tree

I recently had an emotional homecoming to the village of Lacanja, the place where a group from Salem Presbytery stayed for a week as we build the first Christian church in the Lacandon Indian village of San Javier. Our group was joined on that trip by 7 brothers from the Spanish Presbyterian church in Cardenes, Tabasco on their first mission trip, plus Tzeltal brothers from Lacanja.

The experience of working with and worshiping with Presbyterians from three cultures to raise a church in one week was absolutely the best mission experience of my life! That one trip had a profound effect on my faith and provided the spark that eventually led to our decision to move to Chiapas.

The two villages are 40 km apart. Our group would travel to San Javier each day to work on the church and return each evening to Lacanja for a relaxing bath in the Lacanja River, our evening meal and worship. But the trip between the two villages included 7 km of dirt road that bumped and jarred us around so much that we began to dread the trip each way.

Just outside of the village of Lacanja, in a lush pasture with a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance is a 200 foot tall banyan tree with massive fins rising 20 or 30 feet up its trunk. Each day as we were returning to the village after an exhausting day of construction on the church, and bumping along that road, we would come around a curve and see that beautiful tree up ahead. We would know then that we were almost home…almost to the place where we could rest, play with the children, be welcomed and fed and treated as if we were family.

That tree became the symbol of love for us that one week in Chiapas in 2002. It remains that symbol for me. I relived those emotions today as we drove past on the newly paved road to Lancanja and passed the majestic tree that still stands guard over a village that provided refuge and rest for a group of strangers. That same group left that village calling its inhabitants brothers and sisters in Christ.

"We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord."