Profiles in Growing Up Fast

I don't know much about their reasons, but we've come to know two amazing young people who have chosen to move beyond their family situations and pursue education at an amazingly young age. One has to wonder if God planted a seed in their hearts that grew with fervor, if their situations were just intolerable, or what, but it's clear these two young people saw education as the key. Their stories are worth sharing.

Dorothea is a young woman in her mid-20's. I had heard a little of her story, but she recently stopped by the bible school to see Pastor Pablo who was in Merida. Dorothea was on her way to Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas, to take her exams for licensure as a doctor. We welcomed her into our home and to our dinner table, helped her connect with Pablo's wife, Jan, then got her on the late-night bus to Tuxtla. Dorothea had come to the seminary in Villahermosa when it was still in downtown, long before the new seminary was built (the one we worked on early in our travels there). She was a full-time music student at the seminary, but she had not been able to go to regular school before that time. I honestly don't know how old she was when she came to the seminary, but she was a double full-time student the whole time she was in Villahermosa. That means that, in addition to completing her music degree from seminary, she also completed primaria (elementary), secondaria (middle) and prepa (high school). She later went on to medical school and is now working in the Lacandon jungle area near Santo Domingo. Somewhere along the way, she has battled cancer as well. This amazing young woman from the Chol people group (like Tzeltal, the Chol people are Mayan descendents with their own language) is dedicated to staying in Chiapas and serving the indigenous people here. We talked about the possibility of her coming to work at Las Manos de Cristo, the medical clinic we are building here, and I am hopeful that she will prayerfully consider doing so. What a blessing it was to have her with us, albeit briefly!

The other young person is known to many who have traveled to Ocosingo to work at the bible school. Geyner is an 18-year old theology graduate, yes GRADUATE, of the bible school here. He has worked with many mission groups and faithfully served a small mission on the road to Tonina while a student here. He's always working on his English, always loves engaging with Americans, and is willing to do anything asked of him. I have never known any young person who is as dedicated to knowing the Word of God and to preaching the Word as is Geyner. It is truly his passion and his gift. The bible school is really one step removed from a seminary degree, so of course Geyner wants to go to seminary. The only problem is, he's never gone to prepa (high school) and he's far below the 21 y/o minimum age! So, young Geyner is now leading our tiny mission church, going to prepa in San Cristobal on the weekends, and living here at the bible school in graduate housing ---fulfilling the requirements to make him eligible to go to seminary and seek ordination.

Both Geyner and Dorothea are living proof that we sometimes need to break the rules to allow God to work in unusual circumstances. I'm a "rule keeper" who's married to a "rule breaker," but imagine if the rules about age limitations had been adhered to fiercely in these two situations? Someone had to have agreed to allow these two young teens to begin an adult program. Someone had to see their dedication and commitment and allow it to flourish. For this "rule keeper," I should keep their pictures close at hand to remind me that sometimes (and only sometimes, John! :-)) the rules need to be broken to allow God to fulfill God's purposes.

Thanks be to God for Dorothea y Geyner!