Our team is familiar now with a surprisingly large spider that co-exists peacefully in the beams above our heads. While it looks sinister with three-inch legs and large fangs, it seems content to catch the slow flying giant beetles and the ever-present mosquitos. The Black Puma is native to this area, but we are assured that it does not like to wander into human territories.
The women and men are separated into separate huts, but the women have access to modern plumbing, while the men are living a bit more rough. Our shower is a PVC pipe that comes from the ground. The valve below releases a stream of cold water that bursts out in a solid, dime-sized torrent. Garbage bags nailed to a thin, wooden frame provide near privacy while a small asphalt square lends just enough room to keep wet feet out of the mud. Our sink is a Guatemalan Pila, holding water in a central open basin, with a left shallow compartment for face washing or teeth brushing, and the left side is textured for clothes washing. Each day I hand wash my underclothes, socks, and shirt. They line dry between tropical downpours.
Meals are prepared as part of a rotating schedule between the three families who live on the grounds. They are part of a three year pastor training program and will plant churches in the surrounding communities. The Institute is a working farm that includes, thatch, limes, black pepper, all-spice, pineapple, chickens, rabbits, pigs, and goats. The proceeds of the sale of these goods funds the entire operation. The goal is for the institute to train up the pastors to spread the good news of Jesus to local communities that have no exposure to Jesus Christ. Local religion is dominated by indigenous Mayan Pagan beliefs that worship the ancestors who provide power, accompanied with intricate ritual, sacrifice, and custom.
Witch Doctors keep the communities in theses customs that date back to the ancient days of Tikal, believed to be capable of: drawing power from the dead and nature, influencing the success of crops, and empowered to cast curses on those who refuse to submit to their beliefs, as well as impose physical penalties on those who break custom or agreed upon local laws. For example, recently a young man was caught stealing, and the local penalty was for him to kneel on dried corn kernels and broken glass with a 108 lb bag of grain on his back for the duration of an entire day, sunrise to sunset. The penalty for murder is for the village to gather as spectators while the convicted is bound, covered in an accelerant, and burned alive. We are told that this custom is still practiced within the surrounding jungle villages.
The local Witch Doctor has 15 subordinate witches that serve underneath him [a brief pause in my writing here, Adam just walked by with a dying snake. It’s been machete sliced, we’re assured it is harmless, but at about 4’ in length, no-one is taking a chance] who daily curse the Institute and all those who work as pastors, staff, or missionaries. We work here knowing that they watch our movements, and with full confidence that their false religion has no power here.
The pastors here tell of one of the witches who stood at the road and screamed curses at the hens. They say that the hens suddenly stopped laying eggs, producing nothing for nearly a week until the pastors gathered, laid hands on the hens, and prayed that God would again bless their production. Eggs began appearing in the pen that very same day.
Our project for the week is to turn the top six inches of soil in three recently dug ponds. The local soil will not hold water, but a formula was discovered that combines the local soil with salt. The salt is mixed at a ratio of five pounds per four-foot square (2’ x 2’ x 6”). Each pond is roughly the size of two tennis courts and we are turning the soil using shoves, pick-axes, a tamping iron, and a hoe. Today’s temperature was 105˚F. While the conditions are extreme, our team is being careful with frequent breaks, gallons of drinkable water, sunscreen, bug-spray, and gloves. We’re quite the subject of entertainment for the men here who work beside us… they use none of this protective equipment.
In our devotion last night, we discussed the significance of this project. The Mayan people here are completely removed from the world. Their language is unique to them and is nothing like Spanish. It sounds like a guttural language from an Indiana Jones movie (ironically, one of the missionaries here is named, “Paul Jones.” I’ve encouraged him to have a son and PLEASE name him Indiana).
In the Gospels that record the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, we find Him feeding the multitudes (great crowds) of people with the miracle of multiplication, satisfying the hunger of thousands with only a few loaves of break and a couple of fish. It can be learned from the historical record that the fish that inhabited that region was Tilapia. Even today in the seafood industry, Tilapia is commonly referred to as the “Jesus Fish.”
The fish that will be placed in these ponds are Tilapia.
2000 years ago, Jesus reached people who had never heard the message of salvation using Tilapia. This project that we are completing, will allow each Emmaus team member to do exactly that same thing, meet the hunger needs of a people who have never before heard the message of Jesus Christ.
Indeed Emmaus, you are encountering Jesus along the road.
Finally, our team by the generous donation of Catalyst Resources International will leave behind $250.00 that will go towards a runway that is being constructed behind the Institute. This runway will provide transportation for missionaries to travel remotely, as well as offer emergency medical evacuation for villagers that live deep in the jungles of Peten, providing life-saving procedures from hospitals in the capital city that have never before been made available.
And so Emmaus, I’m reflective of the words of Peter after he and John were released from the Jewish council and commanded not to speak about Jesus under threat of punishment.
“And now LORD, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with great boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed in the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” –Acts 4:29-31
That’s what this is all about Emmaus Crew. We’re here to be bold. We’re here to be obedient to God. We’re here to serve His creation. God’s got the rest.
We rest our heads tonight in confidence and peace.
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