[News] Guatemala mission rest of the story

[Berkshire Mission]

Friday, March 6, 2009

 

The rest of the story.

 

Happy Sabbath dear friends,

 

It has been a week since the first of our group arrived home.  We had split
up in Tikal with Bob leading the first group and Eric leading the 2nd group
which was to leave 5 hours later.  We were not able to get the entire group
leaving together after they changed the return schedule.  Eric's group ended
up being held over in Guatemala City after their first plane was delayed an
hour and causing them to miss all connecting flights.  We were all concerned
and feeling sorry for them having to stay over one more night.  Well, that
was until some of us were able to see the pictures of the hotel the airline
put them up in!    No reason to feel a bit sorry for them:-)

 

We had packed up all our crates on Monday evening and were ready to leave
Machquilla by 8 a.m. on Tuesday.  As the bus and van pulled out I was able
to see Flubia crying as she held the hand of her husband Placido.  This is a
fine Christian couple and I have no doubt that we will see them in Heaven.
They will be wonderful neighbors.  We must have made an impression on them
too in order for them to cry like that at our departure.

We were a little early for our reservation at Tikal so we stopped at some
fantastic souvenir shops that were on the side of the road.  

When entering Tikal National Park we had to show our passport and also
receive a stamped ticket with the time of our entrance. If at the end of the
park entrance we were found to have gone over the speed limit by the time
stamp we would be fined heftily.  There were many various animal crossing
signs all along our drive.  And the park itself is a dense natural rain
forest jungle.  Here is where the Maya Temple ruins were discovered in 1848.
The Temples were magnificent in structure and the tale of their civilization
and daily routines were amazing.  And to think they built all this without
use of metal tools or beast of burden is almost unbelievable.   Besides the
incredible architectural design and the way of life of the Maya people the
jungle itself leaves a nature lover in a state of awe. Personally I was in
such a state of adrenaline rush that I felt as if I could" leap mountains
with a single bound".  There will be nothing in my life that will thrill me
more than this experience.  Unfortunately for a few of our group the
closeness with nature was more than they signed on for and it ended up in
being a time of fear.  Guatemala is the bird watchers paradise, and along
with the Howler monkeys that are aptly named as their howl can be heard for
6 K. to the spider monkeys that swing from tree to tree over your head there
is never a dull moment going on.  There was a pond with many crocodiles. And
our guide told us they just had to kill one of them after he killed 3
people.  He also told us that in the evening the jaguars, puma and ocelot
come down to that pond to drink.  It was only a short distance from where we
were staying.  The resort was well kept and the rooms which were clean and
nice looking were without constant electric or hot water.  There are no
electric lines that come into this park and the resort is powered by solar
and generators.  Lights went out in the park at 10:30 and didn't come back
on till morning.  Hot water was available for 2 hours in the morning and 2
hours in the evening.  The food was very nice and the creature sightings
were amazing.  Our teens made use of the pool and then the soccer ball for a
good part of the day. This was an incredible mission trip with many people
being blessed in many different ways.  What an honor it has been to be part
of it, especially knowing that this is not the end, that we will meet many
of these people in heaven and will be able to continue our friendship with
each other and with Jesus who made it all possible for eternity. If you have
never been on a mission trip my friend, let me take this moment to invite
you.  It will be a life changing event and you will never be the same.  Your
eyes will be opened to what is real and important in life.  And if you have
ever felt poor, you will never feel so again.  

After leaving Tikal with the early team I had the pleasure of meeting a man
that told me the most fantastic story that I feel compelled to tell you
about.  I was sitting by myself when I man came up to me and asked where we
were going or where we had been.  I said we had been in Machaquilla doing
missionary work and he said that he was from a Poptun   I was surprised that
he had not heard about our team being in the area as we had advertised so
much.  He told me that his wife had some dental needs and wish she could
have been seen.  I am thinking that perhaps his wife was seen by our dental
clinic and he had not been home yet to hear about it.  He then pulled down
his bottom lip showing me a full set of beautiful teeth which surprised me
greatly.  Both of the fact that a stranger was showing me his teeth and then
the fact that they were so perfect.  He then told me that in 1999 Harrison
Ford had come to Tikal to work on a movie. And that because of his extensive
knowledge of Tikal that he wanted to work as a tour guide for them.  But it
seems my new friend did not have these beautiful teeth at that time and in
fact all of his bottom teeth were rotten.  Those in charge of hiring tour
guides told him he was an "ugly, smelly mouthed man" and they did not want
him there and to go home.  He then said "I was so disgraced that I went home
and locked myself in the bedroom.  I could not even face my wife to tell her
what was wrong as I was so embarrassed that I could not even support my
family because of my teeth" "I would not come out of that room for 12 hours
as I cried in disgrace and pleaded with God for help.  The next part of the
story brought tears to my eyes as I recognized the hand of God.  It was 22
days after this prayer that he met an American dentist named Eduardo Pardo
Ayou who gave him his card and said "call my office, I am going to help
you"!  As Antonio Diaz told me about this man I knew immediately who he was
as I have seen him on TV and know he does mission work in 3rd world
countries.  Well Antonio did call his office and after 8 hours of anesthesia
he woke up to having 15 perfect implanted teeth in his mouth.  That would be
about $65,000 worth of dental work for free!  The next part of the story is
the best.  The doctor explained to him that he had implanted 15 teeth rather
than the full 16... and the reason why?  So that he will always be reminded
where he came from and how God had come to his rescue!  I was overwhelmed
with gratitude to God for what he had done for this man and for making men
like Dr. Ayou  who allow God to use them to relieve suffering.  I then had
prayer with Antonio and asked the Lord to continue to bless him and his
family.  So what does this clean, well dressed gentleman do now for a
living?  He is a tour guide for Tikal and supports his family well.  With
all the folks in the airport wearing our green mission shirts that day why
did Antonio feel compelled to tell me his story?  I feel sure it is because
I was the one that had the ability to tell his story to thousands of people.
Antonio and I had an appointment set up by the creator of the universe and I
am so humbled to have been there for it.  Praise God for His tender mercies
and for hearing the crying prayers of His people.  As I sat on that chair
before Antonia came I had been thinking that this would have to be my last
trip, I had been so terribly hurt in the fall I took.  But after Antonia
left it was almost as if I could hear the Lord saying, hang in there kid, I
am still in control of things.  He never told me the path would be without
falls, just that He would be there waiting for me at the end of it.

My prayers are that you have enjoyed reading these updates as much as I have
enjoyed writing them.  

Lets us all hold fast until He comes.  

 

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of God.  Hebrews 12:2

 

Smiles as always,,

Jennifer Young Mission Reporter

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