Sololagracia

1 lynched in Panajachel; 3 rescued by chopper

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:28:00 +0000

One man was lynched Saturday in Panajachel and three women in danger of being lynched were rescued by police helicopter from the normally tranquil tourist town of Panajachel beside beautiful Lake Atitlán.

The accused thief, Wálter González García, 30, allegedly stole about $850 from a vendor of traditional woven fabrics (such as this woman here), and was beaten to death in front of the municipal building by angry townspeople, according to the Prensa Libre, Guatemala’s most respected national newspaper.

They allegedly seized him after he robbed one vendor and later attempted to steal from another, according to Sololatecos.com, an online news source from Sololá.

The lynching echoed the prior week’s vigilantism in Sololá, which left three accused killers dead in the town market hours after a bus driver and a passenger were murdered.

The Panajachel crowd forced González to his hotel room, where he had stashed the stolen cash, Sololatecos.com reported. Upon seeing this evidence, the crowd proceeded to administer its own form of one-strike-you’re-out justice.

Police arrested three women, aged 32, 38 and 42, who were his alleged accomplices and placed them in jail.

Townspeople demanded the police turn over the women, but after about an hour-long confrontation, the police spirited them out the back, driving up a steep, winding road to Sololá, where the jail presumably must be safer (except for last week). But townspeople of San Jorge, just below Sololá, had blocked the road.

The crowd took possession of the women and marched them back down the hill to Panajachel, a descent of perhaps 1,000 feet elevation. They doused the women with gasoline and prepared to burn them.

Police managed to disperse the crowd and rescue the women, flying them to safety in a helicopter. Townspeople, however, managed to torch four police vehicles.

At least three men were lynched in Huehuetenango the past weekend, and a man in another rural town. The uptick in vigilantism — more than 40 this year — left some government officials preoccupied.

This (Spanish-language) Noticiero Departmental video report from (Sololatecos.com) shows the day's events in Pana.

Three lynched after Sololá bus driver killed

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:52:00 +0000

Reacting swiftly to two violent murders Friday, Sololá residents hours later lynched three people allegedly responsible, destroying government offices, the police station, three police vehicles and a taxi in the process.

In recent years, criminal gangs have targeted Guatemalan bus drivers for extortion, often exacting a lethal price when drivers refuse to pay.

On Friday, this bloody poison touched Sololá for the first time, leaving a local bus driver and a passenger dead less than a mile from where I lived last year. The bus, traveling down a steep hill, might have plunged off a cliff and left more dead (including a friend’s brother) had it not struck a telephone pole.

In 2008, about 147 Guatemalan bus drivers were killed. According to one published account, there have been 199 bus drivers and assistants murdered this year, mostly near the capital.

As in recent years, Sololá’s strongly traditional Mayan townspeople took matters into their own hands, showing no confidence — with good reason, unfortunately — in the national authorities to administer justice.

The suspects’ ill-conceived getaway plan proved to be their downfall. After they shot and killed the bus driver, Helmer Augusto de León García, 32, and passenger Marvin Gonzáles (the son of a former Sololá pastor), the alleged killers attempted to flee in a taxi. Townspeople somehow learned of this and managed to capture them before police intervened.

Police placed the three — two men and a woman — under arrest, transferring them to the town jail, but that turned out not to be a safe place. As the town’s informal justice system swung quickly into action, locals blockaded all roads in and out of Sololá. A mob somewhere between 300 and 3,000 demanded police turn over the trio, showing they meant business by overturning and torching three police pick-up trucks and the getaway taxi.

A palpable fear hung over the town. It was market day, when farmers and vendors crowd into town from the surrounding hillsides to sell their goods, but by the afternoon they had fled, leaving the market square strangely empty. My friend Jose was trying to give a seminar at Viña Studios on audio-video production to visitors from Peru, Ecuador and the States, and had to take measures to protect his guests and property. He lives just blocks from downtown and expressed relief that his children were with him at work that day.

Police tried to control the crowd, lobbing tear gas canisters. Police positioned themselves in front of the police station and atop nearby two-story buildings. Their efforts proved futile.

The mob set fire to the police station and the local government office, gutting both buildings. By some miracle, none of the 38 or more prisoners inside the town jail were killed or asphyxiated by the blaze.

Authorities may have been frightened at seeing their offices ablaze because not long after that, the alleged killers appeared in front of the green and yellow Wal-Mart-owned grocery store, La Dispensa Familiar, which, along with other businesses had closed down because of the tumult.

The mob took over, beating the suspects unconscious, dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire by the central park, where buses park to wait for passengers.

They were identified by the Prensa Libre as Edwin Rivas Viña, 29, Lilian Mabel Ovalle Gonzales, 21, and Geyson Omar López García, 16, all apparently from Zone 6 or 7 of Guatemala City.

Friends here often ask me, why bus drivers? They’re not the only ones killed or targeted for extortion. I think there are around 10 to 15 murders a day in Guatemala.

But bus drivers are relatively easy, defenseless targets, and the killings always result in high-profile news, striking fear into hearts across the country. Some gangs also apparently use the killings as an initiation into the ranks.

If you think of it, please pray for the country. Average Guatemalans are plagued by all-too-common violence, and no matter who is elected the politicians have proven powerless to provide security.

***********

(This report and its images were compiled from reports in the Prensa Libre, Sololatecos.com, Noti5 TV of Sololá and from friends' accounts.)

Here are a couple of links to Spanish-language video reports of the day’s events. (Warning: they show some disturbing content.)

Sololá cable TV Noti5 report:
Noticiero Departmental report:

Print reports:

Latin America Herald — "Three Suspected Criminals Lynched in Guatemala"
BBC News — “Pay up or die: Guatemala City bus drivers targeted”
Prensa Libre — “Linchan a dos adultos…”
Prensa Libre — “Sololá empieza el fin de semana con las secuelas de linchamiento”

Media highlight Maya discoveries at 'El Mirador'

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:31:00 +0000

I stumbled across a two-week old CNN video special "Mirador: The Forgotten City" online today. "El Mirador" was a pre-classic Mayan city, boasting dozens of pyramids, up to 100,000 people and a huge urban center, abandoned around 150 A.D.

One thing led to another. I found some interesting videos, and decided to post them here. CNN's Brooke Baldwin does a nice job with her four-part series "Uncovering a masterpiece the Mayans left behind."

Here's a taste, the first of Baldwin's four-part series:

Go to CNN's blog "In the Field," to see all four videos.

Apparently, archaeologists unearthed some huge stucco panels at El Mirador earlier this year that depict the Popol Vuh Mayan creation myth. The Global Heritage Fund's blog explains this "Maya Myth Revealed." The find, possibly dating to 300 B.C., is significant, experts say, because it shows the Popol Vuh story was not influenced by Spanish invaders in the 16th century.

Reuters and National Geographic also produced excellent, short videos of the site within the past couple of months.

The National Geographic video "The Tombs of El Mirador" excels with its camera work and 3D-computer recreations, noting El Mirador predates classic Maya cities of Tikal, Copán, Palenque and the rest, and documenting archaeologist Richard Hansen's work to find records of the personalities, specifically in the tombs of its rulers.

Reuters contributed "DNA to prove attack on ancient Maya city," examining research into DNA blood-typing from spear and arrow tips found atop "El Tigre," one of the pyramids at El Mirador. Archaeologists are hoping to determine whether a battle took place between the Maya and Aztecs from Mexico's Teotihuacán area, possibly leading to El Mirador's demise.

(* It turns out Hansen's claim is incorrect — that El Mirador's "La Danta" pyramid is the largest pyramid in volume in the world. Guinness has apparently given that honor to the Aztec pyramid "Cholula," (not the hot sauce) just outside of Puebla, Mexico.)

Other links on El Mirador:

Searching The Jungle For Buried Mayan Treasure In Guatemala from the Waterbury (Conn.) Observer

The First Great Maya City from Crystal Lotus, a New Age spiritist website.

Mirador Archaeological and Wildlife Area from the Global Heritage Network

Photos and project index from Mirador by the Global Heritage Network

'Magic beans' story revives memories

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:31:00 +0000

Waiting at the local DMV office for a new driver’s license today, I came across a fascinating magazine article on three of my favorite things: chocolate, Mayans and Guatemala.

“Magic Beans,” by Peter Kaminsky tells the story of a California chocolatier, John Scharffenberger, who stumbled upon some magic cacao beans that led him on an auspicious journey to Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.

Kaminsky starts the story well: describing Mayans reaction to eating gourmet chocolate for the first time. Of course, they loved it. But the funny thing is — sad, really — most Mayans don’t get to eat gourmet chocolate, despite, apparently, growing some of the world’s best cacao beans. It gets better. ...

Click here to go to Condé Nast Traveler's story, “Magic Beans.”

Scharffenberger describes a bit of the trip in his own words on his “Chocolate Maker's Journal. Scroll down to the entry, 3/16/09 - OUR GUATEMALAN BEANS HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED to read about his trip there in his own words. If I remember correctly, the delicious, spicy turkey soup

that he describes is called kaq' iq' and is eaten with plain corn tamales.

For an article on some Mayan women making “artisanal chocolate,” here is a short story, “The Chocolate Makers of Santa Rose Chivité.”

I first learned about cacao during a missions trip to Honduras in February, 2000. The cacao fruit grow directly on the tree trunks and and limbs, and when cracked open they reveal bitter seeds or beans enveloped in a tangy sweet mess. I loved sucking that stuff off the beans because it tasted like gummy bears to me.

Home again, hello again Dr. Ajo

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:52:00 +0000

WILLAMETTE VALLEY, Oregon — For five weeks, my system seemed impervious to Montezuma’s malignant assault, while Darren suffered.

But once we got back from Guatemala, Darren was fine (thanks to Cipro), but suddenly my defenses seemed weaker than a sombrero against a lightning strike.

Unfortunately, I forgot to stock up on cheap amoeba pills before we left Guatemala. Now, I’m not in favor of President Obama’s expensive nationalized health care ideas, but it sure would be nice if I could walk through the door of a doctor’s office without getting dinged $100 just to ask for some amoeba pills. Turns out, I can’t.

So I apologize right here for my odiferous breath, but I’m back with the more economical Dr. Ajo (Spanish for garlic). I’m happy to report that it’s working fine.

Darren's search for Verapaz reaches its end

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:45:00 +0000

SAN CRISTOBAL VERAPAZ, Guatemala — Darren’s search for Verapaz reached its destination Wednesday evening as we rolled into town.

Whether it's all Darren ever imagined, I can't tell you. When I asked him what was behind his "Search for Verapaz" blog name he said, "That's a really long story, and I don't have time to tell you." Shucks.

Anyway, we bade farewell to Viña Studios’ recording crew in San Miguel and to Rodrigo and Carol Barrera, who showed us kind hospitality during our three-day visit there. Moments after stepping outside the Barreras’ door, a wonderful sight appeared — a public bus bearing down upon us.

I signaled it, and we were off to Salamá and then La Cumbre, a crossroads where we disembarked to hail another bus — of the Monja Blanca (white nun) bus company. I like those buses. They’re large, comfortable buses with comfortable seats and way more legroom than most chicken buses. The mountains of Alta Verapaz are more densely wooded with pines than those near Sololá.

Once we arrived and found a hotel, we stopped by to visit Doña Armenia, who rented a room to me here while I tutored Boris and Beth Ramirez’s three oldest boys in 2002. It was great to see her again and get caught up.

Yesterday, we stopped by to visit Bill Brierly, founder and director of Hope for the Pokomchi, a Christian-based community development group whose offices are near Lake Chicoj.

Bill and his wife Linda have been working in the area 10 years here with Pokomchi people in remote villages, providing water, safe cookstoves, education, scholarships and more. Linda left for the states a couple of days ago to rest up and visit family. She has been suffering some health problems since contracting Lyme’s disease here three years ago.

Bill shared stories of their work and his passion for helping the Pokomchí in the name of Christ. Their work is somewhat similar to his earlier career as a Canadian park ranger, hiking demanding hills to reach small Pokomchí villages. Bill and Linda will retire later this year to a small cabin in British Colombia. Please pray for a smooth transition for the new couple who will replace them.

This afternoon, Darren and I will visit the Ramirez clan. I think all but two of their 11 children are here, I believe, as they returned to their home in Nisnic to conclude the New Testament translation into the Pokomchí language. Tomorrow we head back to Sololá, leaving bright and early at 3 a.m.

So we're off on a hike to the Ramirezes, and I'm going to ask Darren to fill me in on the "really long story" behind his blog name. (I'll try to have more photos up later today, perhaps.)

Achí 'devil' gets tongue-tied during temptation

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:09:00 +0000

SAN MIGUEL CHICAJ, Guatemala — Amid false starts, tongue tripping and laughter, the devil spent the better part of Tuesday morning tempting Jesus.

The devil wouldn’t have spent so long if he were more used to reading his native language. But this young devil — played by a young Achí Mayan man named Rodriguez — struggled to read his native language.

So began the New Testament recording here in the Rabinal Achí Mayan language. After lunch, the devil rode off on his bicycle, content he had done his work well.

Viña Studios’ recording duo, Carlos and Miguel, are directing the recording which will provide Achí speakers with an audio version of the translated New Testament. The recording is the 28th that Viña has produced. It is sponsored by the New Mexico-based ministry, Faith Comes By Hearing, which has recorded more than 300 audio Scripture translations.

After the devil (a local teacher) departed, an unknown disciple and Martha, the sister of Mary, entered the studio to record their biblical lines for the dramatized recording. Faith Comes By Hearing has found that indigenous peoples respond better to dramatized recordings, and each one requires 25 different readers.

Rodrigo and Carol Barrera worked together on the translation for nearly 35 years before shipping it to the printers in Korea earlier this year. “Two years ago I thought we had finished,” Rodrigo told me last evening. Then, his supervisors with SIL International advised him to use a computer program to recheck the translation, taking special care in difficult passages. “I thought we had finished and I cried with happiness, but it was good that we revised it. They were things that had escaped us.”

Viña’s audio recording may be released at about the same time or sooner than the printed Scriptures, sometime early next year.

Rodrigo Barrera saw power of film in wartime

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:01:00 +0000

SAN MIGUEL CHICAJ, Guatemala — Wartime ministry wasn’t a theme with mere spiritual implications for “Don Rodrigo” and Carol Barrera.

During the height of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war, they traveled the mountains of Baja Verapaz with a cassette tape recording of the Gospel of Luke in the Achí language, and the Genesis Project’s film version of Luke, playing it before illiterate audiences, many of whom had never seen a film before.

One evening, Rodrigo set up a bed sheet for the screen and began playing the Luke video and the cassette player. The crude setup required improvisation. When the tape fell behind, Rodrigo had to fast forward it to catch up with the film.

As it got dark, they saw about 200 torches comeing toward them. Military death squads had been operating in the area, and guerrillas and the army had been fighting each other. The Barreras feared the worst, but Rodrigo began praying. Not long before, the townspeople had evicted evangelical believers from their midst. Fear and mistrust dominated the people.

“We didn’t know who it was,” Carol said, recalling the group’s approach.

“Well, I took my two kids, and elias and I just prayed and prayed,” Rodrigo said. The group reached the audience at the point in the film when soldiers were crucifying Jesus on the cross. A leader of the torch-bearing crowd approached the bed-sheet screen to set it afire, but the people cried out in protest. “No, no, we want to see what happens,” they said.

The torches went off, and the crowd joined the audience watching the film.

Later, as he walked around the crowd, Rodrigo noticed a man with tears running down his face. “I have heard all my life that Jesus had suffered for us, but I never understood that it was this way,” he said.

Experiences such as this confirmed to Rodrigo the value and power of oral media to communicate spiritual truths. His convictions and testimony also apparently played a pivotal role in helping Viña Studios get its start.

By God’s providence, one day in about 1983 or 1984, Rodrigo and some of his Achí friends visited SIL International’s Central American Branch office in Guatemala City. As they walked through a meeting room, administrators happened to be meeting to discuss the future of an audio-video recording studio in the branch office. They had been planning to shut it down, perhaps to save costs.

But as Rodrigo passed through the room, they stopped him and asked him to share of any reports he had of their ministry using oral media. Rodrigo shared about their recent experiences, the people’s response to film showings and cassette recordings. The leaders were greatly encouraged by the report, and eventually the SIL branch studio was moved to Sololá to become Viña Studios.

“This was a time when Viña was not about to be born,” Rodrigo said. “But they called us and said. ‘Let’s see what’s going on.’ The whole thing switched around, and they approved Viña Productions.”

Achí helpers 'discover' Word as they translate

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:47:00 +0000

SAN MIGUEL CHICAJ, Guatemala — Their future remains uncertain, but Rodrigo and Carol Barrera look back with satisfaction and gratitude on their lives translating the New Testament into the Rabinal Achí language.

Rodrigo rattles off names of Achí men and women — Elías, Toribio, Kike, Estér, Vicenta and Eder — who helped them with the translation over the past 30-plus years, and whose lives they touched. Many are now leaders in area churches.

“It has been exciting to see as they go along how they’re discovering the Scripture,” Rodrigo said. One young man, Toribio, quit a good job working for a Guatemalan electric company to become a pastor. During the worst years of Guatemala’s civil war, Toribio stayed with them in the capital city, aiding them with the translation in the evenings.

“He was just so anxious to come back. He was saying, ‘I’ve been thinking about what we’ve been translating,’” Rodrigo recalled. “He would come with an answer to a translation problem. He was really into it. The word will do its job and just come through to the people.” Toribio now pastors a large Nazarene church in another city.

Rodrigo and Carol look forward to the publication of the Achí New Testament (probably early next year) and express excitement at arrival of Viña Studios' recording crew this week to record a dramatized audio version.

The Barreras arrived here to begin the translation in November 1975. Several months later, the 1976 earthquake hit, killing some 20,000 people, and they became involved with reconstruction.

Originally from Mexico City, Rodrigo was first asked by Wycliffe Bible Translators to go to India or Nepal. He agreed, but then the doors closed to India and he was asked to come here. Carol, a Wyoming native, joined him here as his co-translator, and they had two children, a son and a daughter.

Along the way, they worked with Achí speakers to teach literacy in their mother tongue. As with most minority languages, Achí is almost exclusively a spoken language with scant written materials. So the Barreras and their Achí co-laborers traveled the hills to teach Achí reading and writing.

Teaching a class once on someone’s inner patio, Rodrigo noticed an older, illiterate Achí man paying close attention to the instruction. The man sat transfixed as the teacher pronounced different syllables — “Ri, re, ra, ro, ru” — to show how sounds are put together and reduced to writing. “He jumped with the answer,” Rodrigo recalled. “I mean it was for kids, young kids, but he discovered that he could read. His face was so bright. It was an amazing thing to see this old man suddenly discover that he could do it.”

The Barreras have become convinced of the power of oral media to communicate the Gospel and impact lives. Many years ago, they asked Elías, an Achí translation partner, to record the Gospel of Luke on a simple tape recorder. Then they distributed the tapes. One evening, they visited a church in a small town. During the service, a young boy named Giovani of about 7 or 8 years began to speak from the altar.

“He started reciting by memory chapter after chapter after chapter — about seven chapters just by memory with the very same intonation as Elias on the tape,” Rodrigo said. “We just sat there in amazement. ... The people were just as amazed as we were.”

Achí believers have been eager to receive the Scripture translation. Over the years, the Barreras published several books of the Bible, including the Gospels of John and Luke, as well as Acts, Revelation and some epistles. “People would grab them and read them and say, ‘Wow this is so clear. I can really understand the Word of God,’” Rodrigo recalled.

“We enjoy the translation,” said Estér, a local Achí woman who for 15 years helped the Barreras translate God’s word. “There are a lot of people who come and ask us, ‘When will the translation be published?’ because they want to read the material.”

“We have always thought, ‘This year, this year’ it will be published, but it never happened,” Estér said, “but finally it will be.” Recent movement by the Guatemalan government to support indigenous languages may help the Scriptures’ acceptance and use, she said.

“There are many people who understand the Achí language better,” said Benedicto, an Achí Nazarene church pastor. “The men understand Spanish better, but there are many women who do not, and you can see them falling asleep during the preaching because they don’t understand Spanish.”

The Achí believers hope God’s word will be a blessing for their people. Estér noted that after having read God’s word several times in the Achí language her understanding of God has grown. “It put a love for God’s word in my heart,” she said. “They don’t understand the Spanish very well so we enjoy it in our language because there it’s all clear.”

Achí churches are ready to receive the Scriptures, Rodrigo believes. “They’ve been ready for a long time.”

Literacy work continues as some young believers are traveling the hills around San Miguel to teach Achí people to read and write their own language.

Meanwhile, the Barreras continue to wait on God’s direction for their future. They may remain in San Miguel to continue working with area believers, promoting the Scriptures, helping with an Old Testament translation, or they may move elsewhere, perhaps to India or Mexico to assist other translation projects.

A los Verapazes

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:46:00 +0000

Within a few minutes, Darren and I will head out for las Verapazes with Carlos and Miguel from Viña Studios. It’s our first major trip during our stay, and we’re looking forward to it.

We will be visiting the Ramirez family in San Cristobal, friends from my first trip to Guatemala in 2002. Beth and Boris have been busily translating the New Testament to the Pokomchi language since the 1980s. Along the way, their family grew abundantly to 11 children, which includes an adopted daughter from the village there.

Prior to arriving there, we will accompany Carlos and Miguel to San Miguel where they will be recording the New Testment in the Rabinal Achí language.

Once we get to San Cristobal, I’m hoping to see the Hope for the Pokomchi ministry as well, directed by Bill and Linda Brierly. They do community development work in the name of Christ.

Last evening, I got to thinking that it would be a good idea to visit Isidro and his wife in Guatemala City and see how little Juanito is doing. So, God willing, I think I’ll try to make a stop there and catch up to the Viña crew later.

Boy remains hospitalized in Guatemala City

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:27:00 +0000

Isidro’s son Juanito remains in serious condition today at a government hospital’s intensive care unit in Guatemala City.

He was transferred there late June 19 after an emotional day for his parents and family. Doctors have been trying various medications, and Juanito, 2, has been connected to several life-support machines in the meantime.

I spoke with Isidro briefly yesterday as he traveled on a noisy bus. Apparently, they have received housing somewhere closer to the hospital, after having to travel nearly 45 minutes to a brother’s house each day earlier this week.

Isidro said doctors may begin taking away some life-support machines in hopes Juanito’s body will respond and be able to sustain his life on its own. He said they may be there in Guatemala City for a couple more weeks.

Viña worker's son remains serious

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:37:00 +0000

SOLOLÁ — Juanito remained in serious condition at the hospital when Chepe and I left there this afternoon.

It was an emotionally exhausting day for Juanito’s parents, Isidro and Isabel, who remained there with him. His condition worsened overnight as he began to pass bloody urine and stool.

At one point, we were told 2-year-old Juanito had died. Later we learned that was not true.

During one-at-a-time visiting hours, Isidro’s father, a brother, a sister-in-law and another relative came to visit them, along with my friend Chepe and I. Juanito was lying on a little table, when I went in, and three medical staff hovered over him. His mother sat crying behind them. Isidro stood to the right of them where he could see.

A young pediatrician of about 30 years directed two other health staff — both men. One was seated, periodically squeezing an air pump to provide oxygen through a tube in Juanito’s mouth. On the other side of a table, two bags hung from a rack — one was an IV for fluids, another was a blood transfusion.

A machine with four squiggly lines showed his vital signs, beeping regularly. At one point, I heard a high-pitched steady squeal, which made me wonder whether Juanito’s heart had stopped. The boy’s mother may have wondered about the noise as well because she got up with an anxious look on her face and walked around the table for a better look.

The doctor gave an order, and the third health care worker walked behind us to unplug something on the other side of the room. The noise stopped. It wasn’t what I thought.
Juanito lay under a lamp, blinking periodically, moving his arms. I thought his color looked good.

Before I left, I heard the doctor ask the boy’s parents, “Are you sure you don’t want to send him to Guatemala City?”

Earlier, they had apparently been told Juanito would probably die today, and they made the painful decision not to send him to a better equipped hospital only to have him die in an ambulance en route. The doctor’s advice seemed to go back and forth today, saying they should send Juanito to the capital, then saying, maybe not because he could die on the way.

Boy's condition 'grave', may need transfer

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:56:00 +0000

SOLOLÁ — An urgent phone call interrupted our morning prayers today at Viña Studios.

The wife of Isidro, one of Viña’s audio Scripture recording technicians, called from the hospital to say doctors were sending their boy, Juanito, to a hospital in Guatemala. Isidro left in a hurry.

A Viña co-worker who visited the family yesterday at the hospital said Juanito is in serious condition. He is urinating blood and passing blood in his stool. His kidneys appear to be malfunctioning, and his little body has swollen up considerably.

Later this morning, we learned the hospital transfer may not happen. The doctor is leaving it up to Isidro. On the one hand, that may be good, but Isidro doesn't know what to do. He's not an expert in medical questions.

The doctor has had trouble finding a vein to test Juanito's blood or to give him a transfusion.

If Juanito were to die on the way to Guatemala City or in the hospital there, it could be even more complicated and painful for the family than if it were to happen here. We really don't know, though, just how serious his case is. The guys here are quite concerned, and several of us are going to visit the hospital within moments.

Juanito has suffered health problems all of his two brief years of life, and he has been in the hospital for the past three days. He still does not sit up or walk, and he cannot hear or see well.

Please pray for Juanito and for the family. Isidro’s wife sounded quite distressed over the phone from what I could hear.

Isidro and Carlos, Viña’s recording director, are scheduled to begin a new audio Scripture recording project on Monday in San Miguel Chicaj among the Rabinál Achí Mayans.

Here is a photo I took of the family two weeks ago during an excursion across the lake. Juanito appears to be whispering a secret in his father’s ear.

Return to Viña Studios, Sololá

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:51:00 +0000

Sololá — It’s been a busy week of grabbing video clips and photos from last week’s conference, selecting raw materials for a video I hope to finish next week here at Viña Studios.

It will report on last week’s conference and explain Viña’s fledgling efforts to train up others in producing multimedia tools for evangelism and discipleship.

Darren and I have been in Sololá for nearly a week now. It’s great to be back and see old friends from my time here last year.

Darren has been diving into the guts of Viña’s computer systems, assessing their overall health, writing up a maintenance schedule that includes his recommendations. He’s been doing a great job practicing his Spanish and getting along well with the guys here.

Last evening, he surprised us by asking to learn how to make tortillas. The little Kaqchikel woman who was hard at work patting them out seemed happy to oblige her student, patiently showing him the correct way.

Viña conference unites, prods AV producers

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:55:00 +0000

PANAJACHEL, Guatemala — Over the past week, men and women from around Guatemala, the Philippines, Mexico, Honduras, Peru and Brazil have received training in how to serve their communities through audio-visual ministry.

Some are just beginning, others have years of experience in video, radio and ethnic music.

Their stories, understanding and heart for teaching God’s word and helping people grow as disciples of Jesus Christ amazed me.

Pedro from Mexico has been working on a Bible translation into the Nahuatl (Aztec) language, teaching pastors to value God’s word in their own language. He was invited to share before 300 pastors, and many later invited him to share at their churches.

This is vital work because some still believe Jesus used the Reina-Valera Spanish Bible 2000 years ago, not realizing it is a translation. Pedro is recording the Nahuatl translation as soon as they finish another book — important work because few read their language.

Vidal in Tektitán produces a daily radio program for his community of 3,000 people, only about 15 of whom are evangelical believers.

One man from Peru told me of a Qechua girl who started a creative biblical radio program “Hummingbird” for children. This man learned that many Qechua people — children, parents and grandparents — were listening to her show every day. One day, some parents sent a message:

“Can you please tell this girl to start her radio program earlier in the morning? We can’t get our children to put the animals out to pasture until the 'Hummingbird' finishes.”

Viña Studios in Sololá organized the three back-to-back conferences. Its leaders recognized they can never finish the work of producing and dubbing Bible story videos, films and music for Guatemala’s 51 languages and dialects without help. They hope to help raise up, train and equip others in the different language areas here and in Latin America.

It was a privilege to interview some of these incredible men and women who are working in remote areas, often isolated from others and without the support and encouragement of a team. Viña hopes to use the interviews in future reports on its work to motivate and challenge others.

Many participants said they felt blessed and encouraged to attend the conferences and realize others are working in the same ministry, dealing with similar problems, trying to serve their churches and bless their communities.

(Click here to read the report from Viña's prayer blog and to learn some prayer requests.)

Turbulence in air and on ground

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:16:00 +0000

PANAJACHEL, Guatemala — We experienced a bit of turbulence in the air and on the ground, but our arrival in Guatemala has gone well, thanks be to God.

After an enjoyable evening with my brothers in Christ, Grant and Marcus, who dropped me off at the airport, I met up with Darren, my teammate for this trip at the airport, whose parents and brother dropped him off.

Landing in Guatemala we met delays when a brother from the Philippines attending Viña's conference lost a piece of luggage. While he and another brother, Colin Edwards, executive director of Vernacular Video Ministry International, waited inside the airport, Darren and I waited outside, as a throng of Guatemalans waited anxiously for loved ones.

After about an hour, we were good to go — finally loading luggage into the shuttle that by this time had made at least three extra loops around the airport to avoid paying a parking fee. Then my phone rang. “How do you feel about me throwing you another twist?” asked my friend, Rick McArthur, chairman of Viña Studios board of directors. “OK,” I said, somewhat hesitantly.

“There are three girls there at the airport who have been there since yesterday,” he continued. “Their ride never appeared, and we don’t know if it will.”

Moments later, I located a very relieved Guatemalan airport official who was more than happy to guide me to the lost sisters from Minnesota. Turns out Rick’s son Jeff got a Facebook chat message from a girl who visited Guatemala two years ago, asking whether he lived near the airport and could help some girls in need.

The girls looked exhausted, resting their heads on a table in the airport food court. Soon, they were smiling and relieved to be embarking on their journey again. Fortunately, our shuttle was headed the same direction and it wasn’t any trouble to add them to the mix. It was fun to bump into a friend at the airport as well, who I wouldn’t have seen unless Rick had called about the damsels in distress.

Viña’s international audio/video conference here in Pana has been going well. I think folks are being challenged and learning during the sessions. Please pray for these brothers and sisters to effectively use audio video media to communicate the Gospel and Bible truth effectively and clearly, reaching the hearts of their audience for God’s glory.

A return to Mayalandia

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:59:00 +0000

Within 24 hours, I’ll be back in Guatemala for a time. Right now, I’m still trying to determine what’s become of my little digital camera. I haven’t seen it for a couple of months, but I didn’t worry about it. I just figured it would turn up. Now, I’m beginning to think maybe it won’t.

The search hasn’t been entirely futile. I discovered my favorite ratty old wool sweater, which I thought my mother had tossed in the trash. Hallelujah!

Viña Studios has invited me down to help out with its first international conference. They’ll have nearly 70 people there for 10 days. I’ll be helping by doing video interviews of the conference attendees. I’m hoping to work with some of the guys at Viña, and sharing the project together. It should be challenging but fun.

It will be great to be back there. I've been reading good reports of how the Kaqchikel believers are receiving and responding to Viña's finger-puppet Bible story videos. (Click here for prayer blog and reports.)

A family friend, Darren, is joining me — a last-minute but very welcome addition to the trip. We fly out tonight at a quarter to midnight. Not a moment too soon, as far as I’m concerned. My hayfever has reached its fever pitch — a 98-mph fastball hitting me square on the nose — these past couple days. On Sunday we could see clouds of pollen drifting over the grass fields here in the Willamette Valley. This always happens around June, resulting in some of the highest pollen counts in the nation. Ah, it's raining now. There's grace in that rain.

Now, where's that camera?

New Viña prayer blog makes its debut

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:26:00 +0000

There’s a new blog up and running to highlight prayer requests for Viña Studios’ ministry, the audio-visual studio where I volunteered much of last year in Sololá, Guatemala.

Last week, my friend, Marcia, let me know she was going to start it, and I think this is a great idea! I’m really glad Marcia felt led to do it. I just noticed this evening that she posted her first entry, a brief interview with José Abél, Viña’s executive director. He shares some of his prayer requests for the ministry. Check it out by clicking here.

After seeing Marcia’s work, I felt compelled to let my readers know about it and break more than two months of silence for this space. Wow! Two months seems like an eternity considering I had been blabbing and blogging away with roughly a dozen blog posts a month last year.

Yes, I’m still back in the US of A now, and Guatemala seems far away, but I haven’t forgotten it or my friends there, and Lord willing, I hope to return soon. I still follow news from there via the online version of Guatemala’s largest daily newspaper, the Prensa Libre, and occasionally I hear from my friends down there. (Today's paper has a sad story about the high level of malnutrition among children in the Sololá area, where I lived and worked — nearly 20 percent.)

I’ve added a link to Marcia’s blog in the right column. Just scroll down to this image, which has a hotlink to the prayer blog. I haven’t updated the prayer request section of this blog recently (see the link just below Marcia’s on the right column), but many requests still stand so I’ll go ahead and leave it for you prayer warriors who can multitask and engage spiritual battle on multiple fronts.

Much has happened in Guatemala during the past couple months. I hope to carve out a little time in the coming weeks to bring you up to date on what I know. In the meantime, check out Viña's prayer blog and please keep Viña in your prayers. Thanks. Blessings!

Awakatekos attend Viña ethnomusic training

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:08:00 +0000

Awakateko worship leaders and musicians attended a two-day ethnomusicology seminar this past weekend, sponsored by Viña Studios.

José Abel, Viña’s creative director, led the seminar, joined by Viña volunteer and musician, Sarah Agee, and Jose’s youngest son, who provided me with some photos. I talked with Sarah this morning, and she filled me in on the event.

About 30 men and boys attended the seminar, joined by former Viña technician Manuel Chavez and pastors and church leaders. The musicians brought their instruments, and during the seminar they wrote 11 original worship songs, based on Peter and John’s healing of the paralytic in Acts 3 and on the Prodigal Son from Luke 15.

The seminar covered song-writing principles, encouraging Awakatek believers to write original songs using their own musical style, not copying or translating existing worship songs. The seminar ran about eight hours on Friday and four hours on Saturday.

A council of Aguacatán* churches there offers Bible training, and the council saw the need to offer musical training for its worship leaders as well. Viña encourages Mayans across Guatemala and Garifunas on the Caribbean coast to write original worship songs in their own languages because these songs come from the heart and help people worship God more intimately.

At this seminar, the Awakatako men wrote just one song in their language because except for one or two of them, they don’t know how to write in their own language. The rest, they wrote in Spanish, the national language.

“I thought it was really cool how (José) empowered them,” Sarah said, noting the José allowed the group to craft their own songs, not forcing his ideas on them. “They were super enthusiastic.”

* Note: Aguacatán is the town's official spelling, although the new orthography adopted by the Mayan Academy uses a "w" for the "gu" and a "k" for the "c."

Mayor's father, kidnapped musicians released

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:36:00 +0000

Five kidnapped marimba band members, including the mayor’s father, were freed Tuesday in Sololá, thanks to an intense manhunt organized by zealous community leaders.

The men’s release quieted nerves, prompting demonstrators to unblock roads, allowing me to get out of town in time to catch my Tuesday evening plane home here to Oregon.

(This photo above, from the Prensa Libre’s account, shows the marimba band telling about their experience.)

Late Monday evening, the air had an electric feel as police drove about town in a pickup announcing over loudspeaker a town meeting for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. I walked home late wondering what the day would hold.

Tuesday morning heralded good news: The five kidnapped men, including Pedro Saloj Quisquiná, the mayor’s father, had been freed, according to the Prensa Libre. Some 5,000 townspeople gathered Tuesday morning at El Tablón, between Los Encuentros and Sololá. They were dispersing when we passed through there at about noon as I headed to the airport.

The marimba band — all men in their 50s and 60s — had been contracted to play at Santa Clara La Laguna, a small town along beautiful Lake Atitlán, according to the Prensa Libre. (Santa Clara is seen in the center foreground of the photo below. Click the map below to enlarge it.)

Marimba is Guatemala’s traditional music, and Mayans often contract a marimba band for important festivals or parties.

But the men who came to pick up the band last Thursday, turned out to be kidnappers, who produced firearms and took the musicians to a rural area, tying their hands and placing them down in a dry well, just about 2 meters wide. The men were there several days, having to take turns standing while others lay down to rest.

Kidnappers initially demanded 1 million quetzales ($133,000) for the men’s freedom. Mayans’ ability to organize and respond to emergencies is remarkable. The area’s 59 community mayors, the Indigenous Municipality, Indigenous Defense, the Anti-kidnapping Command and the National Civil Police surrounded the area where the kidnapping occurred and began combing the hills.

They searched mountains and cliffs for the prisoners, continuing even as late a 9 p.m. Monday. A friend who was working and could not join the search party will have to pay a fine equal to three days’ pay. (Mayans seem to use such fines to great success, obligating participation in construction projects and search parties, among other things.)

On Sunday, the kidnappers removed their prisoners from the well and led them to a nearby river where they spent the day. But Monday morning, the kidnappers realized the community had organized a search and they grew nervous. So they moved them again.

The men were moved to a brushy area near Santa Lucía Utatlán, where they were fed and released. They were found along the highway Tuesday morning, dehydrated and exhausted.

It’s great to hear a happy ending to this story, and I hope Guatemalans will continue to tackle their problems united without resorting to violence. Please pray for the country’s authorities to stand and act for justice and peace.

Thanks be to God, my friends and co-workers at Viña Studios helped me put together a video to help tell the story of my past nine months in Guatemala, finishing it about an hour before I boarded a bus for Guatemala City. Awesome work, guys! It’s already gotten good reviews from friends here.

I enjoyed a nice lunch with my friends Jose and Carlos at a restaurant they had recommended for months. Then I caught a bus to Guatemala City, where I enjoyed a last visit and meal with Viña’s Rick & Carol McArthur before my flight home. Lord willing, I’ll return and see them again soon.

It’s great to be home again and see my brothers, my parents and good friends. I thought I had been “retired” or “fired” from working with my brothers’ and dad’s construction business, but it turns out that was short-lived. I’m supposed to be working at 8 a.m. tomorrow ... so good-night for now.

Filming, packing, editing and soon flying off

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:14:00 +0000

SOLOLÁ — In a little more than 24 hours, I’ll be flying north and leaving behind the Land of the Maya.

My hope and prayer is that this parting lasts only a while, but only God knows how the next months will unfold.

The past few days have been a whirlwind, saying good-bye to friends and working with Viña Studios staff here to knit together a video about my trip here. I had no idea it was so complicated to produce a video, but I’ve gotten great help with a script, filming, piecing together photos, video, music and audio recordings.

Until now, I hadn’t been involved in making a video. This process, done under stress and time pressures, has been incredibly enlightening and educational. We’ve gone to the market, to my favorite tortilla shop, to the cobbler shop, the slaughterhouse, my apartment and around town to film.

I’ve gained an entirely new appreciation for the work these brothers do every day, deftly running audio and video editing computer programs (Final Cut Pro and Pro Tools) and other complicated computer programs.

It’s humbling and a little uncomfortable to receive so much help from my brothers and sisters on my project. It would have been impossible without them. It’s one thing to edit or critique a project, but entirely different to produce it from the ground up.

In all the rush, I haven’t had much time to process my thoughts, and I know I’ve not been able to properly “despedirme” (say good-bye) to many friends. Sometime this evening, I’ll finish packing and sweep my apartment, come to work tomorrow for one last morning devotional lesson, and then catch a bus to Guatemala City for my flight home.

Town disturbed as mayor's father kidnapped

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:22:00 +0000

SOLOLÁ — We just received a phone call that may portend change ahead for the area. It appears the mayor’s father has been kidnapped, and people are milling around beginning a protest.

We are saddened to hear this news, if it proves true, and we hope and pray for his safe release. But as a friend pointed out, perhaps this will move the authorities to act more decisively against kidnappings that have continued quietly in the background. Until it happens to somebody “important” the authorities don’t pay much attention, he said.

In recent weeks, we have continued to hear reports of kidnappings or threatening phone calls to extort money — at least one or two a week — in the Sololá and Panajachel area. This doesn’t usually affect very many people beyond the immediate family. The crimes continue quietly, flaring into the open occasionally as they did last month.

As I prepare to leave Guatemala tomorrow, I’m saddened to see this kind of news continuing — very similar to the town’s story when I arrived here in February.

We would appreciate your prayers for God’s grace and peace on Sololá, on Guatemala City — where violence is more common — and the country in general. Please also pray for Viña Studios and other ministries serving the Guatemalan church. May God redeem and transform this land for His glory.

Friend's wife graduates, qualifies as teacher

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:27:00 +0000

SOLOLÁ — My friend Chepe’s wife graduated today from Solola’s bilingual teacher’s college, and I got to attend the ceremony along with about 1,000 Mayans and one “gringa.”

Chepe’s wife was one of 51 students to complete her teacher’s education this year at the school, Centro Educativo Comunitario Maya Tijob’äl Tz’olojyá Tijoxelá Paka’i’ Chab’al. (I would get worn out just trying to remember the school’s name.) The school sits about a 5-minute bus ride above Sololá. Graduating was a great accomplishment for Isabel and for Chepe, who sacrificially supported his wife in every way he could.

Chepe and Isabel and their four children live on a very modest income, barely enough to scrape by here. Paying for books, tuition and emergency medical care or pills for their kids all require sacrifice. Along the way, some family members reportedly helped them out.

One day, I hope to tell more of Chepe’s story here. He is a gentle warrior who learned gracefully through a school of incredibly hard knocks to overcome ... and to trust God with his life.

Part-way through her schooling this year, Isabel gave birth to their fourth child, who has medical challenges. Many times, they have had to take their baby to the local hospital or to one in Guatemala City for examinations because of his heart condition.

Chepe was so happy a couple of weeks ago, when he told me his wife had passed all her tests. He said his friends kept asking him, “How did you guys manage?” “How did you afford it?” He always said, “God helped us.”

The graduation ceremony lasted about two or three hours with many, many speeches and congratulations. At least one pastor spoke, invoking God’s blessing on the newly trained teachers. One professor referred to the Mayan religious book, “Popul Vuh.” It was interesting to see the students dressed in their traditional finery. The men wore intriciately designed jackets, and the women wore large, bright ribbons woven into their braids and brilliantly colored huipiles, the patterns indicating their hometown (some from as far away as Tecpán or Chimaltenango — an hour or more away).

Later, at a special luncheon attended by Isabel’s large family at her parents’ home, an uncle, also mentioned the Bible and the Popul Vuh’s teaching, saying that their ancestors were present but invisible at our luncheon.

Afterward, Sarah, my Viña co-worker (the “gringa”), immersed herself in some intense Kaqchikel language learning with Isabel’s uncle and other family members. I didn’t catch much of that, but I spoke with a few of Isabel’s brothers and other relatives. One of her brothers is director over a group of literacy teachers. I think he said he oversees about 25 groups of 15 to 20 students, meeting in homes. Most of the students are Kaqchikel women who are learning to read and write their own language and Spanish.

Isabel’s mother has a beautiful flower garden, where we snapped lots of photos of Isabel and her family members. Sarah wrapped up the day, receiving a lesson on how to use the backstrap loom. Isabel’s family seemed to enjoy watching the lesson almost as much as Sarah enjoyed learning.

Setback delays Viña employee's return to work

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:08:00 +0000

We had expected to see our friend and co-worker, Renzo, back at Viña by today, but he has apparently suffered a setback in recovery from his head injury.

A government doctor examined him earlier this week and determined Renzo should continue with therapy and rest for another month. I don't know what the setback involved, but doctors will continue working with Renzo and examine his fitness for work again in early December.

Renzo was badly injured April 19 when his bus collided with heavy machinery in a construction zone, hitting his head.

Sarah, a co-worker here at Viña, and I visited with Renzo about a week or two ago over lunch, enjoying Salvadorean pupusas in Panajachel. At that time, Renzo's condition appeared dramatically improved.

We're grateful that doctors are giving him good care and would appreciate your prayers for his continued recuperation.

High winds destroy much of Mayans' corn crop

sololagracia@gmail.com (a pilgrim) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:23:00 +0000

SOLOLÁ — This week’s high-pressure system packing strong winds has destroyed much of the Mayan farmers’ area corn crops, snapping corn stalks, drying leaves and stopping growth of the ears too soon.

I learned of the damage from a friend who lives in an agricultural area, his house virtually surrounded by cornfields. Yesterday after work, I hitched a ride with him up to El Tablón — a wide, relatively flat plateau above Sololá — to check it out.

It was sobering to see so much corn looking dead and dry, snapped or knocked down by the wind. Some corn is still standing. It has a chance to mature properly and fill out with full kernels, my friend said. But many fields have suffered irreversible damage and loss. My friend estimates that about 25 percent of the area’s corn crop has been lost, noting this is not the worst he’s seen.

The corn growing season here is much longer than it is in the United States. Farmers plant their crops in May before the rainy season and harvest in January, when the cobs have fully matured and the kernels have dried. Mayans store the dry ears of corn at their houses and use them to make tortillas, tamales and atol (hot drinks) all year long, three meals a day.

My friend’s sister walked with me out to the road, where I caught a bus back to town. She explained that for the vast majority of the people, corn is not a cash crop, but eaten by the farmers themselves. Rising food costs have pushed the price up from about 12 cents to 23 cents per pound over the past year or so, she said.

My Guatemalan friends had warned me about the winds of November and December, but I didn’t believe them till my corrugated tin roof nearly went flying the other evening. During one particularly strong gust, I heard a “ping” and observed the metal sheet buckle vertically (in the direction of the trough).

The winds have significantly cooled the air here, making it quite uncomfortable and dusty. But that’s as far as I thought it went. Until today, I didn’t realize people were losing their crops and their roofs.

Please pray for those who have lost so much.

“As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,” Psalm 103:15-17.

*****

The first photo below shows a small cornfield above Sololá from about a month ago, before the high winds arrived. The second shows last evening’s beautiful sunset and high clouds with a few standing cornstalks near El Tablón.