Guyana 2009

January 8 -- JFK - New York
12:20 a.m.

“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Psalm 50:15. This is the verse God shared with me this morning. And boy, have I been needing it today! If ever there was a “day of trouble” it has occurred in the past 12 hours for me.

Right now I am waiting to board my flight to Guyana. And it’s a very comforting thought to know I am almost on that plane. So many times today I thought it would impossible to make it. And yet, by God’s grace, I am here, weary and tired, but here, nevertheless.

So when I got to the check-in place this afternoon, the lady at the counter simply just did not want to let me through! She was asking for a visa, then documents proving what I’m doing in Guyana, then a returning flight ticket, then for enough money on my debit card that I could buy a ticket when down there….all of which I had none. It was a whole ordeal, that I’d rather put behind me and not go through all the details, but it was so frustrating, I have to say. My flight was to be leaving at 4:20 and by the time she was satisfied enough to let me go, she said I would miss the flight anyway, but rushed me to customs. I went through, got on the shuttle in a frenzy, and looked at my watch: 4:10. There’s no way.

Ran to the gate. Flight’s delayed. Wow. So that was a whole adventure. But it didn’t end there. Not to go into more details, as soon as I got off the plane here in New York, the adventure continued. This time I found another fellow “partner in crime” hehe - a sweet, but desperate young Afghani girl. We found ourselves in the same situation, looking for our carry-on suitcases that the airline had taken and that we were supposed to pick up but had missed the place and weren’t allowed back in. We ran all over the airport, inside, outside, asking 3 dozen people, with each indication making us eventually go in circles, through elevators and terminals, and airtrains, and, whew, after running around together for about two hours we felt a bond that two people can only have when going through such an ordeal. Through a complete miracle, I spotted a lady carrying our bags for second and shouted for her to stop. We collected our bags and tried to recollect ourselves and complete the next mission.

We had to next find our gates. Sound easy? Ha! Not at JFK, 10:30 pm, when everything is closed and everyone’s too tired to care or help you out. The girl pleaded with me to help her, since it was her first time flying alone, and she was “so scared” she told me. So of course, we stuck together. After a lot more running around, we found her gate, but it was too late. She had lost her flight to Dubai. And I had to go and try to make it to mine in time! So after lending her my cellphone so she could call her mom, we exchanged, hugs, kisses, emails and everything and with a broken heart to have to leave her there, I ran for the airtrain.

And here I am. I think I should go check the mirror to see how many grey hairs have appeared since this morning. Oh boy, we’re boarding now! I wonder what craziness will await me next. Lord, help me.

9:15 am
Praise the Lord, I arrived at the mission house, safe and sound, with all my baggage, which is a complete miracle. On the flight, another surprise awaited me, but this time a good one! I recognized Taylor, the girl I had met before, and her family that head up the mission academy here in Guyana - and they had missed their flight and now we were on the same one! So praise the Lord, I didn’t have to get a taxi by myself….whew! God always does know what He’s doing, doesn’t He??

It’s good to be back...even though it’s rainy, but I’m definitely enjoying being back in the warm tropical weather. I look forward to the next several weeks and am expecting more great things to happen. Like Psalms says...from all these troubles, may God be glorified!


January 11 -- Bethany
8:20 pm

It’s a full moon tonight. I can clearly see the clouds in the dark sky, and the sand on campus seems to be alive under the moon’s reflection. All is peace and quiet, except for the occasional laughter and yelling from the girls’ side.

It’s good to be back in the peaceful jungles, away from everything familiar. It’s good, though it’s not my favorite, nor my first choice. I returned here I guess more out of duty than desire, and I don’t think I should feel guilty saying that, because really, the carnal, natural self does not instinctively, knowingly choose the path that is full of self-denial, sacrifice, and the one of toil and out-of-your-comfort-zone day by day experiences. Not at all.

At the same time, I need to count my blessings, though it’s sometimes hard to look past the fact that I’m back to eating white rice, living with one hour of electricity a day, bat poop on my floor, and humidity that sprouts mold on almost everything. Yesterday I took out the box of clothes I had left here and found to my dismay all my things moldy and stained from cockroach excrement - after only three weeks! But what can you do, just get out the tub and start scrubbing as hard as you can!
But the blessings are there, and I don’t mean to sound like a half-empty glasser; I just want to share the reality of mission work. So anyway, there is truly not many greater things than to have your students scream and pounce on you when you show up after the break, and hear them telling of their experiences of when they went back home and the impact they’ve had on their families or in the villages they went to work in and to know that somehow, someway, you’re making a difference directly and indirectly in people’s lives.

There’s nothing much better than being out of the rat-race life, a hectic cycle that has you going going going and at the end of the day you look back and can’t figure out what all you have accomplished in that day. When you’re out here, though, at least you know you fed two dozen people, and may have taught someone something new, and helped a fellow neighbor feel better with their health. It’s worth it, right?

I have to write these things you see, sometimes more for myself, to keep me focused, because honestly I already miss home very much. I wish God could just *whoosh*, erase all memory of my dear ones back home, of the comforts and life I left behind, but it doesn’t work that way. But what He does do is give me the promises I need just to make it through another day - and not just make it, but have joy and fulfillment while I’m going through it, moment by moment. And that alone makes me happy. I guess this is a small example of living a life of faith - a life where your happiness doesn’t come by feelings, but it’s based on a more sure foundation - the Rock of Ages. Praise be to God!

January 16
7:30 pm

What a week it has been! Full of surprises, laughs, and blessings. The greatest blessing for me this week has been knowing that God isn’t done with me yet. He hasn’t given up on me! Even though, let me tell you, wow, I see so much in myself that needs to change: attitudes, desires, thoughts, ugly feelings...and being in the mission field brings out every little poor character trait - that you thought you’d never had to deal with!

I just read over the last entry and became so disappointed in myself for writing such things down, I wanted to erase it all. Really, how can I complain of white rice when I know there’s people out there don’t have food to fill their bellies, or little electricity, when we have so many conveniences, like running water, flushing toilets and showers?
I have been really ungrateful; taking so much for granted, even the awesome opportunities of sharing God’s love with other people who don’t know it. In many countries now the religious liberties are narrowing rapidly and Christians are being slaughtered just for being Christians. And wow, I dare to complain, even if just only in my mind, of having to walk through rain and mud for almost four hours to do one Bible study, or missing a meal or sleep because of evening prayer meetings in the village...God had to severely rebuke me through this evening’s worship on the rebellion of Korah and what a real evil murmuring and complaining is.

On a lighter note, outreach yesterday was really great - going back to Mashabo - it’s been almost a month since I saw my dear friends! This time it was Liz and Kimberly that accompanied me on the treck to the village. We had a nice time visiting, praying with people, seeing my Papi Kenneth again, and doing a Bible study with eager Fazel and his wife, Sharifa. I love studying with them, since he always is full of questions and ready and eager to study the Bible, even if we’re interrupting him from his work or other projects. And I especially love to see the students giving the studies - this was Kimberly’s first one, and it’s always amazing to me how God’s Word alone is so powerful, that anyone, experienced or inexperienced, old or young, bright or dull, can share His truth and through the Holy Spirit have a lasting impact on many souls.

So after we got done visiting and studying with our lovely young friends, and realizing that time had just flown by, we quickly started back for home. The only problem was that we had to get across the Mashabo river. And when we got to the shore, there was no boat and no one home in the nearby houses that could get us across. We had no choice but to wait there, soaking up the hot mid-day sun.

What do you know, though, that soon enough we spotted two little figures out in the middle of the river slowly coming our way. I didn’t get my hopes up very high, because I realized that their little canoe, was indeed a little canoe! These small, dug-out boats are no wider than two feet and about nine feet long - just perfect for little boys and girls that paddle to go to school every day. Well, nevertheless, it was something, and at least one of the boys had a paddle, so there was a glimmer of hope.

I asked the boy with the paddle if we could possible get a ride to the other shore, and, though he was shy and didn’t say anything audibly, I understood from him that we could get in. So we did. Kind of.

Kimberly went in first and made it look like a really easy thing to do - just climb into the canoe, right?! Well, then I tried to get in and sit down but could not keep the thing steady! As I was trying desperately to keep balanced, Liz attempted at sitting down, and just then as we were rocking back and forth, before I knew it, I was out of the canoe and in the water - right there in the shallows by the shore! I was the only one also, that managed to get my whole backside soaked, but oh well, we laughed and tried to think of a different plan.

Kimmy soon had the idea of splitting up - she would go with the other little boy who had just gotten in another small canoe and started paddling toward us - not with a paddle, but just with his hands - it was quite a sight! So she got on with boy #2, and they were soon on their way. Liz I were now trying to follow in their trail, but first had to get all the water out of the now almost-sunken canoe, so Liz now is bailing out the water with a bottle and we try again. Another failed attempt, another quick bath.

As she’s once again back to her bailing job, and I’m wringing out the water from my skirt, all of a sudden I hear this screaming! I look up and there is poor Kimmy - in the water! She’s there in the middle of the river, holding up her purse above the water and laughing and screaming! The canoe is no where to be seen and the little boy’s head is bopping up and down as they’re both now trying to swim back to shore. The whole thing was just so funny, I couldn’t help but laugh for like ten minutes at the sight and knowing that that would’ve been us if we had gotten any farther out from the shore. Wow. I hadn’t laughed so hard in a long time. It was great.

Kimmy made it back to shore safely after being rescued by a boat that just happened to be going by with some worker guys who gave us some strange looks and smiles as they delivered our friend back to dry land but we all had a good laugh and soon we were on the other shore after they kindly offered to give us a ride.

The moral of the story? Little wobbly canoes are not meant for big people. Learned that one pretty quick. The real lesson that’s harder to grasp sometimes is that many times we’re just meant to wait. There’s nothing reasonable for us do, even if it may seem reasonable to us at the moment, but we try to do something anyway, because we’re just too impatient. The answer is right on its way, but sometimes it finds us when we’ve already sunk and gotten ourselves in a muddy mess when all this time we could’ve been patiently waiting on God and trusting that He would take us to the other side instead of trying to go on our own - even setting out without a paddle! Boy, are we headstrong at times. And yes, God in His mercy reminds us - even if has to make us cry - or laugh!

January 28
4:45 pm

“When trials arise that seem unexplainable, we should not allow our peace to be spoiled. However unjustly we may be treated, let not passion arise…If we surrender our lives to His service, we can never be placed in a position for which God has not made provision. Whatever may be our situation, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend.” (COL 172)

This has been my experience - and it makes me so happy!

Many things have been happening the past two weeks, things that put me in the “grind”, and looking back, I know that it was only through the power of God that I can, and do, keep going. So I praise His name I am still alive and well, in high spirits and resting in Him. What a joy it is to serve our Almighty, Loving God!

My days have been filled with doing treatments on Andre, teaching and preparing for class, helping out with Wednesday night small evangelistic meetings up the Essequibo River, giving Bible studies in Mashabo, cooking, gardening, and washing. Life - though it’s got its challenges, it is very fulfilling here.

I am settled - though I have gotten to use the internet just once in the three weeks I’ve been here now, I don’t miss it. Haven’t used a phone or gotten in a car since I left, either, and yet I am happy. I am learning so much here that I know I could not learn anywhere else. Being put in situations that I have never faced before, and my only option is to move forward confidently, has greatly increased my faith and dependance on the wisdom, strength and patience from above. Though I face great tasks, humongous obstacles and intense inner and outward struggles every day, the Lord is telling me, “Say not, ‘I am only a child’”.

So all I am left to do is to advance, not looking behind, but going forward overcoming - overcoming indeed, by the blood of Jesus that washes away my sins (Rev. 12 and Rev. 1:5) and through the “word of my testimony” - my own personal experience with the Lord, constantly moment by moment abiding in Him.

The Lord can not save us from trial, but He can save us from defeat!


February 8
1:00 pm

I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
-Psalm 116:1,2

As I was sitting by the dock at Cobis Landing, looking at my watch for the tenth time, I was trying to reassure myself that I had not made a hasty decision in trying to go out to Georgetown that day. The truth is that Catie and I did leave campus much later than we had hoped for, we had no boat to take us across, and, after reaching Cobis found out that it was shopping day for the people in the village so all the boats had gone out. What were the chances we were going to find a boat to take us to Supenaam? Slim.

So what could we do, other than take off our loaded backpacks, sit down in the shade, and pray that God would send a boat our way. We reminded God (and ourselves) that the trip we were venturing on was for His glory. We had a long list of books, clothes, and supplies we needed to get for the people in Mashabo.

Last Thursday as our group was just leaving Mashabo, dear Auntie Orlinda pulled me aside. “Look,” she said as she pointed to the gaping holes in her shirt, “I am ashamed to wear this, but you know how my husband died a few years back and my sister has her own family to support so this Christmas I received nothing from anybody. Please give me a nice dress suit to wear to church.” I promised her I would do my best and with a heavy heart, I left, more determined that somehow I HAD to go to Georgetown and get Auntie some clothes and the hymnals and other Bible books I had promised the people.

I had decided to leave on Tuesday, but when Monday rolled around and I was done with my class in the morning, I thought, why not leave now? So I asked Catie to join me and after lunch we set off and walked the couple miles to the dock at Cobis. Now, we had to wait. We waited and waited some more. By this time it was 3:00, school let out and the kids were coming towards the dock to get to their canoes and paddle home. I decided to take some pictures of the unique Guyanese “schoolboats” and the children all dressed nicely in their uniforms paddling down the river, when the headmaster came up to me to send a message to Ms. Melissa. I then asked him if he was going by Supenaam and could give us a ride. “Sure,” he said, “just now!” Catie and I looked at each other, with “Praise GOD!” written all over our faces. We got into his boat and as we took off, we bowed our heads and thanked the Lord for answering our prayer and sending us the boat “just in time” - God’s perfect timing.

What joy fills my heart after these little experiences when I see how faithful God is to me in the way He always provides. Yesterday is another example of Isaiah’s inspired words in Isaiah 65:24: And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

This past week we had decided that after church on Sabbath, we want to spend more time with the people in Mashabo, visiting and fellow-shipping together because the time we spend on Thursdays never seems to be enough. So we had talked to Fazil and Sharifa and the plan was set - to have lunch at their house after church so we could spend more time in the village instead of hurrying off back to campus half-starved after church.

I was looking forward to this Sabbath all week - I always love spending Sabbaths in Mashabo, with “our little flock” but I knew that this one was indeed going to be special. After another wonderful church service, and greeting the people, Elder Levi and his wife Pearl hand us a bag of food. We hadn’t expected that, since this was the first time anyone’s ever given us food just like that, but we took it gratefully and soon we were over the river and arriving at Fazil’s house - all seven of us, Fazil, his wife and two kids. As we settled in and took out the bowl of rice and chow mein Aunti Pearl had made, it got quiet as we if we were all expecting something to happen but it wasn’t happening. Well, we were expecting something - the food! The little bowl of rice and noodles didn’t seem hardly enough for all twelve of us! But never the less, we asked the Lord’s blessing and started serving ourselves, no one saying anything about the food, but in my mind I was thinking, “What’s going on? Where’s the food Sharifa was to prepare?” After everyone got a humble portion of the food on their plates and we were chatting, Fazil finally admitted, “You know, when you said you would be coming to our house to eat, we thought that YOU were bringing the food!” Oh no! We laughed at our little misunderstanding, but had to acknowledge and praise the Lord that once again He made up for the lack and sent us food - before we had even realized that we would need it!

Indeed, the food was just enough for all of us to be satisfied and quiet our hungry stomachs. However, Fazil was eating his rice quite slowly and thoughtully, and I noticed that he didn’t seem to have much appetite when he looked up suddenly and said,, “So when are we going to have another Bible study? I am more hungry for the Word of God!” I smiled as I thought how full of truth Christ’s words were when He said, “I am the bread of live: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Though I was thankful for the physical food, I knew that in a few hours I was going to get hungry again, but there is nothing like feeding on the Word of God, that fills a hunger nothing else can. Soon we were feeding on more of the “Living Bread” as we dove into a Bible study with Fazil on Revelation. The time quickly passed, because before we knew it it was already 5:00 and we knew that if we didn’t leave soon we’d have to walk through the jungle in the dark to get back home. In the end, we did end up having to walk the last portion of the trail just by the scattered moonlight that would shine through the holes in the foliage above, but my heart was full from experiencing the bountiful love of God, that it had no more room for fear of any spooky creatures that may come out at night from the jungle around us, for “perfect love casteth out fear.” As we were walking back, each one of us deep in his own thoughts, Fazil’s words came to my mind - “You know, you all from Bethany did so much for me. I was a Muslim and I would read the Bible, but I could never understand it. Then you guys came and are answering all my questions. I am getting to know the real truth.”
If God sent me to Guyana just for one soul, it would be worth it. I am so happy.

February 12
4:00 pm

“All who consecrate soul, body, and spirit to God will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical and mental power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command...Through co-operation with Christ they are complete in Him, and in their human weakness they are enabled to do the deeds of Omnipotence.” -DA 827

Let me tell you about our deeds of omnipotence!

Today God sent four of us to Mashabo - to some specific people I’ve never even met before. We left early once again, at 6:30 a.m., eating our bananas and bread as we were walking in the rain - it was quite a sight! We’ve decided to take off early on Thursday mornings in order to get as much time with the people as possible, since we have to make it back in time for the students to go to their afternoon class at 2:30 in the afternoon.

After the usual one hour and 45 minutes, we reached our beloved little village, prayed and split up. Andre suggested that Kimberly and I should visit the little house by the headmaster’s place because we’ve never visited the man that lives there. I don’t know why, we’ve just always skipped that little house. Well today was going to be like no other day.

As we came up to the man, we introduced ourselves and asked if we could just visit with him and share some words of encouragement from God’s Word. He smiled and answered with an, “of course!” and as we sat down on his steps and opened our Bibles, he said, “wait a second” and went inside. He came back with a notebook and pencil and said he wants to take down notes! Wow, ok, so I looked at Kimmy and told her, let’s give this man a Bible study!

God led us to bring some encouragement to our dear new friend Gilbert through verses like Matthew 14, Revelation 21, and Acts 1 that speak about Jesus’ second coming and the future life with Him in heaven. As we shared, we found out from him that he’s been living alone for several years, all his children are out of the house, and he stopped going to church four years ago. His next words struck at my heart - “You know, to be honest with you, I’ve seen you guys from Bethany coming by here all the time and I have always been wondering when I’m going to get a visit. But I said, well, I guess it’ll be in the Lord’s timing; and today, you finally came!”

Lord, forgive us for neglecting a soul that has always been right under our noses. No wonder he stopped going to church, if the church members don’t reach out to people like Gilbert. I invited him out to come out on Sabbath and promised him a Bible, which made him very happy.

God next took us over the river, through some trails and straight to brother Isaac’s house - only brother Isaac wasn’t home - his wife was. I had been to his house once before, on a Sunday, when we were waiting for almost a whole afternoon for his wife to come back from church to get a treatment. We had carried towels with us and even a bag of ice, but she never showed up. Poor brother Isaac was so disappointed, and we left with half-sunken hearts, but hoping for another opportunity to see her.

Well, this time we did. And boy, did we find another neglected soul. Auntie Verna was working in her yard when we came up and offered to pray with her and see if we can help with anything. She willingly came and after I asked if there’s anything specific we could pray for, she spilled her great burden to us; “Yes,” she said, “please pray for my son-in-law. You see, just yesterday he was cursing me because I go to church.” She told us the whole story with tears in her eyes - how nobody was visiting her and she was sick and still had to work hard and then the Full Gospel church people came along some months ago and they visited her and prayed with her and how she felt better afterwords, so she started to go to their meetings and church services but now her son is angry and….well, what could we do other than to sit her down and open the Word of God to her!

And what a blessing that little meeting was, for afterwords, she looked like a burden had been lifted off her back. We read to her the blessings in Matthew 5, when Jesus tells us that we are blessed when we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, and how we must bless those that curse us and pray for our enemies and do good to those that despitefully use us and say all manner of evil against us.

Oh how she was soaking up every word, for you see, Aunti Verna is losing her eyesight as well and cannot read so whenever someone can read to her the words from the Bible is like a fountain of water filling dry ground. And what joy fills my heart to know that another thirsty soul was able to drink some of the Living Water!

She then treated us to some very refreshing coconut water from her coconut tree and asked us if we could somehow help her little granddaughter suffering from some sort of infection in her leg. We took a look at the little six-year-old girl and Kimmy immediately recognized it as Filaria - a worm parasite that enters into your skin and causes fever and terrible rashes. We happened to have our medicine bag with us, so we made a charcoal poultice and applied it, giving her instructions on some other simple treatments Iona can do to help heal her daughter’s now swollen leg. Unfortunately, once the parasite enters the body, supposedly it never comes out, so all you can do is just keep the symptoms under control.

So yes, today was really a blessing. We also counseled our friend __ suffering from sever hypertension, to stop eating so much salt, white flour, sugar and fried foods. We gave her a back a foot massage and told her to drink plenty of water. We also saw and treated my little friend Renneatte, who had fever and diarrhea and another family we came across in a little hut that were all sick with the flu. There is so much need and so little time!

So God did another miracle for us. Since we visited so many people today, before we knew it, the time was 1:00 - way past the time we were supposed to leave - and we were on the other side of the river! We had to quickly say goodbye to our friends and take off for home. However, realizing that it would be humanly impossible to reach campus by 2:30, class time, our only hope was to grasp the hand of omnipotence. So we prayed that God would somehow give us the speed to make it back in time and not cause any problems with the teacher.

We bowed our heads as Andre prayed in faith that we would reach back by 2:15 - and you know what? - God never fails! Yes, we did our part - we did run most of the way, strapped our backpacks tighter to our backs and jumped over the mud puddles, but you know what time we reached home? 2:15. The usual almost-two-hour trip we made in 1 hour and seven minutes. We have heaven’s inexhaustible supplies at our command! We asked for an extra push, God gave us wings - wings of omnipotence.

February 18
1:00 pm

Phil 3:8;4:9-13

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…”

Nothing else matters.

“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.”

Take every opportunity.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

We must learn.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

___
I can’t believe the time has come, for me to once again be flying above the clouds, heading home. Then again, the word home is relevant here on this earth. I feel more as if I was leaving home! And that alone makes me sad, because I don’t feel like I’m ready to leave. I’m not ready to say goodbye to my Mashabo brothers and sisters, to “my girls” at Bethany, to the peaceful jungles, the starry nights, the coconuts, the river - to the work that filled my life both with challenges and blessings...and yet, I had to, and I did.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

I wonder if Paul felt the same way. I wonder if he really did “forget those things which are behind” very quickly. For me, they have become a part of who I am. And though I must now “reach forth unto those things which are before,” I cannot forget what I’m leaving behind. Honestly, I don’t know what God has in store for me next. I have no clue what tomorrow will bring. All I know is that my heart is in the jungles. I want to go back. I want to serve, to help, to heal, to save.

Lord, do what you must do with me quickly, train me, teach me, and then take me back. Take me back soon so we can finish this work. I want to go home, for real this time.