Touring the highlands seeking partnerships

When Aaron expressed his frustration at seeing translated Bibles sitting unused on bookshelves in Africa, I began to expect great things for last week’s travels.

It was our first evening together, and that’s exactly the kind of problem Viña Studios hopes to address. Viña provides oral teaching tools, audio Scriptures and vernacular media for non-literate people.

Aaron and Ryan had just arrived from St. Louis, Mo., where they are members of the South County Christian Center. Their church sent them to scout out possible ministry partnerships with Viña, Guatemalan churches and other ministry workers here.

Aaron is a well-traveled evangelist, and Ryan is the church youth pastor. We were blessed to be joined by Chris, who works for SIL International and a partner group, The Seed Co., facilitating partnerships. They all flew home this morning. In less than three months, on July 8, South County plans to bring a team of 36 people, many high school and college age, to Guatemala for a week of ministry.

Viña Studios’ leadership hopes to develop partnerships with churches such as South County and other ministries here to help produce, promote and use its “Deditos” finger-puppet videos, among other vernacular materials. The videos are designed to fill a gap in Christian education, relating Bible stories in an attractive format for children. Mayan churches have virtually no Sunday school or discipleship materials in their mother tongues, and children, unfortunately, are often neglected by the churches.

The “Deditos” videos, each accompanied by five Sunday school lessons, can serve as a tool to help build a Christian worldview, teaching children to fear (or honor in the biblical sense) the one true God and love Him as their creator and savior.

Producing one video costs between $15,000 and $20,000. Beyond that, the videos must be dubbed into the indigenous languages — Guatemala has 21 Mayan languages, in addition to Garifuna along the coast. There is a lot involved and Viña needs lots of help.

By developing partnerships, Viña’s leadership hopes to find the funding required to develop, produce and distribute the videos. Beyond this, however, Viña hopes to develop the relationships and commitments from Guatemalan church leaders necessary to implement their use. Viña is not interested in developing another product that looks great on the shelf, but never gets used, says Viña’s Chairman of the Board Rick McArthur in so many words. The hope is that it will bring blessing, growth and maturity to Guatemala’s church. In a country where half the population is 18 years old and younger, it’s an important audience.

This past week’s ministry tour took us across Guatemala’s midsection, circling the highlands to meet a variety of people who minister and work among Guatemala’s Mayan peoples.

Our tour took us from Kekchí territory in Cobán to Pokomchí country in San Cristobal Verapaz then to K’ekchí land in Chichicastenango and finally to Kaqchiquel terra firma in Sololá. I had gone ahead of the team, meeting with several, but not all, of our contacts to set up the meetings.

In Cobán, we were privileged to meet with Fran Eachus, a cheerful woman who has worked among the Kekchí (also spelled Q’eqchí) Mayans for 50 years, translating the whole Bible. She has written a well-received biography, A Cup of Good Water, which you can purchase through Amazon.com

We also met some missionary couples who represent charismatic and Baptist churches. We encountered a variety of ministry philosophies, meeting some who serve as background support and others who continue to play pivotal roles in the church; some who offer Christian materials at discounted rates, others who provide things such as food and clothes at no charge.

One future partner may be the Hands of Jesus and its feeding program. At three sites around Chichicastenango, the ministry feeds 2,000 children once each week. Prior to the meal, employees show Spanish-language Christian videos, telling Bible stories. They don’t have any videos in Kiché, the local language, but Viña hopes to dub the “Deditos” videos into Kiché, once we get funding and work out some other logistics. (One video can be dubbed for about $2,500 to $5,000. If you’re interested in contributing you can use a web-based form or contact Viña directly.)

Just outside of Chichicastenango, we met John Harvey, founder of ASELSI, a Bible institute and medical clinic. Prior to that, we met Bill Vasey, a Primitive Methodist missionary, who translated the Bible into the Kiché dialect of Joyabáj and started a Christian school in his home.

In Coban, James Wiseman, a missionary with the Assemblies of God, regaled us with stories of his sweat and toil to reach remote Kekchí villages — one which took him eight hours to reach by car and on foot, leaving him covered with mud and filth; visiting the same village by plane takes just seven minutes. Yes, you read that right: seven minutes.

Another church volunteer with the Southern Baptists, Jeff Thomas, told us how he labored for years, praying for a local Mayan man to join him in the work.

One day a young man showed up at his door, saying he wanted to work with him. One never knows what people really want, so the Baptist missionary told him he didn’t have any work around the house. The young man persisted, explaining he wanted to work with him in ministry. He had had a dream, indicating he should join the Baptist missionary. That started a new friendship in ministry.

We visited a small church about an hour from Jeff and Karen Thomas’ home, where road construction left piles of dirt at least three feet high on either side of the church. Water pooled in front. Everyone entering the church had to stop and scrape or wash the mud off their shoes before entering. Afterwards, the children had fun running in and out through the mud and water.

As is typical here, the church’s music team treated us to a deafening worship service ... until the power went out. I was very thankful to have brought my earplugs and even happier when they lost power. Even the pastor commented that he enjoys it when the power goes out because then he can hear people singing. Seven other small churches straddled the rural highway over less than about a half mile — each with its own high-amp PA system.

I slept well at each hotel, although our northern visitors were awakened at our third overnight stay in Uspantán, where roosters patrolled the rooftop. I’m glad my ears tune that noise out.

After visiting with those who have translated the Bible, started Bible schools, feeding programs, medical clinics and orphanages, as well as a visit to Viña’s vernacular media studio, our guests left considering ways to divide their team and assign them to work projects this summer. After this summer, they may have a better idea about where to focus their energies in any long-term partnerships.

In the days before the visit and sometimes along the way, I found myself at my wits end, realizing I couldn’t do what needed to be done, who to contact or where or how to do the next thing. Especially in those moments, I prayed and asked God to guide us and accomplish His will. Those were sweet times of prayer. By American standards, I’m not a rich person, but to know the Creator and Savior welcomes me into His presence, even listening to my requests is a rich, awesome thought.

Most ministries were not able to accommodate a U.S. team visit right away, but it appears the church may send teams to Sololá to help at Viña and to Joyabáj to help build a Christian school for the Kichés.

Overall, I think the week went well. God answered our prayers for the meetings above and beyond my expectations. I’m hopeful the week can serve as an template for future partnerships.