Darren's search for Verapaz reaches its end

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.)