Student Starts Bible Training Program in His Village

An exciting development has happened in the tiny town of Xolcuay (pictured left).  This village is an oddity in Ixil country as it is the only one in the region that speaks the language of Quiche.  It is set in the mountains between the bigger towns of Nebaj and Chajul.  The people there have caught on to the value of educaton a little quicker than their Ixil neighbors and tend to be a little more educated.

Alfonso is the son in law of the pastor of the Principe de Paz church in Xolcuay.  Every month for the past three years, he has been attending classes at the Principe de Paz extension program in Cotzal.  Alfonso has seen the value of this education.  For the past two years, he and his family have been planning on holding an extension program at their church in Xolcuay.  The first day took place this past Monday and it was a smashig success.

Around 35 people have signed up for the Primero level (7th grade) this year.  To put this in perspective, there are around 40 people for the entire program in Cotzal, consisting of 4 levels.  Most of the people attending are from Xolcuay and attend the Principe de Paz church.  A few came from Nebaj and another village in the area.  There were an equal amount of men and women in the program.

I interviewed three students after classes finished on Tuesday.  Bonifacio and Lorenzo are two young married men in their early 20s, and Gregoria is a 39 year old woman with 5 children.  They all are the first in their family to study the Bible.  They all had a similar answer when asked why they were attending this program.  They want to learn and walk in the Word of God.  They want to teach their family and neighbors about the Bible.

It was a great encouragement to witness these first days of this program.  Paul Townsend, who has been working in the region for over 30 years translating the bible into Ixil, was overcome with emotion as classes started on Monday.  The people are beginning to see the value of education and there is a hunger to learn the Bible for themselves.

Josue Rodgriguez, one of the teachers from the extension program in Cotzal, was the teacher of the class.  He is a man with only a 9th grade education in the secular world, but is a dynamic teacher.  I have spent a lot of time with Josue in my short stay so far in Ixil country.  I have watched him teach his classes, ate many meals with his family, and recently slept at his humble home in Cotzal.  He is a rail thin guy and we jokingly call him "skinny Joshua."  While small in stature, he speaks with a loud voice and teaches passionately.  At home, he is humble and the most hospitable man you will ever meet.  I have felt so loved by him and his family.

Like the program in Cotzal, these classes will be held 3 days per month.  They will be relying on our support to keep the school going.  Feel called to support this new program?  You can email: windofgod.ministries@gmail.com

A little about the Prince of Peace Extension Program from the Wind of God website:
Our extension program was created in 2008 to meet the needs of students
desiring a higher degree of seminary education in their rural setting of the Ixil Triangle.  It is now the largest extension program of it's kind in Guatemala!  To date, the Prince of Peace Extension Program has trained over 200 men and women in their roles as pastors and lay leaders.