Adventure Saturday

Mark came knocking on my door at 7:40.  Our plan was to take the 8:00 micro bus to Cotzal and then after that, who knows?  We opened up the Word, had a quick study and prayer time, and we were off.  The micro bus was crowded with 4 people hanging off the back.  After we stopped and let some people out, I saw one guy climb down from the roof.  At this point, when stuff like this happens, I just smile and shake my head.  This is Guatemala.  I love it.  

In Cotzal, Mark wanted to walk through the Saturday morning market.  People come from all over the surrounding villages to buy and sell at this market.  The chicken busses bring them early in the morning and then stay parked throughout the day, waiting until the early afternoon, when the people return to their villages.  I am personally not a fan of the markets because of the crowds of people and having to duck through so many tarps.  Mark likes it because you can buy almost any sort of produce that is growable around the region.

After the market, I decided it would be nice to pay a visit to the Jorai Bible Institute to see what was happening.  So much of what I do here in my spare time is just showing up to places and seeing what God has for me.  This day, Diego Perez, the President of the Bible Institute, and someone I had not talked with before, was there.  So I sat in his office, gave him a brief interview, and we talked.  I talked with him about the land and the possibility of the school we support, Colegio Horeb, using that land and building a school there.  It was a good conversation and am looking forward to talking with him again.

We then decided to walk to Ojo de Agua, an hour walk from Cotzal, to see what was there.  I had heard there was a Compassion program in Ojo de Agua only a few days ago when I was visiting with the Compassion program in Cotzal.  That program was not running on Saturday, unfortunately, but on the way, I called my Dad, to see if any knew of any contacts in Ojo de Agua.  He told me to talk with BaltizarChijoy, who he did not have time to talk with much on his last visit here.  Baltizar is a graduate from Jorai and is a Pastor of 100 people in his tiny village.  When we arrived, after asking a villager, we found the house of Baltizar.  However, he was not there, but in Cotzal.  He was going to arrive on the bus from the market.  So we explored.  Mark is interested in the agricultural practices of the region and we walked out of the main part of the village a ways and into the fields of peas and corn.  

The chicken bus that goes back and from Ojo de Agua Cotzal makes three trips.  It is a miracle this bus runs as it looks like it was on its last legs 30 years ago.  It is the only form of public transportation and it only makes trips on Saturdays to go the Cotzal market.  Baltizar was not on the first two trips on the bus from Cotzal.  However, his wife was, and went back with us on the bus to meet with him in Cotzal.  We talked at literally the same tienda where we started our walk.  We learned that he was adding on to his church and construction would begin in April.  I told him I was talking to him on behalf of my dad who was unable to talk much with him on his last visit.  He was thankful and asked for support in constructing a temple.

Afterward we had lunch at Comedor and then walked to a park that is on the way out of Cotzal.  It is in the country set up above a river in the mountains.  At the park is a place where people come to pray and a big green field.  We came to relax and relax we did.  We layed in silence for an hour or more.  A few thoughts floated in and out of my brain but mostly I was just still.  It was a beautiful sunny day and I listened to the whistling of the birds, the sounds of nature, the far off sounds of people.  I felt so at peace.  

Then we walked back to the center of town to wait on a microbus to take us back to Nebaj.  We arrived at 4:30 but no bus came until 6:00.  While that may seem like a huge inconvenience, I love this part of the culture.  It forces you to wait, reflect, and go deeper with people.   Waiting is a way of life here.  We had some great conversation.  Finally a bus came with loudspeakers on the top.  There was a man in the bus reading the Bible in Spanish and then translating in Ixil as the message was proclaimed through the loud speakers.  To our astonishment, this bus was going to Nebaj.  This was our first time on a Bible bus!  Mark and I just laughed.  This is Guatemala.  I love it.

Public school in Ojo de Agua