We made the journey to Darien, driven by el chofer, Pacifico. He was a great blessing. The trip was smooth and the fellowship rich. We then enjoyed an evening of the team getting to know the Cooks and getting settled in the house.
As always, the exchange of stories and life history left us all feeling enriched and privileged to be here. God is on the move.
Jeanne took us on a tour of a nearby village that had recently lost a young man to suicide. He was a Christian who get caught up in some of the local activites
that have come in through the increasing invasion of the world outside. We saw three bars in the village which never existed before, I had a chance to chat with my old friend Pastor Luis. He was so saddened by the young man’s death, which he tied to an ever-increasing plague of drug and alcohol abuse.
All of this makes our mission today even more important. We are meeting Elixandri at 10 to tour his place and discuss his heart to help addicts recover. On the other end of the problem, we want to explore possibilities for doing
some educational and preventive things for the villages, especially for the young people. They seem to be suffering from a famine of one essential nutrient: hope. The intersection of the secular world with the native culture has left a seemingly empty space between the identity of the tribal community and the allure of the “modern” delusion. (It’s hard to miss the parallel with some of the native communities we have worked with in the U.S.) I believe God is opening doors.
Dennis and Jeanne have graciously loaned us their work vehicle to go on our excursion today. Pray that my jungle driving skills have not diminished, and that our ability to follow rural directions is honed by the Holy Ghost. Pray for divine connections, favor, and most important, revelation of the plan of God. Thank you for helping.
pastorvirgil.com 