December 2003 Vol. 8 No. 4
Dan and Kay Finley serving in Guatemala
Lutheran Bible TranslatorsCONNECTING THE DOTS
"Grandma, what is this supposed to be?"
Kay looked up from her mending to check out the picture our six-year-old granddaughter was drawing by connecting a series of dots. Taylor was right. The picture didn't make much sense. A closer look revealed that she had missed a number along the way, distorting the design into an unrecognizable object. Correcting the number sequence quickly solved the problem and a powerful cougar jumping from a tree emerged from the page.
Throughout the past few months it has been apparent that God has been using us as "dots" here in Guatemala. By putting us in the right place at the right time He has enabled us to make a difference in the lives of many people. We would like to share some of those experiences with you. Join us as we "connect the dots" to reveal "pictures" of our recent experiences.
The relationship between Lutheran Bible Translators and Cristo Para Todas las Naciones (The Lutheran Hour Ministry here in Guatemala) continues to develop. In October we combined our efforts to bring the story of Jesus to the children in a nearby village.
For almost a year Dan and Kay have been working with a nutrition project in San Juan del Obispo near Antigua. As one of the "dots" in this picture, we have served as a resource for Carlos and Marisol Perez, a young couple with three children who serve dinner five nights a week to about fifty of the poorest children in their village.
Realizing that Cristo Para Todas las Naciones has many excellent materials for children's education, Dan asked Rebeca de Franco, the Guatemala director, if she could present a program for the children. When Dan suggested the proposal to Carlos, he was thrilled and the plan began to take shape.
Carlos issued personal invitations and, on October 26, Rebeca, her daughter, and two volunteers descended on San Juan del Obispo to tell the children about Jesus. About seventy-five children and their single mothers crowded together on the small benches and overflowed onto he cold cement floor. Armed with puppets, clowns, stories, and a video, Rebeca and her crew worked their magic as the children stared, mesmerized for two hours by the captivating activities. To highlight the afternoon, several children and adults made decisions to follow Jesus.
Dan stood on the sidelines as the afternoon unfolded. It was wonderful to be able to "connect the dots" that brought the message of Jesus' love to the children of San Juan del Obispo.
Have you ever wondered how an illness could be a blessing? In Kay's case her illness was a blessing to a 66-year-old German traveler and another "dot" in the picture.
When Kay's cold and congestion developed into a pulmonary infection she was admitted at a local hospital. As the nurses were getting her settled, the doctor poked his head into the room and asked Dan if he could help.
Dan followed Dr. Bonilla into the next room where a man was lying in bed. Fluent in German and English, but unable to understand any Spanish, Nicholas had arrived in Guatemala two days earlier and suddenly needed an emergency hernia operation. Dr. Bonilla asked Dan to translate as he explained the urgency of the situation. Then Dan called a German friend who could comfort Nicholas in his own language.
As they waited for the surgery team to prepare, Dan visited with Nicholas. Nicholas confessed that, once a devout Catholic, he had left the church some years earlier. Because both his mother and his brother had died at age 66, he also faced a superstitious fear of dying during surgery.
We prayer for Nicholas that night, and we continue to pray that he will recover completely from his surgery and find healing for his spirit as well.
MORE DOTS
The nutrition project in San Juan del Obispo has provided other "dots" in the picture.
When Stan McMillen, a fellow Lutheran Bible Translators missionary here in Guatemala, heard about the program, he connected Dan with a vegetable co-op in the nearby Magdalena Milpas Altas. The co-op collects vegetables from Guatemalan farmers, sorts them for imperfections, and prepares the export-quality vegetables for shippers to the United States and other countries.
Following the sorting process, the rejects are then made available to qualified projects as donations. The nutrition project qualified for their donation list, so now every Monday we make a trip to the co-op to collect fifty pounds of green beans and summer squash to feed the children.
One cloudy Monday morning as we returned to Antigua with the vegetables, we saw a disabled car along the highway. In front of the car stood a Ladina woman and a young boy.
The woman told Kay that her husband was coming on foot from Antigua to help her. san showed the woman how to put the car in neutral and coast down the mountain to shorten the distance her husband would have to walk. The man was very happy to see all of us when we picked him up several miles later.
As we prepared to tow the car to a mechanic, the woman explained that her husband was a doctor in San Lucas and every month he does volunteer work at a mission near San Juan del Obispo. She was on her way to pick him up when she had car trouble. Their family was very grateful that we were "dots" traveling from Magdalena Milpas Altas to Antigua that morning.
THE PICTURE
One by one the "dots" fit into place. As we "connect the dots," the images take shape and a picture begins to appear.
In the picture we see a star, shining brightly in the night sky. We follow the star's rays to find a small table. Inside the stable is a manger filled with hay and surrounded by animals. Seated near the manger are a young man and his wife, and in the manger, asleep on the hay, is a baby.
Of course, this baby isn't just any baby. This baby is special. This baby is the reason we celebrate Christmas. This baby is Jesus.
As this Christmas season approaches we thank God for allowing us to be "dots" here in Guatemala. We have been blessed to be God's hands in this country. We pray that God would give us willing hearts to be obedient servants every day, using us as "dots" so that others might recognize the real picture — Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas!
Dan & Kay