GUATEMALA Panabuj by Michael Douris

There are all kinds of days we experience throughout our lives – we have good days, bad days, happy days, not so happy days, productive days and days that will never end – I could go on and on – and so could you. But every now and then the Lord arranges a day that drives you to your knees and you know that you will not be the same after that day is over – today was such a day.

It started out as early travel at 6am to a place called Leoma just outside Chichicastenango near Lake Atitlan. We were meeting with pastors about a possible school in that area. We left very encouraged by what we saw and were blessed by the humility and faith of the pastors. We headed to Lake Atitlan to visit the site of families affected by hurricane Stan in fall of 2005. We had heard the day before that many families were still displaced and many children were orphaned and not receiving education.

Little did we know what was before us as we got into the small motor boat to cross the lake to go to Santiago, Atitlan. Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world surrounded by three volcanos on its southern flank. Its depth is not known as it has not been totally sounded but estimates are it is a least 340 meters deep. Our boat pounded on the choppy water as we approached the weathered docks where we were immediately greeted by cabbies that were ready to take us where ever we wanted to go in their three wheel motorized bikes. A boy about ten jumped into the boat and started speaking in Spanish expecting us to know what he was saying – good thing we had Gloria – who quickly told him we did not need his services as a guide. When we left later to return home, he asked for money and when asked what he did for us to earn it, he replied, “I offered my services – it was not my fault you did not use them.”
As we made our way up the unsteady dock, Pastor Diego emerged from his vehicle and welcomed us. He asked us to use the cabbies to get to his church as he did not have room in his car. It was an interesting ride up the mountain to the church. I had been in Santiago before and walked up the steep mountainous streets - though it was easier to ride - I was thinking it was not near as safe as I watched the cabbie weave between vehicles and hop over speed bumps.

Once at the church, pastor Diego dropped off his passengers and asked us to accompany him to the area impacted by the hurricane. He headed to the small village of Panabaj which was a very short distance from Santiago. We immediately saw the massive devastation. Children from the village came running up to see what we were doing there as Pastor Diego described that night. He said it had been raining all day when at about midnight the fireman came to the village and said they thought that it would be good to evacuate the area. The villagers were in shock and many were reluctant to leave for fear of losing the few possessions they owned. At about three am they heard and felt tremors - not knowing what was happening - they came out of their homes to see a huge mudslide cascading down the volcanic mountain. In a panic, they thought that their only safety was in their homes but as they tried to run into them they saw their neighbors, men, women and children being swept away by the force of the mudflow. It was too late and about six am a larger mudslide buried most of the town in volcanic mud, boulders and wet ash. It completely changed the landscape of the town to where it is barely recognizable.

We were standing in an open field at the base of the volcano where 800 families once lived and there was no trace that anyone had ever lived there except one small foundation of the nicest house in the village. Under the ground are buried many that died that night. It was impossible to find the bodies under the mud so they left it as it is. What was once a village is now a memorial of the 500 lives lost that night – 100 of them children. The buildings that survived are vacant destroyed by the mudslide with each wall marked permanently indicating the level of the mud as it pounded into them. All along the road huge boulders had been pushed out of the street that had careened down the mountain carried by the flood waters. The ground is now a dark volcanic ash and everywhere carved through streets and fields are the remains of the rivers of mud as they carved a new landscape heading to the lake.

The impact to families has been devastating. Over 800 families, approximately 7,000 men women and children live in what was supposed to be temporary housing. A village has been set up in the middle of a field where scores of small metal buildings and tin outhouses line up one after another – no water, no electricity - no hope. There is one elementary school that the city set up that cares for about 600 kids with 10 teachers – that is it. The government began building permanent houses out of cinder block but decided that the area was too dangerous after building many of the structures. Next to the tin village there are half completed cinder block houses symbolizing the hopelessness of the family’s situation. Whenever it rains the villages run to Santiago in fear that the mudslide will happen again.

This is now the ministry field of Pastor Diego. As he took us through the village scores of men, women and children ran up to him and waved hello. He has lived in Santiago his whole life. He told us he grew up in extreme poverty. He got his first pair of shoes when he was eleven. His teacher sewed pieces of craft paper together so he would have stationary to write on and he remembers how proud he was of possessing one pencil. Pastor Diego only completed the fifth grade. His father was murdered in the civil war so he had to care for his mother and a sister who had epilepsy. He grew up in the Baptist Church that his grandmother started and his father was pastor. When his father was murdered, he was asked to become its Sheppard.

He is a man a great conviction and determination to tell his people about the love of Christ. He told us that he has very little money but what he has he shares with the kids who lost everything. He says he tells them that Jesus is not only their past and present but also their future. He said he knows what it means to be poor and have no hope and he wants desperately to reach out to them with the love of Christ. He has been used to grow a vibrant church of 400 people built through the Lord using his vision, talent and drive to serve.

As he drove us to the dock to catch our boat before night fell, he turned to me and said, “I only have the words given to Paul in his vision the Lord gave him to go to Macedonia, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” I looked up those verses when I got back to my room tonight. His words stirred my spirit when Diego challenged me. Acts 16:6-10 says,

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Pastor Diego says he had teachers ready to teach and a church ready to respond to open a school for this village. He says it would be such an encouragement and witness to the community if that could become a reality. He said education is there future. He showed us the library the church built which is most of the second floor of his church. The pastor who only finished the fifth grade knows for the children of his village to have a future they must first have Jesus and a good education.

Orphan Outreach wants to help but needs churches and individuals to come along side and make this dream a reality for a people who are currently living without hope. Please pray for Pastor Diego, his church and the people of Panabaj - and pray about what the Lord would have you do to have an impact on this community.