A note from the Fickers about Zona Reina

We wanted to share this e-mail from Leslie Ficker about their trip. Leslie is the medical missionary that Don works with in Guatemala.

"We left Monday morning as soon as the fog cleared out. Duane made 5 trips in that day on to a 1000 foot runway that had a pretty steep incline. It was one of the few times I have really seen my husband nervous. He is such a good pilot and so careful, I knew that this was a pretty tricky landing. It was hot and humid as we landed and were greeted by 50 - 75 young men. We set up in their community center which they proudly said had been recently built. It had a dirt floor, tin roof and wooden slats for walls. It was equipped with a bench and a small table. We borrowed many more benches from the Catholic church and got set up before the next group arrived. We saw close to 300 people in that day and a half. The community is small (only about 250 people) and several of the surrounding villages had been invited but the leaders said that they didn't really believe that we would come so not that many people came. We showed the Jesus film in Kek'chi in the evening and were pretty amazed at the turn out who watched silently. No one accepted the call to salvation but we know that seed was planted that night.

There is a small church in San Pedro. I spoke for quite a while with Juan who is leading the church for the moment. There are 6 families now who call themselves Christians. THe rest of the community is Mayan Catholic (a combination of their Mayan pagan beliefs and Catholicism). Juan has been saved for 9 years and has actually had some discipleship through a mission in Coban which we know is a good Biblically sound program. He has suffered rejection from his community as a result of his faith and his life and the life of his family has been threatened many times. One time they came to his home with a rope threatening to hang him and burn his home. He has stayed and remained faithful but recently the mission has abandoned this little church as it is too remote. He expressed feeling alone, forgotten and discouraged...understandably.

Before we left yesterday afternoon, several of the leaders expressed their desire for us to return as soon as possible. We can see the hand of God working in this little village, preparing hearts. And we know that He has been equipping us to go into those areas where people are lost and forgotten...because we want them to know that there is a God who has not forgotten them." - from Leslie Ficker