December 2006

Dear Friends,

The Chorti Mayan people on the Guatemala-Honduras border are making huge strides in building community and improving their lives. Among the people most excluded in Honduras, the Chorti Mayas have to struggle to obtain basic necessities. At the same time, they also struggle with issues of self-esteem and trust. Their religious beliefs and their culture lead them to accept things the way they are. It’s hard for them to grasp the idea that through their own initiative they can change things and better their lives.

Recently, I (Gloria) visited the community of Chonco, Copan, one of the poorest in the region. We started a self-construction housing project this year, and some mission teams have been working with the community. In September the bus taking me and one of the mission teams out to Chonco got stuck in the mud.

We worked all day with people from the community trying to get the bus out of the ditch. On our way back to Copan, two people from the community accompanied us, and one of them, Marcos, had been in charge of repairing the road before the group arrived. I asked him why his group hadn’t done the work.

He said that when they started to work it got very hot and then the rain came. Since they couldn’t do anything in the rain, they went home. And since God sent rain, Marcos explained, they need to give thanks to God for the rain.

I asked them if it had rained the following days. No, he said, other days it hadn’t rained. On Sunday, they had been playing soccer and after that they’d stayed home, and that is why the road hadn’t gotten fixed. “Anyhow,” he said, “one needs to do all that God wants you to do.”

I said that agreed partly with this, but pointed out that one part of living in community is doing the tasks we are supposed to do. It isn’t fair if others work hard during the week and when it’s your turn you don’t work. Awareness of this is especially acute during a community house-building project.

We talked about how living in community means that we all need to do our part—because here on earth we are part of the miracles that are carried out. When people as poor as they are build their own houses—pretty ones—they they’re all participating in a miracle.

“Well,” he said, “that means that miracles don’t really exist.” “Of course they do,” I said, “but there are two types of miracles—those that are carried out by faith that we can’t explain and then those that are based on faith which we help to bring about. We have a role in this. Jesus didn’t tell us to sit down and everything will fall down from above. Rather, he said we need to do our part. He sent the disciples to feed the multitudes. He didn’t tell people to pray to the Father to send something to eat. He said we must have compassion for people. If we don’t have compassion and do our part to help the needy then we are against what Jesus taught us. That’s Jesus’ most important message: that we love one another, and that we should live in community in order to create the Kingdom of God. Some say that the Kingdom of God is far away, but Jesus’ teaching oblige us to work for the Kingdom of God here on Earth.

We were got to Copan, Marcos went off to do some errands. On our way back to the community, another man, Eluterio, told me, “Doña Gloria, I liked what we have been talking about, and I understand what you want to say. I understand that I am a leader because I am doing my part, and I want to form part of this community and the construction of the kingdom here on Earth. Eluterio is one of the best leaders I have found. He works without ceasing and is always doing his part.

We give thanks at this time of year for so many things: for the opportunity to serve and for your continued communication and support for us, and for the engagement of people who are striving to build communities and improve loving conditions.

Season’s greetings,

Tim and Gloria Wheeler

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.59