It's been an eventful nine years for Chilton Baptist Association, with at least one missions trip to Guatemala every year and sometimes multiple trips in one year.
On Aug. 12–18, a team of 13 traveled once more to Guatemala, Chimaltenango district, to work with International Mission Board representatives David and Glynis Miller one more time before they retire in December.
The association was introduced to the Millers when Alabama Baptists began a three-year partnership with Guatemalan Baptists in 2006.
This year’s team was comprised of volunteers from Bell Lane Baptist Church, Clanton; Maplesville Baptist Church; Friendship Baptist Church, Clanton; Pleasant Grove #1 Baptist Church, Jemison; and Mount Bethel Baptist Church, Clanton; along with Director of Missions Larry Felkins and his wife, Judy.
The team spent the week providing free medical clinics to Mayan Indians in four cities around Antigua, where the Millers serve. More than 400 patients were served at the clinics. Volunteers also shared the gospel through personal evangelism and delivered about 30 bags of groceries and Bibles in Spanish to individual homes in the communities. Six people prayed to receive Christ as their Savior, according to Felkins.
He said several amazing things happened while the team was in Guatemala — moments he said he’ll never forget.
One “miracle” that took place on the trip was when the team was welcomed into a gated and guarded community called “December 29.” No evangelical group has ever been allowed into the self-governed Mayan Indian community that was established when the six-year-long Civil War ended Dec. 29, 1996.
During the war the government attacked the Mayan Indians and their land was confiscated. It was a very brutal war, Felkins said, noting that if the Mayans stood in the way, they were killed for their land. The Catholic Church sided with the government at the time so the members of December 29 are very anti-religion and “distrust churches of any kind.”
No churches
“There are no churches of any kind in this community,” Felkins said.
Recently a Mayan Indian member of a church in a city nearby formed a relationship with some December 29 members. The group eventually invited the Christian woman into the community to teach the children the Mayan dialect, something many of the children were beginning to lose.
Through that connection Chilton Association and other members of the neighboring church were allowed to enter the community to provide a medical clinic in August. The team was told they would not be able to give away any tracts, Bibles or be able to share their faith.
But what happened that day was “very special,” Felkins said. “It was a spiritual thing. I cannot explain it. … Not only did they allow us to give out gospel tracts and Bibles but they even allowed two members of our team to visit in homes and pray for them. … God is at work in that place” and doors were opened for further ministry in December 29.
During the trip the team also visited the land purchased by the association and two churches in Georgia for Pastor Apolinario Quixquinay, who serves at God is Love Baptist Church, San Andres Itzapa, about 45 minutes from Antigua.
The church grew from a Bible study with a handful of children to nearly 200 Mayan Indians in worship every Sunday.
When Pastor Apolinario (or Pastor Polo, as Felkins affectionately calls him) suddenly found himself kicked off his land and out of his home because of persecution by his family, the Millers called on Chilton Association for help. Volunteers from the association had met Pastor Polo on the second associational missions trip years ago and formed a friendship with him so they were happy and willing to help.
About $20,000 was given to Pastor Polo and with it he purchased land overlooking the city he ministers to and has begun building a small three-room house for his family.
“As I walked the property with my friend Apolinario,” Felkins said, “I had the overwhelming feeling we were walking on holy ground.”
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