09 Oct In Venezuela with the Reecks

Roger and Marilyn Reeck, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Honduras

On Sunday we eagerly watched the presidential elections in Venezuela. A few months ago we had little interest in that country but, since last May when we helped at the first One Story workshop, the Lord has laid this South American country on our hearts. We are consultant/trainers for two of the five One Story projects there.

During this past week we have feverishly worked on Spanish stories for the next One Story workshop. We leave on Wednesday, October 11, again for Venezuela. Our time will be divided between two activities. We fly together to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and the next day leave separately to two different areas of the country. Marilyn will travel to a Karina village, and Roger will travel to the Amazonas to visit a Curripaco village area. We will be observing One Story projects among these ethnic groups. We will then travel to a retreat center near the city of Valencia for a one week workshop. There will be 5 different language groups represented.

La Ceiba One Story Workshop. This was truly an exercise in flexibility. The particular group of participants, the date (finally settled on September 17-27), and the focus of the workshop kept changing. Finally, plans came together and then things changed again. We were to have 3 participants from Venezuela, one from Mexico, 2 from Honduras, and one from Nicaragua. Then the day they were to arrive, 3 were not able to fly (passport and yellow fever vaccine problems). We regrouped and came up with new workshop topics and schedule. The participants included Braulio from Venezuela; Jotam, a Mayagna Indian from Nicaragua; and two Misquito men from Honduras. Praise the Lord that in spite of many difficulties, the goals were achieved.

The end of October, Roger will leave for Texas and be in the US until the middle of December. His pain level has remained high while here in Honduras, and we have chosen that he not be here during the months of the worst rains. We pray that being in a different weather situation will help relieve his pain. He continues to wear the boot and prosthesis on his left leg.