Charles Dickens wrote a classic novel titled, A Tale of Two Cities. We have a tale of three cities (well, really more like jungle villages) that reminds us that God is not limited in His work even during this pandemic year.
Our family lived and worked among the Kuna people of Panama from 1985 to 2004. This was the foundation of our current literacy ministry. Last week, we received a phone call from Panama with an update on the expansion and growth of the Kuna churches. It is a tale of three cities.
After the Gospel had been presented in the village where we worked and the church was growing, the believers and our team traveled upriver to the next two villages requesting permission to place trained, Kuna missionaries in the villages. The chiefs refused the Gospel at that time. For years the believers continued to reach out and build relationships, praying that God would open doors. Ten years later (long after we had to leave the village) the first village upriver asked that Kuna literacy teachers be sent to their village.
Literacy teachers and their families gladly moved to the village and began classes. They were also strong believers in Christ! As people learned to read, permission was given to teach God’s Book, and a second church was born. The recent phone call reported that this church is now larger than the first church and has its own local church leadership. The Kuna missionaries, Anelio & Silverixia, are being sent back home to their village as the church is standing strong!
And there’s more! The third village that was so resistant now has two young believers who have been used by God to open the doors to that village. The village chiefs asked that our dear friend Edelfonso, a leader in the first church, come to their village and begin teaching God’s Word. The village has already built a hut in anticipation of hearing “God’s Talk.”
If you are interested in some pictures and background on these three villages to help you pray, we’ve gathered six blog posts with the tag “a tale of three cities” at https://blogs.ethnos360.org/jerry-mcdaniels/tag/a-tale-of-three-cities/. We’d recommend beginning at the bottom with the oldest post and reading in chronological order.
Jerry and Joyce McDaniels says
Thank you for your prayers, Evelyn. God has done great things through the faithful lives of our Kuna brothers and sisters. They are truly heroes in the faith!
Evelyn Ironside says
Praise God for bring forth fruit in these villages where the word of God had been planted. Ten years later. Wonderful. He is faithful. Will pray for that ministry in Kuna.
Katy says
So encouraging to hear! And a reminder as we have some villages at just the beginning stage, but we can think of the long term bigger picture and press on.