On December 3, we started out with the ambitious goal to visit 5 of the municipios. They were relatively close together so it seemed feasible. We visited Patzicia, then Patzun, then almost to Acotenango where we turned left to go to Pochuta. First sign...dirt road, and not such a good road either...but off we went...and went...and went...30 minutes riding the roads through the coffee fincas...1 hour...30 minutes more windy roads on the steep sides of the coffee mountainside...2 hours...surely we must have missed a turn somewhere! We returned to the aldea we had passed about 30 minutes back to ask the way to Pochuta. Well, he said, that's the carretera (road), only 2 1/2 more hours on that road. there's one road in and out and that's it. We still had to visit Acotenango and Yecopapa and it was getting close to 1 o'clock and since we had not eaten lunch we decided to continue on to these two municipios and save Pochuta for another day. But what beautiful sights we had seen that enticed us to return soon.
Saturday, December 5 we started out very early...6:45am because we wanted to ensure we were home in time for the SEC championship football game at 3 pm. Off we drove. We passed the little tienda where we had inquired the way. Rounding one of the very rocky dirt curves, we heard a pop and then a shhhhhhhh. It can't be...we haven't even reached the place where we turned around on Wednesday...but it was. A sharp rock had pierced one of our brand-new tires and was gone :( Now we spent about 30 or 45 minutes changing the tire in the middle of nowhere but with tons of little bugs who feasted on some tasty flesh...us! Well, we had to return home...no going forward without a spare. Another day!
We decided that Wednesday, December 8 would be the day. Packing a lunch and water, we left at 8:15 am. For the third time, we took that sharp left turn on the dusty dirt rough road...and kept going. At least we were being entertained with puffs from Volcan Fuego.
Then we came around another curve and could see volcanoes from around Lake Atitlan. Such a beautiful sight!
We passed the little tienda where we had been told to continue on. We passed the place where we had the flat tire. We continued on...and on...and on. Now we had thought that the road we had traveled before was rough, but it was like smooth glass compared to these roads!!
Ride along with us for a few seconds...
Knowing that we must be close for Pochuta about noon, we topped the hill to see
men tearing up the boards of the bridge and replacing it with rebar wire. David inquired as to when they might possibly be finished...by three o'clock. David returned to the truck saying he just couldn't turn around and return another day. We would just wait, go into town and get a place to spend the night and return home on Thursday. So we ate our banana and peanut butter sandwich and waited. We talked with a friend, Jose who told us we were only about 20 minutes away from Pochuta.
Finally around 4, the men put the boards back at the end of the bridge...and said they would return the following day to complete the work. We watched about 5 cars, trucks, vans cross the brige coming toward us then we headed across into Pochuta. We entered town and began the search to secure a place for the night. Within 10 minutes, we realized there was "no room." There were no hotels and only one farmacia which had a room upstairs which had not entertained people for quite some time and therefore was not ready for us. We visited briefly with some evangelicals and returned to the truck. What a sinking feeling to know that now we had to retrace our ride home and now at this time of the day with dark coming soon.
I don't have pictures to verify that trip home. But let me tell you those roads that looked awful in the light of day were ten times worse at night. The side roads that feed into the main trail/road look like the return road in the black night. But the same God that directs our paths in the brightness of day continues to lead the way in the darkness of night. We arrived home five hours later completing a 13 hour day of traveling! Thanks for praying for us as we travel major highways, roads and jungle trails searching the areas without Gospel access in order that the Good News of Salvation would pierce the darkness and shine in the hearts of men and women and boys and girls.
That is the reason we travel all over Guatemala...that they may hear and receive. Continue to pray for us. Continue to pray with us. Continue to give that all may hear.
1 comment:
What a story! Everything even a little "outing" turns into an adventure in Latin America.
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