Beyond "Ashes and Indians" (Part 1)... that wasn't the end!

When we left last summer, they said, "Don't forget us!  Come back and visit us!"

I chronicled* our journey to the indigenous people with whom we grew up, and with whom our parents worked for so long...to bury Mom's and Dad's ashes in their tribal cemetery.  (Here, we posed with the pastor and his wife.)
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Remembering their words, my husband and I, along with my sister who is here visiting, are going to do just that.  On Sunday we will be with them at the church for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and then join them for their church service.

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So...what will we do?  The older people remember. They lived our parents' presence, dedication and love. The younger ones know them only from their tribal "history", only what they have heard. We can help them know Bruce and Joyce a little more, sharing pictures, stories, memories... Stories of how the God Who loved them sent someone to their tribe to give them His Word...and live for them His Love...should never disappear from their lore.  I want them to remember how important they were...and still are.

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You see...the gifting was not one-way only.  They also gave to us.  Mom and Dad valued the friendships made with these kind, generous people...together they loved, worked, cried, laughed, prayed...

Years later, Mom told me that there had been times in the tribe when she had little to feed us four kids.  But every time this happened, one of the Tsáchila would stop by with a gift of freshly-caught fish, a haunch of wild game, smoked meat, etc...

In my series last summer, I told of the time when, as a child, I saw what I thought was a turtle near the river and started reaching out to touch it.  Just in time, several little indigenous boys appeared and yelled at me that it was a snake!  Once again, God had used them to help us.

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Psalm 78 speaks beautifully of what I would love to believe will always be true of this special group of people, especially our fellow-believers.

"...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord...statutes...the law...so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn will tell their children..."

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                             We have not forgotten the Tsáchila...but better yet,
                                      neither has God...and He never will!
                                     Father, may they always remember this.
                                         May they always remember You!
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*to read last summer's posts: Ashes and Indians, Part I