They were only 14 years old!

All of the Tsachi men in this 45-year-old picture are in native dress. The one on the left, Samuel, wears the short black-and-white-striped skirt (woven by his wife)...which nowadays no one  wears!  All have their hair properly cut and coiffed with annato into a bright red "cap".

Now look at the young man in the center.  If you read my last post, you saw a picture of him!  In fact, he's been in about every post I've written about our visits to Cóngoma.  In that photo, he's 14 years old...
                                            ..and in this one, taken a couple of weeks ago,  he's 59.                

On our last visit, Primitivo pulled that first photo from his pocket and asked if we knew who the people were...particularly the one in the middle!   As I wrote before, Primitivo was one of Dad's language helpers, starting very young.  When we remember the people God used to bring the Tsáchila His Word, this fine man must be included.  

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Here's another Tsachi that I remember from when she was 14 and about to be married.  She was such a pretty, willowy lass.  Carán (whose nickname {Pelá} meant "spider") is now 66, wiry and as skinny as a rail!  Every time we go, she asks about our next visit. 

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At 14, Tsachi youngsters are becoming adults.  But  Primitivo and Carán were even younger when they first  heard of their Savior, and I think this Bible passage appropriate for them:   

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,  knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." 

 (II Timothy 3:14-15)

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Thank You, Father, for  Primitivo and Carán, along with all the other Tsachi believers, who will be joining us Heaven!  

My Tsachi brother's tears

It was a lovely surprise! I had told them I missed the singing in their own language. And they remembered!  At the end of the service, this group led everyone in praise.  My heart was filled,  hearing them all sing with so much enthusiasm.

(And there I go, starting at the end again!)  My husband and I went to join the service in the Tsachi church in Cóngoma (the area in which we kids grew up), taking with us some literature in their language.  They wanted more Bibles, but we also had other books (including a couple with the old legends and stories that were written down so they wouldn't be lost).

We began our evening by arriving late! It wasn't easy to find the way in the night (no streetlights out that far).  As soon as we got there (after being asked "did you get lost?"), we were given the pulpit.

First of all, I told them about the books we had brought, including the few Bibles we had been able to find.  Then, I made my Tsachi brother cry.  Primitivo, the leader in the Cóngoma church, had been one of my father's language helpers...from about the age of 14!  Going through the Bibles, I had found one which had belonged to my father!  He had written his name in it.  I thought it would be fitting to gift it to Primitivo.

I asked him to come to the front, and explained that this Bible was my dad's, and my siblings and I wanted him to have it.  I didn't expect his reaction!  He stared down at the Bible he now held in his hands, then slowly lifted his head and looked at me...and his eyes were filled with tears.  His lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but was too overwhelmed.  Finally he just nodded to me, trying to communicate how touched he was, and how much he appreciated it...but his tears had already let me know!

I wish we had videoed that precious moment!  (This photo was taken afterwards.)

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Germán gave the message then, and the service continued.  Later he posed with Primitivo and with Marco, a "white" brother who comes with his family to help "shepherd" the flock.  Then we shared Banana Bread again!

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Paul wrote something in Colossians 2:3 that sums up pretty well what we feel resonating in our hearts for the Tsachi believers:  "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

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Thank You, Father, for letting us share such special moments!