Area students pay 'visit' to Guatemala

Tim Loudermilk, the deacon over missions at Fairlane Church of Christ, shows children in the Bedford County School Age Care Program, a machete used to chop down sugar cane in Guatemala. Children were shown many aspects of the Central American country. (T-G Photo by Tamara Belinc) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Children in the Bedford County School Age Care Program rode a "chicken bus" into Guatemala this week.

So, it wasn't exactly Guatemala, but it was a reasonable facsimile at Fairlane Church of Christ at what they are calling a learning center.

"This is our first year doing it," said Iris Whitney, a member of the church who was in charge of designing the center. "It started in Dallas, but we got the idea from a church in Smyrna. This is the second learning center in Tennessee."

When they first started, they weren't sure which country they wanted to do.

"Tim Loudermilk, the deacon over missions, asked me to choose which country I wanted to do," she said.

Transformation

Since she had visited Central America and fallen in love with Guatemala, she decided to turn what used to be part of a daycare center into the country she was smitten with.

"I chose Guatemala because it is so interesting," she said. "Most of the people are direct descendents of the Mayans. Many still have their own indigenous languages and still dress traditionally."

The people in Guatemala are very poor, she said, but she describes them as a happy people with large families and parents who are devoted to their children.

"Life is hard for them," she said. "They have no electricity, and some live in hovels. I've said I wouldn't let my horse live in some of them."

Help wanted

The purpose of the learning center is to interest the congregation and others in the general public in missionary work.

"There is a definite need for missionaries," she said. "They need humanitarian aid."

The church has taken several mission trips to the area. Iris, a former teacher, often focuses on education, but has taken engineering trips with her husband to build bridges and water systems. Dr. Buddy Koonce, a local dentist, and Dr. Howard Rupard both provide medical care to the people.

"You don't have to be a teacher or a doctor or an engineer to help," she said. "We need people to teach them about the Bible. Most are Roman Catholic, but many are ignorant of the scripture."

Mixed culture

She says many believe in Christ but still want to keep their orignal pagan culture. They often combine their traditional culture with Christianity.

Iris did a tremendous amount of research before she started with the painting. She asked her husband, Lee, to help with the artwork, which included intricate murals on the wall and a Mayan temple.

"We came almost every day for three months," she said. "We started right after Christmas. We had about 35 people who helped. Lee and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lee was an artist and studied it until he realized he had to make a living."

'Bus' ride

The tour starts on a "chicken bus." These buses started as school buses in the United States, but after they are retired, they are sent down South, where they are refurbished and used for transportation.

"They are painted and are incredibly beautiful," she said. "It takes two people to operate a chicken bus, one person to drive and one person to operate the air horn. I think the person with the loudest air horn has the right of way."

They will next travel to Lake Atitlan, which is known as the place where the rainbow gets its color. The lake is surrounded by volcanoes, which are painted on the wall, although a three dimensional "volcano" rests in the corner.

"It is said to be the most beautiful spot on Earth," she said, "and I've been there and it is beautiful."

Next, tourgoers will visit a hacienda where a Guatemalan family lives.

"They will go through farmland and see a cornfield, a barn scene with animals and sugar cane," she said.

Murals tell story

Much of this is illustrated through murals on the wall, although the barn scene is three dimensional.

The next stop will be the town of Santiago, where tourgoers will find out about the Day of the Dead festival.

"Different cities celebrate it in different ways, but in Santiago, they have a world class kite festival," she said. "People come from all over the world for it."

Families take a picnic lunch down to the cemetery and eat on the graves of their loved ones.

"It's a day to remember their ancestors," she said. "It's a big event."

A street market with many different wares, including masks, artwork, baskets and jewelry, comes next. Katie Loudermilk then explains about food products to the tourgoers.

A rubber plantation is next, where those on the tour will hear about the first ball game.

"The Mayans were the first people to invent rubber," Iris said. "The Mayans made the first bouncing ball. When the Spaniards came, they thought the ball was possessed."

The next stop is the Peten Jungle, where vines hang from the ceiling and feature howler monkeys and wild orchids. A jungle scene graces the walls surrounding the vines. A tarantula crawls across the floor, and a three-dimensional Mayan temple awaits.

Serious mission

After all of this is over, those taking the tour are shown a wall of photographs, depicting various mission trips. Koonce or Rupard leads this part of the tour.

The building will remain Guatemala for a full year and then they will decide on what other country they might want to do.

"We might fill it with sand and do Saudi Arabia," Koonce said.

Several churches in the area have expressed an interest in taking the tour and Loudermilk hopes to open it to the public soon.

"We want to get people as interested in mission work as we can," he said.

More photos may be seen in Sunday's print edition.