Tabita

November 11, 2011

We entered the day without plans or objectives. Over breakfast we decided to discuss the plans for the day and we both had been given the same idea for the day – the need to connect with the director of a Christian School in Cotzal. Clear leading. So we postponed our trip out of Nebaj and set out trying to find a way to connect with the director, Tabita. Within a half hour we had an appointment to meet with her in Cotzal at 11am. Clear leading.

Tabita runs a Christian School for students in grades 1 – 6. She operates the school on a shoestring budget – in fact her teachers do not receive compensation most of the time. The school is a shared/loaned space with a leaky roof and one very nasty bathroom (for all the students and their teachers).  She has 82 students enrolled who each pay 25Q per month for enrollment (about $3).  

A little about Tabita – her father was a prominent pastor in Cotzal in the 1980’s. This was at the height of the war. He was one of the many unfortunate who were caught in the middle.  He would go out to the villages and preach, where the Guerillas would think he was a spy of the army. He would go back to Cotzal to his home church and the Army would think he was a spy for the Guerillas. Somewhere in between he was executed in 1983. Somehow Tabita was able to rise above her difficult upbringing and get herself an education. Eventually she earned a Licenciaturo en Adminstracion Educativa degree. She felt called back to help the children of Cotzal, so 11 years ago she returned to teach.

Tabita recently organized some times of prayer in the community of Cotzal. She was able to get 20 churches in Cotzal to open their doors for prayer. Then at 5pm for 5 minutes the entire town came out and prayed for their pueblo 2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Please join us in praying about what role WIND might have in enhancing the learning environment for this school. We have felt lead to this doorstep, and we have found an open door with a huge need awaiting us on the other side.