[07.22 - Monday] Rappelling & Sightseeing

San Cristobal, Arcotete (rappelling), San Juan ChamulaFor breakfast this morning, we had cereal and fruit. We had to have a quick breakfast because we were going to go to a place where we could go rappelling down the side of a cliff. Once we got there, Nathan set up the equipment for rappelling and explained the basics. After that, we started taking turns going down the 100-foot cliff. Some had gone rappelling before and had no trouble going down, but others, who had not gone before, had a slightly harder time. Even with their difficulties in doing it for the first time, they enjoyed it. Everyone was able to go down several times.Near the end, a couple of the team went on the zip-line (there wasn’t time for everyone to go, but the others will hopefully get to go on it next week). After packing up the gear, we headed back for lunch. Before we ate a man who sells hammocks came to the house. He had quite a variety and several on the team bought hammocks from him. When he left and after lunch, many people took naps.In the afternoon, we all packed into the van and went to see a church in San Juan Chamula. The outside of the church was white with blueish trim around the huge door. It also had a belfry with three bells. The middle bell was the largest, the one on the left was medium, and the one on the right was the smallest. The sight that met our eyes as we walked in was a dark interior with tons of candles burning on the floor with people kneeling down at them praying to their saints. Both sides of the walls were covered with wooden cases with statutes of their saints. It was a heartbreaking sight to see all the hopelessness there. People with no hope of life – only reincarnation – and with no point to their lives, attempting to appease the saints in order to receive a better life. The oppression there that we could feel was stifling! When we left, we headed home, had supper, and then had a team meeting.- DaisyEditor's note: Pictures inside the San Juan Chamula church are prohibited because of religious superstitions, hence the fact that we have only one picture of this "field trip." However, it was a good eye-opener for the team of the intense spiritual warfare that we fight every day but often don't recognize in our own communities. The sights, smells, and sounds of the San Juan Chamula church are not easily forgotten! Pray that these lost and hopeless people will see the light of the Gospel!