Jon and Jen Quast Learning Language and Culture of Paraguay Wow, is all I have to say. This video communicates the mission so clearly in many ways, but let me take a minute and clarify a couple of comments:
“The spirits eat us…” This is a common belief worldwide. The idea is that there are spirits running around the jungle, the open field, or wherever. They could be big, they could be small. But in many society’s belief system, some spirits purpose is to eat man. I recall one tribal group where in their legends (which they believe to be 100% true) the creator god created a spirit called the yama with the sole purpose of eating man. Therefore the cause of death is not seen in the Biblical light (because of sin) but rather because of a capricious spirit being hunting them (although you can’t see them) and because of a malicious god. Very significant statement into what the Moi believe.
“Slashed me to remove the bad blood…” When he got stung by the centipede his family cut him to get the blood out. Also a common belief around the world, not too distant from middle age time practice of leeches. The idea is the reason you are in pain is because you have bad blood in you. Therefore, you must get it out. Most people wind up dying from the bleeding and subsequent infection than from the centipede itself. Satan knew what he was doing when he started that lie.
“Are they men or spirits?” Oh if we only had a nickel… Worldwide, tribal people don’t know what to do with us odd-looking white people. Half the time they can’t figure out the difference between white men and women…go figure. We typically have to go to great lengths to convince them of our humanity. Important if teaching on who man is in God’s sight.
“They came through the night…” Nighttime is typically the most horrifying time for the tribal animist. In cultures worldwide, there are reasons why you don’t go outside at night. Nothing could be more foolish, stupid, unthinkable than to go out at night. In one group in South America at night the spirits are said to come out to eat humans, but they can’t figure out how to get inside huts, so inside the hut is the only logical place to hid. In Papua New Guinea one group believes a giant dog (as big as a house) as roaming around looking for someone to eat. The fact that these believers demonstrated such brazen faith in God to protect them so they could go to Awayo, who had been disagreeable with the believers up to this point, probably was the event that softened his heart to hear the gospel.
Maybe you’ve noticed that is has been three weeks since our last weekly update. It’s been incredibly busy. But then again, maybe you didn’t notice because it seems like business is a subject to which we all can relate, because everyone’s busy. Sometimes we are busy with things that we have to do. Sometimes we are busy with things we want to do. But other times we are busy with things we get to do.
