By Rod Boyd

The definition of marginalized certainly fits the Kuna Indians of Panama—"To relegate or confine to a lower or outer limit or edge, as of social standing." These are people who live near the margin, often not by choice. There are thousands of Kuna in Panama City. The city has dozens of fast food restaurants: McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, etc. You can always find Kuna there… not eating, but worker; not behind the counter either, instead behind a mop handle. The Kuna are relegated to the lowest paying jobs. It’s difficult to eke out a living at $1.00 per hour. Lord, please help them.

Many thousand more Kuna live amongst the San Blas Islands of southeast Panama, on the Caribbean side. They are definitely living on the "margin"—remote island and mainland villages and along the isolated Lake Bayano. Yet they are also marginalized by tremendous economic, nutritional, medical, educational and spiritual needs.

In order to understand these needs better, we’d like for you to join us on a trip to Playon Chico, to visit one of these Indian villages. Unfortunately, this time at least, you’ll have to travel via your imagination. Use this article as a guide!

Playon Chico... two photos combined to show entire island

We arrive at the airstrip for Playon Chico about 6:45 AM. It is located on the mainland along with the public school. We can see the island village, about 400 yards from shore. The population of 4,000 live on a small island—about 100 yards wide and less than 1,000 yards long. We climb into the rustic dugout canoe and are paddled over to the island. We are surprised that there is no beach. All of the islands we saw from the air seemed to have a beach. The island has huts right to the shoreline. We learn that the inhabitants are "growing" their island by using rocks and dirt from the mainland as backfill.
We also see a number of small huts built out over the water, each with its own ramp. These are their… bathrooms! O Lord, help us!

As we arrive we see 25 children in uniforms getting into a larger dugout canoe and realize its their school bus! We wind through the narrow sandy pathways lined by huts made of sticks and grass. There are so many children! Why aren’t they going to school? Education is still new to Playon Chico. About half of the children don’t attend, for various reasons: their parents won’t let them, they can’t afford the books, uniform, transportation, or shoes. Eighty-five percent of the adults on Playon Chico are illiterate. Help them Lord.

We arrive at the Carlos and Bertiana Guardia’s home—one of very few block homes. The Guardias are pastors of the Assembly of God church on the island. Carlos is also the director of the new Kuna Bible School. Bertiana serves us an interesting "chicha"—a "cold" drink made from water, corn and chocolate. We are then shown our "room" where we’ll be staying. It’s a storage room in the back of the house. We hang up our hammocks and rest for awhile. It’s so hot and humid! We listen for some evidence of an air conditioner running nearby. It’s so quiet. There are no mechanical sounds—no cars, no fans, certainly no air conditioners. Please help us Lord.

The Bible school students are arriving from the various islands. It’s time to go over to the church. The Bible school doesn’t have its own facilitates so we share with the church. As we approach the church we notice that the hut is now leaning a bit more to the left. The church’s small sign "Iglesia Nueva Jerusalén" (New Jerusalem Church) is gone. The Caribbean storms are eating away at the church building. We are hoping to finish the new church/ Bible school building before we leave for furlough next June… if the necessary funds come in to Project MADU. Provide the miracle Lord!

The students are gathering inside. Nineteen have come for the class. Jesus words are so true: "the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few." This is the reason for the new Bible school. We are overwhelmed by this miracle—we actually have a Bible school on this remote island! Bless it Lord.

After a long day of teaching we return to the Guardia’s home for our evening meal: fried rabbit (from the mainland) and deep-fried bread fruit. The bread fruit are in season and plentiful. These huge trees provide shade from the hot sun and food for the table.

After dinner Carlos meets with another Kuna brother from the island of Nargana. He is an albino. The Kuna have the highest incidence of albinism in the world. Carlos is sharing with the brother about the reading and writing program that Carlos has been leading on the island. Forty Kuna adults are now studying two nights a week. Both of them are struggling to read the materials. Both are almost blind. The Kuna nutrition is so poor. One of the main affects is poor eyesight. Touch them Lord.

We return to the church for our evening service. The Bible school students and congregation fill the small church and its ten benches. A single light bulb hangs above the pulpit. The church pays $10 per month to the owner of the outboard motor shop next door to run the generator for the light bulb for the evening services. The Kuna are so hungry for the Word of God and listen attentively to the challenge to respond to the call of God on their lives. The Spirit is faithful to visit us. We return to the Guardia’s house and after about an hour of visiting, retire to our "room," dead-tired, but very content. It’s 11:00 PM. It’s so hard to fall to sleep in a hammock, especially when it’s so hot and humid. Help us Lord.

The sound of a whistle passing through the huts awakens us. It’s the 4:45 AM wake-up call for the children—required morning exercise. A little after five we hit the shower. Another day of teaching and another service await us. The following morning we crossover to the mainland and catch the 7:00 AM plane.

On our way back to the city, we think about several things. We take so many things for granted: a comfortable bed, air conditioning (at least occasionally), nutritious food, toilets… ice water. We look forward to getting home, but are excited about the next opportunity to visit San Blas. We can’t help but think about the good thing God has begun and His promise to finish what He’s started. God loves this marginalized people group, the Kuna Indians of Panama. Lord, help us not to forget. Help us to pray. Help us to give. Help us to go.