Ishto Ba Shkina

(This is an old post from our current website lchaimpuravida.com/, we are placing it here as a backup just in case anything goes wrong with the site in the future. But if you seeing this for the first time here on this blogspot, read it as if it was written just a short time ago :)

Written June 8th, 2016

Ishto Ba Shkina means “Welcome and How are you?” in the dialect of the
Cabecar language, one of the native tribes in the province of Talamanca
and one of the 8 native tribes in Costa Rica. A family we have been praying
for in our nearby town, not affiliated with the church and pretty much
agnostic in their belief, asked us to give them a ride to the land of their relatives.

The trip was long and we took clothes to give to some of their relatives as well
as some of our homemade soaps and fresh milk. To them it is a 3+ hour walk
through the mountains to get there. The road was not in condition to be driven
so we had to go the long way around in our car. The purpose for why this family
invited us was to harvest avocados from their relatives land, because usually they
just fall from the trees and rot if no one goes and picks them. Avocados do not grow
well in the mountains but they do well in the valley areas. We picked the family up
close by their home. They were Marta, Armando her son, and the two daughters
Lisbet and Floribet. We talked through the trip about their family and customs,
and we sang a song to YHWH so that they could hear His Name.

Psalms 104:1,14,24,33
Bless YHWH, O my being! O YHWH my Elohim, You have been very great: You have put
on excellency and splendor, Causing the grass to grow for the cattle, And plants
for the service of mankind, To bring forth food from the earth, O YHWH, how many
have been Your works! You have made all of them in wisdom. The earth is filled with
Your possessions. I sing to YHWH as long as I live, I sing praise to my Elohim while I exist.
 
We began traveling through a well known area called Bribri, but as we continued
driving the pavement ended. Everything we saw was new to us as thatch roofs
and planted land was seen most of the way. You could see the usual dog, chicken,
or pig crossing the street, and feel the vibration of the rocks on the road.
It was like a drive through the jungle.

We came to a place called China Kicha that means “Orange tree” in the Cabecar dialect.
What is interesting about that name is that it brings to mind something familiar with our
birth place of Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, we call an orange a “china”, and commonly the
color orange is called “chinita” instead of the more commonly used Spanish name of 
“naranja o color anaranjado” in other countries. Many of the words in our Puerto Rican
 Spanish comes from the Taino Indians, who were the natives in the Island of
Borinquen(Bor-ik-en) as was known to these inhabitants before Christopher Columbus
(whose real name is Cristobal Colon) visited the island to claim it for the Spanish Crown in 1492.

Psalms 96:12-13
Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Let all the trees of the forest then shout for joy,
At the presence of YHWH. For He shall come, For He shall come to judge the earth.
He judges the world in righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.

The family there, like many other natives that we have met, are very shy to strangers.
We said hello and shook their hands. Then we gave them the milk and clothes we
took and Marta took them some ayote(squash). The Parents spoke Cabecar to her
and we could not understand them. They wanted her to come and stay but she said
that we must go back before it rained. The sad look on her parents said much more
than what we could understand. We drove again to another property they own. We
drove across two rivers and many tiny streams. At the last stream, we had to walk
across it. We had no idea we were going to get the bottom of our clothes wet to get there.

When we got there, there was no ladder and no long sticks to get them from the
10 trees in that lot of land(which was also a plantain field), before the younger men
had to climb the trees with ants all over them. The rest of us just waited for all the
avocados to fall from them shaking the branches up there. I found a stick,
but the one boy told me that it was no good and too heavy, however we still
managed to get half a sack from the bottom branches. The rest of them collected
three sacks with about 100 avocados each. One of the ladies then brought
another type of avocado in a smaller sack for themselves.

Psalms 148:1,9,13-14
Praise Yah! Praise YHWH from the heavens, Praise Him in the heights!
The mountains and all hills, Fruit tree and all cedars, Let them praise the Name of YHWH,
For His Name alone is exalted, His splendor is above the earth and heavens.
He also lifts up the horn of His people, The praise of all His kind ones;
Of the children of Yisra’el, A people near to Him. Praise Yah!

When we were done, Jesus got a sack on his shoulders and walked back to the car.
On the way back his boot slipped on a rock crossing the river, and down they were
“immersed” in the Telire river waters. The wallet was soaked, and the jeans got heavier.
We then joked about being “immersed” in the waters from 4 of major rivers from
north to south in Costa Rica. At the end of the day, we all had a fun and productive time.
We have become closer to the members of this family and we pray that they
come to Abba YHWH one day. We planted seeds as we went along, and despite
their rejection of religion we spoke a little here and there.

On the way back I saw a large fruit on a tree that looked like a Castaña. I asked
what the name was and found out that it was called “soncoya”. Immediately, I remembered
a post I had shared online about this fruit called a “jackfruit”. I had commented to a
sister that I needed someone to send us seeds. Well, Praise Abba we now know where
to find seeds, and a local name to go with it. Please pray for the Castro family and
that their hearts are tender to YHWH and that they can follow Yahshua with us.

Revelation 7:9-10
After this I looked and saw a great crowd which no one was able to count,
out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne
and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and palm branches in their hands,
and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Deliverance belongs to our Elohim
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Tammy feels very comfortable speaking to Marta and they embraced one
another all day. Abba YHWH is good! While our avocado tree has only given
one avocado so far, a brother gave us two on Friday and YHWH through this
family gave us 1 ½ sacks of a harvest from trees we did not plant. These are
His promises to those who love Him and keep His commandments. HalleluYAH!

Shalom!

The Montañez Family
L’Chaim Pura Vida!