Judas And I

On Wednesday instead or our normal chapel service we had class meetings to elect student council. Just so you know, I’ve had an interest in being class president for a little while now. I assumed that the format would be those who were interested would nominate themselves, not so. The candidates for President, vice president, treasurer and secretary had to be nominated by a fellow classmate and that nomination had to be seconded for them to be in the running. I was a little disappointed with this set up because I am not well known in my class yet. I’m in the married housing on lower campus, the dorms are way on the opposite side of campus. I don’t eat in the cafeteria like dorm students do and I don’t get to participate in some of the events they do. Thus, I haven’t had as many social opportunities as the typical student. I was not nominated for president or vice president but don’t worry, a lack of socialization has not held me back completely. I was nominated for treasurer and about 12 people raised their hand to second it. Three other nominees and I then had to leave the room for the vote. Long story short, I won. This was much to my surprise but I suppose that even a significant socialization disadvantage as I have cannot hold me back. No, no, my presence supersedes the friendship barrier of a full campus length and secures relationships on it’s own. Being serious though, this has worked out good because I can see what is involved in the student council without too much obligation so when next year comes I know if I still want to be class president. The people voted into the other offices are friends of mine so student council looks like it will be fun for this year. If you are wondering about the title for this post “Judas and I” it came from my father-in-law who, when hearing of my election, said “well now you and Judas Iscariot have something in common.”

School is going incredible, I’m learning more than ever. My hermeneutics class is especially interesting. We are going through principles of Bible interpretation. I once thought of interpretive principles as complicated and official but in reality they teach you that the Bible was written to communicate a clear message to a specific audience. It isn’t supposed to be mystified or read into, we just need to read without our preconceived notions and let God’s word teach us. It doesn’t take a college professor to interpret the bible but apparently it helps to have one teach you how. The steps are as simple as 1) observation 2) interpretation 3) application but we need to be taught to discipline our minds in these. So often I try to read the Bible and make applications right away. But observations followed by a proper interpretation must come first. Well, that’s just me pawning some of my college knowledge off on you, hope you don’t mind.

Katie has suggested that we involve everyone in the college experience a little more. To do so, we are posting one of my recent papers. It will make this post seem a bit lengthy so if your not much of a reader you can tune out here. This paper didn’t flow from the pen of Charles Dickens but it represents a good effort on my part at this point in my learning. It also tells the interesting story of some missionaries that were kidnapped back in 1993. Ladies and gentlemen, for your reading pleasure I give you my paper:

A Christian is a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ. The story of Rick Tenenoff, Dave Mankins and Mark Rich seems to truly embody this definition. The teaching of Christ to take up our crosses daily and follow him is exemplified both by the men as missionaries and their wives as faithful women.
Rick Tenenoff was born September 23, 1956 in Los Angeles, California. He and his wife first visited Panama in 1986. Then one and a half years later they returned to begin a ministry to the Kuna people. Rick spent his early years there studying the language, a rare dialect which less than 1,000 people know in that region. He also used his time to compile a dictionary which he had completed up to the letter “T” before his abduction. Dave Mankins, born March 16, 1949 in Susanville, California moved to Pucuro (the team’s specific town of ministry) in 1986 with New Tribes Missionaries. He translated Bible lessons into the Kuna language, Dulegaya. Mark Rich was born September 5, 1969 in Mollendo, Peru. Rich arrived in Pucuro in August of 1992 to begin studying the language and culture.
Tenenoff, Mankins and Rich had been ministering with their families in this town of Pucuro, comprised of about 300 people. Pucuro is a small part of Kuna, a town located in the Darien jungles of Panama. The area in itself is not a violent place. In fact, the people of Kuna are part of an undisturbed culture in Panama which has not succumbed to modernization and technological advances. While the town itself is peaceful it lies only 10 miles from the Columbian border, a country that is at least 40% controlled by guerillas.
Sunday September 31, 1993 began with success for the missions group as they conducted a Bible meeting which 28 indigenous people attended. No doubt their day was filled with praises to God for a fruitful morning. They couldn’t know that their lives would be changed within a few hours and their faith would be tested beyond the limits of their imagination. On a warm Sunday night Dave Mankins, the missionary who had inhabited the area longest, stretched out in a hammock next to his front door listening to the news on a radio. His wife Nancy settled in for the evening with a good book. As the story goes, three men wearing camouflage suddenly busted through the screen door with machine guns in hand. Dave, clearly surprised by the entrance, sprung up only to be knocked down with the blow of a machine gun butt to the head. As the assailants held their guns to Dave’s head they began making demands of Nancy. She recalled her New Tribes training to remain calm and compliant so she followed their orders to gather three changes of clothes and some other items for Dave. As she stuffed his belongings into a bag the men tied Dave’s hands behind his back. After securing Mr. Mankins as well as some choice items from the home they marched outside and fired one shot into the air. The sound of two guns in the distance echoed the signal which told Nancy that her husband was not the only one in danger.
The two accompanying shots belonged to the houses of Rick Tenenoff and Mark Rich. Rick Tenenoff had also been relaxing in a hammock while his wife, Patti, was putting their two youngest children to bed. After hearing a scuffle, Patti peered down the hallway to see her husband being bound by similar men. In Spanish, they ordered her to pack some of Rick’s belongings which she did immediately, including a Bible and family photo. In like manner more men crashed into the Rich’s home to extract Mark right after his wife Tania had laid their two young girls to bed.
At the time of the crime Dave Mankins was only 43, Rick Tenenoff 36 and Mark Rich 23. The overwhelmed wives met at the Tenenoff’s house with the image of their husbands being drug off, hands bound, into the jungle fresh in their mind. They struggled to focus their minds and make sense of the evening’s events. Nancy had suggested that they travel from the remote village to a nearby town for help. However, the trip (by boat) was dangerous at night and they learned from some of the neighbors that the insurgents pronounced a death threat upon anyone attempting to leave Pucuro that night. The ladies were convinced of this danger when they were informed that over 100 men had surrounded the village that night to aid in the kidnapping. What terror and feelings of helplessness must have barraged their minds that night as they had nothing to do but wait for morning and wonder what was happening. We do not know for certain but can imagine that they stayed awake all night with tears in their eyes and prayers on their hearts.
When the morning sun emerged they gathered the children and headed by canoe to the closest town with an airport, approximately 7 hours away. From that town the New Tribes Mission agency had them flow back to the U.S. for safety and debriefing. One of the kidnappers had assured Patti Tenenoff she would see her husband soon. They also made the assumption that “soon” would be in three day because they only had to pack three outfits. The weary ladies waited for word from the captors under the assumption that they may be returned soon, none came.
Time passed by with new leads popping up as New Tribes and the local governments investigated the abduction but all came to dead ends. The women waited for years to hear some good news, hopeful with every ring of the telephone. Unfortunately the story does not have the happy ending one would hope for. The three young missionaries were never found, dead or alive, and no solid word was given of their demise. The New Tribes mission board and each of the wives came to the realization at different times that the men would never return. Throughout the investigation the authorities extracted several vague details from various ex-guerillas and prisoners. Putting all of the details together they deduced that the men had been killed in mid 1996. We don’t know much of anything about the men during their captivity except that they were kept in decent conditions and spent much time together fellowshipping and reading the Bible. It is believed that they were executed near Acandi (a village in Northwest Columbia) only 15 miles from Pucuro. When Columbian troops closed in on the insurgents it is said that they executed the men so they wouldn’t have to flee with additional baggage. However, the bodies were never found in the dense jungle.
Since we cannot know the specifics of the struggles these men endured we turn to their wives to see faith in action. For almost 8 years the brave women kept their hope that they would once again be united with their husbands. We can find the testimony of an enormous amount of faith in this fact. The amount of trust it must take to hold on to that hope. True, they may have had no other choice than waiting, but to face discouragement every day and still trust God at night is incredible. It is hard to even fathom how hard they must have clung to Christ for comfort because they knew only he could provide both for them and for their husbands.
In time the ladies learned that life would go on if they would permit it. Thankfully all three of them did and they continue to serve Christ to this day through New Tribes Missions. Mankins and Tenenoff are speakers for NTM, encouraging others with their faith. Rich is a schoolteacher for NTM children. Mankins has even written a book detailing these events called “Hostage: The Incredible True Story of the Kidnapping of Three American Missionaries.” What an encouragement that these women could have the most precious people on earth taken from them while doing work for God and still know that He is sovereign.
Mrs. Rich has said "This whole ordeal brought me to the realization that I had to believe in the truth of the Bible or else deny God. I don't believe God wastes pain." A storm came through the life of Tania Rich, waves and wind crashed against her but she was rooted in the firm foundation of God’s word so she stood strong. The same can be said of the other women because if they had not built their lives on Christ the rock they surely would not have endured such great tragedy.
This story has great implications for present day believers. We never know what terrors might attack our lives but building them on the same foundation as these women will enable us to withstand whatever attacks may overcome us. Our hearts, minds and daily lives must be staked in God’s Word, all other ground is shifting sand. We can also see the encouragement to remain faithful. When trials test our patience and we think the world will end, we must only think upon their example and trust God to carry us through. Finally, not only do we see that God will carry us through but that we can flourish afterward and even be used for his glory. It is an amazing testimony that these women not only kept their private faith in Christ but serve him in full time ministry. Only God can do such things with humans and only if we let him.