The Guaymi or Ngäbe people are indigenous to northern Panama and southern Costa Rica.  This long established people group was near the height of its power and influence when Christopher Columbus first set foot in Costa Rica in 1502.  While not blessed with the natural wealth that gold provided to its neighbors, it is believed by many that the Guaymi found much of their power by controlling some of the trade routes between the much larger and more advanced Incan Empire to the south and Aztec Empire to the north. 

At the time of the arrival of the Spanish explorers, the Guaymi were found in three distinct groups that were located mainly in the area known today as western Panama.  The three groups were lead by three great chiefs and each had  their own distinct dialect.  The three groups traded freely amongst each other and intermarried freely.  The Spanish conquest quickly drove two of these groups into the remote mountains of northern Panama while the third group was able to hold off the Spanish for a few more decades before eventually being forced to join their kin.  In the 1940's a small group of Guaymi returned to southern Costa Rica where their numbers now count in the thousands.  
In modern times the Guaymi have been sent to reservations by the governments of Costa Rica and Panama.  They live largely from subsistence farming and are some of the poorest people in their respective countries.  Many Guaymi will work in the coffee harvest often for substandard wages.  It is also not uncommon to see handmade Guaymi bags and beaded bracelets or necklaces being sold, but the remote locations of the reservations makes finding a market for these goods difficult.  

Much of the information that we have on the history of the Guaymi is inferred.  The Guaymi are an oral society.  History, traditions and religious practices have been forgotten by many of the people.  As we get to know the Guaymi better and are able to speak with more members of the tribe, we hope to be able to piece together a better picture of who these people are.  

We are currently focusing on a single Guaymi reservation located in southern Costa Rica.  One day we pray that we will be blessed with the opportunity to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the other reservations in Costa Rica.