The Last Monkey Is the One Who Drowns
Autobiography of Antonio Manolo de León as Told to D. E. Ellis
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Suddenly, a ragtag group of rebels leaped out of the brush and ambushed us. How had they been so quiet? How had we not seen them? Immediately a gun was thrust up to my neck. The men were tersely speaking one of the Mayan dialects, and I had no idea what they were saying. The only words I could understand were were "CIA", "FBI", and "American". Since I was the only non-Guatemalan in the group, it looked like they wanted to kill me. The rebel with a gun to my neck harshly commanded me with a word that sounded like, "Embrocate!" He repeated it three times, each time shoving the menacing steel closer towards my brain. I had no clue what that word meant.
"Dear Lord, this is the end for me. Please take care of my family. I commit my soul into your hands," I prayed silently.
Not knowing what else to do, I fell to my knees. Apparently, "drop to your knees" was the meaning of the word, and I had obeyed! They were satisfied. They allowed me to look up.
I could not see the face of the man who held the gun. He was behind me, manipulatively controlling my every move. But I gazed intently into the face of the youngster in front of me. His hair was matted and oily, his fatigues: wrinkled, torn in spots, and sadly in need of washing. Sweat dropped into his eyes as he summed me up carefully. Those eyes had a blank, cold stare: as cold as the steel of the machine gun he brandished. The expression was that of one who had seen way too much hardship in his young years, and who had struggled unsuccessfully to blank out the blood and heartache.
I could sense that these were men who had long ago forgotten how to trust, if they had ever once known how. I knew my life was still endangered, but I had compassion for these souls, these directionless souls who had given their entire lives to the rebel cause in return for, what? The chance every day that the Guatemalan Army would find them and kill them on sight? These were men who badly needed hope and peace, and I had hope and peace that I could give.
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About the Book
A member of the Cuban Resistance, Antonio de León was arrested on the day of the Bay of Pigs invasion and imprisoned in the fort of El Morro. He escaped execution and immigrated to the US, only to return to try and rescue his family from Cuba. When his boat ran out of fuel in the Atlantic, he was buffeted for hours in high waves in the open ocean, and Antonio was picked up by a Russian freighter. At this time, he had no idea that his life was being protected by an all powerful God who would later totally transform his life and send him as a missionary into the dangerous Guatemalan jungle in the midst of the civil war. Through a series of miracles, God used Antonio to start churches in remote jungle villages. This is a compelling story of grace, providence, protection, and transformation.
“Antonio Manolo de León might be the most fascinating man I’ve ever met and, now, you can meet him too. We like to read stories of daring adventurers not just because they enthrall us, but also because they make us dream. What else might God have for me to do right here, right now? I’ve personally witnessed Antonio’s passion for Christ and seen the power of God at work in and through him. You’ll be nourished by his story and inspired toward new adventures with God.”
—Alan D. Wright, lead pastor of Reynolda Church,
nationally broadcast radio teacher and author of five books,
including the newly released, The Power to Bless.
About the Author
D.E. Ellis was born in a small Midwest town and grew up beside a cornfield, but her heart longed to explore the world and immerse herself in foreign cultures and peoples. She has been blessed that her life’s work has taken her to twenty-two different countries on three continents and given her a diversity of experiences. She brings this insight to help Señor de León to tell his life story with accuracy and authenticity. In the research for this book, she travelled to the places in his story: Cuba, Guatemala, Canary Islands, and Florida, and she gained lifelong, treasured friends.