Trip to Gavilanes June 2010

On Sunday our two summer interns, Matt Hamm and Paul Mahugh, and I flew up to Gavilanes for a three day visit.

More than anything I wanted to personally connect with each of the Christian families during this trip. To that end we went to each families home, met their whole family, spent time visiting and getting to know them, sharing a portion of scripture, and praying with them for their needs. It was such a blessing to see how encouraged they were by a gesture as simple as going to their homes and spending time with them, granted some of their homes were quite a hike! Here are the families we had the privilege to get to know this time.

Rufino and Teresa

Rufino and Teresa were the first people we visited. Rufino was just about to leave when we got there. He was on his way down to the river, a two hour hike to where they can get dry firewood. Even so he spent a little time talking with us and introducing us to his family. After he left we talked with his wife Teresa about their family, work, and their faith in God. She asked for prayer for the safety and health of her family.

Maria Luisa

After visiting with Teresa we continued on, under the guidance of Adrian, to Maria Luisa’s house. Maria Luisa’s house was a 45 minute walk from Gavilanes. When we arrived Maria Luisa gave us all hugs and blessing for going all the way out to her house. Maria Luisa was the first believer in Gavilanes back in the 60s. Maria Luisa has one leg that is shorter than the other and has great difficulty walking which makes it impossible for her to go to the church meetings. Life is very hard for this small family, Maria Luisa is a widow, Josefa’s husband left her when Adrian was young, and Adrian is still trying to finish the Prepa (high school). We spent most of the morning with them, learning about their lives and faith and encouraging them. They asked for us to pray that God would continue to provide for them and protect them since they live so far out of town.

Jose

At Pascual’s request we went to visit his cousin Jose who had stopped coming to the prayer meetings almost two years ago. Jose and his wife live in a small cluster of rooms near the Secondary school with their children, daughter in laws, and grandchildren. They all gathered together to visit with us and to be honest I think they expected me to confront them about not going to church. We heard some of their stories and looked through some of their photos of when Jose and his son Geovani were working in Colorado. I shared with them from Ephesians where it tells us that we are called to one God and Father, one hope and salvation, that we are bound together in Jesus and I encouraged them to return to the prayer meetings. That evening they were the first family to show up! We ended our time with Jose by praying for God’s provision and protection from accidents as they are out working.

Crecencio

When we arrived at Crecencio’s house he was building a brick wall for the kitchen. From looking at his work he really seems to know what he is doing. He invited us in to their small bedroom since it was getting pretty hot outside. One of the first things you notice about Crecencio is that he has a hard time walking. A number of years ago he began experiencing more and more pain in his lower back. The doctors never did find out a concrete reason for the pain and difficulty walking and at one point suggested amputating his feet. He did not go back to the doctors after that. His wife Juaquina was working at the primary school at a job God had blessed her with. We prayed for Crecencio’s family for God’s provision and for heath for their children.

Roberta

Roberta’s home is on the side of the hill overlooking the town of Gavilanes. I do not believe that she speaks much Spanish because her daughter Ceneida translated everything to her and she never spoke to us directly. She told us about her children and grandchildren. She shared that even though her husband was not a believer he didn’t discourage them from going to the church meeting. She gave me a picture of her daughter Rosalina who had left her husband and children last year after a big fight. They do not know where she is and would very much like to hear from her. We also prayed that Ceneida would get a job they have at the local clinic to help support her family.

Lorenzo

I had met Eduardo, Lorenzo’s son, on our trip back in December. Since that time he and his mother Lorenza have been attending the prayer meetings pretty regularly. Lorenza and Eduardo sat outside their house to talk with us while Lorenzo stayed inside. I really sensed a heaviness and depression while talking with them. Their answers to our questions were short and quiet. After sharing the scripture with them we spent a long time praying for their health and for God to encourage them as a family. We prayed for them again that evening when they came to Pascual’s house for the meeting.

Pascual

As we usually do we stayed at Pascual’s house. Even though he and his wife Lina had to work two of the days we were there we found a lot of time to visit with them. Their two oldest children had just returned from attending Prepa in Durango so it was a pretty full house. During our visit Pascual told us that about two weeks ago they were return home around dusk to find three men pounding on the door where they have a small store. As Pascual and Lina approached the men turned, holding rifles and their faces covered with bandanas. They began shouting for them to hand over the money from the store and then began shooting from about 10’-15’ away. Lina had pulled Pascual back and then behind her and she began praying. As she was praying the three men took off running. This incident was very unsettling for them and they ask a number of times for us to pray for their safety.

Please pray for our brothers in Gavilanes. Pray for safety, provisions and health. As well, pray for a boldness to share their faith and the word of God to their families. Pray that God will open the hearts and minds of the people so that they will see the truth and believe in Jesus. Pray for miracles for our brothers in Gavilanes!

Trip to Cangrejo

On May 20th I took a group of 9 men from Sinaloa to Cangrejo for a short visit. The group was led by our friend Hector Robles, a pastor from La Cruz. This was a follow up trip to the one Hector, Agustin and I took back in October of last year. Hector's group brought 2 tons of corn, 300lbs of beans, 40 despensas (bags filled with basic food items such as; oil, flour, salt, sugar, chilis, etc.) and more than 60 pairs of ladies shoes. As well they brought a huge movie screen and projector so we could show the Jesus movie dubbed in the Cora dialect.

At first we were a bit nervous because more and more we are hearing news reports of people getting robbed on the roads back in the mountains. Since the vehicles they were riding in have license plates from Sinaloa we ran an even greater risk. You see, the Sinaloa cartels and the cartels here in the mountains don't get along very well so with Sinaloa plates they would tend to be more aggressive toward us. So, the morning before we left we prayed. We all know that God protects us and watches out for us, but it is in times like these that our trust in Him is tested. I find that I am comfortable trusting God as long as I am convinced that I am following His will and not just trekking through the mountains for the fun of it. During our trip to Cangrejo everything went slow, but smooth.

Arriving in Cangrejo we met with one of the community leaders and arranged for a place to sleep and a place to eat. As usual we were well received and as we ate dinner a number of people from the town stopped by to say 'Hi'. In the morning we drove down to the waterfall for a look around. While we were there we explored the fenced in area that the community has set aside for their corn fields. For the last year or so we have been working on the idea of providing a tractor with farm implements (but I will save that for another post). That afternoon everyone gathered at the town hall and we distributed 110lbs of corn, a despensa, and 4lbs of beans to each family, and shoes to all the ladies. Then as it got dark we showed a cartoon of the crucifixion of Jesus and then the Jesus movie in Cora. During the movie, and it is a long movie, no one left. Everyone watched attentively until the very end. In the morning as we were getting ready to leave a lady and her granddaughter approached me and she gave me a Cora bag. I asked the granddaughter if she wanted to sell it to me or if it was a gift. She asked her grandmother, who doesn’t speak Spanish, and then translated back to me that it was a gift of appreciation for all that we had given them. The grandmother spoke again and the granddaughter told me that she wanted to know when we would be going back to show the movie again. What an amazing commentary on the effectiveness of showing the movie in their native tongue.

On our way home we stopped in La Mesa del Nayar at the school that our friend Pascual runs. We had saved 2 bags of beans, some despensas and the remaining shoes for the school. Pascual seems to be doing well for someone who has a pacemaker and a dislike for following doctor’s orders. After a short visit there we headed back down the mountain to Cofradía.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your support. This trip was a huge success in many ways in spite of the physical and spiritual challenges. As well, just as I was leaving for this trip we were blessed with the finances we needed.

Again, thank you.

Off to Gavilanes

This morning (in about 15 minutes actually) my friends Horacio, Martin, and I will be heading out for a trip to Gavilanes. There is a group of believers in Gavilanes that is pastored by Pascual and his wife Lina. Our desire is to come alongside this congregation and encourage them in any way we can. We are very excited about what God has done there and how He will use them to reach more Cora with the Gospel. During our time in Gavilanes we will be sharing a series of studies with Pascual, Lina and any other leaders that want to participate. In addition we will dedicate time to study the Cora language with Pascual.

Please pray for our trip and for a fruitful time with our brothers.

Big Update

So, you may have noticed that I have not updated this blog for a while. So it is time to catch up!
Since returning to Cofradía we have had the opportunity to visit a number of key Cora communities; Santa Teresa, La Mesa del Nayar, Cangrejo, Gavilanes, Mojocuautla, and Huajicori. Follow this link to a map of these towns.

Santa Teresa
I went to Santa Teresa back in September for a gathering of Cora believers. It was hosted by an American family that has been working with the Cora since the 60’s and though they mainly work over on the Baja with a Maranatha ministry they fly their small plane over periodically to support and encourage the pastors and churches that they have planted here. It was a great experience meeting them and hearing their story. It turns out the mother wrote a book about their experiences called His Treasure in Earthen Vessels. It is a pretty good book. I also met Miguel Torres who was organizing the 4 day event. At breakfast he informed me that I would be preaching that afternoon, which was a bit of a surprise to me! While in Santa Teresa I connected with believers from numerous other communities throughout the mountains. One of the guys there was a guy named Pascual from Gavilanes. I had previously met Pascual about 5 years ago and it was exciting to reconnect with him. He is pastoring a small congregation in Gavilanes consisting mainly of his family. My time in Santa Teresa help me to see that there are quite a few people spread throughout the mountains that are believers and are working to extend the kingdom of God. These people are usually very isolated and daily experience real rejection and persecution on account of their faith. So we began thinking about how we can come alongside people like Pascual and encourage them and train them in any way we can. Just for someone to spend the time, money and discomfort to go there and spend time with them is a big encouragement for them. As for Santa Teresa we are planning to take the youth from Cofradía to Santa Teresa for a missions trip sometime this year.

So here are a few of the ideas we have;

Gavilanes
Faith and I along with my in-laws Eddie and Leeann went to Gavilanes for a short visit in November. I wanted to go there before the Christmas party just to see what it was like and meet the rest of the believers. You can only get to Gavilanes by walking or flying in. For a number of good reasons we chose to fly in. One of the challenges we faced in Gavilanes was lack of bathrooms. Everyone and I mean everyone simply walks out sight and finds a place to squat. The girls especially would have appreciated a bathroom. Then in December Josh Peters, Cheche, and I visited Gavilanes with the project of installing a bathroom (2 actually) in Pascual’s house. We were able to get the plumbing done and the floor poured but could not get it full functioning in the time we had. Then our whole family and Josh returned for the Christmas celebration. They killed a cow and we had a big meal of what seemed to be mainly melted cow fat. In the afternoon of the 24th we had a church service at Pascual’s house that lasted more than 6 hours. It was the first time that I ever preached twice in one service. For part of it I asked the locals to share testimonies of what God has done and I was amazed at the stories they shared.
So here are some of my thoughts for future ministry in Gavilanes; They really like doing worship. Pascual plays the guitar pretty well for the style of songs that they do. Some big song sheets might be useful since there are only 2 hymnals I think. I have talked to Pascual about doing some pastoral training with him and his wife Lina and possible some of the other leaders. We could train them to use the Firm Foundations materials. During our extended visit we would want to get out to visit all the Christian families in Gavilanes to get to know them. We would spend time each day to study Cora with them. Even though you can’t drive a vehicle there I suspect that I could ride a motorcycle there. For the most part we would focus on the current believers and equipping them in order for them to reach out to their own community. We would find ways to evangelize there but only in a supporting role.

Cangrejo
Cangrejo is a community that has really drawn me in. I have visited there maybe 8 times in the last few years and each time I go there I see so much opportunity. If I could pick up and move to a Cora community without a doubt I would go to Cangrejo, though Faith might not be so quick to agree. The community has about 30-35 families and is located across the canyon for La Mesa del Nayar. So far we have spent time meeting people, talking with the community about their most pressing needs and sharing God’s blessings with them. In 2008 we took homemade blankets and soap as well as basic food items. In January of this year we distributed over 50 Operation Christmas Child gift boxes as part of a big Christmas celebration. In May we will be returning with a group of pastors and leaders from Sinaloa to show the Jesus movie and distribute dispensas (a box with basic food items such as tortilla mix, beans, rice, oil, chilies, etc.) I would like to plan an extended visit to Cangrejo during which we would show movies, organize listening groups to listen through the New Testament in Cora with the Proclaimer, organize groups to study through the Firm Foundations study. We would also spend as much time as possible working on the Cora language.

Miguel Torres
Miguel is a Mexican pastor that has worked for many years with the Cora. I have had the opportunity to spend time with him and have been impressed with his vision and experience. I would like to cultivate a working relationship with him and find ways that we can network with him and the Cora believers that he works with. Recently we met Miguel in Huajicori for training on the Proclaimer and a day of teaching. Again, Miguel informed me that I would be preaching that morning! Since my similar experience with him in Santa Teresa I had come prepared to preach this time. In April we will be going to the community of El Arrayan, about 2-3 hours past Huajicori, for a couple of days of teaching.

Beyers
The Beyers family has worked with the Cora for a couple of decades now and has planted a number of churches and trained many leaders. Though they live in La Paz they still visit often to encourage the believers. In view of their extensive investment in towns like Gavilanes, Santa Teresa and Huajicori I feel compelled to communicate with them and make sure they give us an open door to work in these areas. It has been a blessing to get to know them and spend time with them. There is a lot we can learn from their experience with the Cora people.

Mojocuautla
Since Faith and I went to Washington for a furlough we have not done any planned ministry in Mojocuautla. We have taken a step back to reevaluate where we are at with that ministry and where we should go. One of the conclusions that we have come to is that we should hand the leadership over to someone from the Cofradía church. With someone like Horacio or Juan Luis leading that ministry we will be able to come alongside them and support their ministry and still be free to spend time in places like Gavilanes and Cangrejo without starting and stopping all the time in Mojocuautla. We are looking at continuing with the Firm Foundations studies as well as establishing listening groups with the Proclaimer.

Martin Garzon
Martin is the son of Horacio and Maria from Arrayanes. For a couple of years now he has expressed interest in working with the Cora. He has attended 1 year of Bible school in Oaxaca and plans to return this August to complete his second and final year. After that his desire is to work with the Cora. For this reason he went with us to Huajicori and will accompany us as we minister in other Cora communities.


For this year our plan is to live in Cofradía and make trips into the mountains to minister and study the language. We think that this is the best plan in light of our family’s needs. We are still praying that someone will want to partner with us and move with us to a Cora community with the purpose of raising up leaders and planting a church.

Prayer requests:
• WISDOM!! There are a lot of things we can do, a lot of places we can go, and a lot of approaches we can take. To know what, where and how we need God’s wisdom and guidance.
• Finances. Traveling by plane to inaccessible places like Gavilanes is quite expensive.
• Protection. The physical and spiritual dangers are very real. Please pray for the Cora believers and for us.


Thing I would like to get;
Video Projector with a portable movie screen.
Portable Sound setup
2004-2006 Honda CRF 250x motorcycle