April 2017 Update

    It has been three months now since we began working in the Mesa del Nayar. We have primarily been helping out at the boarding school that was founded many years ago by our friend Fray Pascual Rosales, who passed away over two years ago. Since his passing a group of alumni have taken over the leadership, and through many difficulties continue to fill this important need for the Cora and Huichol people. The school provides kindergarten, primary, and secondary level education and the opportunity for scholarships to universities and trade schools. One of the keys of the success of the school is the discipline that the kids are required to maintain. Their schedule starts at 6 AM with devotions, then an hour of work projects; tending the gardens, splitting firewood, cooking, and cleaning. Then after breakfast, classes begin and with one short break, go until 2 PM when they split up into their work groups for more chores. Around 4 lunch is served, followed by workshops and tutoring. For those not involved in classroom activities there are sports such as volleyball or soccer. Then at 6 everyone gathers for devotions again which are led by one of the students, with Martin’s help. After a light supper, usually a cup of thin oatmeal or rice, the students work on homework or other projects until bedtime. In addition to the director and teachers, the kids are overseen by student leaders who help guide them and maintain discipline.
    Even when the school was directed by Pascual, a Franciscan monk, we were welcomed and encouraged to share God’s Word and love. Now, under the leadership of the alumni group, we have been invited to help lead the Bible classes as well as the morning and evening devotional times. We have been joined by Martin Garzon from Arrayanes, Pastor Horacio’s son, who has now been here full time since January. During the week, Martin teaches Bible, Geography, and Natural Science, as well as directing the students who work in the gardens. He has felt called to work with the Cora for a long time and this opportunity is a perfect for him. During our days at the school, Monday through Thursday, Kai has been attending classes, with a special emphasis on building a solid foundation in Spanish. Faith teaches the English classes, while I focus on work projects and teaching the computer workshops.
    It is our desire to begin a Bible study group outside the school with members of the community, but so far it has been slow work. I hope that by April we will be meeting each week with some of the local families to begin sharing the Firm Foundations study, as well as audio recordings of the New Testament in their language.
    Recently we have cut back on some of our travels here in the mountains due to an increase in violence and robberies on the roads. Last week a Catholic priest from this area and his group were confronted by armed men with the intent to rob them. It appears that the priest decided to continue on instead of stopping and the armed men opened fire. The priest and others who were with him were hit and after a couple of days in the hospital the priest died. In addition, there have been reports of others being assaulted between the Mesa and Cangrejo. These situations motivate us to be diligent in prayer and to be sure that we are making smart decisions. We trust that God is protecting us, so we continue to work here in the Mesa and visit other communities whenever possible. Please continue to pray with us for protection.
    For the past couple of years Faith and I have been praying and talking about what is next for us. We believe that it is time for us to return to Washington permanently. To that end, we have been working to help Martin establish a long term ministry here in the Mesa, looking for ways to continue to support him, and encouraging others to join him in his work. Our plan is to finish out the school year here in the Mesa, and after the graduation in July, load up our truck and move back to Washington. We would really appreciate your prayers during this very scary, exciting, and emotional time.
Jay, Faith, & Kai TenBrink

June Update

Greetings from México!

   On May 18th we took a group from Sinaloa up to Cangrejo. For over 5 years Pastor Hector has been bringing a group of men at least once a year to share food, music, movies, and God’s love with the Cora communities. On this most recent trip they brought over a ton of dried corn, beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes. After arriving we connected with Meregildo and his brother Cirilo who had made arrangements for our meals and where we would be sleeping. Through the last few visits to Cangrejo we have been cultivating a deeper friendship with these two brothers who are both community leaders and have expressed a desire to learn more about the Bible. For that reason I have been more direct in sharing from the Bible when we meet for meals or when we are out working. On the second day we met up with Tom Beytien and Gustavo to help them cut firewood for the boarding school in the Mesa. Later that evening we set up the projector and screen to show the Jesus movie in Cora. After the movie, working with the town leaders, we distributed the food items and shared a message of God’s love for the people of Cangrejo. Since there are a number of people in Cangrejo who understand little or no Spanish we invited Meregildo to translate from Spanish to Cora.

Slideshow 

Video 

   On May 22^nd, instead of having our service at the church, we piled into several truck, and drove over dusty dirt roads to the San Pedro River for a baptism and a church picnic. We were joined by Pastor Amado and his church from Rosamorada with whom we often work and fellowship. In the shadow of the freeway bridge, we set up the generator and sound system right at the water’s edge where Pastor Gollo spoke about the importance of baptism and living out our faith. Gollo and Amado baptized 2 people from the Rosamorada church and 7 from ours. Those 7 included Marco Antonio from Mojocuautla, whom Horacio has been discipling for a couple of years now and Lencho, father of longtime church members Toña and Gustavo. After the worship and baptisms, we played in the water and shared food. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and celebration.

Video

   In late May we assisted Tom and Collette as they hosted a team from their home town of Gothenburg Nebraska. After a long day of travel and a night at the base they joined us for church in Cofradía before heading up to La Mesa for the week. All week the group played with the kids, shared with the kids, ate with the kids, and served them through work projects with an incredible love and joy. They tackled two main projects, repainting the 2 story dormitory, the dining hall, and the security wall, as well as reinforcing and raising the fence around the lower property. The painting was a huge job. Since the dormitory is so tall they had to use ladders and scaffolding for most of it. At the beginning of the week we were concerned that it would be difficult to finish in the limited time but the painting crew worked diligently and completed the project by Thursday. The fencing project was one of those jobs that you really need people who have experience and are hard workers. The fencing crew did such a good job that right away I realized that the best thing I could do was to explain what we needed done, give them tools and materials and then get out of the way. As they replaced fence posts, straightened and stretched the existing wire, and installed angle iron risers, I worked with another group replacing the two gates with steel ones we had fabricated in Cofradía. We were greatly blessed by the people from Cofradía and Arrayanes who went with us and worked alongside us in the projects and ministry. For me this week was a perfect fusion of the short term missions team and the missionary work of the long term ministry in Cofradía. In addition to the work projects the team participated in the twice daily devotions with songs, stories, puppets and sharing scriptures. Our time in La Mesa with the Nebraska team, the group from Cofradía, and the teachers and kids from the school was a blessing for everyone. It is exciting to see how God connects us and uses us to impact other people’s lives across cultural and language barriers.

Slideshow

   In a few days we will begin our drive north. We intent to spend most of the summer in Washington, visiting family and friends. This past year has been a struggle financially so we will be working on sharing our vision as much as we can in order to add an additional $500 a month to our support. As is always true, we are looking forward to seeing everyone. This trip is special though because for the first time our family has been split up, with Isaiah and Elisabeth in Washington. We are very anxious to be with them again.

   Thank you for your prayers, support and encouragement. It would be impossible for us to do the work God has called us to without your partnership. To donate online follow this link.

Jay, Faith, & Kai TenBrink

March 2016 Update

March Update

     In March we were invited to join the boarding school from La Mesa for a retreat in Cangrejo. Cangrejo is a short, extreme hike, or a long drive from La Mesa. The hike takes the direct route, down the canyon wall, across the river, and straight up the opposing canyon wall. Since the canyon is in the way, the drive take a meandering dirt road up and around, until you can drop down to Cangrejo from the other side.

     The purpose of this event was twofold; first to serve as a retreat for the students from La Mesa, and second, to reach out to the community of Cangrejo. Being the week before the Holy Week and Easter the themes included The Birth of Jesus, Jesus’ Preparation for Ministry, The Ministry of Jesus, and The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Our plan for the retreat was to share with the students during the two devotional times each day, teach them new songs and drama during the Workshop times, involve them in the Kid’s Club each afternoon, and have them perform their songs and dramas for the people of Cangrejo. The plan for the outreach to Cangrejo was to involve the children in the Kid’s Club, show the Movie ‘The Son of God’ about the life of Jesus, and share with them the songs, dramas, and scripture verses the children learned. To pull all of this off, I specifically invited a number of people from the ministries in Cofradía and Rosamorada. Martin, Ruben, and Alfredo led the drama workshop, Gloria and Jessica led the Kid’s Club, Pastor Amado and Horacio shared during the devotions, I led the music workshop, and the rest of our group jumped in wherever needed. As well, it was great to work alongside Santos, the director of the school, Teresa, who is one of the teachers, and Tom and Collette Beytien. This has always been my goal: to involve as many people as possible in the Cora ministry so that the ministry is less dependent on me and more a result of a team working together.

     It was very exciting watching the kids open up and break out of their shells. During the first drama workshop it was hard to get anyone to willingly participate, and by the end when Martin asked who wanted to be in another drama more than 15 hands shot up! As you can see in the pictures, everyone; young kids to teens, girls and boys, really enjoyed the songs and choreography, as well as the stories, games and crafts. The photo album is here. We are excited to see how God continues to plant His word in the hearts and minds of these young people. Please continue to pray for the school, the community of Cangrejo, and our ministry. Your prayers, encouragement, and financial support are crucial to our ministry here.

Follow this link to see where Cangrejo is, Map.

Jay

This week I made the trip to the Mesa and finally to Cangrejo. This was the first trip to Cangrejo since returning to Mexico. As I was leaving Cofradía I began praying that God would not only guide me but that He would also show me the next steps for the ministry in Mesa and Cangrejo.


The first day of the trip God confirmed that it is time to get moving. What I have been doing so far has been good but it is time to walk through the open doors He has shown us in these Cora communities. In Mesa we have heard that there are some Christian families already. We would like to connect with them and find ways we can encourage and come alongside them in order to help them form a fellowship group. Eventually we would like to establish a branch of the Bible school that we have in Cofradía in the Mesa.

The second day Tom and I travelled to Cangrejo. There God opened the door for us and connected us with the whole community. The community was participating in an event for the children; complete with music, piñatas, and pozole. We were warmly welcomed and were able to start up conversations with many of the people there. Both Tom and I know many of the people of Cangrejo, but all of them seem to know us. After a great time of fellowship we were offered the use of a room with 2 beds with mattresses! While settling in we hung out with Hermenehildo and his brother Cirilo. We talked about Padre Pascual and the work he accomplished there and about the importance of knowing God’s word. I shared with them some small booklets that are primers for learning to read and write Cora. I also told them that I have a recording of the New Testament in their dialect and that the next time I came I would bring it so that we could listen to it together. They were excited to hear it listen to it with their families. This could very well be the beginning of our first Listening Group.

The next morning we were invited to have breakfast at Hermenehildo’s house. I took the opportunity to share with him from John where we find the story of the feeding of the 5,000. One of the points I made is what God has been showing me, that Jesus used that situation of shortage to test the faith of his disciples. The disciples only saw what was possible according to their resources, but Jesus want e them to see our faith cannot be limited by what we see. I see that God has been using this financially lean time to really set my eyes and heart on Him and what he is calling us to give up, to sacrifice, and to do.

So, our next steps are to visit Cangrejo in January to do an event for the children and show the Jesus movie in their dialect. As well, I will take time to meet with Hermenehildo's and Cirilo's families to listen to a portion of the New Testament and use it as a starting point for a time of discussion. Then, in Mesa we will spend time meeting the Christian families and make plans for a fellowship time. We want to be careful to follow their lead and observe and not try to force our agenda on them.

Please keep praying for this ministry, for the families in Cangrejo and Mesa, for God's provision, and for the truck that God is going to provide!

 

Greetings from Mexico

We know that many of you are beginning to experience winter weather but here it is still quite warm. A lot of exciting things have been happening here in Cofradía and in the mountains.

Visas
Our visas have turned out to be a good news/bad news situation. We were planning to continue with our current Temporary Resident visas but were forced to apply for the Permanent Resident visa instead. The Permanent Resident visa has a lot of advantages, the biggest of which is that we will not have to deal with immigration again. However, it turns out that once we receive the new visa we will not be able to have a foreign vehicle. That means that the truck that we now own will have to be parked until we can take it to the border. In the mean time we need to purchase a vehicle we can drive here. I have been looking for a smaller truck and have found a couple of good candidates. First we will need to come up with the money. We will need about $4500 in order to purchase the truck and to cover the cost of changing the title and getting new plates.

Mesa Del Nayar

I have been able to make a number of trips up to the Mesa to begin exploring ministry opportunities. So far we have been focused on the boarding school that was founded by our good friend Padre Pascual Rosales who passed away 2 years ago. I first met Pascual through our friends Tom and Collette Beytien who were working at the school at the time more than 10 years ago. After Pascual passed away a group of former students joined together to keep the school going. It has been very difficult for them since almost all of the resources for the school disappeared once Pascual was gone, largely due to the negative influence of the Catholic bishop in the area. This year Tom and Collette returned to the Mesa to help the school by teaching classes, taking care of projects and maintenance, and helping out financially. Now our good friends Dave and Isabel from Cofradía have joined the volunteers working at the school. They have a lot of gifts that are a blessing to the staff and students at the school, but have a challenging road ahead as they adapt to the new culture and figure out how to raise the necessary

finances.  During my recent trips we have been able to help out by making shelves for the dormitories, fixing some of the vehicles, and fixing one of the carport gates. I have been very encouraged by the openness of the leadership and students of the school and have been invited a number of times to share during their devotional times. Also encouraging has been the enthusiasm of a number of brothers here in Cofradía who have accompanied me to the Mesa.

Recently our friend Macedonio Diaz and I took a reporter and camera man from Channel 10, the government station, up to the Mesa. They spent the day interviewing the director of the school and some teachers as well as capturing images of the school and students.  We are hoping that the resulting news story will generate interest in the government and among individuals that will translate into support and resources for the school and its staff. As soon as the TV spot is done we will add subtitles and add it to our blog.

Plans

I am still trying to make the trip over to Cangrejo to get started there. I want to reconnect with friends there and begin forming listening groups with families. In the listening groups we will using the recording of the New Testament in their dialect of Cora that was produces by the Faith Comes By Hearing ministry.

Family

We are very excited that Isaiah will be joining us for Christmas! Thanks to the generosity of some friends we were able to get a round trip ticket for Isaiah using air miles. He will be here from December 20^th until the 10^th of January. To have the family together for Christmas is an amazing gift. With the arrival of Isaiah we will have a pretty full house since our friend Violet Lanahan is with us and Juan Luis and Pola's daughter is now staying with us during the week as she goes to high school.

Gratitude

We want to express our gratitude to everyone who has shown interest in our work here in Mexico. We appreciate your emails, prayers, financial support, and visits. We thank you for giving so that we can be here following the vision God has given us.

Needs

These are our current needs;

• $4500 for a truck
• Increase of $400 in our monthly support
• Prayer for God to continue to open doors in La Mesa and Cangrejo
• Prayer for our family

 God Bless,

Jay, Faith, Elisabeth, Kai, Violet, and now Yulisa from Arrayanes!

Tom and Collette

Tom, Collette, & Santos

First, a little history. More than 10 years ago we were living in San Marcos focusing on the ministry in Arrayanes and Mojocuautla. They had just installed phone lines and for the first time we could get internet service. I began searching the internet for any information about the Cora Indians. I stumbled across a website of Tom and Collette Beytien, a couple from Nebraska who were working with the Cora up in the community of La Mesa del Nayar. They had been working at a school for Indian kids from the Tepeuano, Huichol, Cora, and Mexicanero tribes. They worked alongside the director, an elderly Franciscan monk who at that time had been in the mountains for 35 plus years. I sent them an email expressing my desire to work more with the Cora people and included an invitation to visit us anytime they were passing through.

Since our first meeting God has continued to allow us to work together in many different ways because of our shared passion for seeing God revealed among the Cora people. Now, as we are back in Mexico and gearing up to start a new work in the area around the Mesa, Tom and Collette are back at the school. Now that the Franciscan has passed away the school has been taken over by the Alumni group, directed by our friend Santos. The school still has its roots in the Catholic tradition, but they are open to our involvement. During our trip there last week, we were invited to share during their devotional times a 6am and again at 6pm. During our trip we were able to help out by painting in the dining hall, painting the exposed wood on the exterior of one of the buildings, and building a number of shelf units for the dormitories. Pastor Horacio, his son Alfredo and David Medina accompanied me on the trip.

Right now there are more than 100 students at the school, some of them live there full time since they come from as far away as Durango and Jalisco, and the rest return to their homes in La Mesa. This school really needs help financially. To adequately house, feed, and teach this many kids is not cheap, but if I understood Tom correctly, they are doing it now for about $500 a month. They really need closer to $1500 a month. If you would like to be a part of that work you can contact Tom and Collette at familyrenewal@yahoo.com.

Road Blocks

A lot of times road blocks are good. Road blocks guide us around problems and potential dangers on the road. However, I can not remember a single time that I have been excited or thankful when I have encountered these barriers. Early this morning we left our hotel in Tucson, Arizona and headed south to cross the border into Mexico. I was tense at the prospect of dealing with Customs and Immigration but excited knowing that soon we would be home in Cofradia. After a quick stop at Customs and a relatively modest Duty payment we promptly hit the road block at Immigration. As it turns out we should have been able to get through with very little problem but the Immigration agent would simply not give us what we needed. Since we could not get the proper immigration paper we could not get the permit for our truck and trailer. Once we realized that there was nothing we could do we turned around and headed back to Phoenix. Tomorrow morning we should be able to get what we need from the Mexican Consulate here in Phoenix and then be on our way. So, after the frustration and anger this morning I am trying to be thankful for this road block. I know that God is sovereign, guiding and directing us. Proverbs 16:9 says 'The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.' (NASB) I guess what I struggle with most is that this 'man' makes a lot of mistakes as he is planning his way. I believe that God is faithful and not only directs our steps, in spite of my mistakes, but He also uses them to accomplish His work in me. I thank you all again for your prayers as we continue this journey.

We are finally on the road! After over a year in Washington we are on our way back to Cofradia. Tomorrow morning we will cross the border and by Friday we should be home. We are excited to get home and see all of our friends at church Sunday morning. Once we are settled in Cofradia we will begin to make more and longer trip back into the mountains and begin implementing our ministry plans in the Cora Indian communities of La Mesa, Cangrejo, Gavilanes and others. We want to thank everyone for your prayers and financial support as we work to establish a long term outreach ministry to the Cora people. Once we get back to Cofradia and back into the swing of things I will post another update.

 

These are exciting times. The problem is that the exciting can be difficult and challenging. Right now we are in the middle of a furlough, a time of significant change for our family. We always knew that as Isaiah and Elisabeth approached the end of high school we would need to take some time to help them move on to the next phase of their lives. Last May we left Mexico with the plan of moving back to Washington for a year in order to help them explore new opportunities and support them through this time of transition. The most difficult part of this process is the realization that soon our family will be split up. Even so, we are still excited about getting back to Mexico. In January we will accompany a group from our home church of His place to Cofradia for a 10 day trip. While in Cofradia we will have time to make a trip up to La Mesa and Cangrejo to explore what opportunities for future ministry are open to us. This will help us to begin preparing and planning for the next few years. Then in June of 2015 we will pack up and move back to Cofradia. Back in Cofradia we will work alongside the local church to develop an effective outreach ministry to the Cora Indians. Since the early 90's we have felt called to be a part of sharing the Good News among the Cora Indians in a way that makes sense to them in the context of their culture. We believe that studying their language and culture are integral components of an effective strategy for ministry. As well, we are convinced that we are only a small part of the team. First we have to partner with local believers from the church in Cofradia who will go with us and who share our desire to reach out to the Cora. Then we need to partner with a support team who will lift this ministry up in prayers, respond to the financial and material needs, and who will  join us in Mexico to see first hand how the work progresses.

Thank you so much for your interest in our family and our ministry and for the many ways that you support us.

Update
   Ok, it has been a while since I have updated our blog. If I could come up with a good excuse, something you would believe, I would.

   Even though the blog has been silent the ministry in Cofradía and in the mountains continues to grow and develop. Here in Cofradía the local church continues to grow bigger and stronger under the leadership of Pastor Gollo, the eldership, and the lay leaders in the different ministry areas.

 The vision of the ministry is proclaimed in this way:

·         We are a leading church where:

o   A constant sustainable growth is maintained.

o   We make sure Christ is the head.

o   Each person is a leader.

·         We are committed to:

o   having the Word of God as our authority

o   being a place where people encounter the truth and restoration

 
   We continue to work diligently to build a strong foundation with solid Biblical teaching, discipleship programs, leadership training, evangelism, and building community. We are excited for the future that God has for this ministry and the communities He leads us to.

Trip to Cangrejo
   In June we were joined by our friends from Iowa Tom Beytien and Mark Hoffschneider, as well as Pastor Hector Robles and a group of men from his church, as we travelled back to the Cora community of Cangrejo. Our plan was to visit people in their homes and share a simple study of the Prodigal Son, do a Kid's Club, show the Jesus Movie, and give out a metric ton of corn. God's plan, it turns out, was different. Soon after arriving we found out that during the 2 days we were going to be there the community was going to be full of activity. They started out with an all-day volleyball tournament, then a primary school graduation, then ended it all with a dance with a live band and cases and cases of beer. So, instead of trying to make our plan work, we decided to join them (except for the beer drinking). We formed a volleyball team and entered the tournament and were thoroughly beaten by the local teams. This type of community event involves everyone, including the surrounding villages, and is a time for visiting, having fun, and spending time together. So that is what we did. We talked with people, we participated, and we helped.

   The next morning we met with the town leaders and the ladies from all of the families in town and we gave everyone a large bag of corn. Pastor Hector share with them that the gift of the corn was not from us, but was a blessing from God, one way that He wants to show His love to them. At the end we prayed over them and their community and said our good-byes. I don't know what it is, but Cangrejo has a special place in my heart and I believe that God has plans for that community.       Cangrejo Slideshow

Baptism
   In July we loaded up the whole congregation and went out to the stream in Santa Fe for a baptism. The baptism was a great time of fellowship and excitement. After a time of worship, Pastor Gollo shared a short word and a prayer. Then Gollo and Horacio baptized 6 people! Check out the following video of the baptisms.

Baptism Video



Upcoming Trip
   Here in August we plan on making a trip back to Washington. As usual we are waiting for our visas to complete the renewal process before we can go. We really enjoy our time in Washington, visiting, sharing, and connecting with family, friends, and supporters. We plan on being in Washington from the end of August until the 1st or 2nd week of October.

   We are also very excited that a couple of guys from Cofradía, who are in Washington for the apple harvest, will be joining us at His Place Community Church on the Sunday of September 22nd, followed by a potluck lunch. We hope to see you there!

 

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.