Having entered into a new year I think that it might be helpful for us to look back over some of the events that transpired in the ministry in Mexico during 2023. If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, then today, unlike my oft-times long-winded blogs I want to keep my words to an absolute minimum and allow pictures to tell the story of life in the Huastecan region of Mexico.
Theresa and I were blessed to be able to spend about six weeks serving in Mexico during February and March. The Lord willing we hope to be able to do the same again this year.
Besides the ongoing focus of pastoring local churches in Solidaridad and Buenos Aires and running the children’s ministries and feeding programs in Buenos Aires, the concentration of the work during 2023 continued to be in church planting and outreach into the mountainous Pame tribal region to the west of Cd. Valles.
Today I read an article on a local megachurch which was justifying their need for a $15 million dollar expansion onto their already immense facilities. My heart weeps when I hear things like this. If you look at the photos of “the Church” as you see it depicted here (and, I would add, as it takes place in much of the world today), I don’t see buildings with large foyers and coffee bars or sanctuaries with padded pews. Rather, what I see are believers meeting wherever they are able to gather together, with the intention of communing with their Lord.
The Children’s Feeding Program, Hidden Manna continues in Buenos Aires with the children. However, over the past years the children’s work has also grown into a full-fledged youth and adult work as well. Most of the youth who attend have themselves come up through the children’s programs over the years. Many of the adults are parents of the children who currently attend. The Church that meets at the children’s facility is growing, as is the little group of Believers that gather in an unfinished cement block shell the end of the “street”, which Javier and Cristina also pastor.
Vacation Bible Schools (EBDV) have always been a vital part of the children’s ministry. Often adults also attend and find that the hands-on and visual teaching is beneficial for them since in more remote villages many of the older people cannot read or write. Over the summer months Cristina and her teams of young people presented week-long Vacation Bible School programs in ten villages and assisted in three others, both in the region around Cd. Valles and Buenos Aires as well as in the mountains to the west among the Pame tribal people.
I trust that this photo presentation has been a blessing to you and has helped you to “picture” the work more clearly. Please continue to hold up the ministry in prayer.
“The harvest is huge and ripe! But there are not enough harvesters to bring it all in. As you go, plead with the Owner of the Harvest to thrust out many more reapers to harvest his grain!” Matthew 9:37-38
Your fellow laborers in the harvest,
Steven and Theresa
