Current Events and Updates of the Ministry

What a crazy and tumultuous year we are in with its convoluted twists and turns, fears and quarantines, half-truths and bald-faced lies, and political intrigues. I had no idea what lay ahead back in January when I wrote the following in my blog post:

“How is it possible that we are already entering headlong into 2020? On one hand it seems like only recent history that we were awaiting our fateful (or not!) entry into Y2K, and yet it also seems like an eternity has passed. Twenty years ago, on the brink of the new century we were told that the world would end in a dramatic computer-fizzle of missing data. Now we enter 2020 being told that we will all be annihilated in a massive environmental melt down.

In a world that appears to be flying apart at the seams I am so very thankful that our God reigns, and that He is sovereign and in complete control over ALL THINGS!”

Suddenly with the emergence of COVID-19 and the potential of its global ramifications becoming known in the beginning of February as the United States closed its borders to China, the world made a massive tectonic shift making the immanency of global annihilation from flatulating cows seem like yesterday’s news. Suddenly we were all locked down in universal quarantine fearing to (and indeed prohibited from), leaving our front doors. In several short months the economy of the whole world was tanked, businesses ceased to exist by the hundreds of thousands and millions, and it is almost certain that nothing will ever be the same again. It is only with a lump in our throats and sentimental nostalgia that we can look back at the “good-old-days” pre-2020.

But in all of this apparent chaos God, our sovereign God is on his eternal throne. As Habakkuk stated in chapter 2:20 “The LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him”.

I know that I don’t need to remind you of the many changes which have taken place over the past months, you know them all well enough, and how they have affected and changed your life. That certainly is not the purpose of this blog; rather, I want to let you know what is going on in Mexico with the work of our dear brothers and sisters there, and how the ministry of the Kingdom continues despite the current difficulties which they are facing.

There have been two devastating and predominantly overriding crises which have shaped the face of the ministry in Mexico over the past months: first of all a drought which has continued for over a year; and now the effects of the coronavirus and all which it has entailed for the country.

The extended drought, first of all, gutted the economy in the Huasteca region of Mexico, wiping out most of the sugarcane crop as well as devastating the herds and destroying grazing land. In many regions rivers and wells are completely dried up, and when the rainy season finally should have once again arrived this summer no rains came, or what did come was totally inadequate to replenish the water levels.

On top of this already disastrous situation the coronavirus hit Mexico with a vengeance. In a country where there are very few social catch nets and no economic stimulus packages being rolled out to assist the millions who have lost their employment and are being forced into quarantine and isolation, the suffering and desperation has been very intense. Whole families are facing the real prospect of extreme hunger and shortages of basic necessities.

Businesses, churches and almost all active ministries have been shut down by mandatory closures. This has affected and placed on hold not only church services but also Bible Schools, children and youth ministries, and missions outreaches.

Of course this has meant that almost all of the ministries in which Javier and Cristina and the other leaders are normally engaged have been placed on hold, or at a minimum greatly altered. This includes the churches in which they preach and shepherd their flocks, the Bible Institute, all missions outreaches into the western Pame region, the children’s feeding program and youth church in Buenos Aires, the women’s sewing school and programs that Cristina leads, as well as the multitudes of other ministries which were all very active up until March, and in which they are all so much involved.

However, it has also opened completely new ministries and innovative ways of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to a suffering (and often very receptive) audience have also been explored and utilized, and the work has gone on strong.

One of these new ways for Javier has been live-stream teaching on Facebook. If you want to catch a bit of his teaching (in Spanish) go to:

https://www.facebook.com/Casa-Del-Alfarero-177836422579316/

Being unable to hold the normal children’s programs and feeding ministry at Buenos Aires, Cristina seized the opportunity to minister the love of Jesus by distributing food packages to the poor children and their families which the program normally served at the Hidden Manna Center. Many of these children have either only one parent, or parents who no longer have any source of income due to the mandatory coronavirus lock downs.

Because they were no longer allowed to meet in the church buildings Javier turned rather to one-on-one and small cell group meetings and training. He recently told me that although this has increased the work load many times, it has brought in much spiritual fruit as well.

Although the quarantine greatly affected the sewing school/workshop, Cristina and Alicia did manage to keep ministering to the girls and women, albeit with limited groups and careful restrictions in place. Indeed, the number of girls attending grew overall because they were very happy for an outlet where they could do something valuable, as well as be loved-on and ministered to in those dark days of uncertainty and fear.

Things are slowly beginning to open again, and just last week Javier and Cristina were able to reenter the Tanlacut region in order to visit and encourage the Pame brothers and sisters there. Apparently the isolated Pame region has had very little affect from the coronavirus, but has been absolutely devastated by the severe drought to the extent that the rivers and wells in this normally very productive region have completely dried up. The bubbling river which normally flows through the small town of Tanlacut itself is now a dry gravel gully.

Let me go back briefly over the past months of ministry and recap a number of the highlights for you:

– as you will recall from the past blogs, the missionary outreaches into the Pame region to these dear tribal brothers and sisters in Christ has begun to bear fruit. The Pame

missionary center Casa de Fe was planted in the little village of Agua Nueva. Special funds were designated through Voice in the Wilderness Ministries to assist in the renovation of the donated mission center building there, and the work of refurbishing this critical center of worship and training for this tribal region was begun. Further funds were also committed for ongoing Pame missionary work so that Javier can continue the outreaches into this isolated region. These funds have specifically been designated to cover vehicle repairs, gasoline, food for missionary trips, etc.

– a donor church pledged monthly funds for the full year of 2020 to cover the financial needs for the ongoing work of the Hidden Manna Children’s Program and Feeding Center, as well as for the monthly rental of the building in which the sewing school/workshop meets. This has been a huge blessing and has meant that these two vital parts of the work can continue throughout this year. We pray that God will continue to provide for the future of these two ministries as well.

– although most of the neighbors in the whole region around Casa del Obrero lost 100% of their sugarcane crop due to the drought this past season, the ministry farm was able to bring in a harvest, even if substantially less than on a normal year. Still, the fact that anything at all was harvested was a huge miracle, and a witness to the whole region of God’s hand of blessing on the farm.

– due to the openhanded generosity of a number of friends of the work, funds were collected for Javier and Cristina so that they can complete their house in the village of Solidaridad. These dear servants have never owned their own place, and actually doing so was only a distant dream for them. Javier had managed to put together enough money to buy a small lot across from the little church where they minister, and had begun to build a number of years ago. However he hadn’t gotten very far over the past three or four years because all of their personal funds inevitably seemed to end up attempting to alleviate the desperate needs of their beloved congregation. Following a simple letter of need that I sent out in the beginning of May, God, through the profound generosity of a small handful of friends, poured out a lavish blessing for Javier and Cristina. Not only have Javier and his boys been able to continue to work on their house, but he has also been able to hire a couple of workers to assist him. It looks like there should be almost enough funds for them to completely finish the house right down to move-in ready (Mexican style). Praise the Lord, and thank you to those who so gave with such open hearts for this need!

– because of the travel restrictions and changes which now affect us all due to the coronavirus Theresa and I have had to place a planned mission trip onto the backburner. Theresa, Fred Erb, and I had scheduled a trip to Cd. Valles and the Pame region for the end of November and the beginning weeks of December. The purpose for this trip was twofold: first of all so that Fred and I could be a part of the Bible School and Project LAMBS graduations which were scheduled to take place on the 5^th of December, as well as attend the year-end meeting of the Board of Directors of OUpC (more on that in a moment).

However, the most exciting part of the trip for Theresa and me was that the two of us were then planning on taking the next two full weeks of December in the Pame region holding eye clinics, and in training two teams of technicians on how to test eyes and dispense eyeglasses. We were going to utilize the brilliant system made possible through Global Vision 2020, an organization to which we were introduced in the beginning of this year, and through which we ourselves were trained.

I’m sure that this is not the last time that I will be talking about Global Vision 2020, nor the last mission trip which Theresa and I will be involved in which will incorporate eye care as we are both fascinated with the possibilities which this presents for the spreading of the gospel in a very hands-on fashion.

Their website can be found at: https://gv2020.org/

Very briefly stated; Global Vision 2020 provides a method of testing eyesight and providing eyeglasses specific to the needs of each person tested. For roughly $3.00 U.S. a person can be individually examined and fitted with glasses of their prescription. Within several hours a technician can be trained in vision correction using the equipment and fairly simple testing methods. These technicians can then reproduce the work.

Although Global Vision 2020’s goal is to alleviate vision problems among the poor around the world, as a Christ-centered organization it also encourages utilizing the program as a ministry tool which trained national missionaries can use to bring the message of the gospel while also earning in a small income through the dispensing of the eyewear, thus enabling them to continue to minister. The concept is brilliant, and becomes a perfect “tent making” tool for national missionaries in poorer regions around the world.

Theresa and my vision is to begin in Mexico working with Javier and Cristina, holding several days of vision clinics in a number of Pame villages. During our time there we would specifically mentor two people whom Javier and Cristina had already chosen as likely candidates (actually, probably two married couples), training them in performing vision exams and the preparation of eyeglasses so that they were prepared to continue this ministry alone without us when we left.

We understand that the selection of these candidates will be critical. Obviously they will need to have some technical aptitude, but most importantly they must be people of uprightness who desire to serve and minister in evangelism and in preaching the Word of God, while also having a true and sincere heart to help the poor and needy. They must also be people of integrity who can be trusted with money and with a ministry which requires taking care of finances correctly and not abusing or wasting God’s resources, or being greedy, or of desiring to cheat and accumulate only for themselves. Because of this we will rely on the wisdom of Javier and Cristina to choose them beforehand.

Although the actual cost of the finished eyeglasses is somewhere around $3.00 U.S. per person, the technician missionaries will probably be charging around the $150 – $175 peso range per pair (around $7.00 US). In this way there can be an ongoing and reproducible ministry set up in the form of eye care for those who normally could not afford it, and the vision technician missionaries doing it can keep the work going without foreign money being infused beyond the very first time. Besides this, they can also earn an income while ministering. This will free them up to be able to serve the poor as well as preach and evangelize, while at the same time earning enough to be able to support their family. Also, as has become abundantly clear to me over the years, if a person does not pay for something he also does not value it and does not place respect or worth to it.

The Global Vision 2020 setup comes as a kit. Each kit contains lenses and frames for 550 complete pairs of glasses as well as one U-See tester and eye charts with the following breakdown:

250 empty frames

560 lenses

300 readers

2 vision charts

1 U-See tester

1 training material

Each of these kits cost $1,600 U.S., therefore each pair of glasses averages just under $3.00 U.S.

For our initial startup I was hoping to be able to bring three kits with us. One of the kits would be used while holding eye clinics in the western mountains with the Pame

people and in training the technician teams. When this phase of the project was completed the remainder of this kit would be left with them along with one full kit to each of the then-trained teams as a one-time donation. Subsequently they would be required to charge for the eyeglasses according to an established plan, and to ensure that they saved the amount of funds from all of the sales of the eyeglasses so that they could renew the kits when their product was sold.

Working with Javier and Cristiana beforehand we will establish a reasonable breakdown so that there is a specific portion of each sale amount which will be saved to repurchase more product, and for an income for the technician missionaries so that they can continue to live and support their work and ministry. If the missionaries abuse this they will forfeit any further assistance from me because I believe that there is every reason that they should be able to make this into a self-generating ministry financially, as well as a valuable evangelistic tool.

Further teams can also be trained in the future, and with Mexico as a starting point because of our already close relationship there, over the years this ministry can/could be expanded into other countries and to other regions of the world. Perhaps this is a new door which God is opening to Theresa and me as we reach our “retirement” years.

– there will certainly be changes to the ministry at the end of the year as Javier is planning on stepping down from being president of the board of directors of OUpC (the nonprofit covering the various aspects of the work), and also from his position as director of Casa del Obrero, the training center farm division of the work. This will bring many changes, but I certainly understand why he has made this decision as he feels God’s call into other areas of ministry. This is also why Fred Erb and I felt that we should plan on being a part of the board of directors meeting in December. Of course, this will now not be possible for us after all. Please pray for an easy transition, and that other gifted leaders of integrity will step forward to fill the void that will be left when he steps down.

– the Bible Institute and Project LAMBS have had to close their doors temporarily because of the coronavirus crisis. Also, our brother Mario (the director of Project LAMBS and co-director of the Bible Institute along with his wife Alejandra) was very critical with COVID-19 due to his work in the hospital as a medical doctor. I understand that he is better again, but we do need to remember to lift up our brothers and sisters around the world, especially through these difficult days.

Finally, in closing, I will attach a letter which I received from Javier on July 6^th. Although some of the things that he mentions as coming up have now already taken place, I think that it will give you a feel for his heart during the current difficult times:

_______________________________________________

 

There is no doubt that God has not made a mistake despite this emergency that is still upon us. In my case it has brought not confinement or sitting around at home, but rather more work for me. Some do not believe in the pandemic and continue walking around as if nothing will happen while others live in constant fear. However even they, when pressed as to what they fear most have to confess that they fear the virus.

Some people, such as some of the pastors in the city say “I trust in God and nothing will happen to me”. However, the truth is that although we believe and trust and hope in God we do need to obey our civil authorities as long as they do not violate our principles of freedom of faith.

All of this pandemic, sickness and fear that has hit us I see being like a plague, the fulfillment of Ezekiel chapter 7, which God has allowed in order to get our attention and to remind us how insignificant we really are, and how weak our bodies. As the prophet David said: remember that we are dust and weak men, lacking in understanding.

There have been some very serious infections here in Cd. Valles due to lack of proper care. Last week brother Ezequiel Hernández, pastor of Esfuerzo Magdiel tested positive for COVID-19 but despite this he denied that he had it and claimed that he only had acute sinusitis. But he did receive treatment and was in isolation along with his family. He contracted the virus from a member of his church who is a doctor and who is presently in serious condition due to the illness and is hospitalized in San Luis Potosí, the state capital.

Although the government has given us permission to open the church I have decided to wait to open it until after the middle of July. Of course we continue to work throughout within cell groups and in local missions. Although this makes much more work and is very labor intensive we have had an increased harvest of fruit from new souls as well, and I thank God for this.

By the third week of July I believe that we can appropriately begin working in the ethnic missions of the Pame region again if God does not place any other obstacles in our way.

I have almost completed much of the hard physical work that needed to be accomplished over this time of the year. The sugarcane on the ministry farm site has been cleaned of weeds and the sugarcane harvest is now over.

I still need to clean our own land at our small farm in order to replant it, but I still have some time to do that before the rainy season begins. We also continue to work hard on the construction of our house and I hope to be able to frame the ceiling very soon in order to pour the cement roof. However I will not do that part alone, but rather will hire a contractor who will bring his own crew of men to do it. As you know, the mixing and carrying of the cement for roof-work is all done by hand and it is best to hire a crew to do that part. God will direct the timing for this because to him is all the glory

We are also planning to fully restart the children’s ministry in Buenos Aires this week again; including serving the children breakfast and having teaching times for them again. What hurts me the most though is that due to the Covid epidemic over these long months entire families with their children have left the area due to lack of food to feed their families and there are only a few children still left. I will begin this work again with diligence and joy along with my wife and Alicia in order to advance the work with the children again now that we are allowed to do so. May God strengthen us to continue this ministry.

Here in Cd. Valles we continue to have extremely high temperatures, and even though it has rained some we have not received enough for the fields and once again the soil is very dry.

There has been a lot of activity in the sewing school/workshop and several young adolescent girls have joined in order to learn how to design and sew their own clothes. The twin orphan girls that our sister Marina is raising have also joined the workshop along with seven others who are working and learning and being ministered to there. I thank God for this.

At the ministry farm Armando has been almost completely in charge of cleaning and looking after the sugarcane as well as the whole farm.

Although on occasion I still will supervise his work, he is pretty much able to do it completely alone and without the need for direction from me. I have been helping him in some of the areas that he cannot yet do alone.

We cannot grow vegetables at this time because of the extreme heat and the sun simply burns everything. We are experiencing temperatures of 40⁰ and 50⁰ degrees Celsius. The heat is terrible this year.

blessings my brother,

____________________________________________

 

Please remember to pray for our dear brothers and sisters in Mexico. Conditions are not easy there.

 

Your fellow servants in Christ,

 

Steven and Theresa

How is it possible that we are already entering headlong into 2020? On one hand it seems like only recent history that we were awaiting our fateful (or not!) entry into Y2K, and yet it also seems like an eternity has passed. Twenty years ago, on the brink of the new century we were told that the world would end in a dramatic computer-fizzle of missing data. Now we enter 2020 being told that we will all be annihilated in a massive environmental melt down.

In a world that appears to be flying apart at the seams I am so very thankful that our God reigns, and that He is sovereign and in complete control over ALL THINGS!

It has been a very long time since I have written an update, and many of you are no doubt wondering what is happening with the work in Mexico. I am happy to say that the ministry continues strong and healthy, and that the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ is reaching many who would otherwise not hear.

I continue to be in close communication and relationship with the leaders, especially Javier and Cristina, and to have a part in the ministry, albeit, from afar. The age of WhatsApp has revolutionized our communications, and what would have been impossible only years ago now has become common fare. Javier and I chat via video call whenever the need, or whim to do so arises, and Cristi sends me reports, photos, and little tidbits on an almost weekly basis. Technology, for all of its evils has proven to be a valuable tool as well.

In this update I want to very quickly mention some of the highlights since my last March blog entry, and then I will take a little different approach and simply paste some of the most recent correspondence and reports from Javier and Cristina. In this way you will see and hear the work through their eyes and voice and will be brought up to date on the issues that are close to their hearts.

You will remember that one of the big things that I reported in March was that the children’s feeding program in Buenos Aires was growing out of the ashes of the fire and that it was bigger, stronger, and more blessed than ever. Today the first stage of the build is completed and there is a thriving adult, as well as youth and children’s ministry and church growing in this little squatter’s village on the outskirts of Cd. Valles. Cristina will speak more about this in her report so I will let her explain what is happening now.

In my blog I also mentioned the thrust into the western mountains – into the indigenous Pame zone – a tribal group which has been only minimally reached with the gospel in any viable way to date. God has placed a tremendous burden onto Javier’s heart to minister to this people group. He has also provided a building and property directly in the heart of this region for a mission center from which to minister. I have previously explained why this center is so important to this work, and I will not rehash it again. However, I do want to give praise to God for the fact that He has provided the funds to assist our Pame brothers and sisters to purchase the roofing material that I mentioned in several of my last blogs. What they still need now is funds to fix up the collapsing and cracking walls of the building so that it will be safe for use as a training center and living quarters for missionaries who come into the area. It is already being used as a church building and for overnight stays, and the Pame Church is growing, but for basic safety reasons the walls will need to be repaired very soon. Critically, it will take funds to do so.

Javier will speak more about the work that is taking place at the Casa del Obrero Training Center farm and I won’t try to steal his thunder, except to say that they have finished off a small dormitory room on the side of the main staff house, turning what was originally an open storage area into a room for one or two single men, or perhaps a married couple. Javier now hopes to begin the foundation work for a further dormitory and other necessary rooms as God provides the funds to do so.

Then finally, the long-awaited and long prayed for ability to transfer the ministry property legally and completely into the name of the nonprofit Obreros Unidos para Cosechar, AC (the legal Mexican entity which covers the Training Center farm as well as the Bible School and Project LAMBS) is now, at along last in process. The land title is being transferred and Javier expects that it should be completed within the coming months. We have been hitting the brick wall of impossible bureaucracy in the inscrutable murk of Mexican land laws for literally years – since the work first began on the farm. Praise God, it is finally now only a matter of waiting for the paperwork to be processed and sent.

I could go on and on (as I am too apt to do), but I want to let Javier and Cristina tell you of their ministry through their own words. So I will now step aside and let them speak:
___________________________________________

Cristina Nuñez Zuñiga   December 31, 2019
Month End Report Children’s Feeding Program (Hidden Manna) and Sewing School/Workshop – Cd. Valles, Mexico:

Receive a huge hug and many blessings my dear brothers and sisters. Season’s greetings from the familia Santos Núñez.

Hidden Manna Feeding Program (Maná Escondido), Buenos Aires:

Happy New Year! On behalf of the Children’s Feeding Program Hidden Manna I want to thank you, and give praise for all of the blessings which we received during this past year.

We are very thankful for our new kitchen, and extremely happy with it. It has allowed us to serve the children much more efficiently than we were ever able to do before.

The new facility has also enabled us to have two more services apart from children’s breakfast feeding program and teaching time which we have always held on Saturday mornings. Now we also hold a weekly service on Mondays at 6:00 pm, as well as a youth service every other Saturday for the young people.

We have a total of 25 to 30 children, and 4 or 5 moms who come with their children weekly on Saturdays. But in total we have around 9 women who attend. There are 16 youth who attend the youth services on a regular basis and 2 or 3 women who are firm in their attendance.

On December 23rd we celebrated Christmas at Hidden Manna. Everything was very beautiful and well attended. Piñatas and candies were donated by various friends and Christian brothers and sisters desiring to bless the children.

God is doing wonderful things in the work in Buenos Aires. I too want to emphasize again that most of the young people are also assisting us in various other areas of mission outreaches as well, besides what is taking place here in Buenos Aires. What a blessing it is to see these young men and women growing up into a deepening faith in God.

On January 3rd and 4th we were in Tanlacut, Agua Nueva and Milpas Viegas areas (around the Agua Nueva Missionary Center in the Pame region) preaching the Word and taking clothing and footwear which we were able to distribute to our Pame brothers and sisters . I thank God for providing us with footwear and clothing which we could give to those with meager financial resources.

Sewing School / Workshop:

In the sewing workshop the women continue to work hard. This past month we focused completely on Christmas projects; however, the coming year will see us tackling new projects once again.

We are very happy for this time in our lives. To be able to sew every day is the fulfillment of our dreams as leaders, as well as that of the other women in the program as well and I hope that the following brief report will answer any questions that you have concerning this part of the work:

1) During this month we have two new students – Carmen Araujo, and Lelsy Trinidad – besides those who have been in attendance already.

2) What is the total time that is spent at the sewing school?: Alicia, Karla, and I (Cristina) spend the most time at the school. Cristy from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Karla and Alicia from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. However, sometimes when there is a lot of work to be accomplished they also work through till 5:00 pm. This is true for Monday through Friday. The school is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

3) How many women/girls attend each session during the week: The numbers vary; in the mornings there are three and in the afternoons there are four. In total there are seven; however this number can vary day to day.

4) Who is in charge of the school when I (Cristina) is not there with the women?: When I must leave Alicia is in charge. She is very capable in all areas. When both Alicia and I must be gone due to other obligations (for example with the church) then Karla is in charge. She is very capable to receive clients and to do the work. She has advanced much since she began some time ago and we are all very happy with how much she is now capable of doing.

5) Has there been progress, and what is our vision for the future of this project for training women?: I have seen tremendous progress over the past year because the women and girls are constantly learning. Also now since Karla and Diana are able to take on project work as well we have become a very good work team together. God has blessed us with women who want to advance and learn. Even more importantly, the women are growing in their walk with God, and some who came without any faith in Him are now Christian sisters having trusted Jesus Christ for their salvation.

Our vision for the future of this sewing ministry is to continue fulfilling the dreams of more women who want to be here at the school and to see their faces also light up with joy and satisfaction as they do their work, or when they accomplish a new part of a project.

Our students presently are:
Jaribeth – 17 years old, Lesly – 10 years old, Ana – 10 years old, Abigail – 13 years old, Lucero – 32 years old, Diana – 27 years old, and Mariana – 29 years old.

The women and girls are seldom all together at the sewing school at one time because those who are in other schools as well go from their classes directly to the sewing school, of from the sewing school to their other classes. What is very helpful for this is that the sewing school is centrally located and has good access to busses so that coming and going is easier for the women and girls.

Receive greetings and a big hug from all of us, and from the Santos Núñez family in particular.

May the Lord always bless you, and may His blessings fill your home.

Sincerely,

Cristy
______________________________________________

Javier writes:

All glory be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who blesses us with joy. It is a pleasure to be able to thank each of you through this letter, who, even though we do not know personally, are participating in our work here in Mexico.

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. … And so we will be with the Lord forever.

With these words of hope the apostle Paul awakens our ears and heart and encourages us to move forward with the sole purpose of reaching the end of our life believing in him who died and rose again and gives us the victory every day to overcome obstacles and temptations day by day. To him is the glory for ever and ever.

Receive a very cordial greeting, hoping that you had a wonderful time this Christmas and New Year with your family and friends. Blessings from our family. We wish you the beginning of a year filled with love and hope. May the God of Israel fill you with peace, love, and joy in Christ Jesus.

Here, as always, we enter the year with a lot of work but this is the nature of ministry; there is no schedule for us, only the privilege of serving God and others.

Concerning the question of clear title for the ministry land: I expect that the work of the transfer of the title of ownership of the land will be completed during the year 2020, with all involved in the said transfer and the agreements that have been made with the Civil Association here in Mexico.

This has been a very heavy burden for me until the present, but the Lord willing I will achieve it according to what was planned in the beginning for this ministry. I will also hand over the presidency of the Civil Association at the end of this year (2020), allowing me to concentrate strictly on other ministry and for reasons of caring for my health.

By God’s grace I will continue to enter and evangelize the mountainous Pame region until the time that God establishes several congregations there. I continue to pray that God will provide faithful workers for this ministry.

Also concerning the sugarcane on the ministry farm: I thank God that it is recovering somewhat despite the severe drought that we had this year. We finally did receive a little rainfall very late into the season, but it is not nearly enough. We place our hope in God alone that he will be merciful to us. Most of the sugarcane growers lost everything this year due to the severity of the drought. But we thank God that, despite the drought, some of the sugarcane on the ministry farm managed to survive and is growing again.
______________________________________________

The following is a report that Javier gave to the Board of Directors of Obreros Unidos para Cosechar, AC, the Mexican nonprofit which covers the various phases of the ministry in Mexico. Since Javier is the direct administrator of the Training Center Farm (Casa del Obrero) his part of the report to the board focused specifically on it:

Report: Javier Santos Hernandez

President OUpC, A.C.

Board of Director’s Meeting OUpC
Cd. Valles, December 4, 2019

To the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who blessings us continually in Him we give glory and honor and for ever and ever.

I am very pleased to be able to present myself to you, and it is an honor to stand before this legally constituted Association, Obreros Unidos para Cosechar, A.C. Today is a special day for each one of us to provide our reports according to the work accomplished in this 2019 school year.

Within my role as president of this Association; Obreros Unidos para Cosechar, A.C. I make my report of the work accomplished and the activities that were carried out in this period of almost twelve months. I also wish to recognize that these have been unusual times and that the 11 month drought has affected us all greatly. But I thank God that the loss was not total and complete.

Although the rain came late this year we benefited from the fact that the sugarcane cut was delayed last harvest, and by negotiating with the sugarcane union I had managed to be allowed to leave the roots for another year’s growth. That fact benefited us during this year’s drought since the old-growth sugarcane stalks were already well rooted and were therefore better able to endure the drought conditions, and indeed with the application of fertilizer much of the crop on the ministry farm was able to recover. Also the new growth on the 1.8 hectares, although it was minimized in its growth due to the drought, has gradually recovered with the arrival of rain. Still, the rainfall has not been enough and we certainly need more rain in order for the vegetation to develop and recover fully.

In January of this year the full title for the ministry land (dominio pleno) was processed before the attorney general’s office. I have been waiting for the arrival of the finalized documents but because of change of the federal government that took place this year the arrival of these documents has been delayed.

Three hectares of sugarcane were harvested without any problem and also with less harvest costs than we sometimes accrue. Thank God for this blessing.

In July we completed the digging of a retention pond at the farm site for the collection of rainwater and runoff soil, and to avoid further erosion due to the extreme passing of water in the rainy season. The money that was used for this earthwork was from a missionary economic fund that we still held from last year, and which was specifically intended and given for that purpose.

Works and Projects To Be Carried Out The Following Year 2020.

1) Harvest of the sugarcane on the farm property. The first part of the harvest will take place in January or February according to the present schedule of the sugarcane mill. This harvest will be of the new-growth sugarcane planted last season.

2) The second part of the harvest will also take place. This will be the cutting and harvesting of the old-growth sugarcane and will take place at the end of April or the beginning of May.

3) After the harvest has taken place the land will need to be cleaning again of remaining thatch and stocks, and the existing sugarcane roots will need to be cultivated for the following year’s growth.

4) Fertilization of the sugarcane plants will also need to be done.

5) We will continue to raise sheep and chickens.

6) We pray that God will bless us with rain and favorable weather so that we can continue with the production of vegetables again this year.

7) Complete the construction of the small housing quarters at the farm property which has already been begun by building into the former equipment storage area of the present building.

8) Construct a free-standing apartment on the farm property for a couple or small family.

9) Depending upon the availability of funds coming into the nonprofit this coming year for construction, I hope to begin the earthwork and the purchase of rock in order to begin foundation work for dormitories and other associated rooms.

Although currently we have no new students at the Casa del Obrero training center farm we will continue promoting for the next year ahead. We trust that God will send more laborers to his harvest, and we will keep preparing facilities to accommodate those that valve this work and who will come for training in Christian ministry.

I thank you for the confidence that you have placed in me. It is a joy to me to be able to serve you in this way.

Sincerely, your servant,

Javier Santos Hernandez

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There then is the heart-felt reports of those with boots on the ground in relation to the training center farm, the sewing ministry, and the children’s feeding work and adult and youth ministries in Buenos Aires.

 

Obviously there is much more which could be addressed including the Bible School, Project LAMBS, a more complete update on the work in the western mountains with the Pame, the mission church plants closer to the Cd. Valles area, the churches which are being pastored by the various national leaders, the various children’s ministries and outreaches, and the many other ministries of helps taking place. However, this is enough for now. One cannot eat an elephant in one gulp, and trying to do so is seldom helpful in the end.

However, I trust that this update has been helpful for you to get a renewed sense of the ongoing work in Mexico, and that it will renew your commitment to praying for those who labor in unflagging ministry there.

 

Blessings from your fellow laborers,

Steven and Theresa

You will recall that in the last blog entry dated December 24, 2018 I brought you the sad news that the building that housed the children’s feeding ministry program in the village of Buenos Aires was burned to the ground and completely destroyed. It looks like it was done deliberately by an arsonist, but no one has come forward, and no motive was ever discovered. Perhaps it was simply children with matches, a bottle of gasoline, and too much time on their hands, who knows. But whatever the reason, coming just before Christmas as it did and destroying what Cristina and Javier had worked so hard for, was a discouraging blow.

Nevertheless, as I recorded in my December entry, both Cristina and Javier were convinced that God would create beauty from the ashes, and glory from the very dust of this apparent tragedy. [Go back to the December entry to refresh your memory if you have forgotten].

True to Himself as he always is, God has been on the move since that last blog, and as is stated in Genesis 50:20 “You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people.”

And indeed He has done something good!

On the site where a small dilapidated building stood in December is rising a beautiful kitchen and storage facility for the children’s ministry. The Lord has brought in funds to begin to move towards completing phase I of a two-part (and faith-stretching) vision which Javier and Cristina have put forward for the work in the village of Buenos Aires – initially, and immediately, the construction of a kitchen and storage facility for the children’s work. Secondly, erecting a large “galera” (an open-walled, roofed structure) on the front of the lot in order to not only house the children’s feeding program, but also to provide a meeting place for the Church which has been planted in Buenos Aires almost directly as a result of the arson in December. Because of the fire the village has come firmly behind the work and many new people have given their hearts to the Lord and are now meeting as a congregation under the trees until further facilities can be built.

To put this into perspective for us in Canada and the United States where this type of structure is foreign, I will amplify a little on what Javier and Cristina have in their hearts:

The first structure (which has already been begun) is a kitchen and storage area which will include a bathroom. This is kind of the basic, bare-bones that are needed just to get the ministry on its feet again. It is a very culturally-appropriate, Mexican-looking cement block building to replace the cobbled-together wooden facilities which were burned down. However, it will be too small to provide a place for the children to actually meet, or in which any other activities can take place directly.

Because of this they envision a second, larger “galera”, an open-walled roofed structure – typically the center of all activity in any Mexican community. This structure will be able to serve in three distinct capacities:

1) it will be a wonderful structure for the children’s feeding ministry. The biggest problem in the Huastecan region of Mexico for most of the year is the intense heat, along with torrential rains during the rainy season. An adequately large “galera” will provide a shaded and covered location out of the sun and rain, and will be useful for the ministry year-round. Without a facility such as this the feeding program really can’t go on unless the children simply sit under the 130⁰ Fahrenheit sun in the summer, or are drenched by rain during the rainy season – neither of which is really possible.

2) because the ministry in Buenos Aires is very quickly growing into a Church, the “galera” will rapidly become the focal point where all church functions can take place in the village.

3) as I have already mentioned, the focal point of any Mexican village is its galera. By building it large enough now, it will soon become the heart of the village and can be used as a multifunctional tool for both social and spiritual outreach to the community. Such a structure will in this way provide for long-term ministry, and will give Javier and Cristina a reason to be heard and taken seriously by the community within which they minister.

Javier reports that there are many new adults, besides children, who now meet for services in Buenos Aires. This is true not only when the feeding and teaching program takes place on Saturday mornings specifically for the children, but also when they hold church services apart from that as well. Javier has stated that the village is hungry for the Gospel.

But, despite a good beginning, more funds are still necessary to complete this vision – especially to move into the second, more costly phase.

Besides his on-going work at Solidaridad where Javier directly pastors a church, both he and Cristina as well as Armando, Alicia, and others are very busy planting churches and mission outreaches throughout the Huastecan region.

Presently there are five brand new church-plants under Javier’s care: Buenos Aires, San Mateo (where the door to ministry was opened to them through dispensing Samaritan’s Purse shoe boxes to the children), La Loma, Tampaya, and Xolol Municipio San Antonio.

Lest our western minds find it difficult to capture what it really means to do a grass-root church-plant in a small Mexican village, I will tell you that the Church in several of these communities is presently meeting on the street, and in at least one of the villages on the train embankment beside the train tracks. Services there pause while heavy freight trains screech by within feet of the congregation.

Besides the above-mentioned new church-plants are the outreaches in San Antonio Huichimal and other communities where a mission church has already been established for some years.

But beyond this relatively local ministry Javier is also engaged in an ongoing thrust into the sparsely-reached Pame tribal region to the west of Cd. Valles where he and his team ministers every second week – traversing for hours down almost impossibly bad roads in order to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the mountain villages of Tanlacut, Agua Nueva, Milpas Viejas, and Chaccuala. The Lord willing, and as He provides finances to do so, Javier hopes to push onwards as well – deeper into the mountains – as far as the Pame villages of Tanlú, Los Positos, and even into the regional seat of Santa Maria Acapulco, all within the Zona Pame of the Huasteca.

Not only does this all take an incredible commitment and the need for personnel to assist Javier in the ministry, but it also requires funds for practical things like gasoline for the truck and mechanical repairs to keep vehicles on the road. There is a tremendous need for ongoing finances to enable this ministry to continue so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be advanced into these hard-to-access, and basically unreached tribal areas.

There is also a second pressing need for finances to assist in this new missions thrust into the mountains. Last year one of the new Believers donated a lot and building in the little village of Agua Nueva to the work. The only stipulation in the donation was that they would first need to remove the tin roofing and wooden rafters from the building so that they would be able to utilize them for an animal shelter for their cattle. Instead of doing the double work of removing the present roof and replacing it, Javier asked rather for the option of purchasing the existing roof from them and giving them cash in the value of the material that they were going to remove. They agreed to this arrangement, and came up with the very reasonable amount of $38,000 pesos (approximately $2,000 US, or $2,700 Canadian dollars at today’s exchange rate). This needs to be paid soon in order to honor Javier’s commitment to them. As it is almost impossible for the local indigenous Pame Christians to come up with this amount on their own because of their poverty, I believe that we need to help them do so.

The vision for this donated property is that it becomes a central hub for the missionary work taking place in the Pame region, and that it will be a facility where church services and Bible training can take place. Besides this, it will also be a place where national and foreign missionaries can stay when they are ministering in this mountainous area. Also, since it is centrally located within the Pame region it will provide a place where the local villagers can ride on horseback or walk to the church services. It will also be a significant place within the Pame region where extended training can take place in a culturally appropriate way for the tribal group themselves, utilizing Project LAMBS and other Bible School materials specially adapted for this specific people group.

The commitment and excitement of the local Pame Christians for the use and development of the property is very high, and despite their poverty they have been able to raise the funds to have the power and water turned on so that the building can be used and the local Body of Believers can gather there.

Casa del Obrero, the farm-based training center where Armando and Alicia live and minister continues to advance in its vision. The beginning of spring brought the planting of vegetable crops, and they are presently in the middle of a bountiful harvest on the farm. The plan for this year is to increase the planting beds and shaded areas so that more will be able to be produced, increasing the yield from that which provides for one or two families to sufficient to feed many more, or even enough so that it can be sold.

Recently one of the members of the Board of Directors of Obreros Unidos para Cosechar (OUpC), the Mexican nonprofit which covers the work of the farm, donated eight ewe sheep to the farm on an exchange loan where he will receive half of the lambs produced, and the farm will keep the rest. In this way the farm will be able to increase their sheep herd. This same brother also donated two piglets to the farm – one for Armando and Alicia to own, and the other for the farm. This is a “home grown” blessing, and a way that the animal herds can be increased on the farm.

Probably the biggest news in regards to the Casa del Obrero farm is that the long awaited legal avenue for the nonprofit to obtain a completely clear title on the property has finally become a reality. The local governing body had stymied this final process for many years, but the paperwork is now approved and a clear title will be received from the federal government as soon as it is processed in Mexico City. This is a HUGE answer to many prayers over the years. With this clear title to the property the farm will finally be able to be registered officially under the name of Obreros Unidos para Cosechar, the nonprofit which covers the work of the farm and Bible schools.

This will also present a logical time for an internal transition to take place within the administrative structure of the Training Center. Javier’s desire is to be able to step down from the direct administration of the farm by handing over most of the management and the running of the work to Armando, thereby freeing himself for other ministry. Javier reports that he is blessed to see how Armando and his wife Alicia have grown in their vision and leadership ability over the past years, and he feels that they are ready to take over much more of the direct leadership of the Center.

There are a number of health-related issues which need your prayers as well. First of all, please hold Cristina up in your prayers. She has not been doing well physically over the past months. She has struggled with poorly controlled diabetes for a number of years and appears to be suffering from the long term increasingly intense sequelae of the disease. At times she finds it physically difficult to go on, but her commitment to God and her unstoppable determination keeps her going non-stop. Please hold her up in your prayers. She is a very, very vital part of the ministry, and without her at his side Javier would find it extremely difficult to do what he does.

Secondly, please hold Marina up in your prayers. You will remember that Marina has been mentioned in a number of my blogs over the years:

http://www.vitwministries.com/wordpress/2018/04/mexico-ministry-trip-and-god-is-faithful/

http://www.vitwministries.com/wordpress/2010/08/the-face-of-poverty/

http://www.vitwministries.com/wordpress/2012/01/671/

http://www.vitwministries.com/wordpress/2010/08/manzanas-maravillosas-dona-marina/

Specifically, Marina, an aging and now very frail great-grandmother is fully responsible for the care of four young children aged nine (twin girls), eleven, and twelve. Marina’s health is failing quickly bringing into question the future of the children. Very recently Javier had to make it possible for Marina to have a large growth removed from her mouth. Unfortunately her own adult children were unwilling, or unable to do so, and Javier needed to take charge of the emergency.

Marina’s failing health, of course, brings into question what will happen to the children in the case of her death as it is very evident that their extended family members will not do so. Javier feels that perhaps this brings back to focus something that God has placed onto his heart for many years already – namely, that perhaps the farm should become a place where orphaned and abandoned children could be raised in a godly and Christian environment and where they could be given a healthy, loving, and stable Christian home while also learning how to work and become self-sufficient from the land. Perhaps the four young great-grandchildren of this dear woman will be the first orphaned children on the farm.

Of course, if this is to take place, as it conceivably could very soon, then there will be an almost immediate need to develop appropriate housing on the farm to accommodate the children. There will also be a need for loving caregivers to assist in this work. Further, there will be the need for increasing the production of the farm in order to feed the children and the constant need for finances to care for them. Humanly speaking all of this appears to be only an unrealistic pipedream, but if God is in it then it can be done. Please pray with Javier and Cristina and the others in leadership as they seek to understand the Father’s will in this. Also, that Armando and Alicia will continue to mature in leadership as they will most probably be the ones directly in charge of this ministry if it does begin.

Finally in closing, I want to encourage you to keep your eyes focused on what God is doing in the world around us, and specifically what he is doing in the Middle East, Israel, and very explicitly in Jerusalem. There is a convergence of events taking place on the national and international levels unparalleled in any other time in history. I believe that we stand on the very brink of the return of our King who will reign from Zion, his holy mountain. And of whom the Lord has decreed: “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession”.

^“Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth”.

I sincerely believe that we stand at a point closer to our Lord’s return than at any other time in history. Although this may seem like a very obvious statement to any Christian, I believe that it is more urgent today than ever before and therefore demands a response and an awakening from any lethargy or spiritual drowsiness into which we may have stumbled.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”.

Your brother and sister in Christ,

 

Steven and Theresa

 

Dear friends,

On Friday I received a message from both Javier and Cristina which I will place intact into this blog.

On December 21st Javier messaged via WhatsApp:

Good morning my brother, may God bless you. Yesterday at 11 o’clock at night, almost at midnight the children’s feeding ministry facility in the village of Buenos Aires was burned to the ground.

Today we woke up to the work of cleaning the place with the children from the feeding ministry program. Everything was a total loss. We had many things that we used for the children’s ministry which were turned to ashes.

In spite of all those things I know that God is with us fighting the battle. To God be the glory. To him I give my strength and my time and thank Him for the life that He gives to us.

Yesterday we got toys together for the children’s Christmas party which was to be on Saturday. Today (Friday) we woke up to this. I thank God for the tests. Through trials He strengthens our faith.

 

Cristina messaged:

Brother Steven. We received bad news today. At about 11:00 pm last night the children’s feeding program kitchen was burned to the ground. The children and I are very sad. Tomorrow we were to have our Christmas party there with the children, but today we received this news.

Everything was lost.

There was a plastic bottle at the site of the fire that had held gasoline, and which apparently was the accelerant which was used to start the fire and which caused everything to be consumed very fast.

 

This is the children’s program in action:

 

Friday morning. The aftermath of the fire:

______________________________________________

In Genesis 50:20 Joseph stated to his brothers:You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people.

I believe – in pure faith – that this will be true here in this tragedy as well. I have no physical evidence upon which to place this faith, other than the fact that I know that God always brings good from ashes and turns that which was meant to destroy, into something that will bring him glory.

Although the facilities of the children’s feeding ministry in the little squatter’s village of Buenos Aires may not have looked like much from a Canadian or American perspective it was completely national, the best that could be afforded by those who began and ran it, filled with tremendous love, and was being powerfully used by God in the lives of some of the poorest children and their mothers in this little impoverished village of shacks and mud pathways.

Cristina recently wrote how blessed she was to see her helpers who are now teenagers and love Jesus, who had come through the children’s program and had begun in it as young children. She also wrote recently of children who are bringing their mothers to the meeting times, and of young mothers who now attend and help – thereby being loved on by both Cristina and the other women running the ministry, as well as by Jesus himself. This children’s work is growing, with more in attendance all the time.

As of Thursday midnight, everything is ashes – that is, the facilities are ashes – not the ministry, or their love for the children, or for Jesus!

Last night when I spoke to Cristina and asked her what they would do on Saturday she said that Saturday is to be the children’s Christmas party and they would meet anyway despite the fire; simply in an area of the grounds that were not blackened by soot and ashes.

She also told me something that was very encouraging to both of us. She said that many of the neighbors in the little village were very supportive and expressed sadness for their loss. But most importantly to Cristina, she said that they were referring to the ministry as an “evangelical church”. In other words, a huge impact has already been made in the community by this little ministry to children and mothers, and it is seen for what it really it – the hands and voice of Jesus himself.

I don’t know what we can do from our part, but I would like to see us pull together and help them rebuild. The work is national and best done that way. However, that doesn’t stop those of us who love this ministry, Javier and Cristina, but most importantly Jesus, from assisting them financially during this time of crisis.

 

Canadian Donors (to receive a Canadian income tax receipt):

In order to best facilitate this need quickly all funding for this specific project (from Canada) can be sent to Provision of Hope through the following on-line charitable donation link:

Donate

By clicking on this link you will be taken directly to the Provision of Hope Donation Page. There you will see a heading labeled “One-Time Donation”. Ignore the drop-down below it and go directly to the “Please Add Comments or Suggestions” box and type in Mexico Children’s Feeding Program. This will ensure that your gift goes directly to this critical need following this tragic fire.

 

U.S. Donors (to receive a U.S. income tax receipt):

From the United States, tax-receipted gifts can be given for this specific need by sending funds as usual, made out to NewSong Church. However please make sure to mark clearly in the note area of the check “Mexico Children’s Feeding Program”.

Send to all U.S. donations to:

NewSong Church
P.O. Box 451839
Grove, OK 74345

 

Thankfully, despite the huge tragedy of this arson there was some good news from Cristina as well when I spoke to her late on Saturday night. The tables and benches that are used for the children were being stored in another adjacent building and were not burned in the fire. Everything else was destroyed, but thankfully these were saved and will continue to be able to serve the children in this ministry.

Also, true to Cristina’s promise to the children, the Christmas program was celebrated on Saturday (one day after the fire) with a tremendous turnout and a show of support. Jesus Christ was honored, and his name was glorified despite the present setback.

 

I thank you in advance for your love and support for our brothers and sisters in their work in Mexico.

I have posted photos of the children’s ministry in Buenos Aires onto the Ministry Webpage under the “NEW PHOTOS SECTION” –  the very large red button at the top of this page.  Also, please view the above videos to see what ministry work is really like in so many places around the world. The floor and complete grounds were dirt and became pure mud in the rainy season, the “kitchen” most certainly would not have passed a food inspector’s scrutiny, nor, I can guarantee you, did the workers have a “Food Handlers Certificate”, there were no walls, the serving tables and benches were only recently upgraded from wooden planks on cinder blocks, and all of the accouterments were bare-bones. But I have found long ago that beautiful facilities don’t necessarily impress God too much, nor do they necessarily signify an active or God-serving ministry. Although nice amenities can be helpful and useful in any work, He always looks past the tools and desires to see the heart.

 

I know that this was not a usual Christmas letter or blog. But this is the current need.

 

May you be filled with the mystery and joy of Christmas as you remember and celebrate the incarnation of our Savior. He came the first time as a helpless baby, but He is coming again very soon as the Sovereign Lord – King of kings and Lord of Lords!

May your Christmas season be filled with the love and joy of friends and family.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

 

Steven and Theresa

 

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ –  to all who love our Lord and Savior and who are excited to be a laborer for His Kingdom, and to all who are passionate about missions and what God is doing around the world I want to send an update on the work in Mexico.

I know that the news has been dominated with very negative things lately, especially as it relates to the southern border of the United States with Mexico. There is much chaos and stress in the world, but God is still solidly on His throne and His sovereign will is in no danger of running off the rails. God is still God, King of kings, Lord of lords, and in complete control.

I have been blessed to receive a year-end report from Javier which I am going to place directly into this blog so that you can catch a little bit of the burning passion that he carries for ministry. I told Theresa that it is akin to reading a modern-day rewriting of the book of Acts. Whereas the Apostle Paul and Dr. Luke and others faced the challenges of their day in a Roman world, Javier and Cristina, Mario and Janny, along with the many others face the difficulties of ministry in the 21st Century in Mexico.

One of the first things that immediately struck me in reading his report is the need for money to keep the tools moving – specifically to keep the little Ford Ranger that he now has running, as well as to purchase the fuel to do so. To me it is unconscionable to think that for the lack of funds to keep a vehicle on the road, or for fuel needed to travel, one soul, and perhaps multitudes would not hear the gospel message of God’s love for them and spend eternity in Hell. I understand the difficulties of getting to the places that he is talking about. I have driven these same roads, and many like them – more cow paths than roads in reality.

The second thing that immediately jumps off the page is the burden that he has for the unreached.

 

Without detracting any more I will place Javier’s report below.

 

Blessings,

Steven

_______________________________________________________________________________

Project for the Pame Zone of the Municipality of Santa Catarina and the Tenek Region pertaining to the eleven communities of the Municipality Cd. Valles, San Luis Potosí

I always give thanks to my God for the grace that he has given to us because in all things we are enriched in him. Because of this, the testimony about Jesus Christ has been established in several communities in the indigenous Pame region of the state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

For a long time I have wanted to reach this tribal group but the opportunity was denied me and every day there remained a pain and anguish in my spirit that would not let me rest. In the month of June of last year I was able make an exploratory visit to the communities of the Jabali, La Copa, Veite de Noviembre, and Santa Elena, all communities belonging to the Tamasopo region.  My eyes saw firsthand these very beautiful communities, but in my heart I knew that God had prepared me to go even further into the Pame region of Tanlacut itself.

And so we pressed onwards. Upon arriving at the village of Trigo we desired to speak to people but it was not possible to do so. Going further we arrived at the village of Tanlacut for the first time and began to scope out the community. We did not have any contacts in place, but we trusted in God that he would direct us. Arriving at a house we stopped and got out of our vehicle. Here we found a young man who was very sick and we asked if we could pray for him. After praying for the young man the family offered us hospitality and hosted us and we were able to have our first meeting with his family in order to share the gospel.

Fifteen days later when we returned back to the village we were overjoyed to see that God had healed the young man completely. This time we did not hold a service in their house but rather we were able to meet together with the whole community for their first evangelistic service. Although we have had ups and downs along the way we have had no problem with the community and they even provided us the use of the village town center for services, and it is in this building that we are holding services and which serves as a church building up to the present. To God be the glory given. This is the first Pame area in which we began to work.

Beginning in January of 2018 we were able to visit several other communities within a short distance from Tanlacut, including Agua Nueva where a small property and house was donated to the ministry. It is my vision that this be developed into a mission center for the Pame people within their own tribal region so that missionaries and other workers who travel there to preach have a home place to stay when they arrive.

Approximately four kilometers further up an almost impossibly bad mountain road is another community called Milpas Viejas where we are also ministering the gospel is Jesus Christ. These brothers and sisters in Christ often walk the eight to nine kilometers down the side of the mountain to attend church services in Tanlacut.

In March we began ministering in another community belonging to the same municipality called Chacuala. Here we found people desperately in need of the Word, many with thirsty hearts prepared to receive.

We still have a long way to go and to date we have achieved very little of the full vision which God has given, but we want to continue to advance the gospel to other communities as well as God permits. Our desire next is to be able to go to the community of Tanlú and then from there to be able to enter even further to the very center of the Pame region, or Xiux to a village called Santa Maria Acapulco which is adjacent to the state of Queretaro. There are also further communities such as Los Positos which have invited us to bring the Gospel.

May God provide the laborers to advance his Kingdom as well as sufficient funds in order to purchase the fuel needed to keep the truck on the road and for the parts and repairs which are always needed for the vehicle in order to continue with this missionary work to this people group.

It is the desire of my heart to continue to prepare laborers for God’s Kingdom. The harvest is ripe.

The House of Prayer mission outreach which is heading up the ministry of Casa Maranata located in Rio Verde over which I also have oversight is also about ready to become an independent church. However because it still does not have its own stable location to meet we have been seeking God’s sovereign will and intervention. This mission church is pastored by brother Hazael Moreno who was ordained last year as a minister of the gospel at the regional convention at Victoria.

While being careful not to neglect the work in the Cd. Valles area or the church in Solidaridad which I pastor, in the coming year I hope to be able to take the gospel of our Lord all the way to Santa Maria Acapulco which is located in the very center of the Pame tribal region, as well as to preach the Word here in Cd. Valles.

We are already making an impact into the Tenek tribal area around Cd. Valles (of which tribal group I personally represent) and have had a mission outreach established in the village of San Antonio Huichimal for some time. This work is being ministered to by brother Armando Lopez Ramos, a member of our local church in Solidaridad. We also want to open mission outreaches into the Tenek communities of Ojo de Agua and La Lima in the upcoming year, the Lord willing. My vision for the next year, if God permits and provides the means to do so, is to fill those places with the gospel.

I desire to also be able to advance God’s Kingdom into the mountainous regions of the state of Hidalgo to the west of us where the soil is also fertile for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What we prayerfully wait and intercede for are laborers willing to serve in this capacity.

Very soon, as God helps me and gives me life and strength and the finances needed to proceed, I long to accomplish my heart’s desire which he has placed in me from the beginning – to advance His Kingdom to the unreached tribal groups, and to disciple men and women to become leaders themselves.

Even though my days here on earth may be short I know that God the Father of our Lord Jesus ​​Christ, my Lord, will prosper my way and provide me with the ability to accomplish what he has planned for my life. God will sustain my way and will bless my children after me.

Thank you Lord.

Santa María Acapulco:

Santa María Acapulco is a community in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, located in the Sierra Gorda forest reserve in the southern mountainous region of the state territory. It is part of the Municipality of Santa Catarina. Its population is almost completely formed by indigenous people of the Pame ethnic group.

History:

The territory where the town of Santa María Acapulco currently sits, the Sierra Gorda, was not completely conquered by Spaniard conquest until the year of 1744 when it was finally subjugated at the hands of José de Escandón.

Its inhabitants, the Pames, are one of the only two surviving groups of Chichimecas that the Spaniards conquered in the northern regions of Mesoamérica, and that were characterized as nomadic. As a part of their domination missions were founded, one of which was Santa María Acapulco, founded around 1740 by the Franciscan religious order. Its name comes from its founding mission as being dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The word Acapulco comes from the indigenous Náhuatl language and means “where there are large and thick reeds”.

The Spanish mission of Santa María Acapulco stood out for its particular and unique style. The church was built on top of a hill dominating the community, with a facade decorated with niches and images of saints. Its roof was formed by palm branches. Inside there were three altarpieces constructed of carved wood in the baroque style – a large central one as well as two on either side. A pulpit was constructed of wooden polychrome (referring to an item that has been decorated with many colors of opaque paints and pigments). The interior also had 125 articles, including sculptures and oil paintings now cataloged by the National Institute of Anthropology and History as historical pieces.

Culture:

The vast majority of the inhabitants of Santa María Acapulco understand and speak the Pame language. The main activity of the population is agriculture, which nevertheless provides only a subsistence level of income for most. The women of the community dedicate their time to the weaving of palm fiber with which they make petates, colotes and chiquihuites, (various baskets and floor mats), but which in reality generate barely any income at all. For these reasons it is considered one of the poorest communities and regions in the whole of Mexico.

Among the main traditional celebrations of the community are Holy Week, Corpus Christi, All Saints, 3 de mayo, 12 de diciembre, and 6 de enero. During these celebrations it is common to see the traditional dance of the mitote characteristic of the Pame communities in which men and women dance in straw capes used as protection for the rain

Location and demographics:

Santa María Acapulco is located in the southeastern part of the state of San Luis Potosí very close to the boundary of the State of Querétaro, in the Huasteca area, and in the Sierra Gorda region. The geographic coordinates of its location are 21 ° 28 ‘ 20 “N 99 ° 26’29” W. It sits at an altitude of 853 meters above sea level. Its main communication route is a rural road that connects it with its municipal capital Santa Catarina, as well as with Rayón and Lagunillas in San Luis Potosí, and Arroyo Seco in the state of Querétaro.

According to the 2010 census the total population of Santa María Acapulco was 712 inhabitants, with 294 men and 294 women. The largest population registered in the town was 1,502 inhabitants in 1910, while the lowest was only 93 in 1950.

 

Report written by

Javier Santos Hernández

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I trust that Javier’s report has been as inspiring to you as it has been to me. God is at work and he is bringing a harvest of souls into his Kingdom through the hard work of faithful brothers and sisters around the world.

The other aspects of ministry in and around Cd. Valles continue as well and I am not trying to take the focus away from it in any way. Mario and

Janny continue to raise up leaders through the Bible Institute Luz de las Naciónes as well as through the work of Project LAMBS. They are faithful in ministry and working hard for the Lord also. Cristina and Alicia are as busy as ever in the sewing ministry and women, many of whom would otherwise not be open in any way to the gospel are now being loved into the Kingdom of God as well as learning a wonderful trade while doing so. The Training Center farm, Casa del Obrero is advancing. The crop this year looks good. Armando and Alicia are serving well and faithfully – both at the farm and the ministry there, as well as in the multitude of other areas that they are also involved in.

God is on the move, and his Kingdom is advancing!

As the Christmas season and year-end approach I want to request that you remember our brothers and sisters serving in Mexico. I personally have nothing to gain in what I will now ask, so I will do so without apology: Please remember to pray for them. Please give financially if God lays it on your heart, and if you are able to do so. I am so very often reminded of how a small amount of money to us here in Canada and the United States – that little extra something that I “deserve” and which doesn’t “break the bank anyway”, can mean the difference between having the gas to travel out to a mountain village to preach the gospel, or to pay for the repairs of a broken vehicle. Either way, my Starbucks might mean a soul included or excluded from the Kingdom.

I often think of the scene in Schindler’s List where Oskar Schindler looks at his gold badge and his other remaining trophies and falls to his knees weeping and sobs “This could have saved one more person; one more person could have been saved”. I don’t want my beloved trinkets to keep a soul from God’s Kingdom.

Have a blessed Christmas season filled with Jesus Christ.

Your fellow laborers,

Steven and Theresa