God at Work in Mexico-5

Upon leaving the Pima’s we traversed back to Rio Chico for the night before driving back to Ciudad Juárez and El Paso the next day. It was an incredible blessing for me to be able to go on this trip. My picture of Mexico and the ministry down there will be forever changed.

The vision, heart, and ministry of Pastor Tomas is truly amazing. He works tirelessly spreading the gospel and training pastors.

Now at this point you might be thinking “well this is all fine and good, but what does it mean for me?” Let me encourage you in two ways:

1. If you have never been on the Mexico trip, join the team going down this coming June. It will change your life.
2. Maybe you can’t go. Pastor Tomas’s church in Warez supports all of these above mentioned ministries to the Indians. These ministries require constant funding and these funds are changing lives and generations. When you write a check you aren’t just sending money to some organization, these are REAL people with REAL needs, and REAL lives. This fact struck me anew. I had no idea of the ministries that are happening in the mountains of Mexico. So give and give generously. The Mexicans put us to shame when it comes to giving. Did you know they give 25-30 percent of their income? Wow. Pray about what God would have you give.
   

By sharing this brief overview of what God is doing in Mexico I pray you now have a better idea of the ministry that happens day after day, week after week, and month after month.

Go. Give. Pray. God is doing great things in the Copper Canyon.

God at Work in Mexico-4

The second half of our trip focused on the Pima Indians. The Pima Indians have been hostile in the past towards Christians and currently there are no known Pima Christians. So after a brief chat and prayer time on Thursday morning we headed to a remote Pima village. While in the town Madera, for lunch, we noticed a brake line leaking on one of the trucks. Praise the Lord we were in the largest town for miles so we could fix it before heading into very remote country. Because of this delay we didn’t get to the Pima village until late that night.

Awaking the next morning to an overcast and rainy sky we ventured out into the village. The Pimas are a tribe who are virtually unreached and even though there are no Pima Christians, Pastor Tomas is building a church in the middle of the village. How cool is that? The foundation of the church is done, so Kika (pictured in front of the church foundation below) and I took some measurements for the materials needed for the plumbing in the bathrooms. “Plumbing” in Mexico is a bit different than plumbing in the United States. But this church will be considered “nice” because it will have running water and flushable toilets.

Pastor Tomas' vision is to build a relationship with the Pima, reach out and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We were able to help build this relationship with them through the Operation Christmas Child program. We took shoeboxes for all the kids. It was like a mad Christmas giveaway. The kids were quite excited and grateful for that one shoebox; understandably so because of the extreme poverty of the Pima. It seemed like most of the village turned out for the shoe boxes. What we think of as a small deal, was like a holiday to this village. Watching the kids receive and open the boxes is a memory I won’t soon forget--because relationships are being formed.

Seeing the hand of God at work is amazing...

God at Work in Mexico-3

During our time with the Tarahumara we got to spend some time with the kids playing soccer, Uno, and teaching them how to play jump rope. They were excited to have fun with us; someone new to play with. Although I don’t speak hardly any Spanish, a smile and a high-five transcends all cultures.

After dinner and dishes, Pastor Tomas lead a devotional with us, the staff, and the kids. It was an awesome time of Spanish singing lead by one of the boys and hearing the Pastor’s heart. One of the amazing observations from the evening was the attentiveness of the children. They were swift to obey and followed instructions carefully. When Pastor Tomas spoke, they listened.

Our team spent the night on the floor of the school building before departing early the next morning. If there is one thing I learned last week it is that the three other guys on our team snore…loudly :-) We made it out of the canyon by 1pm and after waiting around for awhile jumped in the trucks and headed back to Rio Chico. That night we all got showers and I have never slept so good on a lumpy mattress.

God at Work in Mexico-2

After our five-hour hike, we made it to the Tarahumara boarding school that Pastor Tomas founded in 2000. It is amazing to see what God has done there in the last 8 years. Around 40 kids stay at the school Monday through Friday; being fed spiritually and physically as well as learning general school subjects. The effort to get to the school makes one thankful for a square meal. It was incredibly touching to watch these 40 kids eat a good meal, something that many of them don’t get at their homes. The effort and work Pastor Tomas and his church in Mexico have put into this ministry is something I won’t soon forget. It costs around $3500 per month to feed the kids plus the salary of the three cooks/housekeepers, and the salary of the Pastor who is ministering there. The cost however, is irrelevant when you think of the ministry happening. How big of a difference will these 40 kids make in the next 40 years, to an Indian tribe that is virtually unreached?

I believe God is raising up a new generation in the Tarahumara tribe. Praise be to Him for all He has accomplished through Pastor Tomas, Brenda, and others. It takes a vast effort each and every week to keep the school running. It took us three days of driving and a day of hiking just to get there. The fact that they have a blossoming ministry to the Tarahumara is a testament to the hand of God.

God at Work in Mexico-1

Last week I had the opportunity to go on a Mexico mission’s trip with a small team from my church. It was an incredible time seeing God at work with the Tarahumara and Pima Indians. The trip was strenuous in many ways but was worth every mile and every step. Our trip gained the nickname, a roadtrip through Mexico, as we drove many miles. In 9 days we spent about 64 hours in the car driving throughout the countryside and mountains of Mexico. Our trip began on a beautiful Sunday morning attending Pastor Joshua’s Mexican church in El Paso, before we crossed the border, stopped by the Bible Institute and headed for Rio Chico. Pastor Tomas and Brenda joined us in El Paso before we crossed the border. After sleeping at Rio Chico, loading up the trucks, and praying for a good week; we headed for the rim of Copper Canyon. As we drove through various small Mexican towns we stopped for groceries, hay, supplies, and fuel. Hence, Monday turned into a long day of driving before we finally arrived at Antonio’s casa, our base camp, for hiking into the canyon. Tuesday we awoke to clouds and light rain, but were thankful for the cool hiking weather.

The hike into copper canyon was the steepest hike I’ve ever done. In five hours we dropped 3200 feet to the river, crossed the river, and hiked 1200 feet back up the other side of the canyon. Copper Canyon, in comparison to the Grand Canyon, is in every sense a larger canyon and having no well-established trails. The intense sheer drops along with the amazing flora and fauna is breathtaking. Streams and waterfalls dot the landscape. Even though it is rugged, the canyon is beautiful far beyond what words can describe. The creation of our God is a stunning sight.

To be continued...