Greetings from Mexico City and welcome back to Steve and Kay’s
Mexico City brief.
Since our last blog life has stayed exciting. Of course, life has
remained steady in some areas while taking some unexpected turns in others.
Thankfully our God is involved in both the steady and the turns.
Bible
Studies
Probably the most exciting turn is the Bible Study being held in
Cuautitlan. This city is next to Tultepec in the northern part of the Mexico
City valley. Both cities are in the State of Mexico and have an approximate
population of 111,000 each.
We have been meeting for some time with Carlos and Yeri in Tultepec, but the study in
Cuautitlan is only a few weeks old. Tonya and Monse are sisters-in-law that
currently attend the study in Tonya’s apartment. Monse lives next door. Monse
has been a Christian for some time while Tonya is a new Christian. Directly in
front of Tonya’s place is a butcher shop that only sells chicken.
The area is
covered by a tarp, has two tables and a scales. An extension cord runs out the
window to the table for the scales. The chicken is kept on ice until it finds
its way to the table where it lays under a towel. Sells are continuous so the
meat does not stay at room temperature for a long period of time. We order our
chicken as milanesa to be prepared as chicken fried steak. As a new Christian
Tonya is in need of prayer. She has two sons, a four year old and one 8 months
old. She is estranged from her husband but would like to see him give his life
to Christ. There are plans for us to visit with her husband in the near future.
Both the Tultepec study and the Cuautitlan study are possible
future congregations meeting in homes. This fits well into our ministry plan.
Our plan is first to share Christ with unbelievers and invite them to make a
decision for Christ, then to train them immediately to share their faith with
others. The new Christian will become part of a training course that they will
be encouraged to give to those that accept Christ through their witness. In
other words, each new believer is encouraged to start a house church through
his or her witness. Of course, if someone who is already a Christian wishes to
join one of our studies or house churches they are more than welcome, although,
they will have to rethink their idea of what the church is as part of their
adaptation to a house church concept.
At this time a friend is translating the materials that will be
used in the house church approach. These studies will be given to the new
believer on a weekly or every other week schedule. It is a ten week set of
lessons that will encourage the formation of a church around week five or six.
Please pray for Elizabeth who is translating the studies for us.
Also a quick thank you to Greg Syverson, co-missionary in
Pachuca, for inviting Steve to accompany him to a first visit in the town of
Ixquimilcan. The humble accommodations are home to a family with connections to
the New Life Christian Church in Pachuca. Just an hour’s drive from Pachuca the
wife is especially interested in having a Bible study in her home. It was
awesome to meet with five women who are related and neighbors. For Steve it was
a chance to listen to one of the studies being developed for our church
planting ministry. Thanks Greg!
Eagles
Church Anniversary
April 26th was the much anticipated 6th
anniversary of the Eagles Christian Church. The celebrations were held over
both Saturday and Sunday. Starting early on Saturday there was a community
talent sale. Not sure what that sounds like to you, perhaps it sounds like the
old fashioned talent auction where people in the church were auctioned off to
serve within the community by doing yard work, washing cars or some other type
of physical labor. In this case the ladies of the church used their talents to
make certain items and then sold them. One lady made bleach, while another made
jello and still another make some
knitting items. Not too sure how much sold but the ladies had a great time.
While the sale was going on some of us struck up a game of basketball and so
the time passed. Around noon we had a pot luck dinner. Only, there were no
pots. There were lots of tortillas, chicharon, nopal, some chicken, sandwiches,
refreshments and soft drinks. PS, chicharon is pork rinds and nopal is prickly
pear cactus leaves. The chicharon comes in the crunchy style and very slimy in
green sauce. Yum yum!
After the meal we turned our attention to teaching various table
games for a couple of hours. And finally, after the games a movie was shown. I
don’t remember the title of the movie but it was very pointed! In the movie 
was
a group of pastors and elders that were only interested in running the church
as a business and were mostly concerned for its reputation as well as their
own. The other group was interested in the sharing of God’s word and Christ’s
story among the poor that lived around them. Not just a movie with a good
message, but a movie that our people could identify with in taking the Gospel
to the poor. Steve’s jobs were playing basketball, eating, teaching Farkle and
helping Kay with the popcorn. Kay’s job was participating in the sale, eating,
teaching a game and popping the popcorn. It was an all-day activity.
Sunday was equally exciting. The service did not begin until 4:00
pm, but there was much to do. We went by the bakery to pick up the 20 lb.
anniversary cake to be served after the service. Steve participated on the
worship team playing lead guitar as well bringing the Bienvenida (welcome) and
the meditations for the offering and Lord’s Supper. However, by far the most
exciting was the four baptisms that took place just before the sermon. All four
ladies were genuinely terrified of water. That may seem strange to many of us,
but for people that rarely, if ever, get to enjoy a pool of water or the ocean,
getting into a tank of water is both strange and fearful. Their baptisms were
an act of faith in and of itself. We praised the Lord together as they survived
their baptism and were “raised to walk in new life in Christ”.
¡Moving! ¡Again!
Of the turns or changes that are happening probably the one
that will impact us the most is that we are moving. Don’t you just dread that
word! Moving means packing, and packing means moving. Aaagh, it is a vicious circle. But it is
necessary. Since we are going to be moving we sought a place very near to
Carlos and Yeri’s place. In fact, we can walk to their house in three minutes.
It is also just a five minute drive over to Tonya’s place, the study in
Cuautitlan.
The house itself is nothing like anything that we have ever
seen in the US. The house is nine feet wide at its nearest point to the street.
About 12 feet back into the house it widens out another four feet on one side.
That additional space is used for a bathroom and the stairs. The house is three
stories. The top floor has one bedroom, a closet and a large bathroom. The second
story has two bedrooms with a shallow area in each with a hanger rod and a
small bathroom. The lower level has the living room/dining room and kitchen in
successive order. There is also a small patio in the back of the house.
Prayer Requests
- For the future of the study in Cuautitlan. Your
prayers have been heard and it is beginning to take form. - For the study in Tultepec. For our relationship
with Carlos and Yeri. For their efforts in finding a suitable house for Yeri’s
mother to purchase. - For all the work that goes into moving and the
moving itself. Moving will hopefully take place around the end of July. Pray
that our present landlady works with us to make this possible. - For the continuing saga surrounding the paper
work for the Civil Association, Manos De Vida. The Eagles property is
registered under the AC. Pray that we might soon have the change of address and
the authorization for donations.
