Return to Ixcamilpa!

After his long absence from the Mixteca region of Puebla (due to our son, Asher´s, birth and our daughter, Jemina´s, serious illness), Paco once again experienced the Lord´s presence and power on his trip to Ixcamilpa.

The night before the trip, the two brothers who had committed to join him at 5am the following morning, cancelled- at 9:30pm! Paco did not have anyone to join him into the

isolated, no-cell-phone service, no medical-care area!  He started calling brothers from the church.  When he called Toño to invite him, Toño immediately accepted: saying that with the recent “Day of the Dead” celebrations in Mexico he was missing his deceased wife more than usual, and needed a distraction.  The trip was a tremendous blessing for this fairly-new believer! Toño marveled to witness multiple families who, even in

their poverty, continued to pray, read their Bibles and trust in God.  Toño commented in amazement: “They really believe God hears them when they pray!”  He returned challenged in his own faith. Obviously, the Lord had good reasons for Paco´s other companions to cancel just hours before the trip!

The villagers were excited to see Paco arrive after his long absence, waving

at him as he drove into town (after first peering suspiciously at our new car, as the villages have had recent drug sellers filtering in).  Paco and Toño visited many homes to not only deliver donated groceries and grains but to also pray for the people and encourage them in their faith.  Each family insisted they stay for a “meal” of tortillas and salsa, in their gratitude. 

Paco was especially pleased to visit Don Chava (blind) and his wife Selerina- who continue to listen to their audio Bible daily (Chava has lost count of how many times he has heard the New Testament!).  Chava commented that in the past months he has woken a night a few times claiming to have heard Paco´s voice calling him. Obviously, Paco wasn’t there, but he took it as a sign and reminder to turn on his Bible.

They visited the elderly María´s home, where he had coordinated and paid for the placement of a cement floor in her poor home. She and her adult son were so, so thankful for the floor! They could not understand why someone without political agenda would want to help them! Paco had the chance again to share the Gospel of grace of Jesus Christ.

At the afternoon Bible study in the village auditorium, two teenagers and 2 children arrived for the first time (having just arrived to live at the village a month ago- too late to join the school year).  They were attentive the entire study. When Paco offered them Bibles of their own,

they excitedly received them, saying they had never heard the Bible before and wanted to read it.

Instead of staying to sleep in the village auditorium as usual after Bible study, they instead slept under a tree in Don Miguel´s patio in Cuatlaxtecoma (heeding the advice of the locals to avoid the public areas at night with the recent drug trafficking in the area).  However, they were woken at all hours

of the night by chicken flapping in the branches above them and rooster crows!