July Newsletter

Nayarit mission reflections:

The recent mission outreach to the Cora people in Cangrejo with Jay Tenbrink, Pastor Hector, Mark Hoffschnieder, and group of faithful men was spiritually awakening.  The following thoughts are reflections on the opportunity to continue to prayerfully grow the ministry to the Cora.  Although not much went as planned on the trip, it did provide a revealing contrast of both the opportunities and obstacles facing the Cora in these times.   Although there appear to be gains in infrastructure such as the access road to the village, the new irrigation dam, advances in public education; they are more than offset by marginal employment, low income, out migration of educated youth, seasonal worker out migration, alcohol abuse, violence, and family disintegration.

Need - The Cora Indigenous People are numbered approximately 25,000 in the mountain areas of Nayarit Mexico.  They are an unreached people, although well exposed to the presence of Catholic tradition.  The Cora are a proud independent people living in tribal settings as survival agriculturists without an advanced economy.  Their faith is animistic with Catholic influence.  The Cora traditions and culture are experiencing a great deal of pressure from the outside world creating alcoholism, family strife, exiting youth, and a powerful drug counter culture among many other cultural stresses.   

Short term goal - to share the love of Christ in word and action leading to personal relationships in Jesus Christ on the part of Cora individuals and families.   

Long term goal - to build self sustaining communities of Christian believers living in the Cora Culture, to protect and preserve their culture, and enhance their economic well being as is possible.  

 Process- establish trust and relationships with leaders and people within the Cora Nations by learning in depth their culture and ways, engage with them as grace filled living examples and create a desire to receive and live the teachings of Jesus.  We will look for opportunities to engage with willing individuals and families by focusing on ways to create a personal relationship of trust:

                - seek to define needs and assist as possible - for example with  economic improvement in agricultural production -  by sharing knowledge, techniques, and engaging in projects that will benefit the community at large through increased crop production.

                - assisting with physical needs such as dental, vision, medical care as possible

                - encourage further development of the marketing of local artisan products.

                - establish faith based nurture for those struggling with alcohol, family violence, etc.

                - connect believer groups and communities to facilitate a network of support and      encouragement

                - organize support groups for youth, women, economic development as possible in the culture

Application – The journey of building trust will take time.  We have talked about the New Tribes approach of community understanding with the intention of frequent learning visits for a year or so, then moving a family or small group into the community as allies in resource, with the purpose of developing deeper relationships and local leadership.  The intention being to honor the existing culture while creating a foundation upon which to build new sustaining strength in Christ.

 Support- The opportunity to reach out to the Cora is completely dependent upon authorization from the Tribal Elder Council.  The work of Padre Pascual Rosales over the past 40 + years and his encouragement of Jay Tenbrink and Cristiano Centro has created this opportunity to share Christ in the La Mesa Cora culture.  Prayer is a constant need.  Church networks, financial resources, teaching and training models are all integral to the success of the project.  As the vision for this work is revealed the details will be set forth.  Our immediate prayer is for discernment and direction, that the Lord will bring many to assist with this season of planting for harvest.

April Newsletter

Dear friends in ministry,

We are alive and relatively well now entering month seven of border ministry.  Our work in Mexico is anything but tranquil and slow paced, yet we are very content with the progress we see God evidencing through the hands of His people -  to His glory follow some highlights of these past months.

Fist on the list is people - the faithful servants we have been privileged to work with - over twenty five teams, many from Iowa (four from Des Moines!), numbering over five hundred people strong – one team from Oklahoma came with 200 workers.  Many dozens of houses, kitchens, bathrooms have been constructed, and tons of food and clothing have been distributed.  The school lunch program remains strong with one hundred fifty students fed on an average day, and over two hundred fifty children enrolled.  We are privileged to witness the Holy Spirit work through so many Christians sharing resources and serving in short-term trips to this part of Mexico.

Next is the visible hand of God leading the construction of the new school.  In the last four months God’s helpers have purchased the land, poured the foundation and floors, and raised the block walls.  The roof is to be completed in April, the bathrooms and septic system are under construction, and there are already commitments for funding and construction for the second floor next year.  Please continue to pray for this worthy project and participate with funds and labor as you may!

El Buen Pastor Church has a new drain field, storage cabinets, a remodeled storage room for clothing distribution, and a new pastor’s office with desk, chair, computer, internet and copier.  In the lunch room a  new drop ceiling, kitchen cabinets, storage shelves, sink, ceiling light and fan, lots of new electrical wiring, new big pot burners, a chest freezer, and outside a great big new playground for the children.   The parsonage has a new kitchen, screen door, plumbing repairs, privacy fence and new patio.  Plus there is new stucco and paint all over the grounds (mostly on the walls)!

There is more…the PET project is well under way, thanks to friends from Volunteers in Mission and many other helping hearts and hands.  The 25’x35’ building was constructed during the sludge time in January, but they sure did “getter done.”  The PET is a life transforming hand cranked tricycle cart that provides mobility for people without use of their legs.  El Buen Pastor is to be an assembly and distribution sight for Mexico, providing training, employment, and opportunities for volunteer partnerships.  PET is distributed at no cost to the recipient, for more information www.pettexas-luling.org.  We will have more to report next time about an exciting building product called papercrete and sustainable economic evangelism projects that are just beginning!

Finally, God is gracing our congregation with at least six adult baptisms this Easter - Santos and Lupe are receiving Christ as fruit of the men’s Bible study.  Will you please pray with us that both women and men Bible studies continue to grow.  Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor, so that we through His poverty might become rich.”  Thank you for sharing hour prayers and resources with us on this eternal journey, we are so blessed and deeply appreciate your support.

To Christ be the glory,

Tom and Collette