Praise and prayer for Rancho Juárez
January 2013
What started 2 years ago as a Macedonian call to Rancho Juárez has now grown, by the mercy of the Lord, into a small church. Since then 3 of our pastors, Victor, Victoriano, and Medardo, have taken turns; each weekend one of them takes a missionary team of 6-10 members from their respective churches to Rancho Juárez to minister and have church services. The churches have had to unite their efforts and be creative in order raise funds to pay the equivalent of $200 dollars each week in order to make the 4-hour trip to this remote town. This is a great achievement seeing that most of the folks in our churches make about $10-20 dollars a day. During the rainy season many times the trucks get bogged down in the mud they have to walk through the rivers to get there and then pull the truck out of the mud or even up the steep embankments on the return trip.
At the beginning of this year the Lord raised up Eriberto, pastor Wilson´s (San Juan) younger brother. He is a single, young man who has been faithful during the past several years in the preacher training, youth choir and is one of our substitute preachers. This month He moved to Rancho Juárez to minister full-time at this church. We are excited because he is the first missionary sent and fully supported by our Mixe churches!
You may remember from our October 2011 update that one of the men in the Rancho Juárez donated his house to be converted into a church building. This brother, Bernardo, has continued, faithful to the Lord, and last month was baptized! He is a widower and lives with his 10 year old son Evaristo (photo). This young boy has always been one of the best Bible students at Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and has memorized more verses than any of the other children. When I stay at his home after we blow out the candle he always starts to recite his memory verses and sing praises to the Lord as he falls asleep.
Last month Evaristo began to have severe headaches and weakness in his legs. He was taken to Oaxaca, the capital city, were he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. His condition has deteriorated and last week after several days in the hospital he was “desahuciado.” In Spanish that means “There is nothing else to do. Take him home to die!” He is not eating and only drinks a little from a syringe. He no longer moves and his eyes are the only thing that indicates that is awake.
We are tensely waiting for the call from Eriberto telling us that Evaristo is about to go and be with his Savior. Victor and Victoriano are planning to take a small group of missionaries (including María) to accompany Bernardo and the church when he dies and comfort them during the grieving process. Please pray!
Jim María, Hannah and Katie