Mexico
YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MINISTRY IN MEXICO BY CONTACTING:
Chiapas Province
After three years of exploration and preliminary work we were able to make contacts in Chiapas Province that would introduce us to some Indian communities. Many of these converts speak only Indian dialect and are very mistrustful of outsiders. In January 2013 we were introduced to some villages over a period of 8 days and immediately saw parallels to the mission ministry we have in Cuba. In fact, the Indians, and the pastors ministering to them, face similar circumstances to the Christians in Caribe. In January we met with a group of 150 Indians who had just been displaced from their community by the elders because of their faith. Having no jobs or prospects of work, having no housing, and having little money for food, these Indians were being cared for by four churches in the city to which they fled. Over 90 of them were children. We met two other groups of displaced Indians who had been two years in “exile”.
In the remote villages, we met many new believers who depend upon visiting pastors to shepherd them. In fact, we had a different pastor accompany us to each village and later learned that the pastor had grown up in the village and, therefore, was our introduction and our credibility. We also visited some older more established churches in other villages. All of these Christians, new and old, live under the threat of being displaces at the whim of village elders or the local “national” church leaders. At a minimum, they are discriminated against by the Indian culture and the well established “national” church.
Training for Pastors
Although the humanitarian needs are great, when we asked what the pastors needed most, they replied training and encouragement. The Christians in Chiapas only have informal associations of pastors for support. We met three pastor leaders of three different associations at the end of our January trip and immediately organized a series of three Pastor Conferences to provide training and discipleship and fellowship in the Word. The first Pastor Conference has just finished and two more will be held. One in January 2014 and the other in April 2014.
It is always amazing that in the midst of great physical need and threats of harm, the greatest need is for encouragement, training, and fellowship. As our CUBA friends say, “Just come!”
NELSON PEREZ AND VOM CONTINUE THIS VIBRANT MINISTRY AND WE URGE YOU TO CONTACT THEM.
- NELSON PEREZ, nelsonperez@cincoe.org.
- OR
- AT VOICE OF THE MARTYRS, www.persecution.com
Chiapas Province
After three years of exploration and preliminary work we were able to make contacts in Chiapas Province that would introduce us to some Indian communities. Many of these converts speak only Indian dialect and are very mistrustful of outsiders. In January 2013 we were introduced to some villages over a period of 8 days and immediately saw parallels to the mission ministry we have in Cuba. In fact, the Indians, and the pastors ministering to them, face similar circumstances to the Christians in Caribe. In January we met with a group of 150 Indians who had just been displaced from their community by the elders because of their faith. Having no jobs or prospects of work, having no housing, and having little money for food, these Indians were being cared for by four churches in the city to which they fled. Over 90 of them were children. We met two other groups of displaced Indians who had been two years in “exile”.
In the remote villages, we met many new believers who depend upon visiting pastors to shepherd them. In fact, we had a different pastor accompany us to each village and later learned that the pastor had grown up in the village and, therefore, was our introduction and our credibility. We also visited some older more established churches in other villages. All of these Christians, new and old, live under the threat of being displaces at the whim of village elders or the local “national” church leaders. At a minimum, they are discriminated against by the Indian culture and the well established “national” church.
Training for Pastors
Although the humanitarian needs are great, when we asked what the pastors needed most, they replied training and encouragement. The Christians in Chiapas only have informal associations of pastors for support. We met three pastor leaders of three different associations at the end of our January trip and immediately organized a series of three Pastor Conferences to provide training and discipleship and fellowship in the Word. The first Pastor Conference has just finished and two more will be held. One in January 2014 and the other in April 2014.
It is always amazing that in the midst of great physical need and threats of harm, the greatest need is for encouragement, training, and fellowship. As our CUBA friends say, “Just come!”
NELSON PEREZ AND VOM CONTINUE THIS VIBRANT MINISTRY AND WE URGE YOU TO CONTACT THEM.