Mexico Mission Trip,

Guest Speaker : Martin Venegas Jr Mexico Mission Trip : Sonny Hatten Testimony

The music

The Illusion

Sunday and Monday

Sunday morning we rose early to go back to the village. That was R. A., Arlene, Sonny, Gracie, Martin, and Judy Presley. Brandon, Tom, Ceil, and Wilson & Judy Gaunt stayed in town and rested. When we arrived in Puyipa and saw Justin and Cindy, Justin informed us that they had a serious discussion the night before on water baptism. He had at least one that wanted to be baptized after the morning service at the water falls. So we had the morning service beginning about 10:30. After some singing, and Justin preaching, we then gave certificates to 15 people that were leaders in the church along with the pastor and director of music who both were also given travel cards from RMFI to help them . These are picture ID's that prove they are in Ministry. Lots of individuals are traveling around saying they are ministers - but not really are. The service ended about noon and then it was time to eat. This time the ladies of Puyipa prepared Mole with rice and chicken. We loaded up the vans with the pastor and some elderly folks with Justin, Martin and Cindy walking with the younger folks and children. We traveled to a local waterfall controlled by a Rebel village only about 15 miles from Puyipa. A very intense time of travel as these individuals are very uncomfortable with outside travel, but God prevailed. Once down to the water falls, we had a quick service as a rain storm came. What a unique experience baptizing 3 folks at a waterfall with a rainstorm in the jungle so heavy you could barely see. The younger villagers and our folks that had walked down were not in a hurry to walk back in the rain. We had carried some 7 or 8 folks in each van down and then with the rain, several of the children made their way into laps of the older folks to ride back. We ended up with 12 in one van and 15 in the other and were very concerned about the van being too heavy in the rain to make it down that rocky, crevice filled caliche cattle trail called a road back to Puyipa. It took the folks walking much longer to walk back in the rain than it did going down. We barely got there in cars and they met us when we arrived. Coming back in the rain must have been much different as it took them much longer. The rain continued all afternoon as we traveled back to town. This time all of us went into Palenque to check into the Hotel to get a fresh shower as our trip was winding down. We had met a deacon of another small church of about 20 members that were meeting in the upper room of a business / house. Service was great, Wilson taught, Arlene shared her testimony and Sonny brought a short message. After the service, you won't believe this but the church members insisted on feeding us again. His church is in need of property in order to build. We found that 2 lots in this neighborhood would cost approximated $350.00. Once the service was over and had eaten, we traveled back to Jesus' church under the tent where they were waiting for us to have communion with them. RA and Justin did a great job of explaining why and how communion is done and everyone participated. It was obvious everywhere we went, the people really hated to see us go.

Monday morning started early for everyone but R.A., Arlene and Brandon as they all visited the Mayan Ruins and another larger waterfall. Many shopped and bought souvenirs. Everyone had to pack their bags before they left so that when they returned we would be ready to check out of the Hotel as check out time was 1:00 p.m. They managed to get back by 1:00 then we loaded up and went downtown and all ate at our favorite place for this trip and then shopped along the streets until about 3:30p.m. Once again we loaded up to start back to Villa Hermosa. We arrived at Villa Hermosa about 5:30 and RA and Justin returned the vans. Some of our folks went for a swim and some of us met in the restaurant around 7:30 to eat. All were really tired and ready to turn in.

Tuesday morning we rose early to meet in the Hotel lobby at 6:45 a.m. The Hotel shuttled us to the airport and most of our bags were gone through and even our carry on bags as we went thru customs to leave Mexico. Our flight was uneventful and we arrived in Houston about 11:00 a.m. Customs was a breeze for everyone but Martin, they gave him a hard time asking a lot of questions… but finally let him go. Once we were thru Customs, the Gaunts departed from us to find their connecting flight area and Brandon and Tom also departed to their parking area to head back to Alvarado. The rest of us caught our shuttle and made it to the parking lot to unload and reload into the vehicles to head back to Mason, Hext, Brownwood and San Angelo.

Saturday

Got to sleep in Saturday in Palenque while the village folks were up early working on Reading Instruction.  In town we were invited to Pastor Jesus' house to have breakfast at 10:a.m.  We had something that looked like a fried pie but had taco meat in some and chicken in others and were covered with lettuce.  We had some kind of colored drink that tasted like watered down Kool-Aid.  We visited he and his family about 1 hr. then were off to where the tent was set up to work with the children at 11:00.  Gracie Hatten taught the curriculem about the 7 days of creation.  Some 25 or so children colored the pictures and answered questions over creation.  In between lessons Thomas Bowes did some biblically based illusions for the children which really intrigued them. While this was going on, RA and Martin went to order Pizza to feed the children, only to find out that the Pizza places don't open until 1:00 p.m. and they are not prepared to cook multiple pizzas like the US.  They normally sell by the slice.  After visiting multiple Pizza places, they managed to come back with 4 Pizzas and the Pepperoni Pizzas were more expensive than the Supreme Pizzas.  The children were so excited about eating Pizza and Pastor Jesus' family provided the drinks.  While waiting for Pizza, Gracie had the children memorize scriptures over the lesson.  We had a bag of candy, Barbies, small cars, and sunglasses.  Depending on how many scriptures were memorized determined how many prizes the children were allowed to choose out of the bag.  The children memorized anywhere from one to five scriptures each.  We were very impressed.  We had one young girl, Maria who was quadriplegic, she had no use of her hands or feet and legs.  Her cousin carried her everywhere they went.  She was tall and slender for her age and was almost as big as the cousin who carried her.  We inquired with the family as to if she had gotten any therapy.  They told us that she went for awhile, but then it got to be too much of a hassle.  Her aunt brought her to the children's teaching and as we talked with her, she said Maria's parents had left her with grandparents and came to the US.  She was keeping Maria on Saturday as the grandparents had gone to prison to visit their son.  This was a very sad situation.  Maria only has use of a broken down wheelchair when she goes to school.  She is very pretty and smart and memorized the verses.  Judy Gauntt was great about helping her color the pages, which Judy put the crayon in her hand and moved the page up and down so that she could color.  Judy also helped her memorize her scriptures.  Gracie fed her pizza so that she could eat like the other children.  They also brought her back for the evening service.  R. A., Pastor Jesus, Gracie and Sonny went and visited several other Pastors who had churches in the Mayan villages between services.  We spent time discussing their needs and praying with them and talked about what we might could do when we come back next time.  Some of these villages had never seen white men.  There is a big need for glasses, shoes, some clothing, spanish bible and educational instruction in basic reading skills in Spanish.  We did learn that there is a bible college in the area.  We met one individual that teaches there.  We also met and prayed for one Pastor that works in the educations system that has offered to work with RA to teach him Spanish and to get him access to schools in and around the Palenque area.

Later that afternoon at 5:30, Pastor Jesus invited us once again to eat with his family.  This time his wife and mother prepared Mole with chicken.  It was very delicious and we had coke to drink... (What a treat).  At 7:00 as a rain storm moved in, we started our church service under the tent.  Sonny and Arlene led the congregation in a chorus in Spanish, then Judy Presley gave her testimony.  Judy Gauntt also gave her testimony and sang a song in Spanish and played the keyboard.  Then Pastor Jesus' music leader led more singing, then Martin preached, then we finished the "Life of Christ" movie.  It was a wonderful emotionally refreshing service with many people being blessed. 

Friday

Friday morning, RA, Martin, Gracie and Sonny headed back to Puyipa and Judy, Wilson, Tom and Arlene stayed in Palenque. Arlene was suffering from an upset stomach and later Brandon Hall also came into town from the village suffering from an upset stomach. After medicine was given, both are feeling somewhat better. We (the 4 mentioned above) arrived in Puyipa with instructional material and immediately began activities with the children along with the team staying in Puyipa which consists of Justin McFarland, Ceil Warden, Cindy Morris and Judy Presley. With the children, we covered the story of Noah’s ark and emphasis was on God’s love for mankind and the rainbow which represents his covenant with man. Once they finished their activity, the children went out back to do their arts and crafts which included coloring a rainbow.

After the children left the church, the instruction began for the adults. The primary instruction was on the first 14 verses of the Gospel of John. RA discussed the foundation for the writing of the book and Gracie Hatten interpreted along with Justin and Rohelio translated portions into Choe. Instructional activities took about 2 ½ hrs and when completed we prepared for the noon church service. Martin Venegas brought the message of First Fruits and the value of trusting God and giving to him the honor and glory. The service included a lengthy amount of music lasting about 2 ½ hrs. Of course once the service was over it was time to eat. The breaking of bread (corn Tortillas) is an important time to them to visit with us. Once the meal was finished, it was time to send the Palenque team back to town to meet with Bro. Jesus about establishing his license and discussing the material that was brought to him by Global University. The Puyipa team had a couple of hours down time as they prepared for the evening service and Justin brought the message and they watched part of one of the DVD’s we brought. At Bro. Jesus’ church the crowd had grown to 80 almost double what we had the first night. Bro. Jesus had spent the day inviting people. The service again was exciting and energetic and Wilson Gaunt had the opportunity to share his testimony along with educational opportunities through Global University. Education is needed (biblical and basic) in this area, something that will continue to be provided on future trips. Sonny read the opening scripture with Gracie interpreting for all. It was a very touching service as many folks came up for prayer. A lot of these folks are struggling financially. After the service we watched more of the DVD before announcing that we would be doing more children’s activities on Saturday. This is the first time to work with children in the town of Palenque. We offered additional incentives by promising pizza which excited the children and some adults. Our estimated number for here in town was 30 children but wouldn’t be surprised to see 50 children. Another long day has passed as we prepare for Saturday with our initial breakfast with Jesus’ family about 10:00 a.m.

Thursday

Thursday morning we all rose and started our day. The ladies of the village were cleaning turkeys that we had all seen walking around the afternoon before. One was boiling the heads and another had a pot of feet that she was stewing. They were preparing for the celebration feast that was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. later that day. We were served animal cookies and then breakfast was beans and rice with corn tortillas with coffee and papaya juice. Ripe papaya has a an odor much like sour milk - very hard to drink if you smell of it beforehand.


RA’s luggage with a lot of instructional material that had gotten lost on flight was due to arrive in Palenque, so he, Justin and Martin Venegas (Brownwood) went into town to visit with another Brother who has small house church and pick up his bag. (We plan to minister at his church on Sunday night) The remaining team members worked with the children. The ones 10 and under Ceil Warden taught about the 7 days of creation along with Judy Presley and Cindy Morris who were in charge of the crafts. Sonny & Gracie Hatten with help from Brandon Hall played games with the children.

The teenagers and young adults came in for a Pre-test on the book of John and after instruction is done for the next few days, the same students with take a post test and their learning will be measured.

Many of the Mayan Indians in this area are celebrating Thanksgiving at this time for the crops that the Lord has provided and the calves and poultry that have grown up that will be slaughtered for food. Justin preached the first noon celebration service to a packed church. The ladies then served fried chicken along with fresh yucca (much like a potato) and some squash. Some ate fried turkey feet. The group that were scheduled to stay in Palenque prepared to load up to go into town. The Van only holds 7 people and along with all of luggage it was impossible for all 8 to ride in together. The ladies, Gracie Hatten, Judy Gaunt, and RA and Arlene Evans left with the luggage to take the trip back into Palenque to work with Bro. Jesus’ church. The men, Wilson Gaunt, Sonny Hatten, Martin Venegas and Tom Bowes waited to catch a shuttle which is a small s-10 pickup with sideboards on the back and rode in standing up in the back of the pickup. It was a rough, hot, bumpy ride for them. That is the main mode of transportation for the Puyipa village to travel in to Palenque. The Palenque team checked into the Hotel and got showers then attended a tent meeting at Bro. Jesus’ church. The so-called tent is a truck tarp (25 X 35) that has 3 old 2X10’s supporting its middle with edges tied to the large trees on one side and a house on the other. There were approximately 50 in attendance scattered under and around the tarp in stackable plastic chairs and we had 19 professions of faith as Martin Venagas brought the message. We brought a DVD player along with a projector and they hung up a white sheet for a screen and we played a portion of a video of the life of Christ. (we will play a portion each service until the video is complete) After the service, Bro. Jesus wanted us to go to his home and meet his wife and family. We had a short visit with her in which they invited us from breakfast on Saturday morning. By this time it was around 11:00 p.m. We made a quick trip around the town to get something cold to drink. (not a vending machine on every corner) and then retired for the night with great expectations for the next day.

Wednesday 8-11-2010

We rose early in Villa Hermosa (for Mexico time) at 9 a.m. we met over breakfast setting the tone for the trip. The Hilton is not the best place to start an adventure such as what we are on. They do have shuttle service, $$ exchange, great breakfast and a fantastic cup of coffee, but they are much too luxurious. After breakfast we were off to collect rental vehicles where we discovered that Thrifty Car Rental and Dollar Car Rental are the same and thus unexpectedly the same van was rented to both Justin and RA. We managed to find another vehicle a bit smaller and little higher price – but will serve the purpose. The next major obstacle was getting allthe luggage and the people loaded. About 20 yds of rope and 10 straps helped us manage to get luggage on top and people inside. The ride from Villa Hermosa to Palenque was uneventful, mostly discussing the beautiful scenery and the occasional bump to slow traffic. Over the last few years we have seen major improvements in the roads in this area and less military presence checkpoints. There is the occasional family or groups of kids trying to sell peeled oranges, freshly fried pigskin and fresh cut fruit or blue water in a sandwich bag at the speed bumps. The trip to Palenque from Villahermosa was just under 2 hrs. with arrival in Palenque midday. The streets were calm as the temperature had steadily been rising. We immediately located a restaurant for cold drinks, bathroom breaks (no paper or toilet seat)BYOTP. After a little break and a little walk around the market, most of us got a fresh ice cream… pineapple, watermelon, coconut all basically fresh frozen juice pops. The Watermelon still had the seeds in it. Then we loaded up and looked for a couple of bible book stores which apparently have gone out of business. All 13 of us in 2 vehicles proceeded for the 28 kilometer trek to Puyipa. The first 20 kilometers takes roughly 20 minutes. The final 8 take 30-45 minutes. The first 300 ft of road after leaving the pavement is a beautiful tree covered archway shading the caliche-worn roadway. At the end of that, it is a winding pothole filled bolder infested washout that is called a road. The first trip down on each excursion always takes longer as we figure at which side to drive on. You hear the grinding of rocks across the muffler and the cross member. Today’s trip was no different. We dipped, dodged, creeped, bounced and rocked along about 20 minutes until we came to an area that was newly washed out –it looked a lot like a gravel riverbed and we went up the hill (one of many we would climb) after minimal progress up the hill, our overloaded van spun its tires and stalled out. The front wheel drive didn’t have enough traction or strength to continue forward. We had to unload everyone, backing down the hill and all 5 passengers pushed the van up the hill. Of course RA was smart enough to be the only licensed driver, (it costs extra for additional drivers) so once the vehicle gained traction and started forward motion he continued on without his passengers to the top of the hill. “Welcome to the Jungle”. All passengers were sweaty and hot and the A/C felt great when we were able to reload into the vehicle. We were about ½ of the way thru our journey of dirt road at this point. Most of it looks like a trail from there on in. We saw landmarks letting us know we were headed in the right direction. Many beautiful corn fields and some cows, but everything was beautiful with lots of high green grass (no lawn mowers in this area of the world, only machetes) We got there late afternoon only to find out their electricity had been out in the village for two days. The ground was wet and very muddy as we unloaded our bags. We had very little organization as we formed an assembly line unloading luggage into a small area of the back of the church which we used to store luggage and change clothes periodically. The ladies of the church prepared eggs with ham to eat in Corn tortillas along with some very HOT hot sauce in the rain. Those that spoke Spanish were able to converse with the people while those of us who don’t were trying to learn the language. We introduced ourselves around mostly to the children. The children are very inquisitive and watched “The Americanos” constantly. They all wanted to know what is in our bags and what we are doing. They all seem to know Ju Ju (Judy Presley) and Chechum (meaning “Little Pig in Choe) “Sonny Hatten”. Of course they all love Justin McFarland as is like family to this village. Pastor Juan asked RA to bless the food as we ate as soon as we arrived. We had a church service beginning at 8:00 p.m. with no electricity. We had 3 candles in front of the pulpit along with a small propane tank with a lantern at the front of the church. Some of the (Elderly Ladies)Mayan people arrive 1 hr. early for the church service to pray. The pews (wood benches) have no backs on them. The ladies all sit on one side and the men on the other. RA was asked to preach that night. He preached by Candelight and a small flashlight. Thankfully, about 9:30 when church was just about over – the electricity came on. Lots of loud cheers and claps. The ladies had prepared some chicken soup which we ate after the service.


Getting ready for bed was a new experience for the Americanos. We brought sleeping bags and mats but the whole bathroom and shower experience is something that won’t be missed. RA and Justin assure us that the bathroom and showers have been remodeled since December… however, we are not convinced. The bathroom does have a door on the front (as you enter thru a pen with chickens, turkeys, and pigs) however it is a toilet bowl with no seat or tank on it. You must bring your own toilet paper and then there is a 50 gallon drum of water that has a bucket that you dip out to flush the commode. Now remember you have waded thru mud and water, chickens, turkeys, dogs, and pigs to get there. The shower is even a more memorable experience. The newly remodeled shower has a concrete floor much better than the rocks we used to stand on, wooden sides that go up about 4 feet, a bucket and hose that are now inside the shower and some of the coldest water you will ever experience. RA says it is exhilarating. It is the first bucket of water that gets you, after that your body seems to adjust somewhat.

After moving about 7benches from each side of the church, we lined up our sleeping bags and tried to call it a day. The men slept on one side and the women on the other. The rain continued that first night which helped cool it off a little… but dogs fighting during the night woke us many times. Ear plugs will be a recommendation for the next trip.

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Trip to Mexico August 2010

The day started out at 4:45 this morning with the sound of a beeping alarm. We had only an hour and 15 minutes before we were set to leave San Angelo yet there were still so many things we needed to do. Nevertheless at 6am the first of 4 groups departed for Houston TX and met the 2nd part of our group in Mason, TX at 8:00 a.m. We drove 7 hrs on down to Houston taking many unplanned excursions through parts of Austin and Brenham. The guys all rode with Justin and were leading the pack. Arlene was driving the girls in the pickup jamming to Casting Crowns. We met up with the pair of men from Alvarado who were waiting for us at the airport, and the couple from Springfield, MO were hurrying to catch us as we started checking in at the terminal. The 2 ½ hr. flight arrived in Villa Hermosa, Chiapas at 8:30 p.m. We were met by a flurry of large mosquitoes like a covey of quail on a Saturday morning. Rain has been fluent in this area which has made the mosquitoes flourish in number and size. We processed thru customs without incident only to realize that RA’s main bag had been lost which contained many of his clothes and a lot of instruction material. We are hopeful that the bag will arrive by tomorrow night, which would only cause minimal disruption in our plan. As we left the airport for our first night out, we entered the double doors only to realize that we were definitely in a tropical area. The humidity and temperature were both in the high 80’s. The fact is – we are no longer in West Texas, but God has been good. The chance of rain has dropped off significantly for the time we will be here. We arrived at the Hotel about 10:00p.m. and everyone is checked in and settled. We are planning to start with a breakfast meeting around 8:30 where we will plan for an alternative way to print instruction material in case our lost bag doesn’t make it soon. Please keep our team members in your prayers. They are: Thomas Bowes, Brandon Hall, Wilson & Judy Gaunt, Judy Presley, Justin McFarland, Sonny & Gracie Hatten, Ceil Warden, Cindy Morris, Martin Venegas, RA and Arlene Evans.