Chuck and Ramona serve in the field of leadership training in partnership with the Baptist Seminary of Mexico and the Council of Indigenous Evangelical Churches of Mexico (CICEM).
They recently wrote: The Baptists of San Juan Cote are an amazing group. They still hold their Sunday morning services in the dark at 6:00 AM, a tradition from the early 90's when they met in secret ( and even earlier) to avoid the violent opposition of their neighbors who refused to accept the new thing that God was doing in their community. There were just a few believers in those days but the number has grown and today many who opposed them, now worship alongside the pioneers. A few weeks ago, when the church received the offering to buy materials for their sanctuary construction, a donation of 5000 pesos (nearly $400 US) came from their Roman Catholic neighbors. These stones will cry out!
That worship service was a miracle. The roof of the new sanctuary would cost around 120,000.00 pesos. Church members had been saving and working for the offering during the past four months but the amount was the highest yet. The families brought their pledges (in many cases 20 to 30% of their incomes for the building fund!) The children lined up, the youth, the women, the men. They all gave offerings in addition to their pledges. There were special offerings from family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. When it was all added up there was nearly 150,000.00 and we all wept and laughed and shouted Glory To God!
The church has chosen a tri-mester plan for their construction. Every four months the families complete their pledges and the men take two weeks off their jobs (without pay) to work on the building. This is a do-it-yourself, pay-as-you-go project...a cathedral rising out of a corn field that has captured the attention of the region. They plan to inaugurate this wonderful sanctuary in 2012.
But there is a new wrinkle; something that we ask you to pray about. A week ago, after finishing the roof, some twenty of the men returned to their jobs and were told that because they had taken time off, they would not be re-hired. So now, the heart of the congregation is unemployed. A challenge to their faith and a blow to their personal finances and their ability to continue giving to their church with such abandon. As I pondered this I was reminded of Jesus´ baptism: glorious moment, voice from heaven, dove...but then the dove led him to the desert where he was tempted for 40 days. Turn this rock to bread.
Because I am a worrier, I am worried about how this might effect the church. Unemployment is a hard test. Because I am a believer I know that God will see the believers of San Juan Cote through this.
- Please join us in praying for the church and especially for the unemployed families.