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).

 Chuck writes: Good food is Good News! Ramona and I just returned from the state of Chiapas where we facilitated a workshop on family organic vegetable gardens for the women of La Ceyba. They have two goals:  improve their diets with more and better fruits and vegetables and learn new and tasty ways to prepare their food.  Sort of a farmer Jones meets Julie & Julia. 

            Our workshop leader, Aurelio Lopez, helped us understand the advantage of working with native food and medicinal plants but the women insisted that they wanted more variety.  The idea of having a food fair where we could share new ways of preparing familiar foods as well as new ones, generated lots of enthusiasm.  We learned about ways to fertilize, control pests and weeds without using chemical products.  Fifteen women signed up to be part of the pilot project.  As water is in short supply we will help them find storage containers and sprinkling cans.  We will also be looking for the right people to help with the food fair that we hope to celebrate in March. 

            As these women work together to plan, plant, and care for their gardens, they will also gain valuable skills in organizing and leadership.  Their faith will grow as they see God blessing their efforts and they will be encouraged to face other challenges with the confidence and empowerment that success brings.  Women in rural communities are at risk in many ways; poverty if they stay, but dangers of exploitation if they move to cities or other countries.  We are convinced that the God who promises life in abundance will be with the women of this small Mayan community as they take a step of faith and work to improve their lives.

• Praise the Lord that the men in San Juan Cote are all back to work and for the gifts they received to help them through the crisis of unemployment. 
• Pray for Gloria Solis who has suffered for years from a terrible ulcer on her left foot.  She is 35 and the mother of 5 young children.  The only suggestion the doctors have is amputation.  Follow up therapy and a prosthesis would be impossible.  So she suffers through her life in pain and constant difficulty.  Believe with us and pray for a miracle for Gloria.
• Pray also for Mateo who needs one more surgery on his eye socket and then should be ready for a prosthesis. 
• Pray for Chuck and Ramona as they share the love of Jesus in word and in deed.