Guest written by Jeanette and Lori Lewis (Steve and Tonyia’s niece/great niece).

These days have passed in a daze of both work and joy.  The love of the people here has filled my heart.  The people

Lori Lewis expressed her gratitude for the loving reception we received.

of Galeana and the surrounding villages live a life of simplicity.  Even though they lack many of the modern conveniences we enjoy, they are happy.  Somehow this life of subsistence seems to support a more peaceful state of mind with fewer interruptions when focusing on Christ.

So many here do not have running water or electricity, yet they faithfully read their Santa Biblia/Holy Bible every day.  Life runs at a different pace here.  There is never any hurry or “rush, rush, rush” to get things done.  This might frustrate some people, but I find it refreshing.  You might also find it amazing that it doesn’t bother me having to use an outhouse.  True, I grew up in the country and a bush is just as good, but an outhouse is all you will find when out in the remote villages.  It has also been very cold here and there is no heat.  Only those who are very wealthy can afford a propane heater (believe me they cost $3,000 pesos, and that is several months’ worth of income).  This is the reality of living in Mexico.  However, like I said earlier, whatever these people lack in convenience they more than make up for in love and acceptance.

I would also like to mention that everyone asks me about safety when I’m down here.  True, you will frequently see armed guards driving around.  These men and women are here for our protection.  I have now spent more than two full weeks helping True Path Ministry and have never once felt threatened or afraid.  Mainstream media tends to make all of Mexico seem like a cartel war zone, and I assure you that is not the case.

I have one last myth to dispel.  Don’t drink the water.  Well, this is partially true.  When at the remote villages, all the water is from rivers or rainwater.  I would not recommend drinking that.  However, Galeana and the surrounding areas have plenty of stores that sell bottled water and even 5 gallon containers of water for consumption.  There is no shortage of drinkable water.  Tap water in Galeana is safe for washing your hands, showering, brushing your teeth, etc.

Finally, I want to encourage those who feel led to help.  Don’t let fear keep you from getting your passport and coming to lend a hand. If you want to come help, please do.  True Path Ministry has a place to house you in “Casa Alfarero,” where they host Kid’s Club.  We have many projects to complete, (see the Palmito post) and just planning and executing a trip to one of the remote villages is a ton of work.

We would love to have your help if God has put us in your heart.  I can promise you abundant love and joy here.  Until next time, Dios de Bendiga/God Bless You.

Lori and Jeanette pose by La Lagua lake outside Galeana.

It was a good group that traveled from Galeana to help minister to the people in Jesus name.

The church building was full of worshipers earnestly seeking the Lord.

Lori has a passion for art and she sketched the little wooden church building in Canoes.

The pastor fed beans and rice to the visitors.

The town square in Galeana had great Christmas decorations.

Lori, Pastora Berenice and Jeanette paused in front of the small church in San Francisco.

Pastora Berenice and Edith sang with the kids and taught them a Bible verse while the adults had a separate service.

Jeanette shows off her new purse that Evangelist Ramiro’s wife made.

Pastor Ruben shows Lori how they harvest nuts from Pine Cones.

We arrived at the village of Piñones at 10 am this morning.  The village gets its name from the way they support themselves.  The ladies of the village hand-harvest the pine nuts from the pine cones and the remainder of the cones are discarded into piles.  As we drove up to the village, harvest time was already complete and there were piles of pine cones everywhere.  You can see some the bags of Piñones in the photographs of the children’s service.

(click on a photo to see it larger) The children had a service in the old church building.

We were given a warm welcome by the local Pastor Maximo.  The church building here is in excellent condition and is relatively new.  You can tell that the women of the village have lovingly decorated the walls and made curtains for the windows.

LuLu, Sandra, and Edith sang while Pastors Ruben (from the village of Palmito) and Rey (Iglesia Getsemani) spoke words of encouragement.  Evangelist Ramiro gave a wonderful sermon about how “in the Lord you are made new.”  Several young women renewed their faith in Christ.  At the end of the service, several ladies came forward and requested help in healing various health issues.

The children had their own service led by Edith.  They learned a bible verse, sang, and played games.  After services were over, we distributed gift bags to the children.  The bags were filled with toys, Christian literature (about how much God loves them), and personal care items.  The kids were about to explode with excitement as the saw all the items in the bags!

For the adults we brought clothing donations for all ages.  Pastor Maximo and his family received a “Blessing Bag” filled with non-perishable food items, pots and pans, and some utensils.  Everyone was extremely grateful for the help from True Path Ministry and Iglesia Getsemani.  Until tomorrow, Dios de Bendiga/God Bless You!

Lulu lead a moving song service.

Pastor Ramiro’s sermon was well received by people seeking the Lord.

Several came forward and asked for prayers for healing.

In the kid’s service, the children learned a Bible verse from teacher Edith.

Prayer was part of the kid’s time too.

The kids were so grateful for the gifts.

Many came for the service.

Several who came from Galeana sang a special song.

We had a generous “blessing bag” for the pastor.

The kids enjoyed the soccer ball we brought for the village.

Pastor Ruben shows Lori how they harvest Piñones from Pine Cones.

We also brought Bibles for the church.