Tonyia and Stephen Williams have bee called to work as Christian Missionaries in Mexico. This is the ongoing story about our adventures.

Divine Appointment

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Steve and I were returning Arlen, Steve’s brother, to the border where he had left his pickup with friends of ours.

Patricia and Harry Williamson, who are also missionaries in Galeana, knew we were going to the border and they asked if we could pick up their mail at a special missionary retreat.  We had heard about the place but we never had the chance to check it out – this was our opportunity.

After dropping Arlen off with his truck, we grabbed a Whataburger – yep our favorite then headed to Donna, Texas to retrieve the Williamson’s mail.

Once we arrived we went to the main office and met the founder, Melvin and Anna High, who are both in their 80’s. They started Flame of Truth many years ago and now have the assistance of their daughter and son in law, Richard and Linda Hough.  Their ministry is to promote the gospel of Jesus, assist missionaries on and off the field, and provide opportunities for those desiring short term mission work.

Missionaries can stay in an RV on the property for a small fee. In addition, they have a church building and a food pantry on site. They distribute the food to the poor in their area. The ministry also works directly with several missionaries that serve Mexico.

We visited for a while, retrieved the Williamson’s mail and as we were leaving, they invited us to their once a month missionary fellowship and service that night.

We did return to the fellowship that night and we learned about the many people who have been to Mexico and that many are still going into Mexico. We needed this connection and encouragement – it was a divine appointment!

Glenn Wied played the guitar during the Saturday night service. He rents a house next to our ministry house in Galeana, NL, Mexico.

We had a wonderful time of worship with singing, prayer, testimonies and a word from the Bible. We were surprised and happy to see Glenn Weid leading worship. He rents the house next to our ministry house in Galeana. He had to move back to Texas to take care of his parents, but he visits Mexico occasionally.

After the service, Steve and I had the opportunity to pray for many that were there. It was a great movement of the Holy Spirit!

When everyone was leaving, we talked to Rebecca Pearl, from Michigan. She comes to Mexico often. She has a friend that leads a medical mission in an area close to Zaragoza, a few hours south of Galena. How cool is that!! We look forward to working with these ladies soon!!

Jesus is Moving in Mexico!

1 Thessalonians 2:13 says: For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

Linda, Melvin and Anna’s daughter, and her husband Richard Hough also help manage the ministry.

 

No Coincidence

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It is always amazing to see how the Lord provides for His workers. He recently used True Path Ministry in an unexpected encounter with a Christian group from Chiapas, which is a state many hours from Galeana.

Harry and Patricia Williamson are missionaries who manage Camp Peniel in Tuxpan near Galeana, NL, Mexico.

Steve and I met Harry and Patricia Williamson soon after they moved to Tuxpan, a small village about 10 minutes from Galeana, NL. They are missionaries from Texas that had previously lived at Camp Peniel, in the village of Tuxpan. They had family issues and needed to return to Texas for a time, but now are back in Mexico.

I was talking with Patricia, on the phone, and mentioned to her how I had been trying to get the donated clothes better organized.  The clothes are in garbage bags and are piled one on top of another in a room at our ministry house.  We often take them to remote farms and villages in the area.

As we were talking, Patricia mentioned a ministry from Chiapas. She said someone had recently spoke at their church and said the people there are extremely poor. They have to work several weeks just to get enough pesos to buy food or clothes.

She thought the group from Chiapas was still around Galeana.  She asked if I would be willing to donate clothes to the group. Of course, I said “yes, we would be honored to help by donating.” She said she would make some calls and let me know.

The next morning, Patricia called me to let me know the group was still near Galeana but would be leaving that day. She asked if they could come by the ministry house to get some clothes. I said yes and then met Patricia and the group at the ministry house.

The Christian band from the Mexican state of Chiapas shared one of their CD’s with us.

The group took five large black trash bags full of clothes. I wasn’t sure how they would fit the bags plus the five men in the small car but they managed to stuff it all in.

It was so rewarding to see how excited they were to receive the clothes. We exchanged information and I told them to give us a call next time they were in town.

This was no coincidence. God knew they were in town and He knew we had to get rid of an oversupply of clothes. God worked it all out for HIS Glory!!

The group was living out Matthew 6:25-32:

 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Birthday Fiesta at Marcos 10:14 Club

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We always have a great time at club, but on April 5 it was extra special. The kids learned about Jesus riding the donkey into Jerusalem and His death burial and resurrection. We also had a birthday Fiesta for several kids.

The craft was a paper donkey. The kids were told in their Bible story time how warriors usually rode in on horses with weapons but Jesus rode in on a young donkey, this symbolized peace.

Patty, the teacher, had the children collect colored objects.  The black object represented sin, the red represented Jesus blood and the white represented our sin being removed by Jesus death. Being an active part in collecting these items really made an impact. They listened intently as Patty told them the story of Jesus death, burial and resurrection.

We had the honor of celebrating the kids who had birthdays in January, February and March. The entire kids at the Marcos 10:14 club were treated with a piñata and cupcakes. This was a great treat because many of these children will never celebrate their birthdays in any other way.

It gives us such joy to see the smiles and hear the laughter of these kids.  Thank you Jesus for these children and allowing us the opportunity to love on them and teach them about you!

The lesson was on Jesus’ death burial and resurrection (click on a photo to see it larger)

The games are always fun.

One game challenged the kids not to smile while the other kids did funny things.

Making a donkey from a paper sack was the art project.

We also honored the kids who had a birthday during January, February or March.

Locally baked cup cakes was a special treat for the kids.

 

 

Church Wiring in Canoas

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For the first time ever power lines were recently extended to Canoas, a tiny mountain Mexican village. When we were holding services there at the Christian church recently (see Easter Service at Mexican Mountain Village Canoas), we made a material list of what was needed to get electricity in the church building. A few days later True Path Ministry set out to install the needed wiring with a small team that included Arlen, who was visiting from Texas, Evangelist Ramiro, Stephen and local pastor Alfredo.

When we first arrived many of the children from the village came to greet us. They were curious about what we were going to do there. We also had a couple of men leave their sheep herds to check out our work. They liked seeing Arlen’s battery powered tools and were especially interested in seeing how we connected the plugs and switches. CFE, the electric utility in Mexico, still has to run a service wire to the building, but it is wired and ready to receive electricity.

The pastor’s family also fed us a simple meal of tortillas, beans and rice – their tortillas are wonderful. They use the corn they raise, hand grind it and cook it over a small wood fueled stove. It was a fun day serving the Lord and installing the wire, boxes, conduit and fixtures needed. We have been to the village many times and they are always welcoming – they are our family in Christ.

Ramiro (left), Arlen, and local pastor Alfredo were the wiring team (click on a photo to see it closer).

Stephen was also part of the wiring team.

Their homemade corn tortillas were very good.

They were proud to show us their new corn grinder.

Their wood fueled cook stove is typical of those used in many mountain villages.

The people of the village live off the land raising corn, sheep and goats.

Farming small fields and raising livestock is how most folks make their living in Canoas.

 

 

 

God’s Plan

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We are always amazed how God uses us to work out His plan.

Berenice, pastor from San Francisco, NL, sent out a facebook post requesting a wheelchair for a family she knew. She has gone with us many times to remote villages in Mexico.

I immediately responded and said Steve and I would be happy to get a wheelchair for her.  We were in Texas but would be headed back across the border soon. I knew it would be much easier to get a wheelchair in Texas than in Galeana.

I mentioned the need for a wheelchair to our daughter but soon forgot about it. The lord reminded me the night before we would be heading to Mexico. We were staying at Arlen and Linda’s, Steve’s brother and sister in-law’s house.  Arlen was going to Mexico with us. I asked them if they knew of anyone that might have a wheelchair. Linda began calling her connections but there wasn’t one to be found.

Belinda and Larry had a wheelchair they were excited to donate.

In a last ditch effort I called our friends, Larry and Belinda Bookman, who lived close by and left a message asking if they knew of anyone.

It was getting late and we had to get up early the next morning so I (Tonyia) went to bed. Soon after I went to bed, Steve came in and said that Belinda had called back and she had her mother’s wheelchair in their barn and she would be happy to donate it.

We arrived at Larry and Belinda’s house the next morning before the sun came up and loaded the wheelchair on the trailer.

Once we got to Galeana, I let Berenice know we would be happy to bring the wheelchair to her. The wheelchair only a few repairs which Steve and Arlen did: oiled the moving parts and taped the arms.

In a few days, we went to San Francisco, picked up Berenice and she took us to the couple’s tiny adobe home. The man and his wife looked to be in their 80’s. He was already in a worn-out wheelchair because his legs have been amputated at the hips.  His wife is his primary and only caregiver.

They were very excited to get the new wheelchair and he asked if we would help move him into it. We gladly helped him transfer to his new wheelchair and we all gave hugs and praised God.

THANK you Jesus for allowing us to be a part of your plan!