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Category: Mexico

Poverty Is a State of Mind

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When people find out that I have visited Mexico, they almost invariably respond with some comment about the realization such a trip brings as to how much we are blessed in this country, seeing the poverty of many south of the river. However, as grateful as I am for the worldly goods I have here in Texas, I have a different opinion concerning those who are termed as “poor” among the people of Mexico.

True, they may not have running water. True, they may not be able to afford to own a vehicle or a computer. They may struggle to make ends meet to feed a large family. But does this make them poor? Our grandparents probably lived thus, but were they poor? I humbly suggest that poverty lies not in the wealth or number of goods that one possesses, but instead is an attitude, a way of thinking. I am not saying that there are not poor people in Mexico, but I was able to enter some very humble abodes down in San Luis Potosí, dirt-floored homes made of sticks and thatch, and I am here to tell you that these people are just as industrious as many hard workers around here.

I believe the amount of things a man owns largely depends on where he lives. In this country we have a very favourable environment for building wealth, given that money is managed in a proper way to facilitate this. On the other hand, folks down in Mexico do not enjoy the same work/money ratio that we have here. Read More

Tampamolón

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The following is an extract from my journal, translated from Spanish.

April 25, 2007

TampamolónAfter the wedding in Huichihuayán, we got in the van accompanied by five Mexican brothers and sisters, going to our next destination: Tampamolón, the home of two widows. Brother Dugan had already told me their story. Many years ago they were married to the same man, and it came to pass that a certain brother taught him the Gospel, and he wanted to become a Christian. However, the brother told him that according to the Bible, a man can only have one wife, and if he wanted to become a Christian he would have to divorce one of his. So he did this, but only a few months later he passed away. After his death, since the two women didn’t have jobs, they decided to help one another and make a living by baking bread. The one bakes it in a big oven (which she showed us), and the other takes it to sell; in this way they can make enough money to survive. The name Tampamolón, according to an Aztec man who was there, means “place of the wild pigs” in the Tének dialect, called this because when the Huastecs lived there, there used to be lots of wild pigs in that area. However, these two widows are Aztecs, as are all their neighbors.

They led us to their house, and we all sat down in a breezeway between two buildings. We talked with the widows a good while; they were very nice and showed us great hospitality. They even gave us all Coke, even though it was clear that they didn’t have much money to spare. The one lady showed us her oven, a large structure made of mud and adobe. They had a dog (or chichi, as the Aztecs say), and the surprising thing is that he was a very friendly dog. The other dogs we had seen were really scared, and when they saw someone with a stick, they would run in fear. They were very skinny, and one could easily tell that they were hungry. But we could see that this dog, Kiko, was loved. He wasn’t hungry or scared, he barked, and he liked people. Read More

I.C.E.N.

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Huichihuayán, Huehuetlán Municipality

Instituto Cultural Evangelístico Náhuatl

On Tuesday of the week I spent in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, we went to the Cultural Institute for Nahuatl Evangelism (Instituto Cultural Evangelístico Náhuatl), more colloquially known as “the school.” Located in the town of Huichihuayán (wee-chee-wah-YAHN), this is more precisely a preachers training school, where men from all over the Huasteca come to learn how to preach the Gospel and to learn more about God’s Word. In recent years brother José Hernández Félix has been the director, and he has brought about many good things for the school, and accordingly the student body has grown greatly.

The concrete building is well furnished, even with a kitchen where a hired cook fixes the meals for those staying there. The inside of the building is painted a pleasant lime green colour, and as you walk in the door you will find yourself in the main room of the building, alternately used as a classroom and a dining hall. Down the hall are some classrooms and a bathroom. It is really a nice facility, and I am so glad that there is such a work going on in that area to further the kingdom. Read More