Lachiguiri Update
Oh life can be so difficult on the mission field. Well the mosquitoes did eat me alive last week.
But today Mike Hendricks, Pastor Armando, Pastor Damian and Israel all just got back from an early morning trip out to sea on a tiny fishing boat. I hear they came across around a hundred dolphins and turtles and feisty waves. They did catch one long Sierra fish and it is being grilled along with fresh vegetables cooking, totopos etc. Then they brought in huge fresh clams that are ready for the table. We are having a feast. Come join us!!
We have had a lot of action since my last update. The Pure Heart group left, I forget exactly which day, and then Growers First from Laguna Beach , California brought down a youth group from one of their churches which help sponsor Pastor Armando. I spent a little time with them but Armando and his wife were with them the whole week. There was some awesome results including them anointing Pastor Damian as the new pastor for our San Agustin mission.
The day they left we headed for Jalapa Del Marquez and Juchitan to buy all the food and supplies for the youth camp at the new Wall-mart they have opened. We are really becoming uptown in parts of Oaxaca . That night I stayed at my friend Angelina's restaurant. Armando and his wife have their home now in Jalapa . The next morning we waited for Nicolas Sanchez, one of our speakers for the youth camp.
Tuesday was the day we set up camp. That meant using machetes to cut the underbrush,and setting up Coleman tents. We have a number of tents but most are not rain resistant so there really was only six tents we were able to use. Our guest speakers were in one tent that floated in water every night. We need more waterproof tents. The kitchen had to be set up, wood cut for the comal cooking, bathrooms cleaned etc. Some campers came in that evening and we put them to work.
Wednesday, campers began to arrive, hungry from several hours of riding either the town bus or on the back of a 3 ton truck, standing up, hanging on to the sides for at least three hours. What a fantastic group of kids. Thirty came from Linda Vista together. Half of them were from the Presbyterian church and the other half from the Assembly of God church. It was so great to see the unity between these different denominations. Most of these teens had been small children when we first had our children's fiesta in their town. Pure Heart church went with us for our second fiesta there and these youth are part of the fruit from these fiestas. This is so exciting.
The youth kept coming from different pueblos, Agua Circa, Coatlan, Buena Vista, Lachiguiri, Laguna, Linda Vista, Coyul, Tepejilote, etc. Most were young men between the ages 15 and 25. The guys outnumbered the gals almost two to one. In the past we had all the teaching activities at one of the local churches but since we had more young people this year they decided to have the classes and the campfire below our open dining area. I loved that as I could see and hear what was going on while overseeing the kitchen. Speaking of kitchen, with all the grown males, I should have had twice the food, although everyone did get food to eat. The guys just seem to have stomachs down to their toes.
I have to say this was the best camp spiritually we have ever had. All the other camps have been the precious seed leading up to the harvest. Without the camps from the past we would be just beginning but the youth were ready for a true experience with God. Sixteen of these youth dedicated their lives to full time ministry, saying God had spoke to them about being pastors, missionaries etc. They individually prayed over me and I was quite moved by their prayers. They are ready to go forward for God. Several this year desire to enter one of the Bible Institutes, such as the one in Tamazulaplan or in La Ventosa which is closer and where we have networked with this school for a number of years now. Pray for these young people and soon we will share some of their vision so pray also that maybe God will lead you to help support one of them as they study.
Then when the camp concluded we headed back to Jalapa to wait for Mike Hendricks, the President of Agape Missions. I spent the extra day we had, in visiting some recording studios in Juchitan and getting prices for building a new studio as Mike was bringing down new equipment so we can record teaching lessons by Pastor Armando for a Bible Institute for Indigenous pastors in the mountains who have never had the opportunity to study the Bible or how to be pastors. Not one of the pastors from the 45 churches we help have a certificate from any Bible School or their denominations.
I am so excited about this opportunity we will have to teach these pastors. We will be able to start getting material ready so we can have our first workshop and studies within the month. The recording studio will also be used for many other ministries we have but more on that another time. One of our pastors in the states who is also on our advisory board, Pastor Art Manke, has given us hours of his professional time in setting up the equipment, etc. Without his help this would never have been able to come to pass. This has been a vision God gave me years ago and now it is coming to pass but in a much greater way than I had ever dreamed of.
I have also looked at what we need for the studio, land, acoustic material etc. We have a couple of options and today we head back up to Lachiguiri to specifically look at one piece of land that has recently become available right next door to my house. It already has a building on it that will work perfectly, only needing some things added for the acoustical aspect, plus there isn't any electric lines and electric outlets to this house. It has a bathroom and an extra room that can be used as a bedroom for visitors. Also there is enough land to grow as needed. We can purchase this immediately for $6,000 American dollars and with a couple more thousand for making it into a studio we will be ready to go. I discovered someone else is ready to purchase this land as a "cantina bar" but wants to pay it off over two years. We need to pay cash if we want it. I believe we should go for it. Of course we do not have this kind of money on hand, so by faith, I want to tell the man after we look at it and the rest of the team also feels this is what we should do, that we will pay for it within the next couple of weeks.
This is an investment that we can make for the Kingdom of God that will not only affect the Lachiguiri mountain area but I believe with the teaching on CDs that we can share this with all indigenous areas within all of Mexico and beyond into Central and South America as well. You see, most of these Indigenous pastors who are older than say thirty do not have much of an education beyond third grade and some not even that. They can possible read some Spanish and sign their name and maybe write a little so we need to adapt to their educational level along with teaching them how to read and write.
I realize that there are many ministries almost begging people for money and I do not want to go in that direction. I believe you know that over the years I have never begged for money but I feel an urgency to ask you to sincerely pray and ask God what you can do to help us by investing something in this new adventure for God. Our team feels we need to act fast so I pray that God will lay it on your hearts to invest something today. True there will be ongoing cost also as we conduct special workshops and bring in special speakers along with the cost of Cd's, CD players, etc. so an ongoing support toward this adventure would also be a blessing, but remember, as we train leaders, the Word of God will be able to multiply far beyond our borders. You, who help support this ministry are also a part of this ministry as team members.
Well, I need to stop so we can get to Lachiguiri before dark, then tomorrow we head up to Oaxaca City to work with a young man who is a field recorder who is ready to help us with the technical side of this digital recording. We will also be checking out some prices etc for acoustical material before Mike heads back to the states.
Thanks so much for your prayers and gifts to help this ministry. Because of you, God has been able to work in bringing so many to Christ in our area. Continue to pray for our ministry. Also pray that God will bring in more supporters to help defray the added expenses.
Please share with others this ministry vision too.
God richly bless you,
Sheri
Sheri Burk
Agape Mission Projects
5126 W. Olive Ave. # 183
Glendale, AZ 85302-4209
Oh life can be so difficult on the mission field. Well the mosquitoes did eat me alive last week.
But today Mike Hendricks, Pastor Armando, Pastor Damian and Israel all just got back from an early morning trip out to sea on a tiny fishing boat. I hear they came across around a hundred dolphins and turtles and feisty waves. They did catch one long Sierra fish and it is being grilled along with fresh vegetables cooking, totopos etc. Then they brought in huge fresh clams that are ready for the table. We are having a feast. Come join us!!
We have had a lot of action since my last update. The Pure Heart group left, I forget exactly which day, and then Growers First from Laguna Beach , California brought down a youth group from one of their churches which help sponsor Pastor Armando. I spent a little time with them but Armando and his wife were with them the whole week. There was some awesome results including them anointing Pastor Damian as the new pastor for our San Agustin mission.
The day they left we headed for Jalapa Del Marquez and Juchitan to buy all the food and supplies for the youth camp at the new Wall-mart they have opened. We are really becoming uptown in parts of Oaxaca . That night I stayed at my friend Angelina's restaurant. Armando and his wife have their home now in Jalapa . The next morning we waited for Nicolas Sanchez, one of our speakers for the youth camp.
Tuesday was the day we set up camp. That meant using machetes to cut the underbrush,and setting up Coleman tents. We have a number of tents but most are not rain resistant so there really was only six tents we were able to use. Our guest speakers were in one tent that floated in water every night. We need more waterproof tents. The kitchen had to be set up, wood cut for the comal cooking, bathrooms cleaned etc. Some campers came in that evening and we put them to work.
Wednesday, campers began to arrive, hungry from several hours of riding either the town bus or on the back of a 3 ton truck, standing up, hanging on to the sides for at least three hours. What a fantastic group of kids. Thirty came from Linda Vista together. Half of them were from the Presbyterian church and the other half from the Assembly of God church. It was so great to see the unity between these different denominations. Most of these teens had been small children when we first had our children's fiesta in their town. Pure Heart church went with us for our second fiesta there and these youth are part of the fruit from these fiestas. This is so exciting.
The youth kept coming from different pueblos, Agua Circa, Coatlan, Buena Vista, Lachiguiri, Laguna, Linda Vista, Coyul, Tepejilote, etc. Most were young men between the ages 15 and 25. The guys outnumbered the gals almost two to one. In the past we had all the teaching activities at one of the local churches but since we had more young people this year they decided to have the classes and the campfire below our open dining area. I loved that as I could see and hear what was going on while overseeing the kitchen. Speaking of kitchen, with all the grown males, I should have had twice the food, although everyone did get food to eat. The guys just seem to have stomachs down to their toes.
I have to say this was the best camp spiritually we have ever had. All the other camps have been the precious seed leading up to the harvest. Without the camps from the past we would be just beginning but the youth were ready for a true experience with God. Sixteen of these youth dedicated their lives to full time ministry, saying God had spoke to them about being pastors, missionaries etc. They individually prayed over me and I was quite moved by their prayers. They are ready to go forward for God. Several this year desire to enter one of the Bible Institutes, such as the one in Tamazulaplan or in La Ventosa which is closer and where we have networked with this school for a number of years now. Pray for these young people and soon we will share some of their vision so pray also that maybe God will lead you to help support one of them as they study.
Then when the camp concluded we headed back to Jalapa to wait for Mike Hendricks, the President of Agape Missions. I spent the extra day we had, in visiting some recording studios in Juchitan and getting prices for building a new studio as Mike was bringing down new equipment so we can record teaching lessons by Pastor Armando for a Bible Institute for Indigenous pastors in the mountains who have never had the opportunity to study the Bible or how to be pastors. Not one of the pastors from the 45 churches we help have a certificate from any Bible School or their denominations.
I am so excited about this opportunity we will have to teach these pastors. We will be able to start getting material ready so we can have our first workshop and studies within the month. The recording studio will also be used for many other ministries we have but more on that another time. One of our pastors in the states who is also on our advisory board, Pastor Art Manke, has given us hours of his professional time in setting up the equipment, etc. Without his help this would never have been able to come to pass. This has been a vision God gave me years ago and now it is coming to pass but in a much greater way than I had ever dreamed of.
I have also looked at what we need for the studio, land, acoustic material etc. We have a couple of options and today we head back up to Lachiguiri to specifically look at one piece of land that has recently become available right next door to my house. It already has a building on it that will work perfectly, only needing some things added for the acoustical aspect, plus there isn't any electric lines and electric outlets to this house. It has a bathroom and an extra room that can be used as a bedroom for visitors. Also there is enough land to grow as needed. We can purchase this immediately for $6,000 American dollars and with a couple more thousand for making it into a studio we will be ready to go. I discovered someone else is ready to purchase this land as a "cantina bar" but wants to pay it off over two years. We need to pay cash if we want it. I believe we should go for it. Of course we do not have this kind of money on hand, so by faith, I want to tell the man after we look at it and the rest of the team also feels this is what we should do, that we will pay for it within the next couple of weeks.
This is an investment that we can make for the Kingdom of God that will not only affect the Lachiguiri mountain area but I believe with the teaching on CDs that we can share this with all indigenous areas within all of Mexico and beyond into Central and South America as well. You see, most of these Indigenous pastors who are older than say thirty do not have much of an education beyond third grade and some not even that. They can possible read some Spanish and sign their name and maybe write a little so we need to adapt to their educational level along with teaching them how to read and write.
I realize that there are many ministries almost begging people for money and I do not want to go in that direction. I believe you know that over the years I have never begged for money but I feel an urgency to ask you to sincerely pray and ask God what you can do to help us by investing something in this new adventure for God. Our team feels we need to act fast so I pray that God will lay it on your hearts to invest something today. True there will be ongoing cost also as we conduct special workshops and bring in special speakers along with the cost of Cd's, CD players, etc. so an ongoing support toward this adventure would also be a blessing, but remember, as we train leaders, the Word of God will be able to multiply far beyond our borders. You, who help support this ministry are also a part of this ministry as team members.
Well, I need to stop so we can get to Lachiguiri before dark, then tomorrow we head up to Oaxaca City to work with a young man who is a field recorder who is ready to help us with the technical side of this digital recording. We will also be checking out some prices etc for acoustical material before Mike heads back to the states.
Thanks so much for your prayers and gifts to help this ministry. Because of you, God has been able to work in bringing so many to Christ in our area. Continue to pray for our ministry. Also pray that God will bring in more supporters to help defray the added expenses.
Please share with others this ministry vision too.
God richly bless you,
Sheri
Sheri Burk
Agape Mission Projects
5126 W. Olive Ave. # 183
Glendale, AZ 85302-4209
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