Click on any of the photos to view all the photos from the ministry places.
This past week a group of 10 members from Gulfway Church in Gulf Shores, Alabama came down to minister in San Crsitobal, Chenalho, Tuxtla Gutierrez, and Bochil, Chiapas. Pastor Bruce Dumond and his team worked and ministered with fervor.
The group arrived on Thursday, October 16th. That night they stayed in a colonial hotel in San Cristobal.
 |
| Gulfway Church Ministry in Chenalho, Chiapas |
The next day we drove an hour to Chenalho where most of the group worked on the Pastors house. They manually mixed cement and poured 2 floors. You may remember that I told you about Pastor Mariano’s departure to be with the Lord two weeks ago. Since that time, his wife and family have been living in the Church building. They had too many difficult memories of their old home. Perhaps you could imagine the difficult circumstances as their loved one was in a coma state for over a week with no doctors help.
The team from Gulfway was a major blessing to them. (The Indian family was already in the midst of building a new house before the Pastor passed on to be with the Lord.)
That same day we held a conference for the 25 Indian Pastors and Leaders. There was a lot on the agenda . The leaders and our ministry, Unanimous Ministries, placed the Pastors son in law as president of the association after Apostle Mariano’s death.
Also, we placed Pastor Mariano’s wife as the Pastor of the Church in Chenalho. This is a miracle in itself since the Indian culture and tradition says that a women should walk behind a man and women in general aren’t given any positions of authority. Since our ministry, http://www.unanimousministries.com/, is backing up this ministry she was able to get an adequate covering as a woman.
Pastor Bruce ministered to the entire group. Everyone left weeping as God spoke to them through him. The ministry team also held a special children’s event with the Indian children. It was touching to see these very poor children receive small gifts and arts and crafts from the team.
That evening we returned to San Cristobal.
The next morning, Pastor Jorge, Pastor Bruce, Dale Matson and I left at 5:30 in the morning to minister to the leaders in Tuxtla Gutierrez where Jorge Gutierrez is Pastor. The rest of the group stayed in San Cristobal to repair a 300 year old building that Unanimous Ministries and Ricky Parker, another missionary, are using as a missionary training facility.
|
| Gulfway Church Ministry in San Cristobal |
We ministered that evening in one of the brand new churches that we have started in San Cristobal. This was a special time. 7 people made decisions to serve Jesus as Lord of their lifes. The Church grew in number by 35% that night since there were originally only 19 members of the church.
|
| Gulfway Church Ministry in Tuxtla Gutierrez |
On Sunday, October 19th, the entire group packed up and left San Cristobal de las Casas to minister in the main church in Tuxtla Gutierrez. which has a membership of over 300 people. Pastor Bruce ministered on “not being intimated and moving in the spirit and power of God”. The Matsons sang using their Q-Chord instrument, and the rest of the ministry team did a special children’s program with the kids from the church.
That afternoon the entire team visited the Canon de Sumidero (boat ride up a crocodile infested river), the Marimba Park (Marimba music and outside dancing), and Las Pichanchas (A famous Restaurant).
On Monday morning we left for Bochil, Chiapas where the group was scheduled to do a Church building project. Ministry in Bochil included:
- Doubling the size of the existing church building
- 2 days of clown, puppet and children s ministry
- painting the children’s building
- Special evening services
- Testimonies by the member of the group
- Long work days
The group worked very hard and did an excellent job. The members of the church in Bochil also did an excellent job of preparing meals and helping to organize all the activities. The members from Bochil were especially grateful for the church expansion project. The building project was originally scheduled to add on a children’s building but because of rains and mountains slides the project turned out to be a building expansion project. God had things planned out since Gulfway Church is in the middle of their own church expansion project, only on a much larger scale. (The Bochil church expansion project only cost around $4200).
On Wednesday, the group from Gulfway Church worked half a day finishing up most of the building project. We left Bochil and traveled through the curvy mountain roads. We also took a small break and visited a magnificent waterfall called the Choreadero.
That evening we all celebrated Pastor Jorge Gutierrez’s Birthday. Although he pastors a large congregation he found the time to be with us during all the events. He used his vehicle to help provide transportation, he worked alongside the group and did everything he could to be of assistance. Besides being a great help himself, he was also very touched by the ministry from Gulfway Church.
Early on Thursday Morning, the group boarded the airplane in Tuxlta Gutierrez, Chiapas. They were exhausted and still had a long trip ahead of them as they flew back to the U.S.A.. The works that they left behind were great.
All of us here in Chipas all very grateful for everything that Gulfway Church did by providing their time, finances, hard work and ministry on this mission field.
Thank you Gulfway Church.