What Would You Say?

A Curandero is a "healer" who uses natural medicines and/or access to the spirit world. In class today we were invited to attend a conference on traditional Mexican medicine. It reminded me of a note written from a friend before we came, “‘Curanderos’, female or male witch-doctors, are not just users of natural medicine. Most of them have their homes full of images of…so-called saints with candles burning before them. Such ‘curers’ can be paid to put a curse on someone you don't like.” If you were asked to attend the conference what would you say?

Recently we were at a papelatoria (paper shop) to purchase poster board. While there we discovered the owner has been a Christian for thirty years. Since she spoke a bit of English we were able to have a few minutes of mutual encouragement and fellowship in Christ. As we were about to leave she had a question, “I have a friend” she said, “who I have been discipling. My friend was at the market the other day and dropped her bags. A stranger stopped to help and in the process began ‘revealing’ personal things about my friend, like how many children she has. This was startling but it became frightening when the stranger said she had put a curse on her and someone was going to kill her.” The owner wanted to know what she should do. What would you say?

Cuernavaca is definitely a Latin America city but that doesn’t mean we don’t have modern conveniences. We have Office Depot, Home Depot, Wal-mart, Costco, Sears, Starbucks, KrispyKreme, Subway, Domino’s, and Tel-Mex (internet server). Yet, underlying is superstition, bondage, and pagan beliefs. It’s common to see shrines, relics and icons, to smell incense burning before idols, and to sense the darkness at some market booths. At the market I watched as a vendor etched what appeared to be a pentagram in a candle, dusted it with dried herbs and wrapped it for an eargerly awaiting couple. If you were talking with our Heavenly Father at that moment in that atmosphere what would you say?

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9

The Trivial & The True

I refuse to let this journal become a running commentary on language learning. However I will say this, after having completed three weeks of language school I have discovered I need only overcome three small problems – pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

By the way how many people can you get in a small VW van? Answer:22 How do I know? I counted them.

Reality of the spiritual flourishes here in Mexico. It’s hard to turn around without being confronted by the Virgin of Guadalupe, rosaries, Jesus’ image, crosses or someone headed to mass. While some are devoted followers many are simply following the traditions of their fathers and the Mexican culture. On the missionary side of things we live only a few blocks from a Jehovah Witness church and attend class with two women whose husbands are leaders for the Mormon Church. Today on campus a group from Ananda Marga came to campus to give a concert and recruit. “The mission of Ananda Marga is to help individuals achieve complete self-realization and… contributes to the process of individual development by providing instruction in meditation and other yoga pracitices." As in many countries of the world Ephesians 6:12-17 comes clearly into focus.

Just to let you know the original idea for rope-holders came from William Carey. When Carey, the Father of Modern Missions, was leaving for India as a missionary, he told a group of interested friends, "Saving souls can be likened a to a man drowning in a deep well and a volunteer can do nothing unless there are people who will hold the rope for him to be lowered till he reaches the drowning man, and then pull them up to safety." Carey adds, " I will go to India as a volunteer to seek sinners drowning in the well of SIN. But I can't do it alone. I need rope holders. Will you be my rope-holders?"

Rope-Holders

We are celebrating the 100th issue of Rope-Holders this week. Just how we’re celebrating we’re not sure, but we are celebrating none the less. For two years we have been sending out weekly requests so that many of you can hold the ropes of prayer at the Throne of Grace. I continue to be amazed that within minutes those living thousands of miles away can know our specific needs. It hasn’t been so long ago that this communication would literally take months.

While “Rope-Holders” is a prayer bulletin, it’s also much more. It is a group of people who are our praying family. We longed for and asked the Lord to give us intercessors who would labor for us and with us in prayer. Those who seek the holiness of God in their lives and whose hearts pant for Him like the deer pants for the water brook. Those who believe that in this day God answers the prayer of faith and boldly approach His Throne expecting answers. Those who understand that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. Those who treat prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie. Those who know that the only way we can go forward is on our knees. Those who depend on God because they know that it isn’t by might nor by power but by His Spirit that victory is won.

Recently I have been reading Mountain Rain, a biography of James O. Fraser, pioneer missionary to the Luis of China. Because he believed that Christians at home could do as much for foreign missions as those on the field, he wrote to his mother asking her to get a group of like-minded friends, whether few or many, to join them in prayer. To that group he gave the challenge, “What I covet more than anything else is earnest believing prayer…I am trying to roll the main responsibility of this prayer-warfare on you, I want you to take the burden of these people upon your shoulders, I want you to wrestle with God for them.”

With rejoicing we thank the Lord for a similar group of like-minded friends who have become our rope-holders.

The Fun Of It All

Okay, how long does it take to find baking soda in the supermarket? Answer: About 20 minutes. First you start at the Pharmacy because you have been told that it’s found there - not in the food section. Of course you can’t read anything so you look for something that might be it. (Sounds as thought you could kill yourself this way.) Then it’s off to the baking section in hopes that you misunderstood its whereabouts. Back to the pharmacy to use what you think is the Spanish word for baking soda but to no satisfaction. Maybe just maybe it’s in the toothpaste section. There you find toothpaste with the correct word on it so with toothpaste in hand you head off to the pharmacy once again to use the correct word and find the treasure. One box of baking soda – twenty minute job.

We had afternoon plans but I still had time to ride the bus into town and walk to the language school. All this to see how much time we needed to allow ourselves on our first day of school. The ride was 16 minutes, the walk 8 minutes. With a pocket full of change and some extra time I decided to duck into a local café before paying my 40 cents to ride the bus back. A cup of coffee and two small cookies should do the trick but to my dismay when it was served it took absolutely all my change. I tried to explain that I didn’t want the cookies so I could ride the bus home but there was that language thing again. Needless to say the two mile walk home in the blazing sun taught me a lesson learned the hard way – keep a few pesos tucked away for a rainy day.

Last minute shopping took us to Sears where we finally found a crock-pot. Then the chair caught our attention. We both really fell for it. It would make a perfect addition to our house but could we afford it? An English speaking clerk was called in to confirm that yes it was 103 dollars. A bit out of our range but its wicker style, round shape and additional foot-stool made it worth it. We decided to take the plunge as Diana left to finish up at the Mega store. What was my name? Where did we live? Would this be cash? I handed over the money but to no avail. They wouldn’t take it. The English speaking clerk was called back in. Not 103 dollars but 1300 dollars. I slinked away to purchase our 8 dollar plastic chair from Mega.

If nothing else all this “fun” reminds us that we are aliens and strangers in this world. We just happen to be getting a bigger dose than normal.