Jitotol Mexico 2010
Construction: Volunteers will build a “One-Day” Church in Betel, Mexico. The construction site is in the village of Jitotol (pronounced Hetoetol). It is a very, very poor area. The church floor is already in and the posts approx. 2 feet up are in also and ready for us to place the steel beams, roof, walls, windows, doors, and pull electrical wire. If we have time, we’ll put in a front wall with gate and pour the sidewalks.
Medical: The other half of the team will conduct medical and dental clinics in the surrounding areas. The medical team will have their hands full. The need here is very great and the village is thickly populated. The Berkshire Mission director met with the Mayor and he is very willing to help us with any needs he can provide. He also visited two villages outside of town in the mountains. They speak an Indian language that some of the locals will translate to Spanish for us. They were very afraid of him. Most of the woman and children ran into their small wooden one-room houses. The president of the village said most have never seen an American. Both village presidents met with the people and agreed that it would be very beneficial for them if we visited. Neither village has had a medical team here, only a local doctor who visits on occasion but with no medicine. We will be making arrangements to get to that area, but from what we know it is a little hard to get to with a vehicle.
Evangelism: An outreach team will promote and conduct a one-week program for adults and a children’s Vacation Bible School program. The local churches already had planned a large revival campaign for one week before our arrival, long before they knew that we were coming. Their plan was to rent a large community building in town and bring an evangelist from Columbia. The cost of bringing him there was very expensive. After a very large meeting with the 22 local mission churches, which was scheduled somehow the same weekend that we were here for our pre-trip planning, we spoke and explained our plans. After much discussion and prayer they were very happy to change their dates to the dates we will be there. They will take care of all the plans, and work with us on Bible studies prior to our arrival, and asked if our Pastor Rigo from Honduras could be the evangelist. They were very impressed with him and his God given talents. Their original plan did not include a children’s program. After I told them about ours they were very excited, they have never had a children’s program along with a campaign. He spoke to a local man who had a place perfect for our children’s program and when we told him all the things that we had planned for the community; he said that we could have the place for free.
Praise God for His plans.
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