Category: Travel

The drive north

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We are now back in Florida. And far from a leisurely joyride, the drive from Oaxaca, Mexico, to Texas was nothing short of an adventure! It certainly showcased God’s grace and protection, for which we are so thankful. While reviewing our ‘exit plan’ out of Mexico a couple of months ago, Megan and I debated whether or not she should travel by road with me. Anticipating difficulties on the road in light of her going into the third trimester of our pregnancy however, we felt it best that she fly back in advance to Florida. I have driven in many countries. Few match… Continue reading

A Successful Journey to Guerrero

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Drake recently returned from a long journey into Guerrero state where he worked with indigenous believers from various Me’phaa Indian tribes who are training to become missionaries to their own people as well as to other tribes over a very large region. Before setting out, Drake published a series of maps of the Me’phaa region on which the Me’phaa Indians could identify their own village locations and where the gospel is presently available, specifically in their own language.  In the process they identified many places that do not have acces to the gospel, as well as places where Christians are still systematically… Continue reading

A wonderfully eventful summer!

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The past few months have been incredibly busy ones for us and our ministry, with our time divided among many dear people and ministry partners – in Mexico, the United States, and South America. In May, Megan traveled to North Carolina where she underwent several weeks of intensive field medical and health evangelism training. The practical knowledge she acquired during that time is vital to our ministry, not only in terms of first-aid for unforeseen medical situations we may encounter in the field, but to equip others: training field missionaries ministering to remote people groups who lack not only access… Continue reading

A Glimpse into the Mixtecs of Mexico

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Imagine, almost every town within your own home state speaks a completely different language. The country at large speaks a common national language, you’ve heard it but are suspicious of those who speak it. Few people in your own community really know it, or even care to. You speak the tongue of your ancestors, why give that up? Imagine…no two neighboring towns get along. Confrontations over municipal borders, religions, ethnic pride, even sporting rivalries, frequently result in deadly armed skirmishes, or ‘range wars’. Imagine, your town demands your complete unwavering loyalty. You have mandatory community workdays; if you ever leave… Continue reading

Training missionaries among the Tarahumaras!

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The beautiful, vast Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) wilderness of western Chihuahua state contains canyons deeper than any found in the United States.  Its native inhabitants, the Rarámuri (or Tarahumara) Indians, sought refuge here from Spanish invaders in the sixteenth century.  Today they number from 50,000-100,000, although no one really knows. The Tarahumaras typically live in small earthen dwellings scattered over hundreds of miles of some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain. Though collectively known as ‘Tarahumara’, they actually span a vast cultural landscape with numerous distinct languages and ethnicities. The Tarahumaras have gained much renown worldwide for their near-superhuman ability to… Continue reading

Pray for the Tarahumara Indians!

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Dave and I will be working this week with Tarahumara Indian believers, teaching them methods for conducting field surveys and research into unreached people groups. Praise God, there is a growing missionary movement among the small Christian Tarahumara population, and we have the privilege to work with them! We board a bus tonight from Oaxaca that will get us into Mexico City by early Sunday morning. From there we fly to Chihuahua state, followed by another day of ground travel through the Copper Canyon wilderness. Please pray for these tribal believers, that God will impart wisdom through this training.  Pray that… Continue reading

Chiapas – Part 3

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After completing our first week in eastern Chiapas our investigation of the Gospel among the Zoque Indians continued in yet another region of the state.  The Zoque people are descendents of the Mayans who inhabited much of present day Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula.  Today the Zoques are divided into numerous ethnic groups throughout Chiapas each with distinct variations in their language and culture.  Dave and I gradually made our way back to Tuxtla Gutierrez after many hours in ‘colectivo’ taxi-vans winding through the jungle and mountain roads.  I was very pleased to hear from Megan that she would be… Continue reading

Chiapas – Part 2

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Greetings…you’re in Zapatista territory! As mentioned in my previous article, our trip into Chiapas state was an intense one. We accomplished much over a short time period. After training and mobilizing missionary candidates in Pijijiapan, we set out to do field research. The ethnic landscape of Mexico is incredibly complex. Oaxaca state alone where we live is estimated to contain nearly 200 indigenous ethnic people groups, most of them descendents of the ancient Olmec peoples, and each requiring their own Bible translation. The diversity is nearly as great next door in Chiapas state where large indigenous groups descended from the… Continue reading

Chiapas – Part 1

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Last week, Dave and I traveled into the neighboring Chiapas state. As I sat down to write about this intense trip, I realized that it was too much to cram into a single post, so I have broken it down into bite-sized segments. Our purpose in Chiapas included teaching Spanish-speaking believers how to make disciples, mobilizing future missionaries, and assessing the Evangelical Christian movement among indigenous people groups within the far reaches of the state; the Lord allowed us to accomplish much, safely, and in a relatively short amount of time. After a ten-hour overnight bus ride from Oaxaca, we… Continue reading