September 25, 2007
Dear Friends,
I have spent most of July, August, and September “on the road.” I am finally at home in Frijolillo, but am now pressed by the need to complete work for a class I am taking at Fuller Theological Seminary before my planned trip to the United States next week.
I hope my notes here will give you insight into life and times here in the Huasteca and will encourage you to continue to pray for us.
What have I been so busy with?
We hosted a mission team for four days in July. I taught vacation Bible school in four different communities and was director of the program in one. I have attended our presbytery’s Bible Institute; I’ve transported, accompanied, and oriented a student from the Mexican Church’s Central Bible School for Missionaries during much of her three month internship in the Huasteca; I’ve assisted the treasurer of the presbytery in developing computer-generated financial reports; I’ve been about my regular activities visiting congregations, preaching here and there, and attending weddings, birthday celebrations, and the like; I have also almost completed a correspondence course from Fuller.
The two highlights were probably picking chili piquin with my friend Amalia here in Frijolillo (because it is a symbol of tranquility and routine at “home”) and visiting our most isolated congregation in El Barco, Hidalgo. Sister Raquel and I made the hour-and-half hike down hill along a rocky, muddy, horse trail to this community of 35 people, 32 of which are Presbyterians. There is no electricity in the community, and transportation there is generally made by walking across a river four feet deep. Due to the rains, the river was impassible, thus our hike. It was doable, but a challenge. But what a joy to surprise the brethren there and spend a day in fellowship with them!
Mission teams visit the Huasteca
On July 9-13 we received a visit from Covenant Presbyterian Church of San Antonio, Texas, and Buen Pastor Presbyterian Church of Castaños, Coahuila. They offered a vacation Bible school program for children from three of our communities: Rancho Nuevo, La Peña, and Soledad. A team is scheduled to visit us this weekend (September 30 - October 3) from Northeast Georgia Presbytery and Noreste Presbytery of Mexico. They will work with folks from the Frijolillo church and Rancho Nuevo Mission to pour a concrete floor and install door on the sanctuary in Rancho Nuevo while at the same time enjoying the fellowship of brethren in the area.
Two teams are scheduled for the spring 2008 to partner with two other congregations in our area. And another team will visit us in July 2008 to work with VBS programs. If your congregation is interested in visiting us in 2008, please contact me soon. We receive only five teams a year so we really only have two openings left!
How David, Abraham, Paul, and Jesus Christ transformed the Huastecas this summer
I promised a report on the VBS season, and all I can say is “whew!” Because this was my first year, I hesitated to say “no” to any invitations. I have learned my lesson. Next year I will keep a week free between commitments!
That said, it was a wonderful summer! Lessons from King David—about keeping our hearts pure before—God attracted over 60 children from three communities who had never had VBS before. What a gift the lessons, the visiting team, and the notion of Christian education for wee ones was for them, their parents, and those overseeing these small congregations.
Most communities where we had vacation Bible school had never had one before. We studied the life and faith of Abraham in Chapulhuacanito. I taught the junior-high-aged kids (as I did everywhere I went). The highlight for me happened on the last day when one of the students in my class, a young woman visiting from Mexico City, asked if being a missionary was hard. As I hem-hawed a response she expressed interest in being a missionary one day. I committed to praying for her as she discerns her call over the next year and a half (what she has left of high school).
In Taxicho and Frijolillo, we studied the life of Paul, being challenged by his courage and faith to step out of our comfort zones and be willing to give our lives to the mission cause. Past generations did that in our area, but those growing up now do not know what it means to witness in areas of hostility.
In Octlamecayo we studied the life of Christ as the “Almighty One,” learning how the power Jesus demonstrated in life is available to us today. He was and still is the One who has all things in His hands. We even learned a new song: Amo onca ojui para Toteco (No hay nada difícil para Dios)! See attached photo of me with kids in Sunday School in La Laguna.
October visit to the United States
I will be in the United States from October 4 to 30 to some routine medical exams, visit family and friends, and making a few mission interpretation visits. My schedule is as follows: San Antonio and Austin, Texas, (4 – 7) Las Vegas, Nevada, and Los Angeles, California (8 - 12) Pittsburgh Presbytery (12 - 19), Berryville, Virginia (19 - 22), and Nebraska (22 - 28).
Though I am looking forward to my visits, I am very hesitant to leave my friends here in the Huastecas. I don’t want to miss out on anything and feel like I am just getting integrated into life here. After a summer of too much activity, I would rather just “be” here for a while and work harder on my language learning. But we take things as they come and enjoy every moment for what it is.
Huan Náhuatl? And Náhuatl?
- Slowly but surely. The busyness of the past months has put language learning on the back burner, but I find myself understanding more and speaking a bit more. My conversations are short and my “inventions” are often not correct grammatically, but they seem to understand me. I recently acquired two texts for learning the language (western Huasteca Náhuatl, and particularly the “T dialect”). I trust that upon my return in November, I can spend more time focusing on the language. See attached photo of “my choir” in Frijolillo. We sang two hymns in Náhuatl in celebration of the “Day of the Bible” in early September.
Please join us in giving thanks to God
- For his care over Sister Serafina of Octlamecayo who was bitten by a coral snake in her home two weeks ago. She was rushed to the hospital in time and is close to full recuperation.
- For his care over my in all my travels around the presbytery and particularly for the strength he gave in the midst of all the activity. By early September I was really fatigued, but he restored my strength to get through the last hurrah—a week’s visit to our church in Tezapotla with the visiting missionary student.
- For his protection during Hurricane Dean, which was headed straight at us but made a turn south as it came aground. We had a lot of rain and our roads were considerably damaged, but no flooding of homes or wind damage. Praise God too that the municipal government is working hard at restoring our roads!
Please join us in prayer for:
The Lord’s protection for brothers as they work in the fields—they have killed a lot of snakes of late (clearing and burning fields and planting) and some are very deadly, especially one they call the “mahuaquite.”
Simón Hernández, son of Missionary Saret of Taxicho. He has a dental problem that is requiring a lot of attention. Pray for the Lord’s resolution and provision for the Hernandezes.
My travel in the United States in October. Pray especially for three things: safe passage on my many flights, health despite eating “here there and everywhere,” and direction from the Holy Spirit as I share life in Christ in the Huasteca with brothers and sisters across the country.
Pray also for his care over me during my scheduled endoscopy (small bowel scope) and colonoscopy on October 5 in San Antonio. I am fine and these exams are “routine,” just to check to see how I am doing inside, but nevertheless, they come with their own risks and I would like to have a clean report. Thanks for your prayers!
Toteco metchtioxihuas!
God bless you all!
Susie Frerichs
The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 66 |
