dancing through mexico: day three

We fixed breakfast in the bible school kitchen (which doubled as married sleeping quarters); three dozen scrambled eggs, leftover beans, aspargus/beef dish and tortillas, toast, bagels, watermelon, grapefruit and apple slices.


Then prayed for the pastor, his wife and their two sons. We marched around the property and blew the shofars declaring all the plans and blessings God's has in store for them and their ministry.

Ruben, our translator's son, took an interest in the shofar.

Then we were off to Caborca. We found the plaza was connected with a large old catholic church that played a significant part in Mexican history. We toured the church and prayed over the grounds, which included a stage, playground, the church and lots of open space.



After praying over the grounds we headed to the church were we would be spending the night. The church was a pole barn style, basically one large cement room with a single bathroom for men and a second for women. Although cleaner than our previous nights accomidations the lack of walls, all 22 of us sleeping in the same room, some without a mattress and again without hot water was a little hard to imagine.



We made ourselves as comfortable as possible and prepared for the evening meeting while 4 from our party went and spoke on a local radio station. When we returned we learned that the pastor had invited us to join their worship on Sunday morning at 10 before heading out to our last meeting. It would be a tight time squeeze but we weren't about to turn down an invitation to minister. By the end of our four day tour we had collected a total of 8 invitations to minister the next time we came to Mexico.

The meeting that night was long on protocol (there were 5 officials including the mayor who came) and short on preaching. We had been told the day before that the preaching had been a bit too forward and was making some officials uncomfortable. They wanted us to focus on the Native presentation rather than the Christian. We obliged as far as preaching was concerned but still spent time praying over people as well as blessing the children as they went under the huppah. Jay and Lura and I did a shawl dance and I used the streamers on stage for one song.





We were well received by the mayor and his wife and afterward did a photo op with them. Who knows we may end up on his next campaign poster. Along with the protocol gifts we gave we were also given gifts, including a cool artifact rock with the symbol for "many waters" carved on it. During our photo taking session the mayor asked where we were spending the night. When he found out we were sleeping in a church he offered to pay for hotel rooms for all of us. What a blessing to be able to have a hot shower and clean bed that night.

dancing through mexico: day two

After gathering for breakfast at a local restaurant we went to the beach for prayer and communion. The beach was lacking in tourists so the arrival of twenty people brought all the beach vendors to our meeting. Blankets, carvings, jewelry, and flowers were are displayed for our viewing pleasure. In return we offered them prayer. Two of them accepted the invitation, the others turned away once they understood we weren't buying.



After our beach service we packed up and caravaned our way to El Diamante. Our first stop was at the bible school where we would be spending the night. The bible school didn't offer chocolates on our pillows but they did have some foam mattresses that people spread out in the various cement block, cement floor, tin roof building. Jay and I opted to spend the night in the back of our pick up. Rather than emptying the multiple cases of bottled water to make room we put our foam mattress on top of the bottles and created a new version of the water bed. Although we had been told there were showers available it wasn't mentioned that there wasn't a water heater so most of us skipped the shower. After settling in we changed into regalia and packed in the vehicles again headed for a town park with a basketball court where the meeting was scheduled to start at 5PM.

Again, when we reached the meeting place there were already people gathered. Only this time, the majority of the people were small children. There must have been at least 200 of them. They were excited with anticipation and kept changing in a stampede when they thought there might be something to see.



We started with the blowing of the shofars and then the grand entry...inviting the kids to join in. They didn't need a second invitation and quickly formed a tight line of small bodies joining behind our team to complete a circle.




City officials and pastors were honored with protocol gifts including a one of a kind quilt made by Sheila.



Pastor Bill Easter, an evangelist from Tennessee gave a short message and invitation and many hands went up to accept Christ. Pastor Bill used two chairs, symbolizing a gate, and had everyone who wanted to accept Christ walk through the gate. After leading many to salvation a second call was made and others came forward for prayer for healing. We were blessed to see that many adults, including city officials, as well as children, asking for prayer.

In a typical Jewish service a talit is held up to form a huppah and the children gather under to receive a blessing. Because we had way more children than we could fit under the huppah we improvised and had the children walk under the huppah. They formed a circle and went round and round under the huppah multiple times. This worked so well we used it again in the following meetings, the team standing along the edge of the circle blessing the children as they passed.



Jay and I, neither having Native American blood, dressed to represent the Messianic Jew. In his priestly looking garb the children were drawn to him. He teamed up with Maria, a Spanish speaking believer who joined our team in Rocky Point. Two spontaneous lines of children formed and Maria turned first from one line and then to the other leading one child at a time to pray and ask Jesus in their heart. Jay laid hands on each child and prayed in the spirit. It was one of the highlight of the trip for Jay.


After dancing, praying, passing out maracas and cookies we started to wind things up for the evening. Jay challenged one of the Mexican pastors to reach out to the teenage boys that were watching from the outskirts. Pastor Adam spoke to the boys and eventually was able to pray for them.

By the end of our four days of ministry we estimated we had the opportunity to share with approximately 1200 people with an estimated 200 receiving salvation.

dancing through mexico: day one

Thursday morning we met at Ron and Lura's house to pack up and head to the boarder... only to stop before we got out of the metropolitan area to refill our radiator and replace the cap...tightly this time.

We met up with the rest of the stateside team in Gila Bend...gathered and prayed in front of McDonald's ending with a huddle cry of "As one!" before moving out. There were a total of 15 who crossed the boarder.

After unloading and reloading the trailer for the boarder patrol we traveled to our hotel in Rocky Point and met up with our translator, Rubin, his wife Maria and two sons whom remained with us for the next six days. We quickly unloaded and changed clothes before heading to Pastor Adam's church in the barrio. The people (and the dogs) had already started to gather by the time we arrived. I don't think there was ever less than 5 dogs wandering among the people-although never the same five-the whole time we were there. We even had dogs that "danced" in the circle with us.

The young boys raced to help unload the 2,000 pounds of rice and beans from our vehicles into the church.

We made a mound of suitcases filled with clothing and a second mound of rice and beans that Pastor Adam will distribute to those in need.

As we set up flag and gathered chairs in the courtyard outside Pastor Adam's house and the church, the call went out through the barrio to invite people to come.

In each place we visited, we started off with the blowing of the shofar, a call to worship. After the shofar was the grand entry, we danced in with flags in full regalia native dress.

Ron lead the dance and pulled children out to dance with him...others followed until we had so many people we had to make two circles.

As the drummers beat the drum and sang...

the people danced and shook maracas.

Each meeting we held we practiced "protocol," honoring pastors and officials who attended the meeting. Introductions were made, gifts were given, and a formal request to "Come upon your land with our message of love" was delivered.

After praying for the pastors we began praying over others. Although we only had a couple of translators that didn't hinder our prayers. I had the privilege of praying over this beautiful woman, Carmen, and her husband.

After the prayer/alter time everyone received a plate of hot rice and tortilla's. I was amazed as I watched plate after steaming plate of food carried out from the crude kitchen quarters. The children waited so nicely in line for their plate of food, then the adults, then our team, until all were fed.


After dinner I found myself surrounded by little girls wanting to be close to me. The girl on my left, Anna, had attached herself to me when we were dancing earlier. Rather than stand around, unable able to speak to the girls, I decided I would dance with them. We made a small circle and did simple Jewish circle dance steps to the music cd playing over the sound system. Jay joined us in the dance and then taught the girls-without speaking the same language- the untangle the knot game were everyone grabs two different hands and then the group works together to make the tangle into a circle.

By the time we climbed back in our vehicles my feet were sore from dancing and my contacts gritty with sand but my heart was full of love and my spirit joyful.