Pete and I have just settled back home in Las Moras after several weeks of being out of the village for team meetings, making airport runs for a work group that came to help our co-workers, and supply buying. We were ready for a break, and a change in schedule, but I must say that now, we are so glad to be home.
Pete and I celebrated our six year anniversary while having team meetings in El Paso.
Since arriving back in Las Moras a week ago we have been busy studying language, and spending time with the people. Each day has held new adventures in getting laughed at, meetings needs, and just “being” with the people.
Pete visits with a Nahuatl man while he relaxes in his hammock.
Several nights ago Pete and I took a walk out to the edge of the village, to “the cumbre” or canyon as we call it. Las Moras is built on a mesa, and when you walk to the edge of the village you can look out over the canyon and see for miles and miles. We began to talk about how small we both felt looking out over the peaks and valleys, and remembering that we, along with the Nahuatl, only live on one small mesa. Yet God cares so deeply for this specific group of Nahuatl people that He chose to bring us here to live here among them and show them what it means to love as Christ loves.
Being there at that moment again brought a refreshed purpose to why we are doing what we are doing. A new fire and love was kindled for the Nahuatl, a motivation to press on, keep running the race so one day they may know Christ.
Looking over the edge into the canyon.
Daily we feel inadequate to love the people as God asks us to, yet it’s by faith in His strength alone that we take the steps out the front door to our fence to chat with whomever He brings that day. And other days we gather our notebooks and pencils and head off to visit a family or two, because we feel there is something He has for us there, that day, whether it be a new word that we learn in Nahuatl, or a physical need we learn about that we can help meet.
Back to language study.
Recently my (Liesl’s) language helper’s son turned 2 years old. She decided she wanted to have a little birthday celebration for him and invited me to help her make the food and prepare the party. It was a great day for language practice, and a fabulous day of building relationships with Julia and her family.
Julia and her son, Alex.
Many of the things they asked me to do, would not have passed any U.S. home sanitation standards. 🙂 None the less, this is their culture, their ways, so I dove right into the activities which included washing the raw goat meat, liver, kidneys, pretty much everything with my hands in some water before putting the meat in with the chile stew broth we had made. I tried to remove all visible goat hair, and clean off any dirt before adding it to the stew. After that I mixed flour with water in a coffee can for the hot atole drink with my bare hands as a spoon, (they told me my hands were probably the most clean) hmmm…debatable especially after washing raw goat meat.
The small kitchen where we made all the food for the party.
Cleaning a basin for making atole.
Making the corn tortillas.
The kids wrestled outside while we cooked.
After 5 hours of prep work the goat stew, atole (hot drink made with flour, water, and sugar) and tortillas were ready, and I loved every minute of the work that went into it. There were many times during the day where I had no idea what they were asking me to do, because of my limited language understand, but relationships were strengthened and laughs were had.
As Pete and I with our co-workers Katie and Rachel gathered around their tiny kitchen table and they humbly served us, I could only think about what a blessing it is to live here. To be here amongst the Nahuatl, and to have the privilege of praying for them daily, showing them God’s love, and anticipating the day when they discover and understand the truth and hope of what God has done for them.
Julia’s Mom with a few of her other children and grandchildren.
We do hope that you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and are enjoying the start to your Christmas season! It doesn’t feel much like the holidays here as we are still reaching 75 degrees during the day, but we are decorating a little for Christmas anyway.
Thank you for praying for us and taking the time to read our updates, we appreciate each and every one of you.
Please click here to read our newest prayer requests and praises: https://hypkis.wordpress.com/pray/
Getting in the Christmas spirit.
LOS HYPKI 