Chiapas Journal Day 3

After not much rest the night before, I woke exhausted, but was helped by starting the day with a cold shower. After my shower separated myself to spend time with the Father, and was acquainted by the Spirit. Found great comfort and the life of Paul. Oh, how I long to live so unashamed as he did. I know some who would criticize me for desiring to be like Paul, but he wrote “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” The plan for today was to work with Pastor Eufimio here in Simojovil in the surrounding communities. After refreshing our physical bodies with a typical Mexican breakfast we left for a small town called “La Paz” in English “The Peace”. My mom and I were accompanied by Juanita, Eufimio’s daughter, and began going house to house to share the good news. I was quite humbled when we reached the first house and I greeted the elderly woman in Spanish, and her face said that she didn’t know what I said. She only spoke a indigenous dialect called Tzoltl. It sounds nothing like Spanish. The pastors daughter spoke very little Tzoltl so she began to speak to the woman. This woman had no intrest in the divine things, and was far more concerned with things around her house. Such was the case with many of the Indians in this town. After visiting a few houses we approached a small wooden hut to find it filled with young people. As we began to converse about Divine things found one young woman around 16 years of age or so that seemed to be concerned for her soul. She had been raised in a very spiritualistic Catholic church, and was well versed in idolatry. After explaining the nature and result of sin and our helpless state we then conversed with her about the unconditional love of God and the impossibility of doing anything for our own salvation. The Spirit seemed to have given some conviction in regards to the work she had done in attempts to earn grace through the idols of Babylon. We gave her a gospel, and wrote the pastor’s number and address so she would be able to have her questions answered if it truly was a beginning work of the Spirit in regard to her salvation. We left this house to go with pastor Eufimio up the mountain to visit a family that hasn’t come to the fellowship in some time. We were welcomed by the family with great kindness and found the father of the family to have some kind of sickness. This seems to have hindered his work greatly, and there was a lack of income as a result. After not much conversation with the family Eufimio began to question their absence and was meet with many excuses. We then spent the next forty minutes or so in exhorting them from the Scriptures of the importance of fellowshipping with the body of Christ. The daughters of the man were under some conviction. After praying for the family we left to go to the church in Simojovil where I would preach. I preached from Romans 5:6 stating that we, before Christ, have two problems; one: we are ungodly, and two: we are without strength. I felt somewhat helped by the Spirit, and think there were some there who were affected by the words of God. After the meeting we were invited to celebrate the lives of the pastor and his wife as this was their birthdays. It was a good time of fellowship. I went to bed tired and somewhat early with a heavy heart for the people of Chamula. Our plan is to go there tomorrow. It has been so great getting to meet Eufimio. He is a hard working for the great kingdom; I hope the Lord continues to cause our paths to cross.