October 2007 letter
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Durango. It has been a long time since we have put out an update. Three weeks ago while we were here in the city our time was very hectic and I was not able to get an email out. I figured that I would do one has soon as we got out to Lajas. However, for some reason the satellite modem is not working and we were not able to get online. We’re hoping to remedy the situation soon. In the meantime, we have really appreciated all who have prayed for us over this time. We have sensed God’s protection for us and his moving in our lives.
Since our last update in August, much has happened. One day during our stay in September, Anne Marie & I went across to visit Placido and his four wives. We arrived at their house and Placido came out and informed us that their two year old boy had died five hours earlier that morning. You can imagine our shock. We weren’t sure if we should stay or go, but he invited us into their sleeping house where the boy was laid on the floor. He had been vomiting and had diarrhea for several days. We sat with the family as they were preparing the body and getting ready for the funeral the following day. No one in the family will sleep that night for fear the spirit of the dead boy will return to haunt them.
Placido asked if I would be willing to make a coffin and a cross. He had some boards ready and so I went home for some tools. Whilst I was building the coffin he sat and was quite sad. Over and over again he asked why this had happened to him. The Tepehuan believe that there is a reason for everything, and this was no chance thing. Placido believed someone was cursing them and he needed to find out who, why, and then have a shaman help them beat the curse. Below is a picture of Placido and his wife Alfreda. Food is placed around the baby along with flowers in an effort to keep the spirit happy.
The funeral was the following day. Over the next few weeks I spent quite a bit of time with Placido. I helped him make a door and he’s becoming very helpful with language and culture learning. They travelled into Durango with us and spent a large sum of money paying a shaman to help them with the curse. Unfortunately the sadness wasn’t over. Alfreda who was pregnant when their boy died, went into labour early while we were out in Lajas this last time. She gave birth to a baby girl but it died and hour later. So another coffin and another cross had to be made. This just compounded Placido’s worries and grief and confirmed even more that someone was cursing them.
Pray for Placido and his family as they deal with the loss of two children. Not only is he worried about the curse, but also he feels whoever is cursing him will also come after him physically, hence most of the time he is carrying around a gun. Pray for their safety and that God would work in their hearts showing them that their cultural beliefs and practices are empty and that they need to meet the savior. Jesus took the curse upon himself for all of us.
This last time in the village was very busy. There seems to be Tepehuan wanting visit on a constant basis. October 4th is San Francisco day and San Francis is the patron saint of Lajas. We were fortunate to be able to attend the fiesta, which requires long hours of sitting around and then finally atole and beef soup are served. It was a good fiesta. There was minimal drinking and only a minor scuffle. Everyone survived to party another day. Madeline and Sophia are patiently waiting for the food.
Check out the photo page (limited time!)for more photos of the fiesta.
Julian, Joseph and myself with Marcelo as guide, went on a hike to the river. This requires a strenuous hike through rough terrain and dropping a thousand feet down into the canyon. Julian couldn’t contain his excitement at not only being allowed to come, but actually making it. (Of course going down is the easy part.) It wasn’t long before fishing rods and bamboo canes were out and the fishing began. Marcelo and I failed miserably, but both Joseph and Julian were thrilled to come away with their very own catches. For Julian it was his first.
The fish were promptly carried back to the village and devoured later on in the day. It wasn’t without its pain or cost though. Julian really struggled with the first hour of the climb back. To add insult to injury, he was stung by a green caterpillar that had fallen onto his hat. This left him in a lot of pain and misery and with still a long way to go. Even the Tepehuan claim the sting from this caterpillar is very painful. On top of that it was very hot and so we made him continue to climb. Half an hour later the pain and burning eased off. Somehow though he got his second wind, and we had a hard time keeping up to him the rest of the way. Joseph now a veteran of three river trips, is finding the going easier. As for myself, it was my second trip in two days, and so I tired early. Marcelo, well for him it may as well have been a small walk around the block. While we guzzled water most of the trip, he sipped some about halfway on the return. He barely broke a sweat. He’s used to covering five times the distance in a day.
Well we’re back in Durango now for two weeks. There’s a ton more stuff I could tell but that will have to wait. While we have adjusted to life in Lajas more and the kids seem more settled out there, the constant moving back and forth and the upheaval and difficulty to maintain a schedule are taking a toll. We’d appreciate prayer for strength and stamina. Continue praying for our Tepehuan friends. They are incredibly convinced of their traditions, customs and beliefs. They are not looking for any other answer and believe they already have the truth. They place all their confidence in their shamans and seem to refuse to admit that even their shamans stand powerless many times. Pray that God would begin revealing to them how far they are removed from him. Pray that all their beliefs, arguments and confidence would begin to be torn down and they would see they are believing a lie. There are so many names you can be praying for: Placido & Alfreda, Florenza, Filemona & Maria & family; Marcelo & Emiteria & family; Efren & Feliciana & family; Anselmo & Sylvana, Pablo, Bernadino & Marina; Faustino & Teadora and family; Calistro , Dominga, & Valvina; Roberto & Angelita & family; Juan & Lucia & family; Secundino & Lucina & family; Arnupo & family; Francisco & Irenia & family; Emiliano & family; Rultilio & Juliana & family, Uvaldo & Maria & family; Roberto & Rita and family; Bernadino & family; Epifanio and family, Julian and family; Don Felix and family; Pedro & family; Cleto & family; Miguel and family; Chon & Yolanda & family; Marcario & family; Pampilo & Teresa and family. The list could go on and on, but these are some of the people we have regular contact with as a team. Pray also for Santurino and his daughter Polita. She is pregnant and in her 8th month. She also has some large tumours in her uterus. She will be having surgery in November to save the baby and have the tumours removed. Pray for a safe delivery of the baby and for healing. She has no husband and has 3 other children of which there are varying and sordid rumours as to their fathers. Tepehuan women get very little choice on what happens to them, needless to say though, she lives with a lot of shame. Pray that she would encounter Jesus just like the Samaritan woman did.
We appreciate each one of you and value you partnership with us.
For Jesus,
Andrew, Anne Marie, Joseph, Madeline, Julian and Sophia.
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