On Friday, March 19^th 2009, twenty-two members of First Baptist Rio Rancho departed from Albuquerque International Airport for a mission trip to Southern Mexico. After checking forty four suit cases (and all had the allowed 2 carry-on bags as well) containing clothing and approximately 500 pounds of pastors books, Spanish Bibles and New Testaments, back packs, bookmarks, bracelets and other gifts, all boarded an airliner and headed to Chiapas, Mexico. Arrival in Tuxtla Gutierrez was at 8:00 pm, eight taxis were hired and the team headed for town. After an unplanned stop at “Holiday” Inn (it does sound like “Quality” Inn) all settled in for the night.

Saturday morning after breakfast and a devotional, missionary Benjamin Loera arrived with a van and trailer for luggage and another hired van. All loaded up and headed east to Ocosingo. After hamburgers at the property that has been purchased for the orphanage, the team went into town and checked into the finest hotel in Ocosingo for the next five days. Then it was to the Loera’s home to eat…again.

Sunday morning it was to church at Bethel Baptist church. After a church wide greeting, during which Heidi Snyder sang a solo, the team broke into groups. Pastor Si preached to the main congregation while one ministry group met with the children (27) and the other met with young ladies (23). Sunday evening all were back again so Pastor Si could deliver another message while the children’s (30) and young ladies (25) groups met separately again.

Monday morning the ministry teams loaded up and headed for the village of Tacuba. The men of the village gathered and sang a welcoming song to them. Pastor Si presented two services while the ministry teams met with the children (67) and teen girls (13). Four of the team’s men went to the orphanage property to try to do some construction work, but due to delays (no backhoe, late architect plans), little was accomplished. They did obtain fence posts and started to fence off the administration building/house site. While so doing, they found a water line. It took approximately two hours to repair it.

Tuesday morning the group had breakfast while Pastor Si went to the local Christian radio station where he was interviewed and answered questions for an hour on the air. The entire city of Ocosingo (population 70,000) was invited to an evening service at the city auditorium. The entire group then spent three hours at the Mayan ruins of Tonina before returning to the city for the evening services. Heidi again sang (this time broadcast on the radio) and Pastor Si preached while the teen girls ministry group went to another location and presented their program on purity to 74 girls. Pastor Si provided marriage counseling following the service.

Wednesday was a down day. No ministry projects were planned. All went to Cascadas de Agua Azul (Falls of Blue Water). Absolutely beautiful.  After a day of wading, swimming and shopping the group returned to Ocosingo, broke into four teams and witnessed to people on the city square. One young man accepted Christ and another man who was drunk approached one team and asked them to pray for him.

Thursday the group packed up, loaded into the vans and drove to San Cristobal de las Casas. The team got to enjoy a little time shopping at the indigenous market. Then it was off again to church. Thirty-four children and 17 young women attended their programs followed by Pastor Si delivering a sermon to approximately 30 church members and the team. Afterward the ladies of the church provided supper of chicken soup, tortillas and coffee.

Friday morning it was off to Simojovel. This required a three and one half hour drive on a two-lane highway across mountain passes that rival anything in Colorado, except there is no snow - nor are there guardrails to spoil the view. The team was split between the two hotels in this town because neither hotel was large enough for all. While previous hotels had been pretty good, Simojovel’s hotels provided a true “mission experience.” Praise God, it was only for one night! If the toilet was flushed in one room, no other room could flush for 4-5 hours, and in a couple of rooms the toilets didn’t flush at all. The steel doors on the rooms, the surrounding walls topped with glass shards – rural Mexican “razor wire” - and steel gates shut at night to keep anyone out (or maybe the team in) all served to complete the “mission experience” and provided such comfort?!?. The view out the back lot was, however, absolutely glorious – truly a sight to behold in the early morning hours (accompanied by a serenade of roosters) and it rivaled just about anything the team had ever seen. The cockroaches in the other hotel were trophy size, but fortunately most of us just had stinky rooms. The Baptist church is an old building that is missing the roof. A lean-to of corrugated steel is there instead and tarps are strung across what would be the ceiling. Prior to the service the ladies of the church provided a supper of chicken and rice. All then proceeded to the church. Katie Hendrix and Lauren Huey performed a mime skit and Heidi Snyder sang a solo. The children (28) and young ladies (11) then went to their programs while the rest of the church held services. Pastor Si delivered the message. At the end of the service all of the ministry group stood at the front while the congregation sang to them, then had a procession where they greeted and thanked each of the ministry team members.  Another very humbling day. 

Saturday the team departed Simojovel for Suchiapa. After a stop at Sumidero Canyon for some sight seeing, the teams went to Marantha Baptist Church. The service started with all of the children (87) in assembly. They then left for their program and a group of teen girls (25) assembled for their conference. Meanwhile the congregation gathered for services. Pastor Si again delivered the message to 43 attendees. At the conclusion of the service the team stood at the front of the church while the congregation had a processional to individually thank them.

Sunday morning it was back into a parade of nine taxis and to the airport where the team departed for home.

On Friday, March 19^th 2009, twenty-two members of First Baptist Rio Rancho departed from Albuquerque International Airport for a mission trip to Southern Mexico. After checking forty four suit cases (and all had the allowed 2 carry-on bags as well) containing clothing and approximately 500 pounds of pastors books, Spanish Bibles and New Testaments, back packs, bookmarks, bracelets and other gifts, all boarded an airliner and headed to Chiapas, Mexico. Arrival in Tuxtla Gutierrez was at 8:00 pm, eight taxis were hired and the team headed for town. After an unplanned stop at “Holiday” Inn (it does sound like “Quality” Inn) all settled in for the night.

Saturday morning after breakfast and a devotional, missionary Benjamin Loera arrived with a van and trailer for luggage and another hired van. All loaded up and headed east to Ocosingo. After hamburgers at the property that has been purchased for the orphanage, the team went into town and checked into the finest hotel in Ocosingo for the next five days. Then it was to the Loera’s home to eat…again.

Sunday morning it was to church at Bethel Baptist church. After a church wide greeting, during which Heidi Snyder sang a solo, the team broke into groups. Pastor Si preached to the main congregation while one ministry group met with the children (27) and the other met with young ladies (23). Sunday evening all were back again so Pastor Si could deliver another message while the children’s (30) and young ladies (25) groups met separately again.

Monday morning the ministry teams loaded up and headed for the village of Tacuba. The men of the village gathered and sang a welcoming song to them. Pastor Si presented two services while the ministry teams met with the children (67) and teen girls (13). Four of the team’s men went to the orphanage property to try to do some construction work, but due to delays (no backhoe, late architect plans), little was accomplished. They did obtain fence posts and started to fence off the administration building/house site. While so doing, they found a water line. It took approximately two hours to repair it.

Tuesday morning the group had breakfast while Pastor Si went to the local Christian radio station where he was interviewed and answered questions for an hour on the air. The entire city of Ocosingo (population 70,000) was invited to an evening service at the city auditorium. The entire group then spent three hours at the Mayan ruins of Tonina before returning to the city for the evening services. Heidi again sang (this time broadcast on the radio) and Pastor Si preached while the teen girls ministry group went to another location and presented their program on purity to 74 girls. Pastor Si provided marriage counseling following the service.

Wednesday was a down day. No ministry projects were planned. All went to Cascadas de Agua Azul (Falls of Blue Water). Absolutely beautiful.  After a day of wading, swimming and shopping the group returned to Ocosingo, broke into four teams and witnessed to people on the city square. One young man accepted Christ and another man who was drunk approached one team and asked them to pray for him.

Thursday the group packed up, loaded into the vans and drove to San Cristobal de las Casas. The team got to enjoy a little time shopping at the indigenous market. Then it was off again to church. Thirty-four children and 17 young women attended their programs followed by Pastor Si delivering a sermon to approximately 30 church members and the team. Afterward the ladies of the church provided supper of chicken soup, tortillas and coffee.

Friday morning it was off to Simojovel. This required a three and one half hour drive on a two-lane highway across mountain passes that rival anything in Colorado, except there is no snow - nor are there guardrails to spoil the view. The team was split between the two hotels in this town because neither hotel was large enough for all. While previous hotels had been pretty good, Simojovel’s hotels provided a true “mission experience.” Praise God, it was only for one night! If the toilet was flushed in one room, no other room could flush for 4-5 hours, and in a couple of rooms the toilets didn’t flush at all. The steel doors on the rooms, the surrounding walls topped with glass shards – rural Mexican “razor wire” - and steel gates shut at night to keep anyone out (or maybe the team in) all served to complete the “mission experience” and provided such comfort?!?. The view out the back lot was, however, absolutely glorious – truly a sight to behold in the early morning hours (accompanied by a serenade of roosters) and it rivaled just about anything the team had ever seen. The cockroaches in the other hotel were trophy size, but fortunately most of us just had stinky rooms. The Baptist church is an old building that is missing the roof. A lean-to of corrugated steel is there instead and tarps are strung across what would be the ceiling. Prior to the service the ladies of the church provided a supper of chicken and rice. All then proceeded to the church. Katie Hendrix and Lauren Huey performed a mime skit and Heidi Snyder sang a solo. The children (28) and young ladies (11) then went to their programs while the rest of the church held services. Pastor Si delivered the message. At the end of the service all of the ministry group stood at the front while the congregation sang to them, then had a procession where they greeted and thanked each of the ministry team members.  Another very humbling day. 

Saturday the team departed Simojovel for Suchiapa. After a stop at Sumidero Canyon for some sight seeing, the teams went to Marantha Baptist Church. The service started with all of the children (87) in assembly. They then left for their program and a group of teen girls (25) assembled for their conference. Meanwhile the congregation gathered for services. Pastor Si again delivered the message to 43 attendees. At the conclusion of the service the team stood at the front of the church while the congregation had a processional to individually thank them.

Sunday morning it was back into a parade of nine taxis and to the airport where the team departed for home.