The leaders of "Principe de Paz" church in San Juan Chamula


     Persecution is not something we, as Americans, normally have to deal with; but for the Tzotzil Indians of San Juan Chamula it is an everyday concern.  The area of San Juan Chamula has been a hotbed of turmoil for about 15 years now between the Christians and the traditionalists with their mix of Catholic and ancient Indian beliefs.  Even though now on the surface things are calmer, this turmoil has caused many Christians to lose their lives, homes, and have to live in a constant prayerful state before God for their safety.  

     A chain of events has happened that has opened the door for us to minister and help with the first Evangelical church planted in San Juan Chamula.  A few months back we were put in contact with a lawyer/pastor named Arturo Farela Gutierrez.  He has an organization called "Confraternice" and he works to defend Christians who have been wrongly imprisoned or suffer from persecution.  He is a bold witness for Jesus and you can find him in almost all the major newspapers from Mexico City.  He openly and publicly criticizes the abuses of the government and the Catholic Church and isn't afraid to speak the truth.  He has many connections in the federal government and has helped us to obtain our paperwork to live and preach here legally.  

     We share with Arturo a common love for the Tzotzil Indians of Chiapas, so our relationship with him has been a two-fold blessing.  Right now he is helping us obtain our civil association that makes it legal for us to drill wells in all of Mexico and we are combining our efforts to help and minister to the Indians of Chiapas.  

     When the last group of Christians were expelled from San Juan Chamula (around 1993), Arturo came and helped them legally be able to move back into their community and start the first Evangelical church of that area.  Here is a link to an article from the New York Times explaining more about San Juan Chamula, the church "Principe de Paz" (Prince of Peace), and a little about Arturo and his organization.  This is a good overview and I hope you will take time to read it. 

     We had the privilege and honor to be able to attend their worship service one Sunday while we were there in Chiapas this past trip.  Gabe also was asked to share a message.  It was amazing to see how deeply they loved the Lord and with such passion they worshiped Him.  Gabe shared a message of encouragement and expressed to them that their treasures are not here on this earth but they are in heaven, waiting for them, where they will never rot or decay. 

     They also have the first Christian school located next to the church.  They, like so many people, battle for water.  Our problem is that there are huge boulders above and below the ground.  Passing through the rock with the drilling rig we have now is an impossible task.  We are praying that God will provide us with a bigger rig, capable of drilling through rock so that we can return and help them with water as well as use it as a tool to reach their neighbors with the love of Jesus.  Please pray with us for this and remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted, wrongly imprisoned and hurting.

  
                                  Christian School                                           Sign in front of Church