Sweet Friendship

 

      Sometime within the last year, I began praying that God would give me a love for our ZK people of Southern Mexico. I guess the desire to work with them began almost 3 years ago, but it's really been the last 6 months that I have fallen love with the people of Pine Hill.                                                                                        

   For starters, I wanted to introduce you to Elena. We met her when we were visiting Don Isabel, her father. He runs a telephone booth in his home and Elena often helps "man" the phones. You see, there are only 100 phone lines into the whole town, and Don Isabel has 3 of them. He charges 7 pesos per minute for you to receive a call on one of his phones.

    From the day that I met Elena, I was attracted to her sweet smile and friendly demeanor. She's the mother of two girls (ages 11 and 9) and her 8-month old baby boy, Iker. She has often wanted to invite us to her home for coffee, but we've yet to be able to go. On our last visit, I shared that we had our house and soon I would be able to invite her to my house for coffee! She said, "I rarely get out of the house. But now, I will have a friend to go visit."

 

 

     Guadalupe is another sweet friend who I can't wait to invite to my home! She has been so hospitable to us every time that we've been in her home. I admit, it wasn't easy at first. We first started visiting her father-in-law, Don Justo in August of last year. He was the first man of peace to welcome us.

     Soon, I was venturing across the street to visit with Guadalupe and the other women. It wasn't easy to build a rapport because they speak ZK amongst themselves, and therefore I understood very little. Okay, I understood nothing. Except for the day that Guadalupe shared with the rest of the woman that I was not Catholic. I understood that...and the stares that followed.

     But, we continued to faithfully visit. And to share stories! Guadalupe has come to expect that we will share a story from the Bible, and she looks forward to it.

    On our last visit, I shared with Guadalupe that we had our house, but it wouldn't be for another month until we were moved in permanently. "That long?!?" was the response! I assured her I would invite her to my house soon, and that her daughter Irene would eventually come to love me. Or at least not cry when she looked at me! (Yes, she will let Clay pick her up...but cries if left in the same room as me without her momma!)

 

 

     Today, I am thankful that I have these two beautiful women to invest in and to learn from. I am thankful that we've had the last 8 months to get to know one another...and love one another!

 

Please pray for these two women and the friendship that they have extended to me. Pray that I can continue in faithfulness to share the Gospel with them through my words and my actions. Pray that they can come to know how to have a personal relationship with the Father, and not just a tradition.