Can't We Just Send Money?

Many times we hear short term team members verbalize an inner conflict regarding the cost of their mission trip.  Seeing the many unfilled needs of the village, local church, and people, and the financial needs for our ministry with ASM, they ask sheepishly,

"Wouldn't it have been better if we had simply sent the money rather than spending it on our own airfare and ground costs?"

Our answer is always the same.  Yes, perhaps, but people don't.  No one understands the need until they experience it for themselves.  We have yet to be able to show pictures and tell stories that portray the reality of the needs in a way that stirs people's hearts.

Secondly, we remind our teams that God uses their visit to encourage believers who seldom have any opportunity to interact with believers outside their small flock.  Our teams infuse hope and joy into the lives of pastors and those struggling in their faith.  Together with teams, we bring them tools to use for evangelism and discipleship.  We remind our brothers and sisters that they are not alone.

Is it worth the price of the trip?  I would say it is!

Our prayer is that God would strategically raise up prayer and financial partners among those we have hosted on short-term teams.  As Pastor Jerrod (from a supporting church that has sent several teams to work with us) challenged his latest group: 

"Decide now what God wants you to do differently as a result of your week in Oaxaca.  The default is that each one will return to Ohio and go right back to your same way of living, interacting, and spending - forgetting the plight of the needy, the suffering, and the lost." (my paraphrase)

Please pray for those who have walked the dusty trails, driven along the mountain passes, eaten the local food, slept in modest homes with few comforts, and prayed for very real and impossible (barring a miracle) requests, distributing audio Bibles to people who desperately need the hope of the gospel.... Pray that their lives would be forever changed.

Pray that they would become passionate about the spiritually lost in their circle of influence and be bold about sharing the gospel truths, and that they would have a fresh missionary perspective of the world that will rock their church and community.  Pray that their own lives would be changed so drastically that they would daily experience and express the joy of their own salvation.

Lastly, please pray that some would become hooked on missions and obey the call to pray, give, and go wherever God leads, whether across the street or across the world.  May God

call some to be ambassadors for Audio Scripture Ministries, raising funds and awareness for our ongoing ministry to the unreached people of Oaxaca, Mexico, and beyond.

Hissing For the Bees

During our same visit to Oaxaca last month, we traveled to a near-by village, one hour by truck, or four hours by foot.  Thankfully a mudslide was cleared up in time for us to make the trip by truck, but the handful of believers were so eager to see us, they would have walked over if necessary. Instead, we piled into the back of two trucks and drove down to the valley, across a river, and then up to the other mountainside.

The name of the village is Abejones, which means "The place of the bees."

My prayer for this village was a continuation of the one I prayed for the other Zapotec village, based on the words from Zechariah.  However, this time, I used the AMPC version on Biblegateway.com, which says:

"I will hiss for them [as the keeper does for his bees] and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall increase [again] as they have increased [before, in Egypt]."

Zechariah 10:8

 
What a fitting passage for the people of Abejones who desperately need to hear the Word of the Lord hissing for them, gathering them in like bees.  Please pray that the little house church there would grow spiritually and multiply, and that they would remain strong in spite of persecution and difficulties they may face.

Photo by Debbie Loker

Our brave team from Ohio trusted God for their safety as we journeyed to Abejones to encourage the small house church with audio Bibles in their language.

Whistling their Names

When our seven children were still at home, I formulated a system of whistling for them (yes, perhaps inspired somewhat by "The Sound of Music").  I would whistle the cadence of my own exaggerated calling of "Chris-to-pher," "Tim-my," "Aar-on Mich-ael," "Han-nah Marie-e."  It saved me from yelling their names all day long.

What is interesting is that in southern Mexico, there are language groups that can communicate with whistles that reflect the tones and inflections of their native tongue.  Last month we witnessed this phenomenon in a Oaxacan village.  With no internet or cell phone service, it was a handy way for people to holler out to see if someone was home, or to get their attention on a pathway.


As I was praying for these people, I found a verse in Zechariah 10:6-8 which speaks of God "whistling" for his people, gathering them together, and redeeming them.  This is my prayer for the Zapotecos, that they would hear God's voice in the audio Bibles we distributed, and that God would strengthen them, save them, bring them back to Himself, and hear and answer their prayers.  I pray that they would be like mighty warriors, and that they and their children would rejoice and shout triumphantly in the Lord.  Lastly I pray that their church would multiply and spread to the other side of the mountain where there are still no believers.

Won't you join me in praying for the Zapotec people of Oaxaca?