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Tel: 01485 540620 email: editor@townandaround.net Hunstanton Town & Around September 2017 89
Notes from Mexico .

Daniel Holland pastor www.thewaycf.co.uk
I recently visited Mexico for the third time
with my friend pastor Mario. We travelled to
the southernmost state of the country called
Chiapas, on the Northern border of
Guatemala. It is a beautiful and mountainous
place bigger than Ireland by itself. It is just
one of the 31 states of Mexico.

Our purpose is to encourage local churches
but also to conduct outdoor services and ‘How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of them that bring good news' Is 52v7
preach the good news of Jesus. We drove in
pick-up trucks deep into the mountains to
meet the indigenous people who seem
reserved or cool at first, but who are all
spiritual people. I soon realised that actually
they were open-hearted and many committed
their lives to Jesus; a verse from Acts came to
mind,
‘Now the Berean Jews were of more noble
character than those in Thessalonica, for they
received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if
what Paul said was true’ Acts 17v11

boys with a small box offering to shine your
shoes; mine have never been so loved. For a
few pesos (20-30pence) you can have your
We were based in the state capital Tuxtla shoes polished and it’s a good time through a
Gutierrez and a city that is a cultural centre in translator to strike up a conversation and to
the mountains called San Cristobal de las offer a prayer.
Casas. San Cristobal is in a stunning place It’s impossible not to fall in love with the
teeming with artisans and traders. It is a colourful and sociable Mexican people. They
favourite with hippies and travellers, the air is responded so wholeheartedly to the message
cleaner and the sky bluer than anywhere else about Jesus and were filled with joy. I
I have been. The tribal people wear bright sometimes wonder if our culture is too
colours as they sell their beautiful products on sophisticated and clever for our own good. We
the city streets. I came home with toys for our have so many other options but the indigenous
daughter, 4 items for £5 that match anything people have to rely on God for their health,
you could buy in the shops here. harvest and safety. I felt I could learn so much
The food is simple but healthy, no additives from them, even though I enjoy so many
or preservatives at all, but the spices they use advantages they don’t have. In the bible it says
are a challenge to western stomachs as I have that iron sharpens iron, their simple faith in
found out to my own cost. The people are God provokes me to be more wholehearted in
warm hearted although they do not necessarily following Jesus.
show it on their faces. In the plazas there were