One of the biggest challenges to starting new churches is to have leaders to Pastor them.

For that reason we are concentrating on Training Leaders.

This is the the 2nd purpose of our PEACE plan:

• Planting Churches (to attack spiritual lostness)
• Equipping Servant leaders (to attack ego-centric leadership)
• Assisting the Poor (to attack poverty)
• Care for the sick (to attack disease)
• Educating the next Generation (to attack illiteracy and minister to children)

Last Year Unanimous Ministries started one leadership training school with the Tojolabal Indians. More information on them can be found at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/598176/Tojolabal

This year we started our first monthly training with the Tzeltal Indians in Chenalho on January 30. We also will launch our first training  event with the Tzeltal Indians on February 27 in Cancuc Pozo.

Hope you enjoy the photos:

The Poorest of the Poor.
Recently we ministered in an Indian village of 400 people called Tzanembolom.
This is one of the poorest villages I have ever visited. Despite the cool weather many of the Indians were without proper shoes or clothing to protect them from the weather.
It was especially heartbreaking to see the children without shoes.  This Christmas we will be giving a toy and personal necessities to these very poor Indian children. You can be a part by sending in your special donations. Don’t miss this opportunity to give a real Christmas experience to some really needy children.
Now, more than ever, These Children need Hope and Love!

From Tzanembolom- Nov 16, 2008

Martyred in Tzanembolom

This is the same village in which Diego Rodriguez Pastors a church of over 200 people which is half the population.
On Oct 15, 1997 the Zapatistas entered Tzanembolom and began to cut up Indian residents with their machetes.  Pastor Diego was strung up to a post and prepared to be killed. However, while his friends were being massacred he managed to escape with his life. As Pastor Diego told me the story he couldn’t help but to weep. Many of his family members and close friends were martyred this day
Sadly, this is only one of the many Christian Indian tribes that suffered the loss of lives and have been persecution because of their faith in Christ.

Click on the image below to view all the photos

Tzanembolom- Nov 16, 2008

Where Tzanembolom is Located:
View Larger Map

Click on any of the photos to view  all the photos from the ministry places.

This past week a group of 10 members from Gulfway Church in Gulf Shores, Alabama came down to minister in San Crsitobal, Chenalho, Tuxtla Gutierrez, and Bochil, Chiapas. Pastor Bruce Dumond and his team worked and ministered with fervor.

The group arrived on Thursday, October 16th. That night they stayed in a colonial hotel in San Cristobal.

Gulfway Church Ministry in Chenalho, Chiapas

The next day we drove an hour to Chenalho where most of the group worked on the Pastors house. They manually mixed cement and poured 2 floors. You may remember that I told you about Pastor Mariano’s departure to be with the Lord two weeks ago. Since that time, his wife and family have been living in the Church building. They had too many difficult memories of their old home. Perhaps you could imagine the difficult circumstances as their loved one was in a coma state for over a week with no doctors help.
The team from Gulfway was a major blessing to them. (The Indian family was already in the midst of building a new house before the Pastor passed on to be with the Lord.)

That same day we held a conference for the 25 Indian Pastors and Leaders. There was a lot on the agenda . The leaders and our ministry, Unanimous Ministries, placed the Pastors son in law as president of the association after Apostle Mariano’s death.
Also, we placed Pastor Mariano’s wife as the Pastor of the Church in Chenalho. This is a miracle in itself since the Indian culture and tradition says that a women should walk behind a man and women in general aren’t given any positions of authority. Since our ministry, http://www.unanimousministries.com/, is backing up this ministry she was able to get an adequate covering as a woman.
Pastor Bruce ministered to the entire group. Everyone left weeping as God spoke to them through him. The ministry team also held a special children’s event with the Indian children. It was touching to see these very poor children receive small gifts and arts and crafts from the team.

That evening we returned to San Cristobal.

The next morning, Pastor Jorge, Pastor Bruce, Dale Matson and I left at 5:30 in the morning  to minister to the leaders in Tuxtla Gutierrez where Jorge Gutierrez is Pastor. The rest of the group stayed in San Cristobal to repair a 300 year old building that Unanimous Ministries and Ricky Parker, another missionary, are using as a missionary training facility.

Gulfway Church Ministry in San Cristobal

We ministered that evening in one of the brand new churches that we have started in San Cristobal. This was a special time. 7 people made decisions to serve Jesus as Lord of their lifes. The Church grew in number by 35% that night since there were originally only 19 members of the church.

Gulfway Church Ministry in Tuxtla Gutierrez

On Sunday, October 19th, the entire group packed up and left San Cristobal de las Casas to minister in the main church in Tuxtla Gutierrez. which has a membership of over 300 people. Pastor Bruce ministered on “not being intimated and moving in the spirit and power of God”. The Matsons sang using their Q-Chord instrument, and the rest of the ministry team did a special children’s program with the kids from the church.

That afternoon the entire team visited the Canon de Sumidero (boat ride up a crocodile infested river), the Marimba Park (Marimba music and outside dancing), and Las Pichanchas (A famous Restaurant).

On Monday morning we left for Bochil, Chiapas where the group was scheduled to do a Church building project. Ministry in Bochil included:

• Doubling the size of the existing church building
• 2 days of clown, puppet and children s ministry
• painting the children’s building
• Special evening services
• Testimonies by the member of the group
• Long work days

The group worked very hard and did an excellent job. The members of the church in Bochil also did an excellent job of preparing meals and helping to organize all the activities. The members from Bochil were especially grateful for the church expansion project. The building project was originally scheduled to add on a children’s building but because of rains and mountains slides the project turned out to be  a building expansion project. God had things planned out since Gulfway Church is in the middle of their own church expansion project, only on a much larger scale. (The Bochil church expansion project only cost around $4200).

On Wednesday, the group from Gulfway Church worked half a day finishing up most of the building project. We left Bochil and traveled through the curvy mountain roads. We also took a small break and visited a magnificent waterfall called the Choreadero.

That evening we all celebrated Pastor Jorge Gutierrez’s Birthday. Although he pastors a large congregation he found the time to be with us during all the events. He used his vehicle to help provide transportation, he worked alongside the group and did everything he could to be of assistance. Besides being a great help himself, he was also very touched by the ministry from Gulfway Church.

Early on Thursday Morning, the group boarded the airplane in Tuxlta Gutierrez, Chiapas. They were exhausted and still had a long trip ahead of them as they flew back to the U.S.A.. The works that they left behind were great.

All of us here in Chipas all very grateful for everything that Gulfway Church did by providing their time, finances, hard work and ministry on this mission field.

Thank you Gulfway Church.