AMIGOS

Marcelino, Jaime and Nagro.

Smoke was coming from the back of the church when we drove up Friday. Then we saw men back there moving around. We were surprised to see Marcelino and two others chopping, raking and burning piles of weeds and brush on the north side of the church.

We had agreed to meet Marcelino there at noon, but evidently he had been there awhile and was already hard at work. And he brought helpers. He had brought his stepson Jaime and another young man from the neighborhood.  This was beyond what we expected and it was a pleasant surprise.

Lloyd had asked Marcelino to help find and repair the water line coming into the church. After several years, the faucet had been taken out and the exact location lost. Water was leaking badly at the base of the wall. Since Marcelino helped install the original pipes, he would be the best person to help make these repairs. Meanwhile the back yard was beginning to look much better, cleaner and less overgrown with thorny mesquite trees.

It was good to see Jaime, who had spent the last two years in a United States prison. We never knew exactly why he was incarcerated, but assumed it was because he had illegally crossed the Rio Grande River and got into trouble. He is now 21 years old and much taller than when we last saw him. Jaime worked energetically, obviously glad to be there. He had missed his family.

Marcelino dug in the mud and easily found the water line. Lloyd had brought pipe and fittings and between the two of them, they soon had the leak fixed. Meanwhile Jaime and his friend Nagro kept chopping and cleaning and burning. The property is large and gets quickly covered in deep vegetation. Besides being unsightly, it invites snakes and other varmints to come up close and personal! Once Pastor Gerardo encountered a hissing snake inside their bathroom!

New faucets were installed and repairs made in less than an hour.

Roman also came to visit us Friday. When he found out we were replacing fixtures and doing repairs, he volunteered quickly. We had all the necessary parts and tools, so within an hour he had fixed things in the bathroom. It was refreshing to hear him say he loved to do these things for the Lord. Since he made it clear he didn’t want to be paid for his work, we loaded him down with lots of food for his family. Roman has a wife and three small children to take care of. His newest child is only two weeks old. 

Roman gets around the neighborhood on his bike, and because roads are so rough, this is probably the best and fastest mode of travel. He loaded all the cereal, powdered milk, baby food, cornmeal and rice into a huge trash bag and tied it to his handlebars. He made quite a picture going up the lane with his treasures.

Roman on his bike with a bag of food.

We feel grateful and honored to have the help of these capable young men in Mexico. They are our amigos, friends and even feel like family. They are ones who help us carry the load of maintaining the building and the grounds. And everything we’re doing right now will prepare the church and the parsonage for new pastors who will be here soon. 

“I love the temple where you live and where your glory shines.” Psalm 26:8 CEV