December 2003
A Life-Changing Accident Opens the Door for Ministry in Mexico

Luis is two years old. He lives in Xalatlaco, Mexico. His body suffered a great deal of damage as the result of an accident. However, due to the love and prayers of God's people and the touch of the Great Physician, Luis and his family have become part of the Friends Church in that village and Luis's physical condition is improving.

The first time I saw Luis was in the Xalatlaco Church, in the mountains East of Mexico City, during the first part of August this year. I was surprised he was unable to sit alone, although his size told me he was about two years old.

His mother supported him as he sat on the floor. His movements were awkward and labored and his hands had difficulty grasping toys. He also looked sideways at the object he was trying to pick up.

Luis was from a poor family, his mother just a teenager herself, and his father looked somewhat older, but not much. Luis cried a lot, and his mother, Ana, would pick him up and hold him, then she would put him back down. He would cry again.

I offered him some cookies and, although he struggled to grasp them, he enjoyed them greatly. We were instant friends.

Each week I could see improvement in Luis's movements. Sylvia and Vergilio Peña, lay leaders of the church, told me part of the young child's story. The entire church was incredibly supportive of the family. During each service, they would pray for Luis and ask the Lord to continue to heal him. Several times, they gave the family a "care package" filled with basic food items.

A few weeks passed. He was able to move across the floor, scooting on his belly, getting everywhere fast. Wednesdays and Sundays I took cookies so I could get Luis to move around the small room where the services were held in Xalatlaco. Later, I went to Ana and asked her to share with me Luis's remarkable story.

"I don't remember exactly when it all happened," Ana told me as she held onto the back of Luis's shirt. "Maybe in June," she added. Luis was standing, moving his legs as though he was walking, but his movements were random.

"Tell me as best you can remember, Ana," I responded.

Ana continued, "I went to work, I clean for people," she added. "I left Luis with his Aunt Nayeli, my sister-in-law. Their apartment is on the second floor. His aunt thought Luis was with his cousin, a one-year-old, or was maybe under the bed playing or something like that. In reality, Luis was going up and down the cement stairs outside the room where he was playing."

Ana then softly said, "His aunt heard a thud, thought it was a flower pot falling, and didn't think much of it. No one knows for sure how much time passed, when Olivia, another aunt, found Luis laying unconscious on the landing."

"The family took Luis to the hospital, and Aunt Nayeli had to find me. She did not want to tell me what happened. I flagged down a taxi and headed off to the hospital. The taxi driver took me and did not even charge me," Ana said amazed.

"When I got to the hospital, the doctors told me Luis was in a bad way, and they gave him no hope of recovery. They told me he had a bad head wound and that he had blood on the brain. The doctors also told me his left arm was broken and he had milk in his lungs. They told me Luis was in a coma, and not to expect him to survive."

As she was telling me this, Luis was pulling her around the patio of the church trying to walk. Ana continued as she maneuvered Luis around the patio.

"He was in a coma for almost month. He was on a ventilator and had a feeding tube. One day he began to open his eyes. The doctors told me he was not seeing anything and not to expect too much. The doctors then asked if they could operate on his broken arm. He woke up a few days after the surgery. He was taken off of the ventilator and then he started to eat. A day or two later they gave him to me to take him home."

I asked Ana, "Do you remember when he came home?"

"I think it was the last part of July, something like that," Ana said.

I handed Luis a cookie for each hand as he came by walking wobbly. "So how did you come to the church?"

Mexico missionaries minister to a young mom and small child in Xalatlaco, Mexico and introduce them to the love of Jesus.

A big smile crossed her face, which was young but worn from a difficult life. "Oh! Fernando, a member of the church, lives near us and said that this is what my husband and I needed. So, he brought us. Remember when you gave Luis cookies?" she said smiling. "We have been coming ever since."

"Has this been what you needed?" I asked her smiling at Luis.

"It sure has. I am learning so much!" she said beaming.

"How long have you been married?"

"I have been with Antonio for four years," she told me.

"Oh, so how old are you?" I asked.

"I'm seventeen," she said quietly. Luis was now scooting across the floor chasing a toy he had thrown.

I asked softly, "Do you know how to read and write, Ana?"

Looking down she replied, "No, I never went to school."

"Would you like for us to help you, so that when Luis is in school you can help him?" I asked.

Smiling at me she said, "Yes, I would like that."

I quickly looked for some paper and a pencil and gave her a quick class. I wrote the letters of their names and had her practice tracing them on the paper.

I asked her, "How old is Antonio?"

"Twenty-eight" she responded, as she concentrated on her movements on the paper.

"He gets drunk a lot," she said matter-of-factly as she continued to work on her letters.

"He doesn't like to work much, so it is hard sometimes," she commented without emotion.

"I'm so glad that you are coming to church, Ana. I can see the miracle in Luis's life. Do you see how much he has improved in just a short time?" I asked.

"Yes, I see how much better he is. I like coming too," she said, smiling at me. For a while, we worked on the letters and she repeated them out loud as she wrote.

"Well, Ana, I am a hard teacher. You will find that out soon enough," I said smiling. "So I am going to give you homework."

I looked for more paper and drew lines on the blank sheets so she could practice the letters of their names. I watched her out of the corner of my eye and saw her smiling widely as I made her homework paper. She looked pretty then, not beaten down or tired. She looked happy.

Luis continues to improve in his movements, vision, and language. He is learning to balance more as his legs gain strength. Ana comes to church with or without Antonio.

Virgilio tries to work with Antonio in his responsibility to his family. Sylvia talks with Ana to encourage her as she cares for Luis.

There is so much to do to care for the lives of the people of Xalatlaco. The Lord is reaching out to them through individuals who are sensitive to his voice and his leading.

Although the Xalatlaco Church has gone through some difficult times, they are uniting once again to complete the calling the Lord has placed within them. Through that obedience, Ana, Luis, and Antonio are being touched and given the opportunity to find the wonderful relationship they can have with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

To participate in the ongoing ministry in Mexico and around the world, learn how you can partner with Evangelical Friends Mission (EFM) to minister to people like Luis and his parents.

Contact the EFM office at 303-421-3100 or check out their website at www.friendsmission.com to learn more about how you can be involved in worldwide missions.

-by Brenda Chavarria, EFM missionary to Mexico City and the surrounding area.