In the last few months, the Lord moved our hearts to start traveling to the mountains of Mexico to minister to some of the least reached ethnic groups, especially the Huichol Indigenous People. They live in the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico, range in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit and Zacatecas. There are around 7000 of them living in small communities in the mountains.

We are very excited of the things that God has been doing there, and I want to share a very personal testimony from my wife Christie that summons the importance of a historical breakthrough that happened in the last couple of months:

“It was Christmas morning and we had just finished opening presents when three men accompanied by an elder from my parents church showed up. We were not used to having company on Christmas, any other day of the year it would have been totally normal, sometimes home seemed like the local bus station with people constantly coming and going but not on Christmas. Maybe that’s why this specific Christmas morning will always stick out. We were used to seeing Adolfo (the elder from church) but the men that accompanied him were dressed differently, they wore bright and colorful attire and very rustic sandals. I would later find out they were Huichol. I don’t know what the adults talked about that day but my Dad’s and Adolfos eyes were bright with excitement as the men left. They had clearly made some kind of plans but it was not even close to what God was already doing and planning in the invisible.

For the next decade or so my Dad would go up the mountain to the different Huichol villages taking the gospel and humanitarian help. We saw many give their lives to Jesus in the next few years and so many miracles of healing, protection, and supernatural provision. However it was so much work and at times it seemed in vain because when things seemed to be going good there would be a wave of persecution on the new believers . It became harder and harder as many families were run off their lands some having to escape in the night with threats on their lives. But God was still moving even when we couldn’t see Him.

Twenty years later, Chuck and I started to feel a burden for the Huichol Indians and like my parents once did, we made plans not knowing God’s plans were already in motion. My husband joined a group of men that would be going up the mountain to take the gospel, and again God moved in supernatural ways. They witnessed salvation, healings and deliverance and we felt it was time to plant a church there. Just a few months after the first visit the Huichol government signed a new law that gave every Huichol the freedom of religion, for the first time in history they could openly choose Christ and not face the persecution that they once did. Right about the same time Wycliffe Bible Translators finished and printed the first full translation of the Bible in the Huichol language! For the first time in history they can read or listen to the Old and the New Testament in their own language!

As my husband spoke over the Phone with the a representative at Wycliffe Bible Translators reminded us that some sow the seed and other water the seed and God is the one who makes thing grow, that each of us have a different  job to do but we all work for the same purpose, to see souls come to Christ. My Father and others with him plowed and toiled the hard ground where it looked like nothing would grow, but God was putting things in place and working behind the scene. Now we get to go and harvest with joy what was sowed with tears, the time has come to rejoice in the harvest! We have rented a house in which we will be receiving people to hear about Christ and His love for them, and one of the men who ran away in the night so many years ago has decided it is time to return. He will be pastoring the new church that has been established. Trough your generosity we were able to provide for a whole year of rent for the church and got a new sound equipment to be use for services and outreach, we thank God for our partners and divine connections that are making these thing happen. We will continue to go and take Bibles, now in their own language, and we will continue to spread the good news through the Huichol villages. It is time for the harvest! 

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1Corinthians 15:58

We want to give you and opportunity to be a part of this story, we are believing God and praying for people that will partner with us in this journey. If you would like to partner with us there are many ways you can give:

ZELLE: odemmissions@gmail.com

VENMO: @ODEMMISSIONS-INC

PAYPAL://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ODEMMissionsInc?locale.x=en_US

  

If you prefer, you can make your checks payable to:

ODEM MISSIONS

735 E Barbara St. Tyler, Texas 75701

(Every gift will be tax deductible in the US)

We have great projects in the upcoming weeks and your gift will help in many ways such as:

•Mission trips( Mexico, Bulgaria and Spain)          

•Evangelism      

•Care Packages with food and cleaning supplies

•Discipleship Programs        

•Bibles (especially solar speakers with and audio-bible for the remote villages)

Again, we are very grateful for your prayers and generosity, we bless you in the name of Jesus,

Chuck and Christie Perez

Directors, ODEM Missions