Chihuahua -A City of Spiritual Needs
by Maria KoopIhavebeenaskedtowriteanarticleon "Chihuahua-ACityofSpiritualneeds".It isimpossibletowriteaboutalltheneedsforI amnotawareofthemall.Itseemstomethat Icanonlytouchonthefringes.
Tounderstandthespiritualneedsofthe cityonemustknowsomefactsaboutthecity -itslay-out,itspopulationanditssurroundingareas.Notonlythatbuthowitspeople think,live,work,andexist.However,Iwon't beabletowriteaboutallthesedifferent phasesofcitylifeeither,butI'llwriteabouta fewofthem.
Hub of the City
Firstofallletslookatitslay-out.Thereis thecenter-thehubofthecitywherethebig supermarkets,stores,governmentbuildings andofficesarelocated.Thatiswhereallthe citybusesconverge,itspassengerspouring outlikestreamsofwaterfillingthestreets withpeopletillit'salmostimpossibletowalk. ToanAmericanthiswouldseemtobethe bestplacetohandouttractsorholdstreet meetingsbutthatwouldbethefastestway forbeingthrownintojailoroutofthecountryforitisagainstthelawtodoso.This centeristheolderpartofthecity.Morebig shoppingcentersarebeingbuilt,pushing outwardsastheneedsarise.
Colonies Sub-divisions
Aroundthiscenterthecoloniesare located.Coloniesarethesubdivisionsin whichMexicancitiesaredivided.Thismust notbemixedupwiththeMennonitevillages outinthecoutrywhichtooarecalled colonies.InthisarticlewhenIreferto coloniesImeanthesesubdivisionsinthecity.Someofthesecoloniesarefortherich, othersforgovernmentemployees.othersfor teachers,andothersforlabourers.During thelastyearsanewbrandofcolonieshave arisen.Thesearecalledthe paracaidistas colonies.A paracaidista isaparachutist. Thesecoloniesaremadeupofpeoplewho parachuteordropintothecityfromallover thecountry;peoplenockingintofindwork oraplacetolive.Theyaremostlyfarmers whohavegivenupmakingalivingoutinthe countrybecaueofcropfailuresorlow marketpricesfortheirgoods.Lastyear alonesome18,000farmerslosttheircrops
duelotheheavyrainsthatcameafter HurricaneFi-FihitHonduras.Peoplelike thesecomeintothecityandmovetothese Paracaidistas colonieswhichhaveapopulationof50,000,othershave25,000etc.and arelocatedontheoutskirtsofthecity.The numbersofthepopulationstateddonotincludeallthecoloniesnorthepopulationof thecity.Ihavenoideawhatthepopulation ofthecityis.Itchangeseveryyear.
Pancho Villa
Ifyouwouldbeinterestedtoknowwhat thesecoloniesarelike,comewithmeto Col. Pancho Villa. Itspopulationisabout50,000. Some6,000smalllotshavebeengivento thesepeopleonwhichtobuildtheirhomes Sincethelotsaresmallitisover-crowded. Manyhaveonlyone-roomhouseswhere some8toIOpersonslive.Thiscolonygrew upin6yearsandatpresentitspopulation outnumbersthatofsomeinteriorcitieslike CarmargoorJimenezwhichtook100 yearstobuildup.Sincethiscolonyhas sprungupsofastitwasatremendousstrain onthegovernmenttogetwater,drainage andelectricityintothearea.Thishascaused lotsofstressandfrustrationsandunrestto itspeople.Attheslightestprovocationthey breakoutinfights.Notjusttheolderones butalsothechildrenwhoknownothingbut howtofight.Whenachildstartsfighting theysayitisthe Pancho Villa inhim.
Nowwhatarethespiritualneedsof Col. Pancho Villa? Manyofitsinhabitantshave lostfaithinGodandtheirchurch.Many believethatthereisnoGod.Someofthese childrenwhoattendourBibleclassescome upwithallkindsofquestionsregardingGod, heaven.andhell.Thishasbeentaughtin theirschoolsasnoneexisting.Theneedis greatthatthesechildrenbetaughtaboutthe realityofGodtheFather,GodtheSon,and GodtheHolySpirit.Wehaveseenthe peaceandjoyinchildren'sfacesasthey realizethatthereisstillsomeonewho believesinGodandJesusChrist.Theyrespondfavorably.
Sincemostofthosein Pancho Villa have neverknownJesusChristastheirpersonal Saviourtheyhavenopersonalexperiences withGodtheFatherandHiscareforthem. Thelittletheyhaveknownisnotsufficientto
helpthemintheirdailylivesoftroubleand care.FewhaveBiblesintheirhomesand fewerunderstandtheBible'steachings.The Jehovah'sWitnessesgointherewiththeir formofreligionandcaneasilyconfusethese peoplebecauseoftheirlackofBible knowledge.TheMormonsalsogotherefrom housetohouseteachingtheirdoctrines. DarknessandunbeliefreignwhentheWord isnotknown."ThyWordis...alight" Ps.l19:105.
Howwillthesemultitudesof Col. Pancho Villa everhearaboutthegospel?Howdoes onegoaboutevangelizingthem?Street meetingsarenotpermittednorgivingout tracts.Someevangelicalchurchessuchas theBaptistsandthePentecostalhaveregular servicesin Col. Pancho Villa. Wehave startedaworktheretoo,teachingchildren's classesinthehomesofE.M.C.members whohavemovedinfromthecountryandwe alsovisitinhomescontactedthroughthe radioprogramorothercontacts.Thisseems asifitislikeadropinabucketwithonlya fewofthe6,000homesbeingreached.
Chihuahua
Whataboutthespiritualneedsoftherest ofthecity?Itismoreorlessthesamewith someexceptionsinthatsomecoloniesare notsopovertystrickenasothersarebut neverthelessdarknessreignsifthemajority ofthepopulationhasnotknownJesus Christ.Manyofthemorewell-to-dohave lostfaithinGodandthechurchtoo;but therearealsothosewhoareveryfaithfulto theestablishedchurchesinspiteofit.
Thereseemstobeanawakeningdesire, though,amongthepopulationasawholefor Biblicalknowledge.Thisbecameevident whenthe Operation Mobilization washerein thecitylastyearatChristmastime.Some 300youngpeoplecamefromvariousparts oftheUnitedStatesandCanadatodistributeliteratureandsellBibles.Inoneday theysoldabout$2,000(dollars)worthof Biblesastheywentfromdoortodoorselling them.Thisshowsthattherearethosewho wouldliketoknowmoreaboutspiritual truths.Evenamongtheupperclasspeople thereisadesiretoknowmoreabouttheBible.
EventhoughthesehaveBiblestoreadit doesnotmeanthattheyunderstandwhat theyread,norknowhowtostudytheir Bibles.Theystartreadinginpartswhich theycan'tunderstand.Likeonefellowwho boughtaNewTestament.Hestartedreadin� itinRevelationandwhathereadscaredhim andmadehimnervous.Hetoldusoneday aswevisitedhishome.Ayoungwomantoo toldusthatshehadstartedtoreadtheBible becauseshewantedtoknowthetruth.She readaboutanimalsacrificesintheOld Testament.Notunderstandingitsmeaning
• • :m1ss1ons · ·
PAGE
4
THE MESSENGER
I
■(
1
