A letter from Susie Frerichs in Mexico
May-June-July 2011
YANCUIC CAMANALI
Good News from the Huasteca
Women’s Choir of El Frijolillo Headed to Mexico City!
The women’s choir of El Frijolillo participates in the medal ceremony led by municipal leaders in June.
In early May the choir of women 60 and over from El Frijolillo were invited to compete in the state of San Luis Potosi’s Senior Olympic Games. Ten women traveled to the city of Tamuin with new choir director Brother Ruben Felipe and others, and they returned to El Frijolillo having won first place in their category! In June, officials from the municipality’s office of senior relations came to El Frijolillo to reward the women for their talent and fine representation of San Martin Chalchicuautla. In October they will head to Mexico City to represent the state of San Luis Potosi in the National Senior Olympics.
Stops and Goes in Acoyotla, Xicotla
Leadership of the Presbytery of the Huastecas visit members of the mission in Acoyotla to discuss formal alliance with the presbytery.
The Lord continues to move in the hearts and minds of new believers in communities across the Huastecas, and your brothers and sisters of the Presbyterian churches, particularly in Tezapotla and Huitzitzilingo, have been strengthened by the Holy Spirit to disciple the new believers despite a number of challenges. In Acoyotla, soon after presbytery leadership visited the mission, the man who was lending his home for services died, leaving the mission “location-less” and the brothers and sisters of Tezapotla a bit discouraged. However, despite their losses, the mission of Acoyotla moves on. Another family in the community whose members have been Christians for years but were not meeting with the Presbyterian group, offered their home for Sunday worship and one son, who has had some training, has offered to lead the group when folks from the Tezapotla church or the presbytery cannot be there. In Xicotla, where your brothers and sisters from Huitzitzilingo continue to minister, there have been several challenges for new believers as community leaders have attempted to prohibit evangelistic outreach and Protestant worship. Fortunately, the new believers and Pastor Jorge Bautista of the Huitzitzilingo Church are well versed in their civil rights and have been able to defend themselves during community meetings. Continue to pray for them and new believers like them throughout the Huastecas and other rural regions of Mexico where religious civil liberties are commonly violated.
Double Duty
The Nueva Jerusalén Mission of Rancho Nuevo continues work on its facilities. They current project is the construction of restroom facilities.
I continue teaching at the Bible Institute two days a month. We have just finished studying the Protestant Reformation in Church History and in Introduction to the Bible we have completed the Old Testament, to begin an intro to the New Testament this coming week. I also continue to teach children’s Sunday school in La Laguna one Sunday a month. I visit the Tezapotla church and its congregations (Barco, Enramaditas and Acoyotla) one weekend a month and I help out with preaching when invited here in El Frijolillo and other communities. Literacy classes are going fine, although slowly. Learning to read is hard work for my elderly students and our classes are often disrupted by other meetings, visits by the doctor to El Frijolillo, and my many other obligations that take me out of town. But, we move on.
Abraham and Susie are declared husband and wife by the Civil Registrar of San Martin Chalchicuautla, municipality to which El Frijolillo belongs.
What has consumed me the past few months is the transition to married life and preparation for the wedding. Invitations were hand-delivered to our churches here as well as all the families in El Frijolillo. We had to get permission from Mexico’s Immigration Office for me to marry here, and at the last minute we had to go to the state capital (a six-hour drive) to pick up the permit rather than have it delivered to us in Tamazunchale. Last Friday, June 24, we were married by the Civil Registrar in a private ceremony in San Martin Chalchicuautla (our municipality). In Mexico only civil ceremonies are recognized by the government, so we had to first be married by the judge and then we can have a church wedding (which is the 16th of July). This week we returned to San Luis to register our marriage with the Mexican government. And as for wedding plans, almost everything is set in place, but lots of little details are still on our to-do list. Whew! We will ALL be glad when the wedding is over! A huge thank-you to all of you who have been praying us through the process!
Upcoming Events
July 16, 11 a.m.: Wedding at Santísma Trinidad Presbyterian Church of El Frijolillo
17–21: VBS Taxicho with team from Buen Pastor Presbyterian Church of Castaños, Coahuila and Covenant Presbyterian Church of San Antonio, Texas
29–30: Huasteca Presbytery’s Presbyterian Women’s Convention, El Frijolillo
August 18-21: Presbytery Meeting, Monte de los Olivos Presbyterian Church of La Soledad
Prayer Concerns
- For your brothers and sisters in Acoyotla and Xicotla, particularly for community leaders, that their hearts will be opened to the gospel.
- For upcoming VBS programs throughout the presbytery, that the children will hear Jesus’ voice and answer His call.
- For the leadership of the Presbytery and leaders throughout the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico as they make very important decisions regarding women’s ministry, the governance of their denomination, and their relationship to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
- For my wedding July 16, that the weather will be fair (despite the fact that we are now in the rainy season), that things will go smoothly, that our guests will arrive safely, and that Abraham and I will blessed with God-granted calm. We are not nervous at all, but just anxious to get through the process and to the other side!
- For the Bible Institute of the Huastecas, its faculty and students, that God would grant the motivation and courage necessary to keep plugging away and that God would give the presbytery guidance in regard to possible changes in the near future.
How you can support the ministry in the Huastecas
- Praying for us, according to the news and prayer concerns expressed, or as the Lord leads you.
- Providing financial support for programs and special projects. Contribute online or by sending a check to PC(USA), PO Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700 indicating your gift is for E052111.
- Providing financial support to cover the salary and benefits of PC(USA) mission personnel working with the presbytery. Contribute online or by sending a check to the address above, indicating your gifts is for E074044.
Susanne Frerichs
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 275
Write to Susanne Frerichs.
Give to Susanne Frerichs' sending and support.
Give to the ministries of the Presbytery of the Huastecas, INPM (National Presbyterian Church of Mexico).
