January, 2009: Mexico

Tehuacan, Puebla, Mexico. January 9-18, 2009.

This trip was a continuation of the JARON Bible Institute Extension in southeastern Mexico. It was a special bonus that Melinda was able to go with me this time to mentor, counsel and teach women. Accompanying us were Steve and Carla Belmont, friends from our home church, Campus Bible in Fresno. Carla went to work with women as well and to be the speaker for a women’s event the Tehuacan churches were sponsoring. Steve went as team organizer, photographer and general evangelist.

We arrived after a long trip (3:00 am to 11:00 pm). Drive to Los Angeles; fly to Mexico City; bus trip to Puebla and then a ride in a personal van to Tehuacan. Needless to say we were pretty tired. Our hosts, Memo and Betty Lagunes gave us the next day to unwind and solrt things out. Here is how the rest of the 10 day trip unfolded:

Sunday evening the combined churches met at Oasis 1 Church for a time of questions and answers about ministry and Christian living. The four of us participated in this and the occasion broke the ice a bit for the three who had not met these people before. Monday began five days of teaching at the JBI extension.

As before there were both morning and evening classes (6:30-8:30 am and 7:30-9:30 pm). I taught Old Testament Survey. You can imagine that we moved along pretty briskly in that short amount of time.

Sunday morning we had preached in the nearby community of Coapan before participating in worship at Manada Pequena Church later in the morning. On Tuesday, we visited the large local jail, where Melinda and Carla spoke to a group of maybe 15 women about new life in Christ. The time in the jail was part of the ministry of by Enrique and Carmen Gutierrez, some of the key Christian leaders who host our ministry in that city.

Thursday was the women’s conference on Spiritual Maturity. Carla spoke to the approximately 50 women and girls assembled and Melinda led a craft session afterward in which women made a set of note cards.  Other activities included sharing our personal faith stories with various groups, counseling various people and just enjoying the gracious people in that place.

On the second Saturday our hosts took us to see Cholula, which is the largest pyramid in the world (the base of the ruined structure is larger that the pyramids of Egypt). We enjoyed seeing that city and walking around the great Zolcalo in nearby Puebla. I was astounded when we visited the baroque-style cathedral in Puebla and we had a fun last evening in Mexico enjoying the festival atmosphere, which we were told is a common occurrence in central Puebla.

The next day we took the bus to Mexico City and after seemingly unending delays, flew to Los Angeles and then drove on home arriving around 2:00 am.  Though we were exhausted, it was a fabulous and very memorable trip.

Thanks for your prayers,  Mike and Melinda Bogart

Here are a few of the friends we made during this memorable and strategic trip: