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A
part
of our ministry that brings us much joy is presenting the Jesus Film
in Spanish to the people of the Sierra Madres. We have the original two-hour version for
adults and also a one-hour version designed especially for
children.
The Jesus Film is strictly non-denominational in its content, being a direct transcript of the book of Luke put to a movie script.
The official religion of Mexico is Catholicism. The Jesus film is a
unique medium to spread the Gospel; it's an acceptable representation of
Scripture, and does not show bias or prejudice toward any one
denomination.
For most of those that attend out showings of the Jesus film, it is
their first time to see it. Many in the remote areas without electricity
have seen television that they operate off of batteries, but they do not
own VCRs or DVD players.
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We bring our own television and DVD player with us on these ministry
road trips. We have on occasion run into the problem of no electricity
being available in the more remote villages, but we're currently trying
to obtain a 12 volt inverter that will run 110 volt appliances, such as
the TV and DVD player, off of our car's battery and generator.
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We have watched both children and adults
weep as Christ is beaten and crucified. Questions and seeking of more
knowledge about Jesus and of God's Word is the norm after the film ends.
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It's
an enjoyable time for us when we show the Jesus Film in the
villages here in Mexico. The openness and friendliness shown by
the children and their parents toward us is such a
blessing.
They are all God's children, as are we, and the spontaneous
relationship we share is one of being family. |
I
had tears of joy in my eyes as I took the photo above. As I watched the
dozens of children running toward us with such happiness, I was
overwhelmed that God had found our efforts worthy to send so many of His
little ones to learn about Jesus while in our care.
The
children are always excited and anxious to get the film started, but are
well mannered and are attentive to us. My wife, Madeliene, is a retired
elementary school teacher of 33 years, and easily relates to the
children. As a Christian woman in God's service she loves all of these
little ones dearly, and the children recognize her love for them and
respond in kind.
God
has blessed our efforts in showing the Jesus Film. We are scheduled to
return to Mezcala to show the children's version of the film again, and
also to show the full length version to adults of the village. We have
23 villages mapped out to visit in the mountains surrounding Lake
Chapala. In God's will, we hope to reach them all within the year.
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The
Huichol Indians date back to pre-Colombian times and are one of
the tribes of Mexico that we bring the Gospel to in their native
tongue.
Although many of the children speak Spanish, most of the adults
speak only Huichol. We are blessed to have the entire New
Testament in the Huichol language to share with these people. |
The rich cultural heritage of the Huichol Indians is
one of the real treasures of the Sierra Madres. The Huicholes are a
gentle people and teach us that man must be a good steward of the Earth, he must feel in his heart the pain of the wounded animal,
and strive to care for the forests and rivers. They believe that all souls are
linked, and their interpretation of God is a universal life force, they
call Kupuri, that they sense flowing through all creation.
The Huicholes have no word for our God of the Bible, and we are doing
our part to teach them who He is and how much He loves them. As children
of The Creator they deserve to know the salvation of Jesus.
May
God bless our efforts to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to these kind
and loving people. Barry L. Brumfield
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