José Lopez was here with me for a couple of hours this morning volleying myriad random details back and forth and arranging for the transport of sand and gravel to his village for a construction project at the church in Salvador Allende. Among our topics of discussion was that in a relatively new colony of Huichols on the outskirts of town, Martin fell heir to helping meet the needs of José, a fairly young Huichol man whom none of us previously knew, but who sent for him after he had a stroke that has left him without movement in one arm and leg. Martin is walking through the government loops with him to get him therapy, and that has opened up a new world in José's colony called Zitacua. Martin even drove out to the Agua Milpa dam to pick him up several days after his family took him to who knows what village to see the local shaman (who basically did nothing but charge them a proverbial "arm and a leg"), instead of keeping the appointment that Martin had already arranged for him at the General Hospital. These skeptical Huichols find it impossible to believe that Martin, "a Mexican," would give of his time and resources to assist a Huichol with no remuneration in mind. Martin explained to him that God loves us so much, we want to show that love to others in need.


It's just beginning to register, and Martin will be taking pastors José Lopez and Manuel along to José's colony next Wednesday to share with him and his family in his own tongue. The new colony is unfortunately overrun by excesses of liquor, the influence of the basest of human indignity, and much idle time. When we presented the idea to José Lopez this morning, we all chuckled at the irony that José Lopez will be making a mission trip from his rural village of Salvador Allende to the "big city"!