Mamas without Babies

There are many joys to the Community Development work to which God has assigned us. One such joy is meeting all the people who really care about those who are less fortunate, sharing Christ's love in tangible ways. They come in all heights and weights: social workers meeting the needs of indigenous people in the state of Chihuahua, folks who "have" giving to those who "have not", teams coming to help on specific projects, missionaries who serve in remote tribal locations, missionaries who serve in support capacities, believers reaching out with their time and resources, as well as all those who are praying for all the above.

However, on the other hand there are tragedies we see that leave us shell-shocked and hurting. In September, we had the privilege of visiting a single mom in Oregon who is sewing clothes for NTM Mexico's Mamas and Babies project. At the end of our visit, she said she wanted to contribute financially toward our ministry here in Mexico. We asked if we could use her $100-plus donation to buy cloth diapers and powdered infant formula. She agreed. One of the missionaries here in town is sewing strips of fabric to the diapers so they can be tied at the sides (we're told that many tribal moms don't want to use diaper pins because they're afraid they will hurt their babies.) While waiting for those diapers to be ready, we went ahead and took the formula to the Tarahumara Coordinator's Office (TCO). You may remember from an earlier blog entry, when pregnant tribal ladies come into town to have their babies, they almost always go to this office for help. These women and their families usually come to town with no more than the clothes they are wearing, what they can carry in their arms, and very little money.

We entered the TCO with big smiles as our arms were laden with the cans of formula. We were met by a man who had just returned from the mountains. He had the misfortune of being designated to carry two babies who had died from malnutrition back to their homes for burial. Our smiles quickly faded. One baby was 11 months old; the other was 2 years old. Their mothers had brought them into town from their two separate villages about three weeks prior for treatment. Treatment came too late. Did these babies die because their mamas were poorly educated about nutrition? Did they die because the mamas lacked resources and didn't know how to ask for help (they were both mono-lingual, non-Spanish speakers)? Or were they too proud to ask for help? Or did they believe their babies had been cursed and were basically leaving them to die? We don't know the answers to these hard questions.

The man who transported the babies to their burial grounds looked at the small cans of powdered milk and with an obviously heavy heart said the cans of formula were "salva vidas" ... meaning "life-savers." Then he told us when one of the social workers at the TCO learned that one of the babies was placed in the casket without clothes for the lack of money, she told the mother: "Come, we have clothes for your baby. You can dress your baby." Those clothes were some that had been donated to the TCO by the Mamas and Babies project.

As we drove away, we cried for the babies, for the mothers and for the man who had the heart to do the tough job.

Match-making in Mexico

Ya never know how things will work out when you're trying to Match-Make.


When we first saw these two, somehow we had a hunch they were the right ones. They were new, eager missionaries. They seemed just perfect.

Lirio de Los Valles (Ed and Rosie's orphanage of some 120 kids) receives tribal kids who come from the mountains and are often illiterate. Aaron and Kimberly Knapp were helping with literacy and construction but are moving out of the area. Therefore, Lirio needed someone to continue teaching their kids to read. They were also looking for someone to help communicate with friends and supporters in English.


Enter the new missionary team of Amy Heckman and Crystal Pierce. Amy likes to create promotional material and Crystal has a heart for children. After Spanish language and culture study they plan to be part of a tribal work here in Mexico.


This temporary assignment will give Amy and Crystal experience in teaching literacy (a fundamental part of NTM strategy for church planting), they'll be gaining experience ministering cross-culturally, and they'll be able to practice their Spanish.

Students without pencils???

The summer school vacations here in Mexico are very short. Although the break just began, most of the children will return to school in the middle of August. We went to shop for groceries and were surprised to see back-to-school sales have already begun.

We were reminded that for tribal kids in the mountain schools, it can be very difficult to get even the most basic supplies they need. In the beginning of our work with the Guarijio, we were surprised to see students without paper, pencils and notebooks. The school had no library nor basic teaching supplies. That's when a few friends began helping us bring in the supplies for the school and the children.

We're grateful the school for missionary children here in Mexico, Binimea, has launched a progam to provide supplies and equipment for the tribal schools in areas where our missionaries work. It is called Operation School Pack.

Binimea staff is receiving donations of supplies (or money to buy the supplies here in Chihuahua) to send out to the mountain schools. Binimea students will sort and pack the supplies into backpacks. We are blessed to see our school staff and kids reaching out as examples of "good samaritans."

Mamas and Babies

Not so good news. Some tribal women make the long trip into town to have their babies due to a lack of adequate medical care in the mountains. Most often, these expecting moms arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs. A local state organization offers housing and meals for their stay in town. However, when the baby is born...

Just imagine what it would be like. You have a baby with no clothes, no diapers, no blankets. You're in a big city where the culture is foreign to you and they don't speak your language. It's difficult to get your basic needs met.

Good News! A few of our missionaries have organized an effort to help these expecting moms and their babies. As time allows, they are sewing diapers, blankets, and gathering clothes for the babies as well as providing a few necessities for the new moms (like shampoo, soap, etc.) Thank you to our friends back home who have joined the effort.

If you'd like more information, please let us know.

Lirio de Los Valles

Once in a great while, one has the opportunity of witnessing God's hand moving in great and wonderful ways. We just had the privilege of dining with two great visionaries. Two people who, by the Grace of God, have accomplished so much and yet aspire to do so much more. Ed and Rosie are the directors of one of the most remarkable orphanages in Mexico. They are called mom and dad by some 120 children in ages from infancy to adulthood. They serve with several adults that the children call uncles and aunts.

Lirio de Los Valles purposes to receive children from the worst of circumstances, and with the love of Christ, help them become who God wants them to be. Their success stories go way beyond helping them to survive until they are adults. Amazing. One young lady who came to Lirio at the age of 13 just wanted to be able to complete middle school. She is now studying for her masters in human resources. Four other young ladies have just won scholarships to a university in China. And the list goes on.....

What's next? Ed and Rosie, with the help of New Tribes Mission are building a clinic to be used by visiting dentists and doctors to attend to the children. But not just their children. Their vision is to make the clinic available, free of charge to all of the many orphanages and senior care facilities in the region. The building and the interior walls are complete, but they still lack equipment, supplies and some construction materials. Please pray for God's supply in His time.

There's more. Because of their success with multi-cultural children, the government has asked Ed and Rosie to consider starting another orphanage in the Tarahumara region of the mountains of Chihuahua.

They will be travelling in August to visit sites where land has already been offered. Please pray for wisdom and provision.