Wealth and Poverty: Lessons Learned in Mexico

"I feel like God is taking us on a journey of progressive poverty."  I said to my new buddy Emily.  She nodded as we looked over the playing children; in their same clothes from two days ago.

When we landed in Mexico City it was dark so my only sense of the place came through smell.  It was horrible.  Open sewer lines ran next to the main highway, yuck.  We arrived at our place of lodging for the night and I was shocked to find out the toilet was outside, on the patio.  The morning light showed dirty streets and dogs everywhere.

We traveled a winding road for eight hours to enter Tamazanchule.  Leaning buildings and cement homes greeted us.

We traveled a winding road that turned into a dirt path to enter Petlapixca.  Children without clothes gawked out the doorways, chickens ran everywhere, and bathrooms were outhouses and showers came from a bucket.

Poor, yes, by American standards.  Cell phones, well, any phone are not a part of life in Petlapixca.  Washing machines are the hard-worked hands of the women.  Ovens are made of clay and they produce the most delicious bread ever.  Most people have a couple of outfits and eat mostly beans and rice and corn tortillas.

You would call them poor.

I would not.

On Sunday, in Tamazanchule, the church celebrated their pastor's birthday with a special celebration.  This was my first glimpse at their wealth.  The believers at this church love God and they show it with exuberant worship and fervent prayers. In Mexico, when the pastor prays everyone prays.  Out loud.  At the same time.  It is a beautiful cacophony of sound.

In Petlapixca the people are very quiet and shy but I have never felt so welcomed.  They were grateful for my presence, for me.  I hardly think that is right considering they gave me so much more than I gave them. When asked what the women wanted a sweet elder woman of the village spoke up, "I want to walk closer with God each day."  I was amazed.  In a place where there are so many needs that was not what I was expecting.  Asking that question of an American woman would have resulted in a laundry list of desires.
But here, life is what it is and rather than pining to change it they accept it and seek the Lord.

 At the conclusion of a women's teaching led by a team member one of our translators, Yuni, felt led to have the women of Petlapixca pray for the American women.  (Yuni was awestruck that we would leave our families and our children to come and serve in Mexico.) We gathered in a circle and these quiet, reserved women laid hands on us.  They raised their prayers to Heaven and I felt the Holy Spirit among us.  The following night we got the opportunity to return the favor and pray over those who came forward at the end of the service.  A sweet cacophony of prayers, rising to Heaven.

These people get it.  They have the hope of glory.  They know the secret to being content in every and any situation....Christ in us. And is Christ ever in them.

They are wealthy, we are poor.  The one thing I pray I take with me all the rest of my days is a deep desire to have a wealth of spirit like theirs.  One that desires treasures in Heaven not on Earth.