By: Jason and Jessica Wilde They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common. (Acts 2:42-44) One of the critical ministries of a missionary is to visit communities that are underserved by a priest or deacon. This can take many forms depending on the community and available facilities. In the region surrounding General Cepeda there are dozens of smaller communities or villages called ‘ranchos’ which are served by FMC. Some are small communities with a small chapel, while others are little more than a building or two hidden away in the mountains. Most ranchos will only be visited by a priest monthly, while some may go a year or longer without pastoral care. During our first week, we visited San Isidro, a rancho located about 45 minutes away from General Cepeda. Each night we were joined by the local community in a small chapel for our ministry. The first night one lady praised God that we had come to visit and pray with them. She said the missionaries hadn’t been there in a year and that she thought they had been forgotten. On the second night, Jason and I each gave a small personal testimony on God’s work in our lives. I was so nervous. I had practiced my testimony several times throughout the day but I still couldn’t shake the jittery feeling that gripped my stomach. Right before we loaded up the van to head to San Isidro, I ran back into our little room and grabbed a white rosary out of my bag. Many of the FMC missionaries tie their rosary to their arm so they can hold the crucifix in their hand - I wanted too see if this would help calm my nerves. Nathaniel, one of my fellow missionaries, once told us that when we hold the rosary we are holding our mother Mary’s hand. We arrived at the rancho and after a couple of praise and worship songs, it was time for my testimony. I held Chi Yu in one arm and was palming the crucifix in my other hand. In the end, I was not at all nervous and I totally rocked my testimony. Afterwards, I sat down next to this sweet old lady bundled up in her winter coat while Jason got up to give his testimony. Her name was Margarita. About a minute into his talk, Margarita reached over and held my hand. She held my hand for his entire testimony. A little later, she leaned over, pointed to my rosary and whispered “Bonita.” Until this moment, my Spanish had been practically non-existent and the little I had used came out raw. But with the power and confidence not of my own, but of the Holy Spirit, I untied my rosary, handed it to her and whispered “Para tu”. She smiled a beautiful toothless grin that absolutely stole my heart. Later that night as we were saying adios to our new friends, she told me that she was going to use the rosary to pray for me...FOR ME! Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. (Luke 6:38) My jitters had a purpose. If I wasn’t nervous, I wouldn’t have grabbed my rosary and blessed Margarita with it. The jittery feeling also humbled me and brought me closer to our lady so I could lean on her and hold her hand for support. And while it may appear that I had been sent to serve Margarita, she really gave me far more. She graced me with her love, her smile and her prayers. The last night at San Isidro, we prayed over each other and had Con Vida, a celebration of life. Each family brought a dish to share - gorditas, tostadas, lots of corn on the cob (San Isidro is a farming community), and various homemade tacos. The generosity and love of the families at San Isidro was certainly given out to us in the largest measures possible!
2 Comments
Carolyn
11/11/2017 05:33:20 pm
So touched my heart! Thank you for sharing!❤️
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Mike Daugherty
11/17/2017 10:14:26 am
Jessica, thank you for this message. Very touching.
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On a MissionTwo passionate parents and their four children are excited to bring His Word to everyone in need while living a life of Gospel poverty as missionaries. They invite you to join them on a journey to encounter our global neighbors that Jesus commands us to love through works of charity and service. Archives
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