Training leaders in Pijijiapan, Mexico

I’d never heard of (nor could I prononunce ) Pijijiapan, but weeks ago I was told that pastors there wanted us to come and help train their Sunday school teachers to teach kids. So we began making plans to go to Pijijiapan, Mexico!

Pijijiapan (named after a local wild duck the pijije) is a hot coastal town in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.

Michael and Hudson made the trip with fellow ASELSI teacher, Pedro.

On Thursday, April 10, we made the drive from Chichicastenango, Guatemala, to the northern border and walked into Mexico through the border control station in El Carmen. On the northern side of the border, we met up with our friends from Water Missions who took us to a guest house in Tapachula.

Early Friday at about 5 a.m. we left for the nearly 2.5 hour trip to Pijijiapan and on to visit the rural town of Joaquín Amaro. The people welcomed us with a meal of fish and fresh vegetables and then we launched a training activity for a group of about a dozen teachers. While setting up the workshop under a palmleaf roof pavilion, Michael was surprised to hear a rustling in the roof leaves and then a large lizard fell to the ground and skurried away!

Hudson helped Michael with the training and the teachers appreciated the fresh ideas, encouragement and resources that we were able to share with them. After the workshop we visited a children’s ministry site nestled between a new train track among drainage ditches and mangrove trees.

After a drive from Joaquín Amaro we held a second workshop for teachers with pastor Santiago at El Fortín and followed up with an activity for local children there. Many of the children there responded to accept Jesus into thier lives!

Friday evening we dined on shrimp and then took a boat ride out to a spit of land that protects an inlet from the strong Pacific waves near the fishing village of La Conquista. Hudson made friends with a local boy and they chased crabs around the beach and gathered shells.

That night we stayed at a hotel in Pijijiapan and prepared for the ASELSI class to be taught on Saturday.

Saturday morning, we arrived at a local church where students were already coming in and Pedro and Michael taught the “Art of Communication” — a homelitics overview class. At the end fo the class, the students each presented a brief sermon they had prepared for the class.

Each student had a different style, but you could see their passion to share the message of Christ that was on their hearts.

After class, we returned to Tapachula and rested before making our return to Guatemala and home on Sunday morning.

We praise the Lord for the opportunity to team up with other ministries to share the message of Christ and help train leaders who take the Gospel to the new generations in Mexico.

Please pray for the families, pastors and teachers in Pijijiapan as they continue developing their children to follow Christ!