As our plans for next year develop, I will continue to keep this blog posted. As for right now, continue to keep San Andres, Puebla and our brothers and sisters in Christ in your prayers. Also, please pray regarding the possibility that maybe YOU or someone you know may be the person who God is calling to travel to Mexico next year and serve our Lord in this ministry.

More Mexico info to come...

In His Service,
Jon

The majority of our time was spent in the village of San Andres, building a retaining wall to prepare for the foundation of a future church building. The wall was quite a formidable size, 98 feet long, 12 feet high and 5 feet wide at the base. It was constructed out of quarry stone and mortar. Our team worked tirelessly, day in and day out, (with Sunday the exception) rising at 6am to begin work and often ending after 6pm at night. The work went very well, and we completed over two thirds of the wall, leaving enough construction materials for the men of the church to finish after we left. The “work” was what we went to “accomplish”, but really, the most memorable parts of the trip involved seeing what GOD did, in a way that was completely out of our control.

A number of men from the church in S.A. were helping us out in teams of two each day. After the first few days of work they realized that despite our long hours and hard work, the work was not advancing very rapidly. On Sunday, the pastor of the church sat down and talked with the men and told them they really needed to step up and give more time to the completion of this wall or it would never get done. They rose to the occasion and according to Dr. Emilio, the head of the clinic, they had never before joined together like that to work on anything in the church. That was not something our team did… it was something GOD did. He worked in their hearts. He motivated them. He brought them out to work along side of us every single day for the entire trip.

I was able to visit the medical clinic a few days before the group arrived in Puebla. During that visit, it was pouring down rain. It rained so hard we almost were not able to leave the village, the road was so bad. It had been raining before, and continued raining after we left and it even rained when we arrived with the group. After all that, we didn’t have a single drop of rain during the first 5 days of work on the wall! It was just enough time to get the huge base of the wall elevated out of the ground and high enough to begin catching the collapsing wall of dirt behind it. The only day it did rain was Sunday, where it rained almost all day. But on all the other weekdays of work, it barely rained, except for two afternoon showers that may have slowed down work for an hour. It is impossible for me to imagine working on the foundation of a wall that is to hold up a wall of dirt, while it is raining, and the dirt and mud are caving in. I could not have been done. GOD was pleased to hold back the rain. He allowed us to get the wall high enough. He was merciful to allow us to be as productive as we possibly could have.

In years past, we were accustomed to buying food at Sam’s Club for breakfast and lunch in Puebla, while dinner was almost always something purchased “pre-made” from a Mexican restaurant. This year there was no restaurant, no Sam’s Club and not even a market nearby. Instead of shopping and preparing the meals ourselves, there was a cook and a few ladies at the clinic who did a fantastic job of planning the meals around trips into a nearby town where they could purchase everything they needed for the large meals. They did a wonderful job cooking Mexican enough for us to know we were in Mexico, but American enough to not burn our mouths or churn our stomachs. Up until the day I met the cook and her helpers, (which was the day the team arrived in San Andres) it was impossible for me to imagine how we would feed the team each day. This was another one of the numerous things that GOD provided, and He deserves the credit and the glory for it.

So many of you supported this trip through prayer and financial giving. Year after year I am blown away at how faithful God is in providing. This was an exceptional year in which, although there were many unknowns, God provided for everything we needed, and then some. There were so many things that I just had to leave in His hands, which is difficult, but a great place to be. Because in the end, for that which is left in His hands, and all goes according to his will… who gets all the praise and glory? Our God.

In Christ,
Jon

In Him,
Jon

This is me with Eli and Ruth, Rosa's children, Efrain's niece and nephew, Salvador's grandchildren...

I was able to talk to Omar today on the phone, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to see him. He won't be able to come with us to the mountains, but he seems to be doing well. His mom, brother and sister are still here in Puebla. Tomorrow we'll be leaving for the mountains at 6am (Wednesday). Neil, our missionary friend here who with his wife Cheryl help us out so much every year, will drive Efrain, Pastor Juan and me to San Andres. We hope that this trip will give us a more clear idea of exactly what we will be doing when we begin working next week. Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow as we travel, investigate, and decide what will be best for the team and the brothers at these churches that we will be visiting (There are two: the church at San Andres, and a church at a village called Chililix).
It sounds like Cristo Victorioso will be really full this Sunday. They invited 5 different churches to attend the dedication service! That doesn't mean that everyone from those churches will come, but whenever there's food after a church service, that attracts a lot of people. I think it will be packed. We will be eating "barbacoa de borrego" (lamb barbeque) and, you guessed it... pollo (chicken).
I'll try to keep this updated as long as I can... but unfortunately when we get to the mountains with the team, I won't be able to update it until we get back.

Que Dios los bendiga,
Jon

My job and location has changed over the past few years. I used to live in Mexico, now I live in Pennsylvania. But I will always remain a missionary, wherever I am, whether I am working on building projects with Totonac Indians or working on engineering projects with my co-workers. Even if God permits me to settle down for decades in Elverson, PA, I hope never to forget God’s faithfulness through the hard times and the blessed times in Mexico. But how easy it is to forget! I am not exactly going to Mexico to do what the Israelites did and go out and build a hut and live in it, in the same way they lived in the years past. But I am going to return to Mexico and be strongly reminded of God’s faithfulness as he dwelled with me in Puebla, Mexico for two years while I “wandered” in a foreign land that was not my own.
I will be working with a team of 15 from our church. We won’t be living in “booths”, but we will be living, eating, speaking, working and worshiping in a culture that is foreign to many of us. In the past few weeks, I have had so much going on. From deacon work, to missions committee, to a new job to various other commitments. I realize that I have already begun to look at Mexico with the excitement of perhaps someone who is looking forward to living in a “shelter made with branches” in their backyard for a week. Yet I know that is the heart of one who is quick to forget. God has been faithful for the past 10+ trips, blessing them mightly. He traveled with me from Elverson to Puebla to San Andres, to all over Mexico… and back. And now he is sending me again. It is truly a privelage and a joy.

Like any short term trip, this can’t be done without your prayers and financial support. God has moved in the hearts of so many of you in the past to be used as his vessel to send me to Mexico, and I am sincerely thankful. I realize this is the time of year when short term mission trip letters abound and every one of them requires financial support. Please prayerfully consider whether this is an effort you can support. $1700 is the goal of each team member. This includes all expenses from travel, to food to building materials for the project. Checks can be made out to “CEFC” with “Jon Mountz Mexico” in the memo line.

Here is a quick rundown of the two weeks:

- I will arrive in Puebla early in the second week of June to begin preparing for the arrival of the group.
- Steve and Verna Estes will arrive on Thursday, June 12th
- The Group will arrive in Puebla on Saturday, June 14th. Steve will preach at the dedication Cristo Victorioso on Sunday and the whole team will travel to San Andres the following day.
- The goal of the work project is to take care of all the maintenance needs that the medical clinic has and to advance as much as possible on building a retaining wall and preparing a small plot of land for a future church building. We also hope to visit two other churches in nearby villages to encourage and bless them with some maintenance work or perhaps just a visit.

I will be calling some of you specifically to ask you to pray for me each day I am in Mexico. If you would like to make that commitment now, and don’t want to wait for a phone call please tell me, or email me at jon.mountz@gmail.com. I cannot do this alone, I must have at least five people committed to praying.
Well, this letter is getting long and I didn’t cover half of what I wanted to. Please visit my website at www.joninmexico.com and you will see this posting and any future ones as well. If you are not already on my email “reminder list” for my blog, and would like to know when it is updated, please email me and let me know.

Blessings in Christ,
Jon Mountz

Cristo Victorioso: Puebla --------------------------- Xatiti Kyakgapun: San Andres

Although there may still be snow on the ground and perhaps a brisk chill in the air, it is not too early to start thinking about Summer Missions. For the past 15 years, CEFC has sent short term teams every summer to Puebla Mexico to work with a congregation of believers that we a have come to know as our sister church, “Cristo Victorioso” (Victorious Christ). This summer we are planning on returning to Puebla for a dedication of the “Cristo Victorioso” church building. After the dedication we will travel to the northern mountains of the state of Puebla with some of our Mexican brothers in Christ from Cristo Victorioso. Our desire is to work together with them to build relationships and work on a construction project to prepare for a church building in a small village called San Andres. Masonry, concrete work and painting are on the agenda, while other maintenance projects will be made known as the trip draws near.

The trip this year will be more rugged than trips in the past. We will be working in a mountainous region where life seems to continue at the pace it maintained one hundred years ago. The main language of the town is an Indian dialect called “Totonac,” but the majority of the inhabitants speak Spanish as well. Cell phones won’t work and you can forget about internet access. It will be a brand new experience for our CEFC team, filled with opportunities to serve, learn and grow. Consider this trip and please pray about it. If you are interested in joining the team, or if you have any questions, please contact Len Noble or Jon Mountz.

In His Service,
Jon Mountz jon.mountz@gmail.com
Len Noble lrnoble@ptd.net

When I left for Mexico in May of 2005 I missed my family so much. It was the hardest thing in the world to say goodbye to them and wondered if the sadness would ever end. I took one day at a time, praying, meditating on the Word and helping out my fellow missionaries in any way I could. As the days and weeks passed, so did the sadness and as I began to adjust and I found that I could look forward to the time in which I would see my extended family again.
The same is true with leaving Mexico. Even though this last time I only spent a week there, I had a very difficult time leaving. I find that I can not go down to Mexico without my heart and mind becoming completely involved. It was sad to leave Mexico again and difficult. It makes me wonder, why do I want to keep going back? Why not just try to have a normal life? Is all the change, heartache and inner turmoil worth it? Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing, but this is something that I struggle with and perhaps some of you can relate.
God has given us a unique ability to adjust to the situations he puts us in. Harsh changes in climate, new food, hard physical labor, foreign language acquisition, new friends. He made us so we can deal with change and we adjust. However, the biggest trials can come when we try to resist the change. I can remember a few times in my life when I resisted change to the point of making myself physically sick and almost completely useless for anything in life. God was working a change in my life and I was holding on for dear life, trying not to let go of what I thought I wanted to hold on to. It affected my health, relationships and so many other aspects of my life. When I finally was able to let go of what I was grasping so tightly to, God still took care of me. Things were different, but he allowed me to adjust slowly to the point where I felt like life was normal again. And wouldn’t you know it, I was once again in his will!
So as I write this, I’m back to taking one day at a time. I am in the process of looking for a new job, trying to live a “normal” life here in Pennsylvania. Don’t get me wrong, I want to be here… too. Being near family, the regularity of a steady job, the prospect of beginning my own family some day… all these things seem much more feasible here in the states. My prayer continues to be that if God wants me back in Mexico that he make it extraordinarily clear in a way that only He can. And if he wants me to remain in Pennsylvania, that I will have a peace that passes understanding that it is his will. Please keep me in your prayers regarding this.

San Andres

The Church at San Andres. "Xatiti Kyakgapun" means "Camino al Cielo"... "The Way to Heaven"

We had a very eventful trip out to San Andres. Our original goal was to look into the prospect of beginning to build a church building near the medical clinic, which was started by German missionaries and now run by a Mexican missionary doctor and his team. In our conversations with Dr. Emilio we found out that there were projects that needed to be completed before the actual construction of the church building. One of those projects is a retaining wall that must be constructed to stabilize the small plot of land that the church is to be built on. Because of the mountainous terrain, every square foot of property is significant. The building of this retaining wall will maximize the existing church property and aid the solid foundation for the new church to come. There are also many maintenance projects at the clinic from painting to plumbing. We do not yet have an extensive list of what maintenance items need to be addressed, but that will come in time. During our stay in San Andres we are planning on sending a few workers from our group to one, perhaps two nearby churches in the area. One of those churches, in a town called Tonelapa, is a 13 minute walk from San Andres and a 30 minute drive! The other church we are considering visiting, in a town called Chilics, is two hours away, driving of course.

This is the bank where the retaining wall is to be built.

Tonelapa

Tonelapa is the church that is only a 13 minute walk away. Our main goal in visiting Tonelapa is to begin to restore Mexican and American relationships that were hurt a few years ago. They are a small church of about 30 people who need encouragement more than anything. Perhaps we can help them with some maintenance items, but right now a building project at Tonelapa is out of the question. We just want to be wise in showing them the love of Christ and seeing if they have any immediate needs.

Chilics

An even more remote church than the congregation at San Andres, the church at Chilics is an encouraging example of spiritual growth. Up to this point they have raised their own money and constructed their church to the point where it only lacks a roof. Located on top of a hill, the only access to the building is a 300 ft steep walk up a trail. My initial thought about this church was “Why we don’t go there and put a roof on their church?!” But in talking with Dr. Emilio we realized that it would be important to build up a relationship with them first, perhaps by visiting this year and spending some time with the members of their congregation before planning a return to help with their building project.

Eli-

Eli’s parents, Rosa and Abel told us the whole story of Eli’s sickness and recovery when we visited. A few weeks ago, Eli came down with a very serious illness which caused vomiting and diarrhea. After this happened a number of times she called the doctor who prescribed a medication for him which only subdued the symptoms until they came back again. After a very difficult night of these recurring symptoms, the doctor said that Rosa should bring her boy to the hospital right away. He stayed in the hospital for four days while being treated for an intestinal infection that had spread to his kidneys. After the fourth day, he was discharged and sent home with medication to continue to treat the infections which seemed to be subsiding. Almost immediately after returning home, Eli relapsed into the sickness once again and for two more days was sicker then even before. At that time Rosa and Abel had spent all their saved money and borrowed money on hospital bills and medicine and came down to their only hope, prayer. They called everyone they knew and even had a special prayer service at their church for Eli. It was at that same time that people in the States were praying as well. Rosa shared with us that it was at that point that they thought they might loose their little boy. But God was merciful. Whatever God used, whether the medication finally kicking in, or his body finally overcoming the infection, or just a miracle, their prayers were answered. Little Eli turned the corner and began recovering less than a week before we arrived in Mexico. We saw them on Wednesday of last week and gave them the love offering that was raised to help pay for medical expenses. They were overwhelmed with gratitude, giving all their praise and thanks to God.

Rosa and Abel with their infant daughter Ruth... and family (Eli was taking a nap when this picture was taken)

As of right now we are tentatively planning on preparing a team to return to Mexico from June 14th through the 28th. These dates could change, but we hope to have a very solid idea of when the team will go within the next few weeks. I will post more information about the trip in the coming weeks as it becomes available to me.

We met on Monday with Dr Emilio at the clinic. Left to right: Dr. Emilio, Efrain, Pastor Juan, Len, Jon and Neil

Blessings in Christ,
Jon

"The Clinic" at San Andres. Founded by German missionary doctors and now operated by a Mexican missionary doctor and his team. We hope to plan a church building project nearby.

It is hard to believe that its been more than six months since I’ve returned from Puebla. Rarely has a day gone by when I haven’t thought about something related to Mexico. The other night I was watching a “friendly” soccer match between the United States and Mexico. I was pulling for the U.S. all the way (like I always do). I especially wanted them to win because I did not want to hear a lot of grief from my Mexican buddies about how great the Mexican National Soccer team is and how they beat the U.S. The U.S. has not lost to Mexico in a game played inside the U.S. since 2000 even though Mexico has traditionally had the better team. They tied 2-2, so I’m off the hook. Whew!
We will be leaving Elverson at 2:30 am on Saturday. Sunday will be a day of worship and fellowship at Cristo Victorioso and then off to San Andres on Monday and possibly Tuesday as well. The rest of our week, Wednesday through Friday, we have many people to visit all over Puebla. I can’t wait!!!

Prayer requests:

Endurance- A lot of reunions mean a lot of joy and a lot of patience. At times we will spend hours visiting a single family. We love our Mexican brothers and sisters, yet spending hours in a different language can really wear you out.

Wisdom- The Doctor who runs the clinic at San Andres is anticipating our arrival. He and his team already have some ideas as to where the church building can be built on their property. Praise God for the work that has been going on in Mexico to plan for our arrival while I have been in Elverson. Please pray for wisdom in the direction we should take with this project.

For returning grace- Transition back to the U.S. is always the more difficult part of a missions trip for me. It is just hard to readjust.

Eli-

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” -Matthew 10:42

I received news today that little Eli's health is improving. He has begun to eat once again and is apparently getting better. I am absolutely amazed at how in a timeframe of less than 24 hours, the $1200 need was met, and exceeded! I am sincerely grateful to God for all of you who gave. Praise God for this abundant provision which will be sufficient to cover all their medical debts and some medical expenses in the future as well.

Eli with his grandfather Salvador - June '07

Thank you all so much for your prayers. I am very excited to see what God has planned and look forward to sharing it with you when we return.

Blessings,
Jon

If there was ever a family that I could truly call my “Mexican” family, it would be the Hernandez Family. Salvador and Panchita Hernandez have three children: Rosa, Teodora and Efrain. Efrain is 25 years old, currently studying architecture at a local university and was my best friend of all my Mexican friends. They were the kind of family who would invite me over to their home for dinner almost every week while I lived in Puebla. And the times that I wasn’t invited, I would drop in anyway, and it was just fine. They are a very special family to me. Efrain’s oldest sister Rosa and her husband Abel have a son named Eli. He was born when I arrived in Mexico and because Rosa and Abel live in a room adjacent to the Hernandez home, I got to see little Eli grow up as I frequently visited their family. Actually, we’ll be “dropping in” to see them when we visit next week.

The Hernandez family: Teo, Efrain, Panchita, Salvador, Eli and Rosa.

Right now little Eli is really sick. He has been in and out of the hospital over the past few weeks with apparent kidney infections and chronic diarrhea. The doctors did all they could to help him, but nothing seems to be working. Their only option right now is to keep giving him the medication that the doctor prescribed, which has up to this point not been working, and to pray. Please remember little Eli in your prayers this week as you also remember to pray for Len, Ruthie and me regarding our upcoming vision trip to San Andres.

An Opportunity to Give

I had to pry to find out if they needed financial help to pay for hospital bills, medicine, diapers and so forth, because I knew they don’t have very much money. If you would like join me and others who have already contributed to this need to help pay for little Eli’s medical expenses, please email me at jon.mountz@gmail.com or call me. It is something that must be done by this Friday, Feb. 8th because we leave in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday. All of their medical debts at this point sum up to about $1200. Right now I have $300 set apart for this need, which in itself is much more than then Hernandez family would ever expect. I know this is short notice and I was very hesitant in asking because many of you who are reading this have already given towards our trip for which we are very grateful. But I trust and pray that the Lord will move in the hearts of those whom he chooses to use to provide for this need, that through it all He may receive the honor and glory, and perhaps He may be pleased to use us in this way to see Eli healed.

They think he looks like Len

Blessings in Christ,
Jon

How often do we think that God has not answered our prayers if he has not answered them the way we wanted? Have you ever done that? I have. This past week was a true testimony to God’s faithfulness in answering two specific prayers. One of those answers was one I was hoping for and the other answer did not turn out the way I had anticipated. I am confident that in both circumstances, one encouraging and the other disappointing, that God was faithful. He very clearly answered our prayers.

The Exciting News

It only took about two weeks for our brothers and sisters in Christ to provide enough support for us to travel to and from Mexico this February. Our goal of $2100 was met last week. We praise God for this, knowing that, “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Heavenly Father.” Besides the trip to San Andres to plan for a church building project, we will plan to visit around ten families in the Puebla area. These range from brothers and sisters at Cristo Victorioso, to contacts from Los Heroes, to missionaries serving in Puebla. I am very excited about returning and seeing what God has in store for CEFC this summer. Thank you all for continuing to be such an integral part of this ministry, through your prayers and sacrificial gifts… thank you.

These are a few of the people we will see and homes will visit when we are not in San Andres

The Disappointing News

We received word this past week from the Department of Labor (DOL), a government agency that was processing our visa applications for the four Mexican men. My employer, Stoltzfus Enterprises Ltd. (SEL), was informed that the cap of available visas (66,000) for the 2008 year was officially met on January 2nd and that we were not included. This is sad news. It was a desire I had in my heart to work with Mexicans and SEL when I returned from Mexico and my decision to return to the construction trade was heavily influenced by my hope that I would be working with these Mexican men in April. Our company did everything we needed to do. We submitted all the paperwork and payments ahead of schedule and pursued this seasonal worker program in a professional and law abiding manner. However, after four months of pursuing this program and believing this to be the direction I wanted to take, the door has closed.

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” - Proverbs 21:1

My employer, Dave Stoltzfus, shared this Proverb when I spoke to him regarding our denial of the visas this past week. We don’t know why this has happened, but know that it is no surprise to God. Even though something may seem right, and the way to go, God may direct us in that path and keep the door open for some time until it is finally closed.

As you can imagine, I feel a bit disoriented right now. I chose this path with the seasonal workers, believing in it and pursuing it wholeheartedly. I would greatly appreciate your prayers regarding any decisions I make for the future. This may be a career path in engineering (what I studied in college), some sort of work with Hispanics, or even a return to full time missions work… or perhaps something I have not yet thought of. Please pray for clear direction and that God would develop a firm conviction and peace in my heart for whatever path he may have planned.

Thank you all so much for praying, giving, encouraging and participating in the Mexico ministry and even more importantly, in my life.

Blessings in Christ,
Jon

Before I left Mexico, I sat down with Len Noble, Neil Prentice (our fellow missionary and brother in Christ in Puebla) and the elder board of Cristo Victorioso to discuss possible short term team options for the next year. One of the elder board’s suggestions was to travel to a remote village in the northern mountains of Puebla (state) and help with the building of a permanent structure for their local church body. They were referring to the village of San Andres which is about a four hour drive from the city of Puebla. In this remote town there is a Christian medical clinic that was started by a German missionary couple nearly twenty years ago. Pastor Juan, who is an elder and head pastor of Cristo Victorioso, spent a number of years serving in this remote village as a pastor and missionary with his wife and two children. The elders expressed a desire that members of Cristo Victorioso would join a team from CEFC and serve as “short term missionaries” to our brothers and sisters in this isolated, needy region of Mexico. Although the families that attend Cristo Victorioso have a very meager income and live humble lives, they realize that the people of San Andres have even greater needs, and many have already expressed an interest in accompanying us to work there this summer.

Perched atop the highest point in the village this 100 year old collapsing cathedral represents centuries-old catholic imperialism in a remote, un- modernized corner of the world. (San Andres, 2006)

Len and Ruthie Noble and I will travel to Mexico from Saturday, February 9th through Saturday, February 16th to investigate this opportunity to serve in San Andres with a team this summer.

Our Goals This February:

1. To examine the needs of the current congregation at San Andres and determine if a building project will be an asset to the advancement of the gospel.
2. To visit, encourage and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Puebla.

Praise

- Through the sacrificial gifts of many of you, God has provided all of the financial support we needed already!

Prayer

- This will be a very new endeavor for Len and me. Pray that we will be very prepared to learn, ask good questions and truly seek the Lord’s direction regarding the possibility of bringing a team down this summer.
- I have missed many things about Mexico since leaving. I’m not afraid of going back, but it’s the return from Mexico back to the states again that I could use prayer for. Please pray that God would prepare my heart for the difficulties of difficulties of transitioning.

Seasonal Worker Program

This is a totally different topic, not related at all to the vision trip this February. But it does have to do with Mexicans and what I’ve been up to for the past 5 months. And it is something that I would genuinely appreciate your prayers for.

Most of you already know that since I have returned home from Mexico I have been working on the logistics for a seasonal worker program with a local construction company. Our plan, in a nutshell was to use a government sponsored program which allocates a set amount of visas each year for seasonal workers. These temporary visas, known as "H2B" Visas, can give a worker permission to work for up to ten months out of the year. “H2B” visas must be requested by companies through a very detailed process of proving seasonal needs, verifying worker shortages and showing future work contracts. Since September, we have filed all the necessary paperwork, met all the deadlines and have been actively pursuing this endeavor to legally bring up four Mexican men to work for Stoltzfus Enterprises from April to October.

Three Goals I had in Mind

When I began to pursue this project this past summer, I had three goals in mind. The first was for the workers to earn and save enough money to be able to invest in something in Mexico when they return. This could include studying at a university, going to seminary, or attending a trade school. Other possibilities would be perhaps purchasing land and starting construction on a small home or even starting a small business. The way they use the money is up to them, but I plan to advise them and help guide them in this process. My desire is that when they do return, that they would invest in something wisely and prudently, so that years down the road it will have helped them to have a steady income, or a home, or an education that can help get their feet on the ground. My hope is that it will help equip them to live as Godly Christian men when they return to Mexico, a country that desperately needs the gospel of Jesus Christ. My second goal was that it be a profitable enterprise for the company. The first year would almost certainly be the most difficult, due to the newness of everything, but I see it as a way to supply good hard workers to a construction company in an industry where it is very difficult to recruit and hire good hard working construction workers. Lastly I saw an opportunity to walk alongside of these four young men (early 20’s) as they work, adjust and learn, to help them grow and mature in their relationship with the Lord and to send them back to Mexico more equipped financially, better trained and more mature in their spiritual lives and relationship with Jesus Christ.

Recent Challenges:

Every year, the U.S. congress must pass a spending bill to approve the “H2B” seasonal visa program for the subsequent year. For the past few years H2B legislation has been approved without a hitch. This December, although H2B legislation was passed, a critical section of the bill was rejected. Without going into much detail of exactly what this means and why it happened, it basically means that it is now very unlikely that we will receive the visas for the four workers we requested.

If we don’t get the visas, what does this mean for the workers?
They will be disappointed. Working in the United States is a dream that most Mexicans have. Work is scarce in Mexico. However, each of these young men have known from the start that this program was not set in stone. I made it very clear to them that I was seeking to bring them up to work, but that it was very possible that it “may not happen” for one reason or another. Fortunately, they all have jobs at the present time, and although they earn very little, it has been enough to support them and help their extended families as well.

Prayer:

God is using this time of waiting and uncertainty to test my faith. James 1 says, “You know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” I very much want this program to work well and to be a benefit to these Mexican men and the company as well. But I also realize that even though I pursued this prayerfully, sought a lot of counsel prior and truly felt that it was a good endeavor, God may still close the door. Not necessarily because it was a bad idea, but perhaps because he has something else planned.
I do ask that you pray over these next few weeks regarding this Seasonal Worker program. If it pleases God to allow it to go through that he will give me the strength, wisdom and flexibility to help make it a success. If it pleases Him to allow it to fall through, that it would be for His glory, and perhaps to put me in a direction of his will that I would not have previously considered.
Thanks so much for praying! I appreciate it greatly.

In Christ,
Jon

Antonia

Antonia is an elderly lady from Cristo Victorioso who has been a widow for many years. She lives in a small, but comfortable home for Mexican standards. One thing that had been missing on her property for a long time was a wall and a gate, to keep out intruders and stray animals. A group of 5 worked at Antonia’s for 3 days, constructing the wall, rerouting electrical wires and preparing an opening for her new gate, that was made and installed before the team left.
Antonia also prepared food for her workers, providing an open door to fellowship with her and her extended family members who came to pitch in.

Antonia's home (before), and new wall and gate (after)

Ruth

Nearly 20 years ago, Ruth fell in love with a man whom she married and had a son with. During her pregnancy, her husband abandoned her, leaving her to raise her son alone. But by God’s grace, she received love and aid from her mother-in-law who, while extremely ashamed of her son, had compassion on Ruth.
Working six days a week, Ruth does all she can to pay her bills and her son’s educational expenses in a country where even public education is not free. She has a small humble home, well kept and painted, with electricity and public water access. For years, Ruth had been filling up about 10 large buckets of water every Thursday (the only day that the city water was flowing). The water she paid for was only accessible from a small hose connection at the sidewalk in front of her home because she never had the money to build a cistern. She would use these buckets of water throughout the week to wash clothes, bathe, etc. The team spent nearly four days at her home digging a 2000 liter cistern, pouring its walls with concrete, and putting a concrete “lid” on it with a trap door. We were blessed with some extra time and funds to be able to install the plumbing which included a direct connection to the city water, a float valve, a brand new Siemens water pump, and a 750 liter holding tank on the roof of her house to provide constant water pressure throughout the week while the city water is not available.
Ruth provided meals for the team just about every day, which pleased her and gave us even more time to spend time with her. Even her son, who has been quite a handful over the years, stopped by each day to see how the work was going and see a refreshing new glimpse of the love of Christ at work in his mother’s life.
Ruth is very pleased. She now has running water in her home, making her life a little more easier, allowing her a little more time to fellowship with her neighbors and continue to be a light for Jesus Christ in the city of Puebla.

Dug by hand, poured in the pouring rain, and finished a day later

Martha

Martha is a not technically a single lady, but since her husband is a truck driver in northern Mexico and southern Texas, she only sees him once every few months. Suffering with diabetes, which has contributed to the loss of her eyesight, Martha spends most of her time home alone during the day until her youngest son, Dan, returns home from work in the evenings. We worked at her home on Saturday morning finishing a “half-finished” security wall that closes in her property. It was work that needed to be done, and it gave us the opportunity to step into her life and try to be a light and an encouragement.
She prepared a wonderful meal for us of a traditional Pueblan favorite called “mole-Poblano” (pronounced moe-lay). As we were eating with her and her son (who took off work that day to help us), one of our team members, Gregg, presented her with a gift that the Lord put on his heart to bring down, even before he knew who he would be giving it to. It was a 6 disc, Spanish NIV Bible, with a portable CD player, a perfect gift for her because she is almost 100% blind. Between the work, the fellowship and the audio Bible gift, it was about 5 hours of shear joy on a very special Saturday morning.

Juvencio and Len raising the short wall up to a secure height

Maria and Juana

Maria and Juana are sisters who live together and faithfully attend Cristo Victorioso. A group of four from our team worked on painting their home for two days, transforming what looked like an unfinished work project into a pleasant, clean, bright interior. Four rooms were painted light shades of green, cream, and beige. To the sisters’ delight, the team even had time to paint a flower stencil on the wall of one of the rooms, giving it a pleasant creative touch that many Mexican homes lack.
They also prepared food for their workers, and two times prepared food for the entire team! What a delight it was to be able to bless these two sisters in the Lord by brightening their home to which they so often invite family members, neighbors and brothers and sisters in Christ.

The flower stencil

Juvencio’s

An added blessing to our trip was to have time to go to Juvencio’s home to help them pour the concrete floors in their home. This was not part of our plan, but since the Lord blessed us with hard workers who finished all the jobs ahead of schedule, it left us time to help at their home, too. Juvencio and José had not only helped us every day that the team was there, but worked for months beforehand, along with my good friend and brother Efrain, preparing the walls and rebar beam structures so that it would be ready for the team to set and pour the roof structure. Without Juvencio, José and Efrain, we never would have accomplished what we did, making it even more of a pleasure to pitch in at their home when we had the time.

Half the team worked at Juvencio's while the rest poured the church's roof

The Roof at Cristo Victorioso

The majority of the team worked day to day at Cristo Victorioso. We began with 34 heavy, prefabricated rebar and concrete roof beams to set, followed by filling in with a hollowed out, lightweight cement block. This was then braced underneath with dozens of wood posts to bear the weight of the concrete poured on top until it hardened. The team worked tirelessly with the Mexican brothers, setting beams, tying and bending rebar, completing the electrical installation and so forth. The culmination of all our work was on Wednesday, two days before the team’s departure, when we poured the roof with the aid of 3 concrete trucks and a large crane pump. It took 2 hours to pump all 15 cubic meters onto the roof and another two hours to finish it smooth.

If it weren't for the pumper truck, we would have poured by hand with buckets

Now that I’m home

I’m looking for a job… imagine that  Many people have asked me how the transition has been going. It has been very strange because I find myself lacking emotion. I’m neither sad, nor happy. I miss the people there, but find it hard to picture them or think about them. Although there are a number of things that I miss about Mexico (i.e. the people, the church, the climate, the food, the relationships), there are also things that I don’t miss (i.e. the traffic, the pollution, the road hazards, the dogs, the mosquitoes). All of this sort of blends together and adds to the “overloaded” but peaceful feeling I’ve been going through. I am a guy who feels a bit lost in his own country, dreaming at night that he’s everywhere but where he really is, while trying to figure out what’s next.
Ok, obviously, it’s impossible to put into words (I think I just succeeded in proving that), but no matter what time of day, situation, thoughts or feelings, I am constantly reminded of the grace, peace and love that I live through Jesus Christ. That’s the only way. If not, I would be a wreck. How great it is, in a sea of so many unknowns, to find peace in the knowledge of the control that God has over all things… the known and the unknown.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know.” -Jeremiah 33:3

Prayer:

Especially for the Lord’s direction regarding work. I have been sending out resumes, interviewing and researching in the fields of construction and engineering. I won’t make a solid decision until after returning from a weeklong Crossworld “re-entry” program in Philadelphia (July 22nd – 27th). Please pray for guidance and direction during this process.

I am quite “out of touch” as far as American culture and the things I need to adjust back to again. Pray for grace and patience to transition back into life here in the States.

Please continue to pray for Cristo Victorioso. Many of you know people there that you can pray for specifically. Others know those whom I have written about. I care about all the brothers and sisters there very much, and sincerely appreciate your prayers for them.

Christ’s Love,
Jon

PS: Please make note of my new email address jon.mountz@gmail.com

Speaking of blessings, I have been staying at the home of Gilberto and Norma Naredo this past week. They have been a true model of Christian hospitality and kindness. Traveling to and from the church and the Naredo’s home, while using any spare moments to visit and say goodbye has been exhausting, but rewarding.

Get Ready! The Team is coming…

We have been working VERY hard at Cristo Victorioso these past weeks and will continue to do so up until the arrival of the Elverson team. Everyone is looking forward to the team’s arrival. Families in the church have volunteered to prepare lunch for the team during the workdays, and the ladies from the homes that the group will work at are thrilled that walls are going to be built, rooms painted and water made more accessible. Cristo Victorioso and all its members are buzzing with pre-team preparations and excitement. We’re really looking forward to seeing the team down here!

The majority of the beam structures are formed and ready for the next step... the roof structure

Prayer:
- I almost didn’t write this update because I was too tired… then I thought, Hmm, I didn’t write the update yesterday… or the day before… because I was too tired. I’m running on fumes. With a week of hard work with the brothers from C.V. and then the arrival of the Elverson group, I would appreciate your prayers.
- Continued grace for saying goodbye to those who are so special to me here in Puebla.
- Wisdom in preparations for the team: a 100 square meter roof project, a cistern, 2 walls and a paint project.

Juvencio working on one of the beams

Blessings in Christ,
Jon

(Top) Jon, Juvencio, (Bottom) Jose, Efrain

During the past two weeks I’ve been traveling back and forth between Juvencio’s home and Cristo Victorioso, trying to finish the staircase from their first floor to the roof. I had a strange design in my head for months and the more I tried to explain it, the more I saw foreheads scrunch and one eye partially squint as the other widened. So it was something I wanted to finish before leaving Mexico. From the funds raised to build the house, there was just enough left for the stair project, and it was a nice way to finish up and literally “close up,” (being that there was a big hole in the roof where the stairs are), the house project that has been a blessing to their family and me.

The Faithful Hermanos

As I traveled back and forth to Cristo Victorioso, cutting wood and steel and buying hardware for the stair project, the guys have been plugging away at the massive rebar beam structures that soon will be entombed in concrete. Efrian, Juvencio and Jose have been working on the project since day one, and will continue to work even while the Elverson group is here.

The team from CEFC, which arrives on the 17th of June, will have their work cut out for them. Apart from finishing the roof structure, and pouring the concrete at the church, we have four other small projects at the homes of women from Cristo Victorioso who do not have husbands to help with maintenance needs. A cinder block wall, a water cistern, a painting project, and another masonry project are on the schedule for the groups of 4-5 who will be sent to these homes.

2 years to the Day

Exactly two years ago, on May 25, 2005 I was in Laredo, Texas, three days into my journey to Mexico, ready to cross the border into that "strange land" of desert, donkeys and sombreros. I was so clueless I couldn't even tell the border guard how old I was in Spanish! Much has changed. I could practically write a book now (that would never sell 2 copies) on Mexican culture, language learning and so forth. Those things that seemed so foreign and impossible to adjust to two years ago are now second nature: Hearing my neighbor's car horn blaring 10 to 20 times just means "(Everyone else ignore me...) Honey, I'm ready whenever you are :)" Driving to three different banks to pay rent, electric bill and phone is no longer an inconvenience... it's just life. Seeing a horse running full gallop down a 6 lane highway with a BMW on one side and a police motorcycle on the other trying to catch it is no suprise... (but nonetheless funny). Arriving late, only to find out the everyone else is going to be "later."... and so forth. Mexico is home now. And that will change soon.

Little by little I have been organizing the things in my apartment, taking down pictures and posters, and getting to the point where I can turn the house over to the owner on June 7th. What a slow process! It’s amazing how long it takes to pack, organize, sell and move. But I am thankful for the past few days being less busy, and having time to chip away at it. This week and the next I will pay a visit to each neighbor I know well to say goodbye and give them a small gift. English dictionaries, pictures, and Christian and Children’s books will make their way into their hands.

The college age bible study, the Wednesday men’s group and the youth group meetings at Cristo Victorioso are still a part of my weekly routine. Speaking of the youth group, Cristo Victorioso recently had an outdoor baptism in which six new believers were baptized, two who are in the youth group. The men’s group has remained the same for months now, but the college age group has been slowly growing, with the newest additions of Tatiana and Cesar.

Willy, one of the youth at C.V., being baptized

Prayer:

- That God would provide a teacher for the college age Bible study after I leave.
- Continued perseverance through the hectic days and the slow ones.
- The Lord’s direction regarding what’s next, especially regarding work.
- For the CEFC Mexico team… that God would prepare their hearts to serve, and that they would be a shining testimony for Christ while here in Mexico.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? -Matthew 6:26

Blessings in Christ,
Jon

I have been spending a good amount of time at Cristo Victorioso these past weeks, working with the men to get the beams and columns ready for the roof structure that our team from CEFC will be setting in place. Instead of nail guns, we have hammers and rusty nails to straiten. Instead of a gas powered cement mixer, we have flat shovels and strong backs (Ahem… not me). Instead of laser and optical transits (leveling devices), we have water levels and plumb-bobs. Instead of skids of strait, factory cut lumber, we have heaps of solid, bent, dirty wood that is full of nails and has been used multiple times over the years. Although somewhat primitive, and at times patience-trying, I continue to learn and am frequently encouraged by the attitudes and hearts of certain men in the church who have been helping enormously to move the work along.

Nail pulling, lumber organizing and selection

Omar, Jose and Me
>Scaffolding and form building for main beams