Synopsis of Our Delegation’s Great Experiences in Mexico
April 16-23, 2023
What follows is a synopsis of eight days six of us had with three Jubilee Economic Ministries (JEM) Circles in Mexico. It fails to share the emotions we experienced or even all the activities. For that, you really need to have been with us. Let us know if you’d like to travel with us on the next trip.
Some of the projects we saw were mere embryos a few years back but have now become robust ministries. The opportunities of these ministries need additional financial resources, of course, and, unfortunately, JEM has not been able to keep up. Your donations make a huge difference, but we will need much more to meet the challenges. Can we count on your support?
The Tapachula Circle in Southern Mexico near the Guatemalan Border
Immigration into Mexico—Imagine living near the route where 90% of all immigrants crossing Mexico’s border with Guatemala enter the U.S. That’s where Edman Orel Lόpez, spouse Rosy, and children Idelett and Yefti live. Not surprisingly, more immigrants than they can help come to their door. What would you do?
Sue with Edman, Rosy, Idelette, and Yefte
- They share their table with whatever they can spare.
- They offer spiritual support and prayer to traumatized men, women, and families.
- They offer a trusted destination where family members can send money to destitute immigrants.
For some years, Edman served an established church and was dean of a seminary in Toluca, Mexico. But their hearts were in Chiapas and they followed the call to serve small congregations in Chiapas in January 2022. This meant they had to carefully manage their constrained resources amid huge opportunities. OneEarth Jubilee redistributes a modest $350/month to them, stretching our own resources. Rosy explained, “We teach our children we are not here for treasure, but to meet people’s needs.” As they were leaving for their return trip to Tapachula, a six-hour bus ride, they bid goodbye with a final plea: “When will you come to see us?”
The San Cristόbal Circle in Southern Mexico, state of Chiapas
Gloria Gonzales is passionate about empowering women.
- She live-streams twice a week on Facebook. She interviews activists, adds biblical teaching, and links everything to the Jubilee worldview.
- She organizes women’s groups to address the widespread violence against women.
- She participates with women to foster spiritual community, focusing on trust and respect. They encourage one another to find their power as they discuss deep needs and, in so doing find solutions they can use daily.
Roxanne, Jessica, and Gloria
Our delegation was impressed by a savings program created by women who, like thousands of others, do not have bank accounts (men are also welcome). Together, they agree to participate in a 6 or 12 month cycle to save small amounts in order to create a fund for emergency loans. Jessica, a beautician, is treasurer for such a community of twenty women. When any of them asks for a loan, they immediately receive the amount they need. They pay it back with low interest. When a cycle ends, the money saved is equally redistributed to all, and a new cycle begins. All the women pull for one another to save and repay loans. In this spirit of love, loans have always been repaid. As one woman said, “Learning to save has transformed my life.” All the women discover the financial power they never knew they had.
Lindsey and Isai
Isaí Robledo and Lindsey Mercer-Robledo implement a Jubilee Economy in their home and in the community through numerous workshops and a market.
- Their workshops offer instruction on organic gardening, composting, using local plants in medicines, creating personal care products, and more. 70% of participants successfully implement what they learn.
- In a biweekly “market plaza” at their home, vendors (many of them workshop participants) display their wares for sale. The products include fresh produce, artisanal crafts, soaps, and lotions, etc. Music and art are also part of this market.
- An alternative currency, the Tumin, is used at the market plaza as well as many local businesses.
- Isaí, an excellent artist as well as agronomist and anthropologist, creates annual calendars and flyers for many events, including the market plaza.
The San Mateo Circle in Central Mexico, state of Puebla
The hub of many ministries of this Circle is the Dan Swanson Cultural Center. It is part of a small campus of buildings where Circle participants live. The grounds include an organic garden and a doctor’s office where Angelica, a physician, maintains a most useful medical ministry to the town’s underserved.
Here are some of the Center’s activities and ministries we experienced:
- When we arrived, a Taekwondo class welcomed us as their class concluded.
- Tables displayed the artistry of women in the Artesanas Shalom group begun a decade ago by Angelica, an artist as well as a physician. Women have expanded their art, earned some financial power through their work, and build self-confidence.
- Parents of preschool children gather biweekly for parenting classes. Ana Maria, a woman with special training,
a boy at breakfast showing his turtle craft
facilitates the moms in vulnerable sharing of their feelings of failure as moms and problem behaviors of their children. Changes abound.
- Underserved children (20-50) of San Mateo are welcomed Saturday mornings for singing, dance, crafts, a Bible lesson, and a nutritious breakfast. We participated.
- A professional chef gives classes in food selection, preparation, and presentation. Adult students learn to bake pastries, make desserts, and work in restaurants or start a panadería (bakery shop) in their home. We learned about this while being served a special meal prepared by the chef and two of his students.
- All the programs involving food have become possible since 2021 when the kitchen was remodeled with professional equipment. The upgrade cost $4500 and was paid for by a foundation grant ($3000) and a special donation ($1500).
Water Scarcity—a crisis for both San Cristόbal and San Mateo Circles
Water scarcity has become an acute life-threatening reality around the world, including in the U.S. The JEM delegation was led into that reality during our visit to the JEM Circles in Mexico.
In San Cristobal
- we spoke with people in a poor neighborhood that get water only 1 day every other week. They are water protectors of springs and a forest that abuts their neighborhood, but injustices prevent them from getting to use that water.
- We toured a badly damaged wetland with Fernando whose work is educating and organizing to reclaim this wetland for water filtration, wildlife, plants, and a natural preserve. The river alongside the wetland was filled with polluting waste.
In San Mateo
- we learned of extreme drought and that a well, their only source of water, will be dry by 2025 or 2026.
- we were inspired by the retention of water underway on the hillsides, by retention pools, by dry, composting toilets (huge water, and containers for collecting rainwater.
The impact of our trip was powerful and deeply emotional as we learned what our partner Circles are doing and built the trust and connection that is so important to all of us. We had a lot of fun. The Spirit blew through our hearts and souls. Every day. Come with us on a trip like this. Your continued support for our Mexican partners is crucial. You are, as every Circle agrees, partners in these ministries. Together we are ONE IN THE SPIRIT.
