SPOTLIGHT ON MISSIONS: Hannah McLelland • Mexico

A whirlwind of three months — There are some exciting opportunities ahead that you can be a part of, so make sure you read until the end! I turned 31 in May, but it was such a fun time because our clinic staff threw me a “Huasteca” birthday party! Everyone brought some form of indigenous clothing and Hermana Nicha even brought a full “typical” outfit for me to wear during the party. Her mother was kind enough to let me wear the same blouse she wore to get married — what an honor!

One of my favorite things about working here in Mexico is getting to know the customs and culture of the local indigenous people. They give me such a feeling of acceptance. I walked out of my room in my outfit to a standing ovation, and I was almost moved to tears. It never ceases to amaze me how I tend to have the idea that I am going to go somewhere and serve and hopefully “change” the place for the better, yet I always underestimate how the place will change me.

My heart is better for my time here, being immersed in a language and culture that predate our own in the United States by hundreds of years. And who am I that God loves me enough to do that for me? Who am I that He would be patient in revealing my own heart to me by placing me in the middle of a culture I had never heard of before but have come to know and love? And so, for me, the typical “Huasteca star” holds a special meaning — the relentless pursuit of my heart by Jesus manifested in His ability to show me things about myself that I didn’t even know. I’m still reeling from this day and His provision in my life almost two months later! We kicked off our second nutrition program in June. We have seven participants this go around — five kids and two adults. One of our adult ladies only speaks Tenek, the local indigenous language, so Hermana Nicha translated for me so that she could understand. Turns out, all participants speak and understand Tenek so the joke was on me! We are still looking for one more $25 monthly partner to cover the costs of the healthy food donations we give each participant at each session.

The clinic started its annual six-week vacation on Monday. I’m using this time to get caught up on e-mails and make some future plans. Praise be to God, my Mexican “family” was able to secure an appointment in Mexico City to get passports as the first step to being able to come to our wedding in March. The Lord moved in a mighty way for that to happen, and we are relying on Him to make a way with their visas so they’ll be able to share that special day with us.

I’m especially excited for Carmelita to be able to come. She turned 81 in February and has never been to the United States, even though her late husband was a contract worker on the farms of Southern California for many years. She’s just tickled that God would make a way for her to see the US before He calls her home — and I’m so blessed that Jesus gave me another “abuelita” to sit in a place of honor at my wedding since all of my grandparents are already in Jesus’ presence. Please pray that they would be able to make visa appointments, they would be approved and that their journey to the United States would be smooth.

Additionally, Chance is coming to spend two weeks during our vacation time. We plan to explore and do some work around the house here. Hermano Javier’s son, Uriel is currently taking courses and exams necessary to be accepted to medical school in Tampico, so I also ask that you would pray for him during this time, as well as safe travels to and from Tampico, which is about a three-hour drive from Aquismón. The rest of my clinic team is traveling during this time to visit family and enjoy some time of relaxation. Lord willing, we will start seeing patients again on Aug. 22.

A new mission in Tancuime has been planted by our church in Aquismón, and the services take place on Wednesday nights. One week, Hermano Javier (the clinic’s nurse/pharmacy tech and the pastor at my church in Aquismón) preaches in Spanish; and the next week, Hermano Chilo (a native of Tancuime who is being discipled and trained as a pastor by Hermano Javier) preaches in Tenek, the local indigenous language. Currently, the mission is meeting on rough-made pews and metal folding chairs on the back porch of a Christian’s home in Tancuime, but praise be to Jesus construction has started on their very own church building! Just going out there to see the beginning work was humbling and again I was almost moved to tears.

I think sometimes as believers in United States’ churches, we think that maybe God isn’t moving like He used to. We are met with opposition and less tolerance for our faith at every corner it seems. It’s easy to be discouraged. It’s easy for the enemy to trick us into believing that He’s not moving anymore. But this is the “proof in the pudding” that the Lord is alive and moving just as the song says, “Even when I can’t see it, You’re working. You never stop, never stop working.”

This small group of believers has fervently prayed for the Lord to make a way for them to have their own space to worship. And it’s so exciting that the Word is being preached in Tenek because many older members of the community don’t speak or understand Spanish. Where there is a need, Jesus makes a way.

While the whole world seems to be in an inflation period right now, the increasing prices are making it much more difficult to buy the building materials necessary for this project to be completed. This community of people is not wealthy, but they are faithful in their belief that God will provide the necessary funds. Would you prayerfully consider making a financial contribution to this building project?

Jesus didn’t call us all to be goers. He called a lot of us to be senders, and because of the faithful obedience of the senders, the goers can go. Neither is more important than the other — rather we are dependent on one another walking obediently in our own calling. Just because you’ve never lived on foreign soil doesn’t make you any less important to the work of the Great Commission. Jesus called me here and gave me a big voice to use (I could talk before I could walk), so I’m here to tell you what the needs are and how you can help. Your help is vitally important.

If you would like to donate to the Tancuime Construction project, please visit bmamissions.org and click “Give” to be taken to the SecureGive website. Click “Show All” and then scroll down until you find my name, select the plus sign beside it, designate your dollar amount, and then please click “add a note” which will appear on the right-hand side of your screen under the “one-time” and “recurring” options. In this window, please type “Tancuime Construction” to let the Mission’s Office know that you want your gift to be used in this way. If you have any questions, please email me directly at phs_hotshot_402009@yahoo.com.