Posts Tagged ‘community development’

Two steps forward, One step back

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Friday, February 1st, 2013

I recently read “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps”  as I was reading through Proverbs on my way through the Bible.  I think God is especially teaching us that He is in control and that His timing and His plans are best.  I’ve written several times about our well project – about how excited we were when God provided over $20,000 in the space of a few months.  We figured clean water was right around the corner.

Then, after plans with two drillers fell through, we realized that God’s timing and His plan was not ours.  We ran out of time in the spring of 2012 to drill before rainy season.  We got in touch with another driller and looked forward to winter of 2012 when they committed to drill our well.  The final date was set for January.

At the last minute, January re-scheduled to February.  Now, the February date has been cancelled, and we haven’t gotten word yet about March.

In faith, Pete Hypki and Ben finish the water storage holes necessary for the drilling process.

Please pray with us for God’s timing.  We’re completely and totally dependent on God, for the right drillers at the right time and for there to be water within drilling depth in our area.  Please pray for us, also, for peace and patience as we wait, that we might model godly testimonies before the Nahuatl who watch our every move.

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Well update

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Monday, May 7th, 2012

Over a year ago, we presented the idea of a well to the community for approval and permission.  They wholeheartedly approved as water is a big necessity here.

Then, we told people about the need and God raised over $20,000 for the project in just a few months.

At the same time, we contacted another mission agency to the north who drills wells.  After a bit of dialogue, that fell through.

So, we contacted a private driller on the coast close to us.  We met him through a friend.  Once we had all the money, we contacted him again to work out details and dates for drilling.  When he didn’t respond, my co-worker stopped by his office a few weeks ago and found out that he was no longer working at that job.

So, now with rainy season just a few weeks away, we are communicating with a third driller.  They are an organization farther south in Mexico that works with the government to drill wells in small communities who need clean water.  But, there’s not time before the rains begin and before the roads become impassable to complete the necessary paperwork and get all the equipment up there to drill.

So, at this point, we’re hoping to work it out to drill sometime after the rains end.  Maybe during the winter!  Please pray with us about this need!

Hauling water

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Needed: Clean Water

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
We hope to provide clean drinking water for the village and a source of running water for us.

In Las Moras, Mexico, the Nahuatl people have few options for water. Some haul it from a nearby stream where people also bathe and wash laundry. Some haul it from small, dirty springs that are often muddied by livestock. Some gather it from puddles when it rains. None of them have access to clean water, and many suffer from water-borne illnesses like typhoid and dysentery.

When we began working in Las Moras, we immediately identified clean water as one of the community’s critical needs. The remote location, depth and size of the well, and equipment needed to provide clean water placed an early cost estimate at $20,000. We are now earnestly seeking funds with the hope of raising enough money to drill the well in May 2012. The goal is to make clean water available for all the people who live there, including our team.

Would you pray with us that God would provide the money for the well?  Would you also pray that God would use us to show His Love to the community?

Would you like to help finance a well for Las Moras?

Call New Tribes Mission’s Finance Office at 1-866-547-2460 to donate with a credit card.  Specify your gift is for the Mexico Fund – Well Project.

OR, send a check made out to New Tribes Mission to

New Tribes Mission
1000 East First Street
Sanford, Florida 32771

with a note saying it is for “the Mexico Fund – Well Project”

Either way, you will receive a tax-deductible receipt. THANK YOU!

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Water

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Friday, October 14th, 2011

As most of you know, we don’t have running water in Las Moras.  When we bathe, we do it here…

Bathing in the swimming hole.

Bathing in the creek. Can you see Katie waving from the swimming hole?

When we wash clothes, we do it here…

I'm a lot more picky about what is dirty when it means I have to wash it by hand at the creek on the rocks.

I'm a lot more picky about which clothes I consider "dirty" when it means I have to wash them by hand on the rocks at the creek.

Water for drinking and washing dishes is hauled from here…

There's a spigot at the school (white buildings) of water brought to our village by hose from a stream a little ways away. Still has lots of sediment in it. Still contaminated, but maybe not SO contaminated as the village streams.

At the school (white buildings), there's a spigot of water brought to our village by hose from a stream a little ways away. Still has lots of sediment in it. Still contaminated, but maybe not SO contaminated as the village streams.

We bring it in two barrels in the truck…

It takes an hour to fill up both barrels and bring them back to the house.

It takes an hour to fill up both barrels and bring them back to the house.

…then into the house by a 6 gallon container…

One of Josiah's chores is to make sure there is enough water in the house for washing dishes, cooking, and drinking.

One of Josiah's chores is to make sure there is enough water in the house for washing dishes, cooking, and to filter for drinking.

The Nahuatl live more or less the same way.  They bathe and wash clothes in the creek.

A neighbor girl washing some of her family's clothes.

A neighbor girl washing some of her family's clothes.

Some get their water from streams like this one next to the village…

Co-workers contemplating alternate water sources for the village.

Co-workers contemplating alternate water sources for the village. This is at the end of rainy season.

This is a creek by our village in the middle of the dry season.

This is a creek by our village in the middle of the dry season.

Others get their water from seeps like this one.

Seep at the end of the rainy season. Very little water flow.

Seep at the end of the rainy season. Very little water flow.

The water they drink comes to the village by hose from a stream a little ways away.

Box that collects stream water that flows to the village through the lower hose.

Box that collects stream water that flows to the village through the lower hose.

There is no clean source of water in Las Moras.

We have contemplated different options to our problem and sought expert opinions.  The best, long term answer that would assure water even during the driest times is a well.  Some of the difficulties in trying to drill a well are the remoteness of our location, getting the equipment out to our village over the rough roads, and the finances required for this undertaking.

However, unlike the other options, a well would provide clean drinking water for the Nahuatl of Las Moras.

Washing dishes

It would also provide a water source for our houses.  The time we have spent in the past hauling water, washing clothes and ourselves in the creek, and filtering drinking water could be spent with the people learning their language and culture.

The faster we learn their language, the sooner we can share with them God’s Good Truth!

The estimate of drilling a well in our village is $20,000 dollars.  We already received gifts totaling $5,050!! Praise GOD!!

Would you pray with us for God’s provision for our water needs?

Would YOU like to help finance a well for Las Moras?

Call New Tribes Mission’s Finance Office at 1-866-547-2460 to donate with a credit card.  Specify your gift is for the Mexico Fund – Well Project.

OR, send a check made out to New Tribes Mission to

New Tribes Mission
1000 East First Street
Sanford, Florida 32771

with a note saying it is for “the Mexico Fund – Well Project”

Either way, you will receive a tax-deductible receipt. THANK YOU!

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Conversation with Alberta

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Alberta for blogOn the second day of the dental clinic, a truckload of people arrived first thing in the morning. Alberta was the first one in the door and therefore the first with the dentist. She was really nervous. I told her it wouldn’t hurt, the doctor would give her medicine (anesthesia) so she wouldn’t feel pain. I checked on her a few times. When she was done, she left quickly!

A few hours later, as I was sitting with some ladies outside, she came back to the clinic to wait for her friends to finish with the dentist. I asked her how she felt. She said, “I feel SOOOO comfortable! I don’t feel any pain. In fact, I didn’t ask if I could eat anything, and at lunch time, I just ate my food, and I felt SOOOO comfortable!”

I asked how her visit was with the doctor and if she was afraid to come back. She kinda laughed. “There’s no reason to be afraid of this doctor! I didn’t feel ANYTHING! I’ll tell everyone to come, but this is the last time you are having a dental clinic, right?”

Not sure what rumors she was hearing, I said cautiously, “As long as the people here are happy with us living here, we want to help the people and we’ll bring dentists whenever we can.”

She quickly answered, “We like you guys. You don’t kill people, and you remove the plaque from our teeth!”

It’s nice to know what people think of us! :)

Alberta 2 for blog

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Dental Clinic by the numbers

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Sunday, June 12th, 2011

We had 1 endodontist and 1 dentist.

May 2011 348

We treated 84 patients representing 11 communities (For most of the people, this was the 1st time they had come to a clinic that we have hosted.  Actually, for most people, this was the 1st time they’ve been to a dentist EVER!)

We treated 3 indigenous groups (mostly Nahuatl but some neighboring groups als0).

February 2011 221

1 couple (below) walked for 1 full day up and down through the mountains to see the dentist. They arrived at the end of our second to last day.  It was already to late to see them, and we had already told about 10 people to come the following day because more showed up than we could see that day.  We told them if they were the first, they’d see the doctor first, so they should get to the clinic when the sun was coming up.  When we arrived early for the last day, they were there waiting!  Between them they had 4 extractions, 5 fillings, and 1 root canal.  That walk was worth it!  They should be pain free for a while, now.  They are wearing the traditional clothes of their group.  They are from a people group that has been very resistant to the Gospel, and we hope that in some way their contact with us will create an opening in the future for someone to share God’s Good News in their language.

May 2011 318

We did 423 procedures.  This included 149 fillings, 19 root canals, 65 extractions, and 4 surgeries. The doctors removed 1 tumor from a lady’s mouth.

May 2011 314

We saw patients for 5.5 days, and then spent the other .5 day cleaning up and packing everything away.

Randy's Dental Trip May 2011 439

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the Eye Clinic

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Friday, December 17th, 2010

We just finished hosting an Eye Clinic for the people of Las Moras and the surrounding villages!  In 3 days, we saw 122 people!  The first day we saw 35 people.  We felt good with all the people we were able to help and we were tired.  The next day, we saw 37 people.  Then, the last day, by the grace of God, I’m still not sure how we did it, but we saw 50 people!  And we only had 1 doctor!

We got to the clinic early the first day to set up.  Before we were ready, we already had 3 guys outside waiting.  We let them in, signed them up and got started.  From that point on, for the next 3 days, there was always someone waiting, ready to see the doctor.

People waiting in the clinic and outside

People waiting in the clinic and outside

I sat at the front desk, signing people up on the list, preparing their chart, getting their eye history, and doing the preliminary check with the big E chart to determine their distance vision.

When it was their turn, they would get a consultation with the ophthalmologist that came from the US to help us out for a few days.

Exam with the doctor

Exam with the doctor

He would check their eyes and determine whether they needed glasses or if we had glasses to help them.  Sometimes they would come back out to use the big E chart to check their trial prescription.

Checking a prescription to see if they can see better

Checking a prescription to see if it helps

Frank's new glasses

Frank and his new glasses

Then, from there they would go to our “glasses” room where they would try out the glasses that were their prescription to see which one would help them most and fit best.  We gave them that pair and taught them how to clean the glasses and gave them a case to store them in.

Out of the 122 people that we helped, we probably gave out glasses to 3/4 of them.  Some people had such bad sight they could only see a few feet in front of them.  And yet, they climb in and out and around the canyons all the time.  It is amazing what some of the people still do with very little sight.

Lord-willing, the glasses will be a great benefit to the people and they will create open doors for relationships.

Many people that we did not know came from surrounding communities to be helped by the eye doctor.  I am so thankful to God for the beginning of relationships that we have now with those people in those communities.

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God Answers Prayers!

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Thursday, December 16th, 2010

Our last week in the village was pretty exciting!  We held an eye clinic for the area and God answered our prayers!

We were able to see 122 people in 3 days and probably 3/4 of them got glasses. We saw people from at least 8 of our surrounding communities!  Several people were amazed at the difference with the glasses and were very expressive!  It was like night and day for them.  They could see!!!  Very exciting!

God used and I think will continue to use the glasses as a door for relationships with these communities and people.

We were able to communicate with the people in Nahuatl and Spanish.  We learned phrases that made communicating easier.  Is it blurry?  Is this better?  Cover up one eye.  Look at the light.  Look at me.  Follow me.  Sit here.  Stand here. The phrases worked great unless the person was from a different indigenous group.

There was one man who was from a neighboring indigenous group and was practically monolingual.  He had a hard time seeing, and it was sad to send him away without glasses.  We could have helped him if we could have communicated with him.

On the second day of the eye clinic, my co-worker, Dan hauled some people to and from their community to the eye clinic in his truck.  As he was returning to our village, he was talking with one of our neighbors who had accompanied him.  Frank was asking about different religions and what we believe.  He said he had seen that we are different and he wanted to believe what we do.  And, he wants his family to believe also. He and his wife live in our community, but are not Nahuatl.  They are each from two of the neighboring indigenous groups so they communicate in Spanish.  Dan said he could begin to teach them in January.  So, please be praying for Frank and his family.  The Holy Spirit is at work.  Pray for a hedge of protection around them as they desire to learn the Truth!

Frank's girls

Frank's girls

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