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PMT 2008 Report
by Mary Dell Wallace On December 22, 2008, fourteen of us from various parts of the United States gathered in Monterrey, NL, Mexico, for an adventure in learning and living. We were joined there by members of the Mexican church, Iglesia de Dios (Septimo Dia). Each morning two or three members of the U.S. team gave a devotional. Then we had a class presented by one of the Mexican pastors or elders. Two local young people, Abner Flores and Melany Lopez, did most of the translating. We had breakfast in our host homes, and lunch was prepared in the kitchen of the Obrerista church by different sisters each day. The afternoons and evenings were spent in various activities of ministry and service. We visited several churches and had our dinner in some of them. After introductions all around on Monday morning, Brother Neftali Ventura presented a class on Gifts and Ministries. He told us that we all have gifts and that each one of us needs to use them to work together in the body of Christ. To illustrate this, he had us build little bird houses on the assembly line. One person measured, another sawed, another sanded, others nailed, glued, etc. The finished products reflected the abilities (and inabilities) of the team members. That afternoon we fixed food to take to a hospital. Some of the group took the food and coffee and gave it to the people outside. The rest of us went inside and handed out tracts. Some had good conversations with people, although it was difficult for those who could not speak or understand Spanish. My Spanish is limited, but I was able to converse with one family there. Others prayed and witnessed. Dinner that evening was in our host homes. Pastor Daniel Flores' wife, Rebecca, made the most delicious homemade flour tortillas. Since Sister Rebecca works in an office in a hospital, we saw her only briefly most mornings and evenings. Our instructor on Tuesday was Ramon Ruiz Garza, president of the International Ministerial Council. His topic was evangelism. The main point I got from this was that we are "to share," not just "to know." We need to study the Bible, but we need to share what we learn. We must be witnesses. After lunch we walked to a mall, where we exchanged dollars for pesos and tried to take care of some other business. A little bus took us to a nursing home that is run solely on donations. The people living there have been abandoned by their families, or have no family. We washed windows, dusted, swept, and did other chores. Then all the clients were brought into the dining room. While they ate their dinner, we sang to them. Then we did a couple of skits, talked with people, and prayed for them. The little bus took us to the Buenos Aires church. After a service we had dinner in their dining hall. Katie and Vanessa gave the devotional Wednesday morning. Since our scheduled speaker could not make it that morning, we were taken in private cars to a museum where we learned about the history of Monterrey. We took pictures and had a long walk. We were back at the Obrerista church for lunch. In the afternoon we went to a park. We split up into small groups and walked around, inviting people to come to see us do skits. We also sang songs in English and Spanish on a stage there. Afterward we went into the audience and talked, prayed, and witnessed to the people. It got dark before we left to go back to the Obrerista church for a service. Monico spoke on 1 Kings 18, with Abner translating. Dinner was served in the basement, where we usually had our lunch. Sister Rebecca had Thursday off from work, so she fixed us scrambled eggs for breakfast. Of course, they were served with tortillas and beans. Rhonda Endecott and Joanna Noble gave our devotional. They asked each of us to perform little tasks that would probably put us out of our comfort zone. Our speaker was Juan Antonio Valdez. His topic was "Qualities of a Missionary: Passion, Compassion, and Armor.” After lunch we went to another home for the elderly. This one has government and church support. Our singing and skits were well received. We then circulated among the clients, talking to them and praying with some. Food had been purchased to give to these people. We helped place it on the table for them. We were taken to a nice restaurant, Los Generales, where we ate and visited. Several of the local Church members joined us. When we got back to Obrerista church, the Monterrey youth were loading up in buses to go to the Youth Congress in Mexico City. Abner Flores told us that he had planned to go, but when he called to make reservations, he was told that there was no more room. Then he was asked to help translate for the PMT team. We were glad to have him. Friday, December 26, Karina and Tracey gave a devotional on Love. Our speaker for the morning was late in arriving, so Yair Moreno gave us a study on 1 Peter 5:6-11 – Five Laws for Christians. Teódulo Hernandez spoke on "Transcultural Missions." He told us some of his struggle to study for the ministry and asked how many knew about Cristo Viene. He is one who has been supported by Cristo Viene while doing mission work in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. I was thrilled to meet him, as I have been sending money for Cristo Viene for some time. In the afternoon we attended the funeral of Blanca Garcia. She was an aunt to Melany Lopez and a niece to Martha in whose house Monico, Karina, and Katie were staying. We sang two songs for the service. John Kennedy and his wife, Lizeth, were there with their baby daughter. I had met them in 2006 when I stayed in the home of Lizeth and Melany's parents – Dr. and Mrs. Rolando Lopez. After the funeral we were taken in the mini-bus to a place called Obispado. We walked to the top of a hill where a flagpole stands. There we could see Monterrey in all directions. Quite a sight! That evening we visited the Moderna church. Each of these churches is named for the neighborhood where they are located. After the sermon we had dinner there with the church people. There I met two of Brother Daniel Flores' seven sisters. On Sabbath, December 27, we went to a church in a poor part of the city. There we divided into teams and walked around the area, talking to the people and inviting them to come to the services at the church. Monico Muffley gave the sermon after we got back to the church. The church people there provided our lunch. Their building is unfinished, but they are eager to tell the message to those around them. The weather actually got hot that afternoon. In the afternoon we went to a much nicer building – the Libertad church. Another wonderful Sabbath service was followed by a steak dinner. In this church they asked all the children to come down front where they prayed for them. The sermon was about Noah's ark. The speaker pointed out that the ark was a boat with no means of guiding it. From the church we were taken to an area where we walked to Paseo Santa Lucia, and we walked some more. It is a man-made river in the heart of Monterrey, with boats and lots of entertainment. We stopped and bought churros. Delicious! Sunday, December 28, Daniel Motta and I gave the devotional on obedience. Our speaker for the morning was John R. Kennedy, who is from Missouri, so we needed no translation. His topic was Justification and Sanctification. The downstairs of the Obrerista church was being used by the local congregation, so we were taken to a restaurant in Santiago, a ways out of Monterrey. After lunch we did some shopping in the craft shops on both sides of the highway. There was a sidewalk bridge over the highway. I realized I had been in that area before, as it is located on the way to Cola de Caballo (Horsetail Falls). Back in Monterrey, we returned to Paseo Santa Lucia, where we took a ride on one of the boats. That was quite interesting. That night I called home to talk to my husband. No one was home, so I got the answering machine. Later I decided to call my daughter-in-law Loretta. She told me that Melvin Sweet had passed away the night before. Her daughter, Leah, was with us on PMT. She is also with LITES this year. Pastor Sweet was her Bible instructor and pastor. As Leah and Dan Bellows were to have the devotional Monday morning, I did not tell Leah about Pastor Sweet's passing until after the devotional. Then she and I went to the district offices, and she called Marybell Sweet. Brother Teódulo Hernandez' topic on Monday was "The Holy Spirit in the Mission.” Later Yair Moreno introduced his parents to us. They are leaving as missionaries to Uruguay soon. After lunch we visited an orphanage out of town. We sang for the children, then did our skits. Some played games with them. We also took them sandwiches and drinks. The ages varied from infants to 18-year-olds. Joanna Nobel had signed several of the songs. A few of the older girls wanted to learn how to sign. We talked with the children. I showed some of them some pictures I had brought with me. That was the first time our bus driver had watched our skits and listened to the songs. He appeared to enjoy the whole service. He took us in the mini-bus back to the Obrerista church, where we had our dinner. Tuesday, December 30, was our last day together. Terri, Kaylee, and Kurt gave our devotional. Then Brother Teódulo Hernandez spoke on “Evangelistic Strategy.” He talked about inviting people to your home and to church services. I became convicted about the fact that I will not even invite Church members home for lunch on Sabbath unless I have cleaned my house. Yet the people in Monterrey had opened their homes to us, even when some homes were under construction. Some gave up their beds so that we could sleep there. I left Monterrey with a new determination to reach out to those around me with the gospel. That afternoon we were taken to a shopping area where we could buy souvenirs. I did not buy much, as I had not checked a suitcase, using only a carryon and a backpack. But it was interesting to look at all the things for sale. For our last dinner in Monterrey we were taken to Pecos Bill, a very nice restaurant in the Libertad district, owned by a member of Iglesia de Dios (7ºDía). The food was great, and so was the fellowship. After we had eaten they called us up one by one and gave us a gift. We each received a t-shirt and a music CD. Each one got up and expressed our thanks to the Mexican brethren and to the members of our PMT team.
The members of the PMT 2008 team were: Kaylee Larson and Kurt Stranberg, from Spokane, WA; Monico Muffley and his daughter Karina and Katie King from Nampa, ID; Joanna Noble from MI; Terri Parry and Rhonda Endecott, from IA; Vanessa Gonzalez from Los Angeles, CA; Daniel Motta, from Chicago, IL; Tracey Chalus, Dan Bellows, and me from Eugene, OR; and my granddaughter, Leah Wallace, who lives in Eugene, but is currently studying with LITES in Stanberry, MO. David Spooner had been in Monterrey visiting family. He joined our team on a daily basis. His sister, Angel, spent some time with us. We had beautiful fellowship within the team and with the Mexican brothers and sisters who fed and housed us and spent time with us. I know this experience has had a wonderful impact on my life.
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