Katie Moore: Your Ambassador to the Nahuatl People
On the Road Again…I Don’t Ever Wanna Be on the Road Again
My first trip to the tribe did not disappoint. It had all the elements a true adventure requires. For the first part of the trip we headed down to the coast on the windiest roads I have ever experienced. We passed semis, hoping that their blinker (which tells us nothing is coming our way) was accurate. We climbed 3,000 feet, only then to drop 9,000 until we reached sea level. Once we reached Mazatlan, we stopped for few days so that my co-worker Rachel could run in a half-marathon she had been training for. We suffered greatly during these two days, eating shrimp, collecting shells, and jumping in the waves.
A few days later we climbed another 5,000 feet. Chip bags exploded and a jar of honey in the truck popped its seal only to re-seal itself moments later. Passengers turned green. As we hit the cattle trail that takes us to the village, we reached impassible clay-filled spots were we slid down passage ways we had just tried to get up. We got out of the vehicle and played in the mud, filling the road with rocks and twigs, attempting to create something for the tires to grip to. After many futile attempts, we journeyed 2 hours back to the nearest town, where we stayed for a few days while the roads “dried out.” Soon we were at it again, bumping and jarring our way up the mountain trail. With more slipping and sliding than I normally like to do on roads with no guard rails, we chugged our way up. Thank you to your prayers we made it safely there, going the last 60 miles in roughly 7 hours. Another “adventure” we faced was that Tasha injured her back on the trip and was laid up for almost our entire time there. She has, thankfully, recovered and is back on her feet.
Meeting the Nahuatl
When we pulled around one curve in the road, the team pointed out to me the spot across the canyon where my house
is being built! I could see the stone foundation peeking up from the ground and piles of bricks, ready to be laid. By our next trip the walls should be finished and ready for a roof. As we got closer, several of the Nahuatl came close to the truck and greeted my co-workers, who they’ve met before. I couldn’t wait to meet some of them myself. I couldn’t help thinking that someday I will make a trip in to the tribe, and on the way to my house will greet many of these people as brother and sister in Christ. Pray to that end. There is a great deal to be done.
I’m Sorry…the Weekend Has Been Cancelled
Our expected two weeks in the tribe had been thrown off by the road conditions, so we arrived on Thursday as the sun as setting and pitched our tents. The next day we learned that the national school teachers there were taking off for an early Christmas break. One of the teachers volunteered his classroom to me and my students, which was a great blessing. We spent that day unloading the truck and getting our act together and then classes began on Saturday! I was a very popular teacher at that moment, but we pressed ahead with Christmas break in view.
I Recognize the Mule
After classes were done each day, I got the chance to explore the village a bit and go visiting with Sarah and Rachel. We met with some of the village ladies and tried to forge new relationships. My co-workers were busy getting language recordings and picking up on greetings like “Quinantitanes” or “Good Morning.” What a job they have ahead of them. There are several ladies who have married into the Nahuatl community but speak only Spanish in the home. It is good to know that even though I will not be learning the language at first, I still have many ministry opportunities. We spent a great deal of time in the evenings under the Coleman lantern, discussing what we were hearing and seeing of the culture. One teammate recounted that as she showed an elderly woman a picture from their last trip, the Nahuatl lady had commented, “Hey, I think that’s my grandson…I recognize the mule.” What adventures in figuring out the culture lie ahead of us!
A Voice Heard in Every Language
While we were in the tribe, my students and I did a unit on astronomy. We took our camp chairs outside at nights an gazed up on the stars and planets we had been studying in class. The Bible says that there is no language where the voice of the stars is not heard. Even now the Nahuatl must know in their hearts that a powerful creator exists and we long for the day when we can tell them about their Father and how he longs to have relationship with them. The Psalms also say that any man who leads another to righteousness shines in the heavens like a star forever. What a testimony to us as well of our responsibility and the faithfulness of those who have come before us. Please pray that we would be faithful in our job of taking the gospel to the Nahuatl.