A Lifelong Decision to Follow Jesus

Just as in New Testament times, Jesus has good friends in Bethany. But this Bethany community isn’t near Jerusalem - it is located just outside San Cristóbal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas, Mexico.

This very special community was founded in the late 1970s, after several thousand Mexican believers were expelled because of their faith in Christ from their homes in Chamula, another community located near San Cristóbal de las Casas.

One of Jesus’ stalwart friends in Bethany is Pascuala, whose testimony stretches back into her teenage years. At age 14, she saw the caciques [local mafia extremists] machete, shoot and burn to death four of her younger close relatives. She herself was abused, shot and left for dead when she refused to deny her Christian faith.

Today Pascuala is living in Bethany with her husband Manuel and their extended family. Not long ago, her first great-grandchild was born. Manuel and Pascuala also have a little ranch in Tierra Caliente where they produce fruits and vegetables.

At the end of last year, an Open Doors team visited Pascuala and her family one rainy Tuesday afternoon. "One special moment was when she sang one of the songs she learned many years ago," a team member said. Singing in Tzotzil, English and Spanish, Pascuala declared, "I have decided to follow Jesus... no turning back, no turning back..."

Pascuala is still sharing the Gospel with her neighbours. Every week she gathers a group of women to study the Bible and to pray together in her home. She is also caring for the elderly sisters in her community, many of them widows. Over the years she has taught many such women craft skills so that they can support themselves and their families.

“We returned from Bethany so blessed that afternoon,” the team said, impressed by her encouragement and enthusiasm to move forward in her faith and ministry.

Prayer Requests:

• Praise the Lord for Pascuala! For following Jesus year after year and sharing the Gospel, even though she knows that it could cost her her own life or the lives of those she shares the Gospel with.
• Pray for the group of ladies who gathers at Pascuala’s house every week; may they continue to grow in the Lord. Also pray that friendships will form as a result of being sisters in Christ and that they will support each other.
• Pray for the widows. May the Lord bless them and provide in their needs. Also pray that the Lord will strengthen them as they are facing many challenges as single parents.

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”