Permission Granted
In a small Huichol village deep in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains of west-central Mexico, there are a few families of believers. These brothers and sisters in Christ have been an inspiration to me for several years. They have remained faithful and strong in their faith despite enduring significant persecution from their community. They were shunned by their neighbors and even imprisoned and threatened by the tribal authorities. When they refused to deny Christ in the face of such adversity, the community eventually stopped harassing them and largely left them alone.
Fast forward a few years, and we began developing a relationship with these dear believers. Occasionally, we would fly them to town for medical appointments or to attend church conferences and youth camps.
Last year, someone within the local tribal authority began to take issue with the Christian airplane ministry and delivered a letter stating that we were no longer allowed to land in the village because we were influencing the villagers with different beliefs and changing their culture.
We began praying fervently about the situation and decided to honor their wishes for a time while we waited to see how God would answer our prayers.
This January, a new Comisario (the title given to the person in charge of the village authority) was elected. Shortly afterward, one of the believers contacted us and asked if we could bring some Huichol Bibles to the village. We decided to move forward and do so.
After landing and delivering the Bibles, our pilot, Nathan, was preparing to depart when a man and his wife approached him and asked if they could catch a ride back to town. Nathan agreed and was surprised to learn that the man was the newly elected Comisario!
On the flight back to Tepic, they stopped in another village to pick up me and our other pilot, Simeon. We recognized this unexpected opportunity that God had placed before us and used the flight to begin building a relationship with the Comisario. During our conversation, we shared our desire to bring a dentist to the village to provide much-needed dental care. He agreed that it was a significant need and gave us permission to come.
God is so good! He answers our prayers in ways we could never imagine.
We contacted Angel, our amazing dentist friend and brother in Christ, and made plans for a dental clinic in the village. Early on the morning of May 22, we flew Angel and all the necessary dental equipment into the village and set up for a long day of extractions and fillings. By the end of the day, Angel had treated 15 patients.
While talking with the villagers, we learned that it had been 12 years since a dentist had last visited the community.
Our presence caused quite a stir, and many people crowded around the windows to watch as teeth were pulled and patients received treatment!
Each patient also received a dental hygiene kit, a Gospel tract, and a New Testament.
That evening, after the clinic was finished, we enjoyed a meaningful time of fellowship and mutual encouragement with some of the local believers. It was a blessing to hear how God has sustained them through years of hardship and to encourage one another in the faith.
The next morning, we loaded up the airplane and departed, praising our wonderful Heavenly Father. Once again, He reminded us that His plans and His timing are always perfect.
Written by Kevin McDaniel, UIMA field missionary