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Writer's pictureYucatan Helping Hands

Summer/Fall Update 2024

Updated: Sep 13


A Golden Sanctuary: Kawika beholds a breathtaking sunset at Porvenir Camp.



"The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." --Psalm 119:130


Dear Friends & Family,


In the complex world we face, we find the above scripture encouraging and comforting. We're thankful and are reminded that if we have open hearts to learn what God has to say to us, His word brings us healing, perspective and wisdom no matter what season we're in.


Speaking of seasons, we can hardly believe that our summer here with Kawika is coming to a close. Schools have started up here since the end of August, and so we're grateful that he's still with us for a week and a half before heading back to college in the U.S.


His trip back to Yucatán has gone by fast, and it's been great watching him reunite with friends who’ve been looking forward to seeing him -- including his elementary school teachers. He's racked up a quite a bit of highlights on this trip. For one, he introduced us to Grace, his girlfriend from college, who visited Mérida and vacationed with us and our family on the Riviera Maya coast.



And after dreaming in Seattle about returning to the sands of Porvenir, a Christian camp on the gulf coast, he was blessed to be there for two weeks in July. He volunteered to help his high school director, Debbie Legters, with a children’s camp and then later attended a youth camp as well. He’s made many friends over the years at Porvenir, which has long been a source of blessing for him and his special place of refuge.



We're happy to report that, even though hurricane season isn't quite over, we've been experiencing much more tranquil weather than we did in the spring and the onset of summer. The drought and triple digits that took place have ended. Heavy rains, floods and reoccurring interruptions in electricity that occurred in Mérida in June are behind us, including the threat of Hurricane Beryl in July.


As we write this, the three of us have just recovered from COVID, which we unfortunately must've caught during our vacation with our family in Playa del Carmen. (More on our wonderful vacation with Malia, Adam, Ethan, Sophia and Grace later.) Somehow, despite the fevers, aches and other bothersome symptoms of COVID, having been forced to hunker down at home and rest was good for us.


We are incredibly thankful for your prayers and your continued support of our ministry. Please read on for our ministry updates and prayer requests.


We hope and pray that you're in good health. But above all, that each of you find that special refuge place where you can find peace and restoration as we say goodbye to summer and enter into Fall.

 

Blessings & Aloha,

 

Byron & Inez

 

 

In This Issue:

Ministry Updates:

  • The Divino Pastor Church in Maní Returns to Worship Place

  • Update on Jose & Maribel's House in Akil

  • Update on Water Plant in Chalmuch

Our Summer Vacation and the First Trip to Mexico for our Grandkids!

Prayer Requests

Tidbits: La Hamaca

How You Can Donate

 

Ministry Updates


The Divino Pastor Church in Mani Receives New Cement Flooring & Returns "Home"


Divino Pastor church members worship at remodeled site with newly installed cement flooring.



After taking turns holding services in their homes due to the demolition and construction of a new church floor, families of the Divino Pastor church in Maní have settled back in their place of worship.


In our last post, we wrote that we were at the start of a mission week in Maní and would give you a more complete report in this update. You may recall that a 16-person team from First Presbyterian North Palm Beach (FPNPB) from Florida had been working alongside the brothers of the Divino Pastor church to install the new floor on the church's outdoor court where the members meet to worship. At the time, we were challenged by a wide-spread ice shortage, triple digit weather and a drought. Yet, the Lord provided at every level.


After a couple of days of struggling to find ice, we were able to replenish our supply thanks to sister Selmi from the church who acted as our own private investigator seeking out delivery times and locations in the community. With every bag of ice we were able to get our hands on, we realized just how great God's mercy is -- especially when hosting a team working in extreme weather and trying to maintain a week's supply of perishable food with limited refrigeration.


With the high temperatures, we were especially concerned about how the team would manage construction. Even the mason builder told us the group wouldn't last more than four hours in the heat. He underestimated! We were amazed at how the Lord worked among the team participants who prevailed, kept hydrated and worked longer and harder than any of the locals had expected. Their spirits were high throughout the week and their laughter infectious. You'd never guess, but the saving grace was the drought. Team leader Kim Sanders explained that because it was dry heat, the team was able to handle the work. And they did so with rigor and joy.


Team members from 1st Presb. N. Palm Beach, the Divino Pastor church, our translators and us in Maní, Yucatan.



During the late afternoons, the team carried out its Vacation Bible School (VBS) program at the municipal center. Pastor Marcos (of Divino Pastor), who despite an ankle injury, worked at the construction site every day, helped lead VBS worship and taught bible lessons with gusto. The church youth assisted the Florida team with just about everything else from handling nametags, singing and dancing, to distributing snacks and drinks. The synergy was great with FPNPB's amazing VBS team leader, Briley, at the helm and our translators, Josue and Aldo, helping out the team.


At the end of the week, a father approached us while we were purchasing supplies. He told us that the day prior he and his family had gone to the municipal for the celebration of the newly elected mayor of Maní. His young son had noticed that VBS was going on across the street and asked him if he could stop to listen to Pastor Marcos sing and play the guitar during worship. That's the beauty of VBS outreach. You never know how the Lord will use ministry to touch young hearts.



To celebrate, the Divino Pastor church's youth treated the Floridians to a well-deserved afternoon of refreshment and relaxation at a pool in a nearby town. Although it wasn't a cenote or natural pool, it happened to be in the middle of what seemed to be no-man's land in the middle of brush. Even the municipal bus driver had no idea where we were going. Yet, after the team members arrived at the site, much to their delight, this stunning oasis was awaiting them:



A major takeaway from our experience in Maní wasn't only the unity of fellowship we felt with the Divino Pastor church but also the solidarity we observed among its members. There was a precious humility we saw in the brothers and sisters we worked with that was incredibly inspirational. A humility that pointed to their desire to serve God well and work collectively toward something greater than themselves. We are reminded of Philippians 2:1-3:


Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves...

We thank God for starting this adventure in having Pastor Will Ackles and his wife Nancy introduce us to Kim Sanders from FPNPB back in February. Being reconnected with Pastor Marcos, who we knew as a teen when his father pastored the church we attend in Mérida, and having Nancy and Pastor Antonio Reyes (one of our advisors who also has a relationship with FPNPB) visit us during the week were increased blessings! Seeing how the Lord connects the dots in ministry is a testament to his good will and glory.


The Divino Pastor church members worked hard and showed us their immense heart to serve others and honor Christ to their fullest. As did the FPNPB team members who made an impact on the community and especially on the church youth that observed their love for Christ in action. Now, in addition to Divino Pastor's updated place of worship, there are new friendships, new perspectives, and a renewed spirit among God's people to continue to worship and serve him. We are all filled with gratitude!



 

Update on Jose & Maribel’s house in Akil


Exciting news. The construction of the home expansion project in Akil for Jose Idelfonso and Maribel and their daughter is off to a start. Due to higher costs than anticipated, Pastor Emanuel and the Filadelfia church have found budget solutions and stepped up to contribute to the construction. The women's society has volunteered to do the painting, the church is donating windows, a church brother has offered to do the plumbing and electrical work, while other men will assist the masons with roofing.


Thanks to the help of sister Carolina and brothers from the church, the family was able to move their belongings out of their home while they relocate to a different house during the construction. We are excited to see the building begin and the home come to fruition.


(L) Moving out day; (R) Pastor Emanuel, masons and Maribel begin with prayer on first day of construction.


 

Update on Chalmuch Water Plant


The Peña de Horeb water plant in Chalmuch is still in its infancy stage and the startup paperwork process with the government has been slower than we anticipated. It appears there is one last step in the compliance procedures that will allow the Solo Cristo Salva (SCS) church to sell and distribute water to the community at large. Meanwhile, the Living Waters for the World plant is producing water at a limited capacity, and the church has put together advertising to be transmitted on mobile loudspeakers. Please pray that the Lord would use the right people to expedite the process.


We received great news that the water plant educators from SCS held an all-day class last month to children new to the church. One of the partnership agreements between SCS and Rolling Bay Presbyterian church is that SCS provide ongoing education on the importance of using purified water and the prevention of germs through washing of hands. We are thrilled that they are continuing their commitment to education, which is an important component to the success of the water plant.


Children being taught proper handwashing and checking their hands under UV light to see how well they were washed.


 

Our Summer Vacation on the Coast



Last month, we hosted Grace for a few short days in Mérida before we whisked her away with us to the Riviera coast. It was just enough time for her to meet friends in Mérida, tour the city a little, and taste some of Kawika's favorite Yucatecan cuisine that he's long boasted to her about. Still, she's no stranger to México as she spent her gap year living in Michoacan teaching children English and music. It's no wonder our friends, who surprised her with a welcome cake and homemade chicken mole, felt as if they had always known her.


Departing Mérida, the four of us traveled to the Riviera Maya coast just south of Cancun. It had been 10 years prior since we enjoyed an actual scheduled vacation in México. We can't express enough gratitude to our friends Dan and Sunny for gifting us a beautiful visit at a coastal resort. After a busy year of ministry work, we thoroughly enjoyed the R&R and awesome accommodations.


Grace's exuberance brought us some unforgettable memories at the resort like watching her get up to sing with a band. The musicians, who thought Kawika was from Tokyo (lol!), even convinced him to play the hand drum to accompany her. She was brave enough to sing a popular Mexican ballad which delighted the crowd listening to her. We've come to learn that as a worship musician herself, she has a heart to encourage other musicians as they perform. We thoroughly enjoyed her enthusiasm and sweet company.



Following our stay at the resort, our vacation was off to a second start as we headed further down the coast to meet up with our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. What joy to welcome them to Mexico!


With this being our grandchildren's first trip here, you can imagine our excitement and theirs! Whenever visiting them in the U.S., we make it a point out to remind Ethan and Sophia where Yucatán is on the globe, and for them, it always seemed so far. But somehow, traveling makes the world a little smaller.


We were impressed with how they made sure to say gracias whenever they had the chance, how they handled the heat and never complained about having to put the TP in the waste basket. We will treasure our time swimming with them everyday and our delightful conversations with them. They are such fun, smart and witty kids. Thank you Malia and Adam for your royal treatment and the wonderful gift of memories and beautiful time we shared together!



Just a coincidence? By the way, we mentioned earlier that the last time we went on a planned vacation in México was 10 years ago. Turns out, when we were looking out at the pool from the condo balcony, both Inez and Adam recognized the grounds as a place we've been before. Without realizing it, Adam and Malia booked the same beautiful destination as they did in 2014. And Adam still had photos to prove it!


 

Prayer Requests For:


  • The possibility of a future water purification plant project in the pueblo of Muna next year.

  • The Lord's guidance in the planning of our furlough next year that will take us across the States.

  • Our recovery from COVID. Although we finally have tested negative, we continue to battle with coughing and congestion.

  • Our Toyota Sienna as we have been trying to repair a number of serious problems and have just one more to deal with to keep us from having to purchase a new vehicle.

  • The release of ministry funds that have been tied up with a bank in Mexico. We are told by a Presbytery that it's just a matter of time.

  • Our daughter Malia and son-in-law Adam who just celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on Sept. 4th.

  • Kawika's return to Seattle Pacific University for his second year in college and that he would find a church he's comfortable to worship at.

  • Pastor Jeremias (Chalmuch) and his brother Pastor Isaias (who helped with the installation of the water plant) and their family. Their mother, who participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony during the inauguration, has been recently diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.


 

TidBits: La Hamaca



La Hamaca es un Lujo de Los Yucatecos. --Conche Leon

"The hammock is a luxury of the Yucatecans." Ask anyone here: There's nothing like sleeping in your own hammock.


We know that quality sleep is necessary for good health. But did you know that some studies suggest that you can fall asleep faster on a hammock than on a bed? And get deeper sleep?


There's something comforting about a swaying hammock that cradles you while you fall asleep. And practicality and flexibility. Need space in your casa? Fold and hang your hammock on the wall. Heading over to someone's house for the night? Bring your hammock. Having 14 people stay for Christmas? No problem, the guests will somehow find a way to sleep in 4 hammocks. In fact, without hammocks, it would be difficult for us to set up logistics in the pueblos for our work teams.


We find that most of our mission team participants enjoy sleeping in their hammocks after learning how to position themselves just right (diagonally). It's no wonder every family we know from Yucatán sleeps in hammocks. Afterall, they've been slept in by the Mayas for at least a thousand years, and the indigenous people, like the women who make them for our teams, still continue the rich culture of hand weaving them.


Having trouble sleeping? Try a hammock. Better yet, one made in Yucatán.


P.S. If you have a hammock from here and still can't figure out how to fold it, watch this demonstration video by Bruno.



 

Thanks for Reading Amigos!

¡Dios Los Bendiga!

 

Thank you for your support in prayer and financial giving


For contributions toward our ministry & personal expenses:


If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation, go to MissionDispatch.org, and either go to our missionary page or click on the “Giving” tab and yellow “Donate” tab. Or mail your check payable only to “Mission Dispatch” (not to Yucatan Helping Hands or the Ahinas) to the address below. Be sure to reference “Inez Ahina” on the bottom of the check.


Mission Dispatch / PO Box 641 / Edmonds WA 98020


You can also set up an automatic bill payment through your bank account.


If you wish to make a non-tax-deductible donation, please send a check to our US address:


Payable to: Byron Ahina / 1918 214th CT SE / Sammamish, WA 98075


For contributions toward food relief packages or construction projects:


If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation, go to MissionDispatch.org (see above instructions). All gifts we receive from Mission Dispatch are considered as income to us. Therefore, we will set aside a portion of that gift to cover for IRS taxes.


If you wish to make a non-tax-deductible donation, maximum up to $15,000, please send a check to our U.S. address above and include a brief description note for the purpose of the donation. Example: "These funds are to reimburse Byron and Inez Ahina for __________. The Ahinas did not have any financial gain from this gift."


For Personal Gift Contributions


All personal gifts are non-tax deductible and must be sent to our U.S. address:


1918 214th CT SE

Sammamish, WA 98075

Payable to Byron K. Ahina, Inez T. Ahina or Byron Kawika Ahina


You can also make a Zelle transfer and find us through our email address: ahinabk@gmail.com


If you have any questions, please contact us at ahinabk@gmail.com, call us directly at +52 999 129 6227 or leave us a WhatsApp message at the same number. You can also leave us your number as we have unlimited calls to the U.S. Thank you.

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