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Winnie’s Newsletter

Lesson 12: MEXICO *Information compiled from the CIA World Factbook:https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

MEXICOLocation: Mexico is immediately south of the western U.S. To the west (left) is the Pacific Ocean, and to the east (right) is the Gulf of Mexico. Our state of Texas can fit into Mexico three times.

The Land: Northern Mexico and the long strip of land called Baja California are hot and dry. Mountains cover about two-thirds of the land. Between two mountain ranges lies a high, flat land called a plateau. Lots of wild animals make their homes in Mexico’s mountains, jungles, forests, and rivers. In fact, Mexico has more reptiles (such as snakes) than any other country, and is third (to Indonesia and Brazil) in the number of different mammals!

Weather: As you travel further south into Mexico, it gets hotter and more humid. It’s hot along the oceans but gets cooler as you go up into the mountains. On the central plateau the days can be hot, but the nights are cool, and it’s very rainy in the summer.

Population*: 120 million

Capital City*: Mexico City (20.4 million)

People Groups*: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white, 60%), Amerindian (30%), white (9%), other (1%)

Languages*: Spanish, some Amerindian languages

Religions*: Roman Catholic (83%), Protestant (8%), other or none (9%). Many people mix Catholic beliefs with beliefs in other spirits.

Assemblies of God Facts: Fifty-three U.S. Assemblies of God missionaries work in Mexico. More than 872,000 people gather to worship in 6,656 churches around the country. One Bible school and other training programs are teaching 67 more workers.

Quick Facts

HONDURAS

BELIZE

GUATEMALA

EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA

COSTA RICA PANAMA VENEZUELA

COLOMBIA

ECUADOR

PERU BRAZIL

BOLIVIA

CHILE ARGENTINAURUGUAY

PARAGUAY

GUYANA

SURINAM

EFR

ENCH GUIANA

PUERTORICO

DOMINICANREPUBLICHAITI

JAMAICA

CUBA

MEXICO

Diego Diego wakes up as a car horn blares outside the apartment building. His two brothers, Roberto and Luis, sleep on. The three boys share a bedroom in their little home in Iztacalco, a part of Mexico City. Diego and his family moved here a few months ago, when Diego’s father got a job at a furniture factory.

City LifeDiego misses the village they came from, but he thinks life in the city is pretty interesting too! High-rise apartment and office buildings reach for the sky. Buses, trolleys, cars, and bikes crowd the streets, and subway trains run under the streets. Colorful markets in every neighborhood sell whatever people need or want.

But the city also has very poor sections. Many people live in crumbling cement buildings with no water or electricity, or build shelters with anything they can find. Some make a living going through huge garbage dumps looking for things they can sell, and many people actually live in the garbage dumps. Many children don’t get to go to school but learn to live on the street. It makes Diego thankful for their little apartment and for the chance to go to school.

Off to SchoolDiego and his brothers hurry out the door to head to three different schools. Five-year-old Roberto hangs on to Diego’s hand as they walk down the crowded street to his kindergarten. Luis goes the other direction to the secundaria, where he is in seventh grade. After leaving Roberto, Diego goes on to the primaria, the primary school, and joins his third-grade class.

¡Buen provecho! (Enjoy your meal!)

The school day ends at 1:00 p.m., and Diego picks up Roberto. He’s hungry and ready for la comida—the main meal of the day. Mmm…he

can smell the soup and refried beans. As usual, Mother has made corn tortillas, a round, flat bread that is used to scoop up food and to make

tacos and other great foods. Today she has filled the tortillas with meat and covered them with chile sauce to make

enchiladas.

Mexicans usually eat a light breakfast of coffee and sweet rolls, then they have a snack in the middle of the morning. On his morning break, Diego likes tortas, rolls stuffed with meat, cheese, or beans. The family eats the main meal together, and late in the evening they eat a small supper.

BGMC is blessing Mexico by equipping the missionaries and churches with lots of equipment and supplies to reach the kids. There are so many kids who need Jesus. BGMC has provided puppets, puppet stages, clown outfits, clown supplies, candy, prizes, props, costumes, Sunday School and children’s church curriculum, Royal Rangers program, Girls Ministries, and Bibles. Lots of kids are hearing about Jesus because of BGMC!

Mexico is a big country with many needs. BGMC helps in the Bible schools, orphanages, group homes, Teen Challenge centers, schools, Convoy of Hope outreaches, and HealthCare Ministries medical clinics. For those who can’t come to a church, BGMC helps with radio and TV programs.

Thank you, boys and girls, for giving to BGMC so the people in Mexico can hear about Jesus!

BGMC Blesses MEXICO!

PiñatasPiñatas are a fun part of the Christmas celebration. Colorful figures made of papier-mâché are hung up high. Children are blindfolded and try to break open the piñata with a stick. When it finally breaks, candy and small toys spill out.

LuminariosAt Christmastime families make luminarios, which are candles placed inside paper bags. First, they decorate the bag by cutting shapes all over them. When they light the candle inside, the light shines out through the cut shapes.

Las PosadasMost people in Mexico are Roman Catholic, and they celebrate Christmas in a big way. The celebrations begin nine days before December 25 with Las Posadas (the inns). Children dress up as Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, and shepherds and go from home to home seeking shelter.

Christmas in Mexico

The PoinsettiaThe poinsettia flower originally comes from Mexico. Because of its red and green colors, it’s used as a Christmas decoration. In fact, poinsettias are the most popular Christmas plant.

SantosSantos or Nativity figures are an important part of a Mexican Christmas. (Santos means “saints.”) The figures are used to recreate the nativity scene at the town’s church. Often the displays are quite elaborate. At midnight on Christmas Eve, all the people in the town make a grand procession to the church to lay gifts before the manger.

King’s Day!Kids in Mexico don’t open their presents on Christmas Day. Instead they open them on King’s Day in January. This reminds them of the Three

Kings giving gifts to Jesus. They’ll eat a special “King’s Cake” on that day. King’s Day officially ends the Christmas season in Mexico.

2016 BGMC Missions Manual, Vol. 18

274

© 2016 by G

ospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO

65802. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and adapt lesson com

ponents for exclusive use in the classroom and student notebooks. Any other use requires w

ritten permission.

LET’S PRAY…• for our missionaries as they tell people about

Jesus and work with the Mexico Assemblies of God.

• for the kids of Mexico. Pray that as kids learn about Jesus, their families will also believe in Him.

• for the missionaries working with Indians, and especially with the people in central

Mexico, where there are only a few believers.

• that God will call even more Mexicans to reach the people of their country and

other countries.

At Easter time in Iztapalapa, Mexico City, people gather to act out the crucifixion of Jesus. Many beat themselves, trying to pay for their sins.

A teenager sells drugs on the streets. He doesn’t have a family who loves him, so the gang is his family.

In an Indian village, a man sacrifices a chicken to make the spirits happy. He doesn’t know Jesus can take away all his fear and make him happy.

Mexicans need Jesus, and for almost 100 years, Assemblies of God churches have helped them to find Him. It started when some Mexicans living in Texas were baptized in the Holy

Spirit. They returned home to tell others about Jesus and His Spirit, who is greater than all other spirits. They preached and started

churches. Today the Mexico Assemblies of God has over 6,600 churches.

Our missionaries help all around the country, from Tijuana in the north to Merida, w-a-y down

south! Some help start churches and teach in Bible schools. They travel to teach people who can’t come to a Bible school. Some train Mexican missionaries, who then go to other countries or to Indian villages.

The Mexico Assemblies of God has sent missionaries to four other countries. BGMC helps supply books

for the Bible school and Global University courses for those who can’t come to Bible school.

Kids need Jesus! Some of our missionaries train children’s leaders, who teach kids and train more leaders. BGMC has provided lots of children’s ministries supplies for our missionaries and churches all over Mexico. BGMC has paid for puppets, puppet stages, clown outfits, clown supplies, candy, prizes, props, and costumes. BGMC also provides Sunday School and children’s church curriculum. Thanks, BGMC!

Many churches have Royal Rangers and Girls Ministries programs for boys and girls. They hold Vacation Bible Schools and special activities like soccer clinics. Once again, BGMC provides lots of the needed supplies for VBS programs, camps, and special activities.

Some churches work with street kids, helping them find life in Jesus, not in drugs or gangs. Nearly 500 kids who couldn’t afford school otherwise are getting a good education at six Latin America ChildCare schools. BGMC helps in the LACC schools by providing the needed equipment, such as computers.

Hurting people need Jesus! When hurricanes and floods strike, Convoy of Hope teams help the churches give out food and supplies. HealthCare teams give medical care and tell people about the One who can heal them inside and out.

There are so many people in Mexico who need to know about Jesus. BGMC is helping wherever it can by assisting Convoy of Hope, HealthCare Ministries, LACC schools, the churches, orphanages, homeless shelters, Teen Challenge, and our missionaries. Many, many people in Mexico are very poor. They don’t even have enough money for food. One of the ways BGMC is helping is by providing food for kids and adults who don’t have enough to eat. All of this is possible because you kids give to BGMC. Thank you for giving!

Mexicans Need Jesus