Ezekiel 37 Project Part 2: Francisco

This is a continuation of the post: Ezekiel 37 Project. 

In May of this year, we began the renovation and work on the abandoned property with the arena. We had the opportunity to work with, visit with and pray with Los Santos (the men who struggle with alcoholism there) regularly. One of the men, Francisco approached Jeremy one day and said he would like to become a missionary. Francisco was intoxicated. He was dressed in dirty clothes as he had been homeless and sleeping outside with minimal to no bathing. Jeremy looked into Francisco’s eyes and could see a good heart, a special child of God. Jeremy smiled and said “Great, the first thing we need to do is to pray.” He gave him a cross and a miraculous medal to wear. Francisco spoke with teary eyes of his desire to change his life and his desire to stop drinking. Jeremy told him his first mission would be here with Los Santos (the other men who struggle with alcoholism). Francisco’s friends witnessed this whole event, and Francisco told his friends that he was done drinking. A few days later, we were working on the property. Jeremy noticed Francisco was drinking with his friends. Francisco later asked Jeremy, “Todo bien amigo?” (“everything okay friend?”). Jeremy challenged Francisco saying no everything was not okay, he had said that he was committing not to drink anymore. Francisco looked at Jeremy and said it was only a little bit, and Jeremy responded that for him only a little bit was too much. 

Jeremy stayed the night with our older kids in a tent on the property that night to ensure our project materials were not stolen. In the middle of the night, Jeremy awoke to the cold night air and Jenny, our dog, aggressively barking. He saw Francisco hurriedly rising from a pile of dirt about 35 yards away; Jenny had noticed him there and alarmed us. The next morning Jeremy awoke and learned Francisco slept the night there in a dirt pile next to the tent to ensure Jeremy and our kids were safe.  Tears fill Jeremy's eyes when he remembers that event and just how much love and goodness is in Francisco's heart.   

Later that day, Francisco approached Jeremy again saying he was ready, really ready to stop drinking. Jeremy invited Francisco to our house for a hot shower and food. Francisco came and lived with us in the mission house for the next week. He spent a lot of time with our family, exercising in the morning and praying throughout the day. He spent a lot of time in the chapel with Jesus, and Jesus recklessly changed Francisco's life. It has now been four months since Francisco lived with us. He comes every Wednesday and Friday for prayer groups. He invites and brings his family with him and is often accompanied by his friends, the saints. He organized a prayer group on WhatsApp messenger. Francisco now has two disciples, T. and S., and has influenced many others.  We overheard him talking with a couple of others at a prayer group last week, and they were in disbelief that he had been an alcoholic, homeless, and living at the arena only a few months before. God is Good!

Having coffee at the mission house after participating in Mass online this past summer.

Francisco’s story in his own (translated) words: My name is Francisco Tello Sánchez. I used to drink a lot until one day my brother Jeremías came to where I was drunk, thank God for sending me that angel who was praying for me. From that moment, my life changed. I told him that I I no longer want to be there, and he helped me a lot with his prayers and thanks to God I no longer drink. Now I read the Bible and pray. I feel very happy because now I see my family, and they are very proud of me because I no longer drink and very grateful to my brother Jeremías because he helped me get out of where I was lost in vice. Now, I just want to serve God and keep moving forward with His blessing.

God said He would make these dry bones come back to life, and we are watching His hand at work. It strengthens our faith to see these transformations that only God can bring. We are so grateful for our supporters who make it possible for us to live here witnessing these miracles and sharing the love and mercy of Jesus with each of His children especially the poor and the outcasts.

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.  Matthew 18:12-14

With love in Christ,

Jeremy and Lisa

Ezekiel 37 Project

Last fall, the Lord introduced us to a piece of ground completely barren except for some fence posts in an outline of an arena, scrubby cacti type plants, trash and a dilapidated house. A local friend, Cesar, had received permission from the property owner to ride on the property and had placed the fence posts. Old tires laid on the ground that he and his daughter would practice barrel racing and pole bending with, and they began to teach our kids the basics of these events also. My family was super excited for the opportunity to ride and learn these new events of rodeo. Lisa and I envisioned this as an opportunity to finish the arena and have this as a place to provide horse lessons to the children in the town that did not have access to horses. We shared this with Cesar and his wife, and they excitedly said Cesar had a similar dream. Our excitement grew last November (2019) when a short term mission trip helped us to dig new holes and to set new posts in the ground secured with concrete. The arena was enclosed with woven wire fencing offering a safe place for all to ride. 

The short term mission trip helping build the arena on this piece of property in November 2019.

The abandoned house on the edge of the property.

Fast forward to April of 2020, our family felt called to move out of the mission house and to begin looking for a piece of property to make a home for the next 3-5 years. The first place we dreamed of was the “Huerta,” the beautiful piece of property with good access to water, large pecan trees, and a large old abandoned house. Another local friend, Rodolfo, blessed us in October of 2019 by allowing us to keep a few horses on this property. As we dreamed about and planned the renovation of the building, we felt God saying this was not the place He wanted us to live. “But God, why not?” This didn’t make any sense; we lamented that this place seemed perfect.

In obedience, we looked elsewhere. Leaning not on our own understanding, we felt called to look at the ejidos. I have a group of about 30 local men on a WhatsApp messenger app group that I sent a message to asking them for possibilities for a place for us to live. We looked at several places and nothing felt right. We could feel the Lord stirring a change, but the struggle to understand what type of change was stealing our peace. Our family entered into a three day prayer retreat. We immediately felt the Lord asking us to stay in the town of General Cepeda, but we were uncertain as to where.

Then Lisa had the thought during her prayer time of the abandoned property where the arena was located. There were certainly many obstacles associated with this location. I mentioned it was basically an abandoned property, covered with bare dirt, littered with trash, and liquor bottles. The liquor bottles were another obstacle as this abandoned property was a popular hangout/home for the local borrachitos (this is the word meaning little drunks that the town uses to refer to these men). We went to explore the home and property in more detail. Another obstacle was water. This property did have an old well, but there was no water in the shallow well and we learned it was nearly impossible to receive a permit to deepen or to dig a new well. This location was certainly not the easiest nor most desirable of the three options we narrowed our search to. However, as we continued our prayer retreat the Lord continued to put this location on Jaylyn’s and Lincoln’s hearts. A vision started to materialize. We made contact with the owners and arranged a meeting to share our vision. Much to our surprise, the owners really liked the idea and envisioned a similar project as they are generous people with a heart to help improve the town and help the local people in many ways. Additionally, they were concerned for the men who struggled with alcoholism living in the abandoned building on the property as the police had threatened to tear down the building if the owners didn’t do something about the men there. 

 

Taking the remains of the falling apart roof off

Inside one of the rooms (that would become our bedroom) of the abandoned house with the old roof still intact but not functional 

Cleaning up after taking the dilapidated roof off

We were so excited and felt the Lord’s hand in the plan. In the upcoming weeks, I frequented the property and established a list of materials needed. We wanted to repair and restore the home using mud adobe as it was originally constructed. The adobe is much more economical and the dirt offers better insulation than the concrete blocks commonly used now. I befriended the borrachitos and renamed them los santos (“the saints”). They had many questions but offered to help. The men knew how to make adobe, so it was a perfect partnership. As we worked together, I got to know them and their stories. I was filled with the grace of God’s merciful love as I listened to and reflected on their lives and the chain of events that can take place to allow a man to lose all dignity. Once a man loses his dignity and self worth, a snow ball effect can take place that leads to misery and despair that is numbed by alchohol which turns to dependence and addiction. 

Side of the dilapidated house

Cleaning up (our future kitchen) inside the dilapidated house

Cleaning up outside

Cleaning up outside. Our little street dog, Jenny, is at the bottom of the picture.

It seemed as if we had found the place we would call home. However, as the next few weeks passed by there was little to no follow up or contact with the owners. Additionally, our family fell under heavy spiritual warfare. The clarity of our plan and mission became foggy in the spiritual battle, we almost lost hope. Then God provided the old testament reading of Ezekiel 37.
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he led me out in the spirit of the LORD and set me in the center of the broad valley. It was filled with bones. He made me walk among them in every direction. So many lay on the surface of the valley! How dry they were! He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come back to life? “Lord GOD,” I answered, “you alone know that.” Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put breath into you so you may come to life. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I prophesied as I had been commanded. A sound started up, as I was prophesying, rattling like thunder. The bones came together, bone joining to bone. As I watched, sinews appeared on them, flesh grew over them, skin covered them on top, but there was no breath in them.Then he said to me: Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man! Say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O breath, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life. I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them; they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army. 

I knew with certainty the Lord was asking us to live at this property. I could feel in my bones HE was wanting to breathe life into this barren piece of ground and the dry bones that occupied it. The mission and vision for the project was solidified by God and gradually the details fell into place. 

 

Adobe blocks added to restore the walls of the house.

Working on the roof constructed of boards with a layer of plastic, dirt, and concrete on top.

Please pray the Lord will bless this land, but most importantly breathe HIS breath of life into every person that steps foot onto the soil.

Peace and love with blessings of perseverance and fortitude.

jmn


See the continuation of this story in the post entitled: Ezekiel 37 Project Part 2: Francisco.