Praise the Lord! We are going to Mexico!

Hola and welcome to the Planting of the Lord, the place to visit for updates, testimonies, videos/pictures, stories, culture, and an all-access pass to the ministry of Wilson and Diana Gomez in Hidalgo and Veracruz, Mexico.

Let me start by answering the first question people ask me, “When are you moving?” We have been preparing for months, praying and asking God for guidance on many important details and decisions; that is why I’m so hesitant to give a definite answer; we want to be obedient to His timing. I can say May 18th. Next, I would like to explain our mission work in Mexico.

There 2 locations where we will serve. First, Tlacotlapilco, in the state of Hidalgo, this is also the place where we will be staying. Tlaco, as we like to call it for short, is a valley, surround by many more small towns (approximately a few hundred residents). We have formed relationships with local pastors and community leaders to establish biblical teachings. We see a great need for discipleship and religion-free relationship with God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. I’m excited about this part of ministry because I can let the teacher side of me loose! :) It’s also a great opportunity to testify how God has freed me from religion even in the church.

Now onto Tlachichilco (Tlachi- for short) in the state of Veracruz; this place is the closest on the map to where we will travel. It’s within a 2 hour ride to the house we will visit. All together from Tlaco to the families we will minister is 7 hours away, 6 by car, 1 hour by donkey (if I’m lucky) or walking (if I’m not :p). (See Map)

Let me explain the situation with Tlachi. The natives do not allow for anyone to live there other than those born or married to those born there. Our key contact to this place is a brother in Christ who now lives in Tlaco (where we’re staying). Our trips to Tlachi will be every 10 days or so. We will stay at the brother’s mother’s house. We are welcomed there. We will stay there for a few days to minister and have service. This is also the place Wilson visited while on the mission trip (August 2008) and 42 souls were saved. There is practically no electricity here except one light bulb outside the house. The women cook by fire, the fire also provides light when cooking if it’s night. Water is brought from a well, boiled, and stored in about 5 gallon plastic tubs. The closest ‘grocery store’ is a 2 hour ride on a rocky road. I will miss Walgreens.

Those who know me personally know I am Americanized. I can’t deny. However, this city girl serves a powerful life-changing God. I know this – I don’t ever, ever, want to be out of God’s perfect will and not follow his plan for my life. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer. 29:11. If you believe this, believe also “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” 2Ti 1:7. I am certain I WILL be challenged and tested in Mexico. Expect posts about that too;) . I will trust in God because serving him is a daily walk not a destination.

We thank you for your prayers for us and for the people we will be touching. We believe in the ministry of intercession and we understand that there is victory in the spiritual and the natural. We give God all the glory:

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:3-8 (ESV)