Testimony by Chris Salib

My stay at the Coptic Orthodox Church Santa Maria y San Marcos in Tlyacapan has been a spiritually strengthening experience. Before I set foot on the church grounds I was unsure of what exactly I wanted to accomplish here. All I knew was that I wanted to be enlightened with the presence, wisdom, and knowledge of God. I was willing to do any task that Father Zakaria requested of me in order to help the church and the people of this town. During my three week stay here the majority of my duties focused on painting and repairing the church. There was no pressure or any stress, but I performed my job with pride and within whatever deadlines Father Zakaria kindly asked of the group.

The overall attitude here is very relaxed. The Mexican people are very kind and are very understanding of non-Spanish speakers. I do recommend, however, brushing up on conversational Spanish before coming, or you may have to rely on hand-signals and acting out phrases as we did.

The group I was with did some “preaching” around this small town, but I would much rather call it, “talking with the townspeople.” We would set out, about three to five of us, with a Spanish Bible, an English Bible, a lot of prayers, and simply ask random passer-byers in what broken Spanish we knew, if we could read them a verse from La Santa Biblia. Most people accepted; others declined politely.

The situation among the townspeople here is that approximately 97% of them are already Catholic, but rarely go to mass, and have been taught to view church as an uninviting place. They usually go out of guilt or fear that they will disappoint God or anger Him, not because they really want to go.

Our missions was to, as I like to say, “Spread the Love,” by approaching the people with a friendly and calm attitude and try to show them God’s love through our behavior. This is one point I mean to stress. Since the language barrier hindered us from communicating exactly what we meant to say, our collective actions and demeanors were even more important in the attempt to show the character of an Orthodox Christian. We often read 2 Corinthians 5:17 because we felt it was a powerful verse that succinctly conveyed God’s message.

Overall I had a very enjoyable experience. Quiet Time was my favorite part of the day, and I would often take several Quiet Time breaks during one day if there was a lapse of free time. With beautiful green mountains towering in the background and several secluded spots on the church ground itself there is plenty of opportunity to relax, meditate, and contemplate God’s purpose in your own life.

There are small restaurants all over town, food is pretty cheap, (average meal is about 60 pesos~ about 6 U.S. dollars) and the church members are extremely kind and hospitable people. I suggest packing minimally, but bring some sunscreen, spiritual books if you wish, and an open heart. It is much easier to understand the will of God when you leave all your distractions behind you.