HOW THE VISION IN EL PIÑAL WAS BORN

Pastor Damian with Miguelito

In English it is called "ONE HOPE HUATULCO "

I had been given some land by a business lady, Maria Carmen Cardenas. She gave me the confidence to open a small food stand to obtain a little income for my family. This was a short time after I had obtained my freedom of 10 years in prison.

That first morning when I arrived at the edge of this land, I had only a machete and a shovel to start my work there. As a Christian, I looked for a small place to double my knees and to entrust my work into the hands of the eternal God.

As I was finishing my prayer, a boy of about 7 years, with a small voice interrupted my thought with a question:

"What are you do there"?

I answered him, "I am praying"

He then asked me, "Why"?

And I answered him, "so that God will help me".

Immediately he said to me, "Pray for my Papa, so that he will be healed because he is very ill and in addition, he drinks a lot and we suffer much because he is a drunkard."

I asked him: "What is your name"

He answered me, "Miguelito" (little Michael). "I live with my mama in that small house across the road on that hill".

The boy's face showed sadness and suffering of their extreme poverty. I also sensed the necessity of his need of a little affection and attention.

Today thanks to God, Miguelito's Papa has been healed of his severe disease. Also, He has been healed of his alcoholism. Today they live on our land which is the project "One Hope Huatulco".

I know many other needy families but right now there are three families with us. The food stand hasn't been built but we do have a little "Chocita" shelter against the rain and a place to cook that I constructed at the outset that serves as a church, where every Tuesday and Saturday we give glory and honor to GOD.

Miguelito now is better person .....

"THE PLANS CHANGED!"

Written by DAMIAN CRUZ VAZQUEZ.

Miguelito's family's new house

The vision for Una Esperanza

One vision God gave Pastor Damian was for a shelter and outreach center where families can be ministered to for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. This encludes the neglected families of the prisoners. He already ministers to the inmates at the Pochutla Federal prison.

There are about 450 inmates here. Families are allowed to visit or spend the weekend. The families are expected to provide their food, personal hygiene, clothing,etc. The family doesn't have food for themselves let alone the inmate. They may be from another town or village, without means to support the children.

There is a stigma for the children because their parent is in jail. Most of these children do not attend school because they don't have the money for the uniforms, shoes, or books they must buy. (We are looking into a means to help them with their education.)

The plan is to start a feeding program and some housing for those who need it. We already have a source for new clothing. We have some medical and dental teams who have volunteered to come down.

We already have Bible studies every Tuesday night. We want to start a Bible Club for children to teach them of God's love. There will be many activities and fiestas for them.

For the daily operation we are looking for ways for the center to be self-supporting. We have talked with friends who want to donate seeds for producing their own food, taco stands and a store to sell things that the prisoners and families produce. A retail mini-market may be donated by an American university, etc.

How will we feed the Children?

Yesterday, Pastor Damian took food to the prison for the in-house pastor and his family. They had no food. Prisoners are allowed one bowl of gruel a day. What is gruel? That is the question. One never knows what is in the watery soup they eat. Pastor was very happy after he visited the inmate pastor knowing we had helped this brother. He then spent time encouraging him in the word and teaching him from the classes he had with our Agape Mission online Bible School conferences.

With 450 inmates we desire to help the families who are destitute. Our desire is to first feed them and then when they are full, teach them of God's love. He wants to be their friend and know them personally.

How can we feed so many? We can start with miracles like when Jesus fed the 5,000. I have seen food multiplied while living in Lachiguiri during times of food crisis.

With about 17 acres of land we will be cultivating crops both for consumption and some to sell. They just planted corn on some of our first two acres of land. Lots of tortillas.

Through a state government program we will be provided a greenhouse to plant vegetables. Watters Nursery of Prescott, Arizona has provided us with vegetable seeds to take to Lachiguiri and will provide more for our greenhouse. Then when Thom from Napa, California this November comes to La Ventosa for the "Gran Fiesta", he has planned extra time to teach our people how to grow vegetables in a greenhouse. This is what he teaches in a school in Napa.

While I was in California I met with friends Carlos and Charlie with an organic certifying company. Charlie was the certifyer who certified the coffee for our Lachiguiri coffee growers. They will be marketing a new product that can feed the world and have agreed to help us with seed, teach our people how to grow this crop and have buyers already that will buy the finished product.

Another friend with Chapin Living Waters has a irrigation program for our type of agriculture program and they are sending a sample package for us. Then our friend Jason, who has worked with the coffee growers, will give us help when he comes down during the winter months.

Damian is a fisherman by trade and many times catches a boatload of fish. This will feed a lot of people. We are also looking into the heifer program. They help with animal husbandry like cattle, goats, and chickens. So we do hope to grow our own basic food supply.

I even have enough silverware left over that Shamrock Dairy provided for our youth campground in Lachiguiri several years ago.

Una Esperanza Huatulco Land

Three years ago Damian obtained part of this parcel to start a mission and feeding program. He with the help of members of one of his missions cleared part of the highway frontage of the land and built what he calls a small Chocita. This is where he has been having Bible Studies and services for some of the people living near this property.

At the top of this column you will find a slide show of Una Esperanza Huatulco of the present use of the property. Since I was last there in June a few more lean-to houses have been built.

There is about 17 acres of land, not all usable but part of the package. The owner has agreed to sell us all of the property for $300,000 pesos. As of August 3 we owe about 220,000 pesos or about $18,000 dollars to pay it off. (the exchange varies a lot day to day)

Pastor Damian has cleared a small portion of the land to grow corn. They just planted the seed.

We will be using the land for temporary housing for the families who need a place to stay. Some of the land we will use for agriculture and animal husbandry. We hope to build right away a multipurpose building where we can feed the people and have Bible Clubs and church.

On the roadside we want to have a storefront where people can stop for sodas and junk food (this is on the main tourist highway). Also we will have a taco stand that a brother in Napa California, Patrick gave money for and he will come in November to teach Hernan how to make his specialty Baha tacos like in his Napa restaurant.

Then we would like a small clinic to serve the health needs, and later a school since most of the children do not attend a school.