January 2020
Hello again from Cacalote! We’re so excited to tell you about our continued adjustment to all the changes, big and small, and about our new rhythm and work here.
You may have heard already, but we’re happy to share that THE TRAILER ARRIVED! It was like Christmas around here. We literally pulled the trailer around town making deliveries to different places – medicines and other medical supplies to the clinic, personal items to several missionary families, academic materials and projectors for the various schools here at Roca Blanca, and of course our things! We were beyond happy to see our clothes, personal items, and above all our bicycles. We finished by dropping off the empty trailer to the clinic, where it will be used for village outreaches and other transportation needs. We are so thankful it finally arrived. What a blessing. Thanks to all who prayed that we’d be able to get it sooner than later!
Here is a glimpse of what we’ve been up to via pictures:
Most of our time is spent here – in the classroom. Level 1 (out of 4) will finish next week. Our window looks out onto the base and when the waves are high we can hear the ocean pounding on the beach. Grammar, Vocab, Verbs, Translation, Phonetics… it’s a full day of classes. Hannah teaches Grammar for levels 1 and 2. Ben is working very hard to get all the material and finish strong.
Meet Buddy and Big Bird
View from the Spanish school, watching the kids walk to school. This is on the base. The kids meet under the round tree before going to their classroom buildings.
Norah spending time with a neighborhood cat in our yard. The kids have spent so much time outside! It’s so good for them.
Bug bites on Wesley’s back. The bugs have made a buffet out of all of us. We think some of the kids’ illnesses could have been viruses transmitted by mosquito.
The Spanish school took a culture day and went to Tututepec a couple of hours away. We received a personal tour of some modern murals at a new town hall that show the history of the Mixteco people, including depictions of their oral traditions and creation story. Other murals covered the same subjects with other indigenous peoples of our area.
We also stopped at a museum nearby. These grinding stones are thousands of years old, but the modern stones are essentially unchanged.
In front of the Catholic church in Tututepec
This is a picture of the Virgin of Juquila, a very famous, Barbie doll-sized wooden representation of Mary. There is quite a bit of lore around it, and it’s believed by many that if a petitioner creates a clay model of what they want and place it before her, it will come to them.
A Spanish school teacher set up a projector outside and the students got together for the Super Bowl and some American food. It was a blast.
Grammar is so fascinating that a Black Iguana hung out outside our window to listen. We all went out to take a look. He let us gawk for a few minutes until someone said “taco” and he took right off. They are a desired main course around here!
It was Hannah’s birthday shortly after arrival. The family (Dad, Laura, Ben and kids) went together to buy this beautiful cage with planters, and two cockatiels to hang out on our front porch. Things are far less expensive here! It’s remarkable.
The kids’ uniforms finally came in! They are standing in front of our house. We live on the bottom floor and the owners live on the top.
When you don’t have a table, use a stool! Uno is the great unifier.
The trailer brought our bicycles! Our car is still not working (computer issues that we’re still working on!) so we ride everywhere around town and bike to school every morning.
This is the church in town that we’ve been attending. It’s a different experience to try to tune out the dogs, roosters, chickens etc. so that we can hear the sermon!
The murals covered the walls on both floors of the town hall.
This is an ancient carving of Quetzalcoatl, a flying serpent who the Mixteco people believed created the earth and man. It is featured in all the important events of their world history. The belief systems of these indigenous people are deeply rooted to this day, and play a huge role in how people here live and worship. There is another statue of the moon goddess at the museum. We saw remnants of incense that had been burned to the carving.
A stone’s throw away is the Catholic church in Tututepec. There are figures – carvings, statues, etc. – toward the front of the church that people believe hold special power to answer prayers or bring what the petitioner desires. The concept is not dissimilar to worship of carved images of Quetzalcoatl and other deities. There continues to be darkness and confusion!
Pilgrims to the virgin of Juquila are regularly seen in our area. Ben took this picture of a group of people who were carrying a torch and passing it along on the highway to go see it. They are following a facsimile of the statue. Idol worship may sound like an ancient practice but it’s very real here.
The beach next to the missions base. We’ve only gotten there a few times but each time we’re reminded of God’s creativity and greatness.
We have had a number of challenges since our arrival.
As already mentioned, the first couple of weeks were difficult because of the kids’ illnesses. They recovered from that (hallelujah!), but a couple of weeks ago Hannah got an infected tooth that needed antibiotics and a root canal. We are working on getting a crown put on in the next week or so. Pray that all goes well with that!
Over this last week and weekend, Ben has experienced some issues with his heart. He began feeling palpitations that came in episodes of 15-20 minutes. On Monday the 10th of February there was a more severe episode and we went directly to the base clinic, where an EKG confirmed an irregularity in his heartbeats. He has begun medication to help his heart regulate and is being monitored to see how he does with that. The nearest cardiologist is 2 hours away. We’d love to go see him for an echo-cardiogram for further diagnosis, but would love it even more if it wasn’t necessary. He has received prayer here at the base prayer house. Please join us in praying for Ben’s heart and for peace of mind.
These challenges, as well as the ongoing car issue, have the stamp of a spiritual attack with the goal to discourage, and to bring fear and frustration. We realized recently that the car broke down almost immediately after entering into “our” state of Oaxaca. Coincidence? We don’t see it that way. So please pray for steady hearts, minds “set on things above”, and health in our bodies!
Please also continue to pray for our ongoing adjustment to… well, everything! The pace of life, the weather, the food, the tremors from nearby earthquakes – it’s all normal here but new to us.
“But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” ~Hebrews 10:39
THANK YOU for partnering with us in prayer. It’s felt and appreciated!
Love you guys!!
Yes!! You too.
Testing. Does this work? 🙂 Hearing of teaching grammar and language makes my heart happy! 🙂 I’ve been praying for your transition and adjustment. In college, I used to have heart palpitations and it was stress related (subconscious). One day I made a decision, (seriously) I WILL NOT accept this and be stressed anymore. Don’t ask me why but the decision caused a reversal and I stopped having those. I was not a believer yet! Just a little anecdote to say that I have been there. Love to hear about everything you are doing! We are praying for you and covering you!
Yes! It’s working!
Thanks for commenting. And for the encouraging word! Ben was already quite a bit better today. We’re trusting for complete healing.
Praying peace over Ben’s heart, mind and spirit. Lord that You for blanketing the whole family in Your love.
Thank you!!
So wonderful to see all the pictures and hear your story. PRAYING for healing for Ben!
Thank you Sue! Great to hear from you. ❤️
Loved reading through this and looking at all the pictures! You guys are in my thoughts and prayers and I’m believing for “smoother sailing” as we all collectively pray for you. Love you all.❤️
Thanks Miriam! <3
We loved reading your letter and seeing all those pics that are worth ‘a thousand words’. We agree that you have been under attack for stepping out in obedience and faith, but greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. So you will know victory as you put your faith and trust in Christ alone, and being upheld by the prayers of many. Animo, hermanos x x x
Thank you!! Our hearts say “amen!” to your encouragement.
You guys are doing a great work! Thank you for sharing some of your experiences. We can relate to some of the hardships from back when we were foreign missionaries some years ago. God always comes through and His timing is always linked to our character development. Although I’m kind of a distant cousin, we love and pray for you guys and are proud to call you family!
You’re so right! God is faithful to work his character in us in joy or pain. I was having a conversation with another missionary here and she told me about the massive sacrifices of another missionary in another part of the world. It brought perspective and gratitude! Thank you for your prayers. And plan a trip to see us sometime!
That would be fantastic! All in God’s timing.
Thank you for such a FULL update and for all the photos! Praying in song over you “I will not be shaken”, because you belong to the Almighty Lord of lords fear doesn’t stand a chance! He is greater than he who is in this world!! And with all you need to do, and want to do, I also pray you will get to that beach often and breathe deeply – for His peace and joy surrounds you.
Marnie, we miss and love you! Thank you for your encouragement and affirmation of who God is to His children.
Thank you for the wonderful updates and photos. We’re continually praying for you guys. Apparently we’ll have to pray harder… :). We need to get that car in and put a stop to all the medical issues!
Be blessed friends!
Matt and Brenda! Been thinking about you guys lately. Thanks for praying and yes, keep it up please! We’re thankful for your friendship. Love you both. ~B and H
Praying for you! Hang in there. The Lord made the way for you to be there and is faithful to see you through. Blessings on your journey!
Thank you Linda!
Ben, Hannah and family,
You have been in our hearts, mind and prayers! You have not had a easy slide into your new roles there! As a Minnesotan would say…Uffda! Great to see pictures, it gives us a sense of things there. Love the new birds. 🙂
God is your refuge and strength. When we are weak, He is strong!!! His peace is beyond anything we could come up with. We pray a hedge of protection around each one of you, your health, minds, souls and spirits! We pray for Ben’s heart, total restoration. That the rhythm would coincide with the Lord’s.
We have not seen our donation taken out yet. Was that to start yet? We want to make sure you are getting it.
By the way, my book is getting published later this week. Yippee! I am having a book launch event March 22. It would have been fun to have you here for it. I will send you a copy, with love, when I get the shipment. 🙂
Give all the kids a hug for us! We love you!!!!
God bless you!
Jon and Lisa
Lisa!! That is so exciting about your book release! That has been such a labor of love and so much work for you. We can’t WAIT to see how it turned out,
I’m not sure about the donation… I’ll ask the main office and see what’s up. And we love you too!
Thanks for the update and the wonderful photos of your precious family! Praise God the trailer arrived. Will continue to pray for healing for Pastor Ben. Agreeing with your prayer from Hebrews 10:39 that you won’t shrink back. God has called you to Oxaca and has great things in store for you. We love you guys! Dan, Maura and Nathan
Thank you dear Hackenmueller family! Looking forward to sending out a good report soon!
Greetings!! Thank you for your wonderful update. We are so blessed by your faith and perseverance. You are an inspiration!! Please say hello to your dear children. I miss interacting with them. You are in our thoughts and prayers. We are praying for good reports of God’s victories, even in the midst of attacks from every side.
Blessings,
Ken and Sharon
Thank you for the encouragement! I’ll pass your love along to the kids. They’ll be happy to hear from you!
Ben and Family: You guys amaze me. Ben, I am so very blessed to see the mountains you have climbed to get here. Tomorrow night I will take communion, like we did many years ago, and ask God to do just a bit of break through for you and team. Heaven is waiting for our prayers to deliver freedom to His sons and daughters. It is time for the weapons of the Holy Spirit. God be praised.
Larry! Thank you so much for your kind words. You’re a blessing. You were a big part of my journey up those mountains. Yes and amen to prayers of deliverance and warring against principalities and powers. Love you brother. ~Ben
Amen to trusting for complete healing! We got to pray for P. Ben and the family Monday night at Lifestreams. I (Karen) had a strong sense that the reason the specialist was closed Monday is because GOD wanted to heal Ben, for His glory. So prayed also God make it abundantly clear that HE did the healing – it was not a mistake or overreaction, but a miracle. He is the Great Physician, the Creator God Most High (no problem for Him to re-create if anything needs that). Someone prayed for a shield of protection around your family, like the pillar of cloud between Israel and their enemies at the Red Sea. And cover with His peace vs. any fear. Mama Jean prayed, insisting, that the same God who healed you of gout when you went to camp despite hardly being able to walk, will heal you now; furthermore that God’s healing will be a hallmark of your ministry there in Oaxaca.
P.S. Loved the iguana photo! Hated the bug bites. Do you have repellent? Need more? Katya likes Natrapel.
Love y’all bunches! Karen, James and Katya (and Jonathan)
Thank you Karen! So good to hear about our family in St. Paul praying for us. We receive your word!! Tell Mama Jean that it’s good to be reminded of God’s faithfulness in the past. And we will give him all the glory!!
It’s hard to tell from the picture but that iguana was a big one! Sage was of course thrilled. She’s seen so many new and exciting wild reptiles! 🙂 Yeah, the bug bites aren’t fun. We’ve been using OFF spray which seems to work when applied liberally and frequently. My favorite repellent is DoTerra’s oil mix TerraShield. But I don’t have any! I will have to stock up sometime when we’re in the U.S.
Much love to all of you as well. ~H
Thank you for the update and all the photos!! Everybody looks great, except for Wesley’s back! Yeah, it look like he was the main buffet of the day. I’m praying for all of you and everything, especially Ben’s heart at this time. Please keep us updated. Love you so much, Yo Momma and Grandmomma ❤️
Thanks Mom! Appreciate the prayers. We love and miss you.
I loved getting this! I couldn’t help but think about Uno. You wrote unifier….It could be Unofier!
Praying for you today!
Colossians 1:11 We pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with Joy
Ha! Unofier! 😀
Thanks for praying and loving us from a distance.
Great to hear this update. That walk to school is epic! I want to meet under a crazy round tree every day before work. It is currently -11 in Fosston, with a windchill at -37, so enjoy those palms!! Glad to hear about the trailer, and to see some of the flora a fauna (flora and iguana?). Will be praying for health issues to be resolved, vehicles to run (agreed, those things sound like an attack), and idol worship to be demolished. Love you guys. Hannah, happy belated birthday!
Yeah, the base is beautiful and maintained really well! It’s hard to even remember that it’s winter in Minnesota. It surreal to think about those temps when it’s currently 92 here (no windchill – ha!). It’s actually winter here as well, which is why it gets down into the 70s at night. We’d love for you to come hang out with us for a while and enjoy the palms for yourself! They’ll be here waiting for you along with the flora and the fauna. Thank you for your prayers. We love you too!
Good day to you Ben, Hannah and Children ?
So beautifully written Hannah and the pictures are lovely and all very informative. Rejoicing with you for the Chilren’s good health, personal items and supplies arriving and ‘settling in’ you your home and work.
With my now doing missions to India and Kenya thus far, I can understand and relate to some of the things that you are discovering about their beliefs and traditions etc. where you are. Wisdom about animals too. I pray your immune systems stay strong and healthy.
Greater is He that’s within you than he that is in the world. That is true anywhere❣ My prayer is in agreement that all assignments against your family are cancelled in the mighty Name of JESUS of Nazereth. ?? I/We thank God and give Him praise for a good and healthy outcome/report for Ben. ?? Victory in Jesus.
Isaiah 54
Psalms 91
Shalom,
Katherine Christal
Thank you Katherine for the encouragement! We are trusting in God’s faithfulness!
Hi Ben and Hannah, I want you to know we are praying for you all at DGT in Duluth Mn. We had our mission Comittee meeting Wednesdayand we feel like so many others this has been quite a spiritual attack!! So we stand on the promises with you. God brought you that car and we pray it will be very effective for you. Love to you all.
Hello Kathy! Thank you for the encouragement and for remembering us all the way from Duluth. It’s humbling to know you’re lifting us up in prayer and to have your partnership in that way. So thank you again! We look forward to giving an excellent report about the car soon.