Fellowship in Oaxaca
A study weekend in Oaxaca supports a growing group of brothers, sisters, and interested friends through fellowship and classes on Israel’s place in God’s purpose.
Read Time: 3 minutes
While chatting with me a few months ago about our yearly pastoral visit, Sister Cynthia Paiva de Lopez suggested that Brother Dennis Paggi and I fly to Oaxaca this year to meet them there rather than go to our usual destination in the Guadalajara area. Oaxaca is almost as far south as you can go in Mexico, and quite near to Central America. In the last few years, there have been several baptisms of brothers and sisters from the Oaxaca area, two of whom I saw baptized during my visit in 2024: Brothers Emilio and Antonio, father and son. That same year, two sisters from Oaxaca also flew up to participate in the study weekend—Sisters Yolanda and Rocio. Cynthia felt it would be nice to support them all and see if we could generate more interest in the area by holding a study weekend, and by doing some advertising in the area beforehand to invite interested friends.
For the topic of our Study Weekend, Dennis and I chose the subject of Israel, Past, Present, and Future. This choice was based on a request by Sister Yolanda, who told me she still has friends at her former Christian church to whom she has trouble speaking about Israel and its place in God’s plan, and so she would appreciate learning more. Because this topic is very extensive, Dennis and I decided to break it up into sections, starting with the beginnings of Israel from the promises to Abraham, and then following Israel through history, leading up to the kingdom of God. We would also include a section on the followers of Christ, Jews in spirit. This effort proved to be a time-consuming yet fascinating subject.
We arrived at Oaxaca Airport and were greeted by Sisters Cynthia and Rosa, who took us to the nearby lodgings they had reserved. The air was very mild, and the ground was wet since it is the rainy season in Oaxaca. The climate there is similar to that of the Central Valley in Costa Rica, with which I am very familiar. Both are between 4,000 and 5,000 feet above sea level, giving them a mild subtropical/tropical climate. The lodgings Cynthia had reserved for us were all part of a single complex, with several rooms and suites of varying sizes. Some of the brothers and sisters had come with Cynthia and her husband, Brother Gabriel, from the Guadalajara area, and were staying there as well. Dennis and I were in a very pleasant two-bedroom unit.
We enjoyed a good night of rest and woke up the next day refreshed. We went to the apartment next door, where we had a delicious breakfast, cooked by Sister Rosa, and we enjoyed chatting with some of the brothers and sisters who had flown down from Guadalajara. We were told they had all arrived a couple of days before us and had done some hand-billing in the area to advertise our classes.
The study weekend began on Saturday at 3:30 pm after a tasty lunch of roasted chicken. It was held at a local venue with a meeting area covered with a simple roof and open at the sides. This structure protected us from the sun but provided some ventilation. There was also a nice garden next to the meeting area. Sister Rocio, from Oaxaca, works at the venue and was able to reserve it for our study weekend. Brother Gabriel and Sister Cynthia always do a wonderful job organizing the events. Gabriel is the principal presider, but he also involves some of the brethren, both in person and online, in giving prayers and readings. Cynthia handles all the technology, making sure we can project our PowerPoint slides and that those participating online can hear, participate, and see them.
In the early afternoon, Dennis gave the first class on Abraham and the beginnings of Israel. I gave the second class, on Natural Israel: History and Prophecy. There were about 14 in attendance, with a few more online. There was a lot of participation after the classes when the floor was opened for questions and comments. After a fulfilling first day, we returned to our lodgings and had dinner together, finishing up some of the delicious food from breakfast.
Sunday began with the Memorial Service, during which Dennis gave the exhortation on Isaac’s sacrifice, after which I gave the third class on Natural Israel: Now and in the Future. After the class, I was chatting with Gabriel when the clouds opened up, and the rain began pelting down. The sound of the rain on the venue’s roof was so loud that it was difficult to hear each other. It was at about this time that lunch was served, so we mostly ate in silence. Fortunately, the rain had stopped by the time I gave the fourth class on the subject of Spiritual Israel: Our Connection to Israel.
After the classes, we packed up and headed back to our lodgings. For dinner, we decided to go out to a small cafe just down the street, and we enjoyed a delicious meal of home-style Mexican food. My beef tacos were delicious! We then headed back, and Dennis and I packed that evening, since we were to leave fairly early the next morning.
All in all, the weekend was a blessing, providing the opportunity to enjoy fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Mexico and to study together. As always, Gabriel and Cynthia did a wonderful job coordinating everything, making sure it all came together, and ensuring it was a spiritually uplifting experience for all.
David Collister,
CBMA Link for Mexico