It was a very remote village during those years at 4,984 ft. elevation surrounded by coffee plantations and beautiful waterfalls and a grotto. Dad said that the locals told him about the grotto first thing and showed him where it was. I Googled it and it is a very fascinating place.
Can you believe how far they have come by offering free WiFi and zip lining recreation. A far cry from those earlier days as well as a road into that remote village that used to be a 5 hr. hike from Cuautempan where we moved to next.
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| Street view of the Mission Compound |
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| An Aerial View of Zapotitlan ~photo taken by Herman Aschmann in 1948 or 1949 The Catholic Church tower in the center of the village “Once when we were leaving for the United States, we asked an Indian woman, a Christian, what message we should take to the brethren in the States. The following was her reply: Tell them that though I may never see them on earth, when I reach the Glory Land, I am going to gather all of you missionaries, and take you to the Lord Jesus and thank Him for having sent you to Mexico to bring us the blessed Gospel of Christ.”~November 1951 Dr. James G. Dale director (Excerpt from MIM newsletter) E R PIONEER STYLE Frequently Dad has come up with some distant, sketchy piece of his journeys to share. After some research into memorabilia he has saved, I have found later the story to substantiate in more detail. So yesterday, he was telling me about a man who lost his arm. After doing some historical detective work, digging from at least 3 sources, I found the following fascinating story. "The man in the preceding narrative is a Quetero, a maker of firecrackers used in Pagan and other festivities. Having failed to take proper precautions to keep the powder cool during an unusually hot day, a ten pound box of it flashed while he was attending to it, catching him off guard, and severely burned him. For weeks he suffered shell-shock symptoms, making it necessary for NURSE HAZEL to arise at night to quiet his outcries." ~quote from MIM news letter As NURSE HAZEL was quoted as saying "It has given us many opportunities to speak of our Lord and glorify Him, not only to those immediately concerned but to others, for this thing has spread all around." Another quote from NURSE HAZEL~MIM newsletter, 1951 BUSY DAYS AT HOME in Zapotitlan: "Here at home there are three patients in the clinic. One, a man shot up with dynamite (fire-crackers). He has been here , at this time, three weeks. We thank the Lord for a doctor, who lives 8 hours away, and who came to help us on such cases. Again surgery was successful. Through days and nights of care and vigil, we see progress being made. Wounds are healing and he is feeling much better. The Lord has very graciously spared another life. We clam this soul for the Kingdom." From another perspective “At 9:00 p.m., Saturday night there was a knock on the door… We rode horseback for an hour in the rain, darkness all around, but with the very real presence of Christ, and arrived in the stick hut where all the relatives were seated around a body covered with blood, some caked blood and much fresh blood…Without hesitation,  The wife (of Mr. Ramoz) is a beautiful Totonac Indian. The 3 younger boys were sleeping on their straw mat, oblivious to all. The 20-yr-old married son and the old grandfather were all eagerness to help and watch these women working among a hut full of Indian men. It was as strange to them as it was to me, but not a too unusual experience for Nurse Hazel and Bessie, who with their courage and skill have saved many lives, both physically and spiritually. A little sleep, and then the relatives carried the injured man on a stretcher down the rocky mountain trail to OUR TINY CLINIC. DR REUBEN GONZALEZ lives 8 hours out, and had to borrow a horse to come in over steep, rock trail. He did not arrive until Monday night. I slept on an improvised board bed near the patient at nights so Nurse Hazel could get a little rest, because the responsibility was hers. At 9 pm, (Monday) with the “legal” help of Don Xavier, ex-president, two dirty Indian men to brush off the flies, one dirty Indian to hold the bottle of anesthetic, and a “sterile” saw,-----We were ready to amputate an arm. But, by midnight, the patient was still wide awake, unable to be anesthesied because of the many years he had been an alcoholic. We prayed for guidance and decided to wait until morning and operate with out anesthesia. In the morning, Dr. Gonzales did a magnificent piece of surgery, amputating one hand, mending a face that had been partly “blown away” and sewing up a mutilated hand. Now, three weeks later, Señor Ramoz is an example of the skill of this young doctor, the courage and skill of NURSE HAZEL, and, God’s miracle.” ~article by one of the more new dramatic,enthusiastic, new to the field, DOROTHY SLOTE with a propensity toward dramatic flair. (May/June 1951 MIM newsletter)“ *********** DOROTHY SLOTE WITH DONA ESPERANZA  A post script to this article states “Loren Ediger and Don Mario (Native pastor) have just come back from a trip, 12 hrs. out on the rugged trails, visiting Christians scattered through these mountains…) " Needless to say that the medical ministry was also highly important. LIFE CERTAINLY IS FASCINATING, ISN'T IT? MIM MEDICAL MISSIONS MINISTRY BEGINNINGS On May 30, 1900 soon after Katherine Neel began her medical ministry in Mexico she married fellow ARP missionary, Rev. James Dale. Together they spread the gospel in Rio Verde, Tampico, and Tamazunchale. God used the Dales to bring personal revival to many Mexicans in these places. As a result of her great work as a gifted physician and ambassador for Christ "hundreds and thousands would follow her from Mexico into the land of the Redeemed and the Blest." (p.143) DR. KATHERINE NEEL DALE MEDICAL MISSIONARY BOOK ON AMAZON CLICK HERE  |
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