The work of my host organisation 'Milamex', and its challenges
[This article was originally written for an e-newsletter sent out on 28 November 2005.]
I have been placed with 'Milamex', a Mexican-based missionary organisation founded in 1964. Among its activities, Milamex works alongside churches to promote evangelism, and help guide Christians to return to their 'first love' in Christ.
However, in addition, it's work in Christian publishing has been a growing ministry over the years, meeting a need for relevant Christian literature that is not met elsewhere. Publishing is now perhaps its main activity. In fact, one of Milamex's primary periodicals, 'Prisma', has been in publication since 1969.
What makes Milamex's ministry special, is that it has an excellent relationship with all evangelical Christian denominations (a rare quality here); a fruit of it's late founder Juan Isáis (my boss's Dad) who was widely respected.
Yet Milamex faces great challenges. Mexico, although strictly a secular country, is both politically and socially prejudiced against Christianity - and there are many stories I could tell to illustrate this but don't have the space here to elaborate (I may do so in a future blog). It was only as recently as 1992 that a law was passed allowing a Christian organisation to be a legal entity.
However, as part of my first analysis of Milamex publications, I asked why the titles of their periodicals gave no hint that they were Christian publications eg. 'Prisma', 'Noticiero Milamex'. I was told that the government would not allow them to be printed if they had a Christian-themed title, and they have to be very careful in how they 'spin' the language.
We launched a book just last month entitled 'Secrets for a Successful Wife', and gives biblically based advice on how to deal with real everyday issues in a marriage for Christian wives, such as sex, developing the friendship and conflict resolution. The book has been written by Juan's wife Elizabeth Isáis, who is still working an 8+ hour day at gone 80. There is no such material on the market here for Christians to read, and the book has had a huge reception here amongst Christian women.
To see a picture of Elizabeth, visit: www.flickr.com/photos/timthompson/64788593/in/set-1398811/ The following picture in that set is that of her book.
However, just like the periodicals, there is nothing in the title or on the cover of the book to suggest it is Christian material. This is not to be deceptive, but to try and cut past the deep prejudices that are held by people who for example choose whether or not to stock the book in their bookshop. Bookshops will hold material from many other religious movements, but why not Christianity?
I ask that question especially so in relation to this book, in a city where marital unfaithfulness runs riot. Families break up and there are many thousands of children and youths 'on the street' with mothers who can't look after them and fathers who just don't care. It is of course the broken lives that turn to crime, not an insignificant problem here. What greater need could there be?
The problems of politics and prejudice against Christianity, and how they affect Milamex, I think run much deeper than I present here; I don't fully understand the situation as yet.
One of my main roles will be to see how we can use the web to help market materials like this, to widen their distribution where we struggle to distribute them otherwise. Because people don't have much money here, we try to subsidise the cost of our publications against money donated to support Milamex - which makes it all the more important to market and distribute the materials effectively - as we never have very much money!
That's a little taster for the moment, I'll give more on my work with Milamex in future updates.
To see some pictures of where I am now working visit: www.flickr.com/photos/timthompson/sets/1398811/
posted by Tim Thompson | 12:37 AM
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