So this past week, I was running errands downtown to I get ready for Sunday evenings at La Roca on Friday before siesta. You have to get things done with before 2 PM when every store closes. So often time Jessie will ask me to pick something up that we need for meals and such. I discovered all the meat stores were closed. I had to stop a minute and figure out why. I mean, I looked at my watch a few times and sat there scratching my head for a bit until I remembered it was Lent. Every Friday, as a tradition, no one (if you are a good Catholic) will eat meat for the next forty days. There was one shop open in the market. So I went to ask him for some ground hamburger. He replied "I have no more left". What about meat for steak tacos? The same response. I wondered why they were even open if they didn't have any meat left? I guess they had meat and sold out because they were the only ones open. It was in this moment, I realized just how the Catholic church effects the economy. To be so influential to have shops closed down because they aren't selling meat for the day. What would it be like if the body of Christ had such influence like this? I am reminded again just how small the Christian population is here in Autlan. It is less than 1 percent who are bible believing, sold out to Jesus, live in complete obedience to God. What does it feel like to be the only Christian? What does it feel like to not meet any other Christians in your work? What does it feel like if to be persecuted for your faith? These are just a few of the questions I am pondering.
