The Zapotec indigenous tribe was once a great civilization, around the year 500 before Christ (BC) – they have lived in southern Mexico since 1000 before Christ (BC), approximately. They were among the first American people to develop writing and built an imposing city called Monte Alban, consisting of pyramids, laborious buildings and sports stadiums. But, later, other tribes took the city and the Zapotecs spread across the region.

Currently, this indigenous community suffers from poverty and the difficulties of survival. For this reason, Rocío Sánchez Azuara, presenter of TV Azteca, who knows and admires the Universal’s work in the country, asked for help in favor of a Zapotec community that inhabits the South Mountain area in the municipality of Santa Maria Quiegolani, in the state of Oaxaca (see map).

So, on February 27, work began at 5 am to bring aid. A truck left from the Universal Church in Tacubaya, in the capital of Mexico City, to Santa Maria Quiegolani to take a massive donation (which included the collaboration from all the UCKGs in Mexico), containing about 20 tons of food to meet the needs of community and blankets because the cold in the mountainous region is rigorous. They travelled a very challenging 9-hour course, through many dirt roads.

When they reached the community, the Zapotec people received the volunteers with much friendliness. A local band expressed their happiness at that moment and the community prepared a meal – with the little recourses they had – consisting of rice, chicken, blue corn tortilla and water flavored with pumpkin called “Chilacayote” (pumpkin-squash) to receive the visitors.
Congresswoman Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza, known to support the indigenous people in Mexico, welcomed the volunteers and gave the representatives of the Universal a craft as a symbol of gratitude for their support.

Across the country, on Sundays, outreach work and evangelization is promoted in other indigenous communities as well, for example, in the cities of Iztepec, Huehutla and Paraiso – the common languages in these places are totonac, toxtla and nahuatl, besides Spanish. More than 200 indigenous people participate in the weekly meetings.

According to bishop Paulo Roberto Guimarães, responsible for the Universal in Mexico, the evangelistic work is aimed to help these people, regardless of social status, culture or religion, so they can have a decent life. With words of faith and hope, everyone learns that no one was born to suffer and that you can be happy – you just need to believe in the Lord Jesus and act with intelligence. To sit back and wait for the situation to get worse is not an option.
In the end, all of the Zapotec realized, with the presence of the UCKG, they are not alone, there is hope in seeing the end of their pain.

Take a look at the photos and video below, which show the social work in the indigenous community: