What is Mazahua Valley Ministries
(MVM)?
Mazahua Valley Ministries is an evangelical Christian mission that seeks to serve and work with those who are in need, bringing hope to their families through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The MVM officially opened its doors in 1998 as a Christian boarding home for high school students, but the MVM is much more than that. As Christians, we are called to serve in many areas because there are many needs. But the greatest need is the proclamation of the Gospel. People need to hear the true Gospel proclaimed; the Gospel that brings liberation, grace, and salvation. Therefore, we have also been called to walk with the Mazahua Valley Bible Institute, churches, and pastors preaching and teaching the Word of God and bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to our
neighbors.
Our Campus and Location
Children and families from all around the Mazahua Valley region enjoy coming to the MVM campus. Our facilities include student dormitories, a community kitchen, a public library, a student computer lab, a large gathering room and lots of room to run and play!
The MVM campus is located in the Mazahua Valley outside of Atlacomulco (see map below) in the State of Mexico which is approximately 80 miles Northwest of Mexico City in the central highlands of Mexico around 9,600 ft. The climate is fresh during the spring and summer with heavy rains and cold with some frost during the fall and winter. The Monarch butterflies migrate every year from Minnesota to the Mazahua Valley during the months of November-February.
Our ministry covers a radius of 40 miles including 5 counties: Atlacomulco, Ixtlahuaca, San Felipe del Progreso, El Oro y Temascalcingo; reaching out to about twenty four villages and 35 churches from different
denominations.
History of Mazahua Valley Ministries
The idea for Mazahua Valley Minisitries sprung out of a program at the Mazahua Mission. In 1988, Eustacio (Tacho) Dominguez began to work with the scholarship and discipleship program which had the goal of providing Mazahua children with better educational opportunities. This program allowed students in junior high to receive a monthly scholarship, mentoring, and tutoring which would enable them to continue their education. In Mexico , higher education is only provided in the larger cities. There are no school buses that go out into the villages to pick children up for school. If you want an education, you have to live close by the city to go to school. Many of these students who finished junior high expressed the desire to continue with their high school education. This is when the idea came about to build a mission nearby the city, so students could live there during the week and go to school in town. In 1995, it was suggested to build the MVM just outside of Atlacomulco. The proposal was supported by Calvary Lutheran Church in the United States, and the building was finished in 1998. Today, the center provides living space for fifteen disadvantaged students and is a resource to churches and the surrounding
community.
1998 - Sally and Tacho Dominguez at the opening of the (then called)
Mexican Indigenous University Center; now called, Mazahua Valley
Ministries.
The Mazahua People
The Mazahua people are one of 62 indigenous groups found in Mexico.
Although Mazahua is their native language, they are quickly being
assimilated into the national culture. Today, many of the young people
only speak Spanish. The Mazahuas are generally farmers subsisting on
small plots of land. Their main crop is corn used for making tortillas,
the main staple in their diet. Lack of employment has forced many to
migrate to the cities, northern border areas, or the United States to
find work as vendors, masons, or domestic employees. Most children have
access to primary school, but very few go on to finish the secondary
level. Half of the population lives in extreme poverty on less than $5 a
day.
The Mazahua people are known for their gift of hospitality and service,
close family ties, and community. That is why visitation is such an
important aspect of our ministry. Unexpected visitors drop by daily and
it can take us half a day just to visit one person.
