Rachel Chapman ministers among the Nahuatl people of Mexico. “At the beginning of the month [of November], people all over Mexico celebrated the Day of the Dead. Historically a Nahuatl practice, it has evolved into the colourful festivities that are common around the country today.

“Here in the village, the old beliefs and customs continue in a more traditional manner. The people believe that once a year during this time, souls return to earth to commune with their living relatives. People prepare feasts, making all the favourites of the deceased to enjoy on their visit. They hold wakes to stay up all night with the visiting spirits.

“But it’s not all fun and games. The people have to make sure to keep the spirits happy by providing everything that the deceased might want. If not, they could get angry. They believe that dead spirits have power to provide or deny rain for crops and control lightning. They have the power to ‘drag’ living ones into death with them to accompany them in the afterlife.

“However, the believers now have a Biblical worldview. Gesturing to her children, one of the believers said a few years ago, ‘I’m not interested in feeding the dead anymore. I am focusing on feeding the living.’ And this year, one of the believing families held a small birthday party on Day of the Dead. Because of sickness, the party had been delayed, and they ended up celebrating the lives of their twin girls on that day.

“As [a co-worker] and I were celebrating life with the believers, the villagers all around us were sitting in wakes for the dead. I couldn’t help thinking of the spiritual reality: the dead celebrating the dead and the living celebrating the living. Pray for the believers to continue to grow in faith and obedience and unity as a body.”