Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Reynosa was founded on March 14, 1749. Officially, Reynosa was named after "Rienosa", a city in Spain. The patron saint of Reynosa is the Virgin of Guadalupe, who is also the patron saint of Mexico. December 12th is the Virgin of Guadalupe's day, which is celebrated up to two weeks in the city by many parades.

In the founding years, Reynosa was a hub of a region of "Nuevo Espana" by the same name. This region extended as far north as the Nueces River, west to Laredo, east to the mouth of the river and south toward Monterrey. The primary commerce was cattle ranching. Thus the traditional dress for the region is outfits made from soft, hand painted leather. Cattle continued to be a major part of the economy until irrigation brought in cotton, sugar cane, sorghum and corn. In 1848 when the international boundary was drawn conclusively, most of the cattle land was taken away from the region.

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Isaiah 55 Deaf Ministries

Isaiah 55 Blog

Isaiah 55 Deaf Ministries (Misión Isaias 55) is a grace-based mission that exists to develop and evangelize the communities of Mexico primarily through the education of the deaf population, who are largely left unattended.

I55 is beginning its ministry in Reynosa, which is the largest city in the border state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Reynosa has a population of over 400,000, and it is estimated that there are roughly 1,700 deaf students of school age, the majority of which are mainstreamed in hearing classrooms with little or no assistance.

Through the leadership of Nolton (Nono) Beale, I55 plans to reach the deaf primarily through the construction of small schools which can accommodate 30-40 students. These schools will be scattered throughout the city so that they are able to serve the greater population without forcing students to find transportation. Mexican Sign Language (MSL) will be used to give the children a language, which will open the doors for learning the traditional subjects, and more importantly the good news of Jesus Christ.

Along with educating and evangelizing the youth, MSL training will be available for the families, in order to provide communication at home and opportunities for evangelism to the deaf of heart at well.

BEAMM will be working alongside I55 to establish churches all along the border which will provide a church home for the deaf students and their families alike. We will also work together to reach local communities through community centers, construction assistance, and medical projects.

I55 Director Nono and Kate Beale