Emotional Logic in Mexico – Report

What started it?

In 2021 Trudi Clements, on furlough as a missionary in NW Mexico, attended a free workshop in Plymouth. She felt Emotional Logic (EL) would be helpful for colleagues and the local Tarahumara and Mexican populations in the Chihuahua region, where they are based in Guachochi at the edge of the Copper Canyon. After completing a crash Foundation Award (FA) she returned to Mexico and over the next year motivated two other missionaries to complete FAs remotely, Edna a local Mexican and Susi from the German DMG missionary organisation that is already trained in EL (where Brigitte Engelberg is an EL trainer).

This core team of three believed EL could be helpfully established in local church pastoral work and community development to stabilise family life, where alcoholism and social abuse are problems in an area where Cartel activity leads to extortion and occasional gunfights between rival gangs. Also, the EL method could help to improve coordination between the several missionaries in the area who come from different nationalities and cultures. 

What was the planned outcome?

The limited aim of this trip was agreed to equip pastors, school leads, and missionaries with sufficient introductory understanding of the EL method to apply its insights for their own personal development, and to improve depth of communication with each other. Once the EL concepts and language skills were routinely used among themselves, they would work out how best to take it to local communities. Prior to their travel, Trevor hosted a men’s meeting by Zoom to gain the support of local pastors. Six attended, one also the Principal of a local secondary school. They were successfully convinced of the value of reinterpreting emotions as a way to build stronger relationships.

How did it go?

Brilliantly! Five, three-hour morning sessions were consistently enough attended by 20 people (11 men, 9 women) for them to receive certificates of attendance, eight pastors, several of their wives, four teachers from the secondary school including the Principal, and several missionaries. Three dropped out. There was excellent engagement and discussion with good humour among participants, who mostly already knew each other, although some of the pastors had never met before owing to a complicated church history in the local area. The concept of Shock and safe places in which they could activate their Growth Cycle to come through stronger is now established among them.

What follow-up?

Further translation of Foundation Award and Coaching Award (CA) materials into Spanish is now justified. This can be quickly achieved using the free DeepL.com translation software, checked out with local Mexican missionaries. 
A WhatsApp group is actively assisting team-building. It could be used as a time-flexible way to progress Foundation Award learning using a modified ‘Journey to Hope’ programme. Occasional Zoom meetings could ensure practice with card pattern interpretation, guess-checking hidden losses, and choosing SMART losses with appropriate assertive Bargaining methods.
There have already been enquiries from other areas of Latin America. Connections with missionary organisations can be increased with DMG in Germany and Latin Link in the UK. 
Practical, low cost ways to progress through FA, CA and Trainer Approval programmes in Spanish are being explored by the Leadership Team.

Trevor Griffiths and Marian Langsford

Can you help? The complete Mexico trip was funded by kind donations. We are always needing and seeking further funds or volunteer time to enable us to continue offering free support where it is needed most. If you can support us please donate now or contact us. Thank you!