Dear Friends and Loved ones,
As many of you know we just returned for Juarez Mexico where we went to minister to the Pastors and the leaders there.
Before we left we were asked by Pastor Bagwell to go on a 40 day fast and prayer. After the 40 days we had a week long Prophetic Convocation, which means the gathering of eagles. Speakers from third world countries were invited and God moved in a powerful way.
As you know the economic drought is hitting all over the world. God is showing man that He is in control and not mans government.
A week after the convocation we joined Pastor Mike, missions pastor for Word of Life Christian Center, and traveled to Juarez to meet with the Pastors. As I spoke to the Lord concerning what I had received at the convocation, in the form of anointing, I told the Lord that I didn’t want to store what he had give me. But rather that I wanted to share it with people who were in need of hearing from GOD.
As you know, the Lord called me to Mexico 14 years ago. My first trip was to Monterey, Mexico. There the Lord told me that I was to be a missionary to the Mexican people. During the past 14 years I made over two hundred trips across the border.
In have ministered to the Mexican people, taken in clothes and food, worked in orphanages, held tent revivals, organized and taken in teams, help built churches, built homes for pastors. God sent me to assist the people in Mexico.
On my first trip to Mexico I questioned the Lord as to why he had chosen me to go to such a dry and desolate country. After all these years I now see why. I found in Mexico those that loved the Lord, who needed to hear the news of Jesus Christ, who needed their souls restored, orphans that needed to know they had a Father who loved them.
Many seed of the gospel were sowed; many lost came to know Christ as their Savior. The countless miles of travel into Juarez and the many friends that I met brought a closeness I will never forget.
In April of 2008 God told me that I was to go to Juarez with a team that was lead by Pastor Mike who had traveled with us for 13 years, my fellow missionary and friend. So once again I crossed the border into Juarez. At that time I felt that this would be my last trip into the country that had grown to be my home. I told Pastor Mike that this was my last trip to Mexico and my last time in the mission field.
But to my surprise it was not what God had wanted.
I had often question God why he had called me into Juarez? I remember my first mission trip there. I was a shock to see what lay before me as we crossed the borders of the United Sated into Mexico. I had left my country of green grass, paved roads, beautiful homes, nice cars; to enter a dry country that was all full of trash. I often question God why you have called me into Juarez?
Mission’s teams came with us from all over the United States to plant the seed of Jesus Christ, to build homes, and feed the poor. Then the borders were open to missionaries and through our work many received the gospel. God knew that one day the borders would be closed and missionaries would not be able to enter freely. Through our efforts many were lead to Christ, told about Jesus. The seeds planted about Christ were watered, and many souls were restored.
As the years went by we had seen, as President Fox came into power, that Juarez started to get a new look; new condos were built where once there were shacks of cardboard and pallets. New roads were built and the city was made livable once again.
Doing mission work in Mexico brought me excitement seeing what GOD was doing through those who ministered with us. But on this last trip the story was different. I had never felt the pain in my spirit; I was extremely saddened by what I saw.
This time as we entered Juarez, I saw a sign that stated that there would be a three hour delay crossing the border back into Texas. As many cars and trucks rushed across the bridge to America, I noticed something different. There were solders everywhere. Big black military vehicles, with eight heavily armed men in each one, were driving in groups of three or four up and down the streets. There were reports the Drug Lords were trying to overturn the government. All of the Mexican/American borders towns were being hit hard this conflict.
My spirit was saddened even more so when we went to hotel where we had stayed with teams over the years. There were very few patrons at the hotel except for forty or fifty Federal Police officers billeting there. They were armed and ready to kill. In all 7,200 troupes had been summoned to protect Juarez. They were dressed in full armor ready to shoot at the command of their officers. As I talked to several of them I could see the look on their faces revealed that they meant business.
We felt safe there because we were surrounded by troupes, yet sadden at the same time because the church members were in hiding because of fear. We heard that about 2,000 people had been killed in the days before we arrived.
We were actually in the middle of a war between the military and the drug lords. My heart has never felt so sadden before, but now was torn apart by what was happening. The street in front of the hotel was all ways busy like 1-25 in Denver. Now there were trucks filled with military driving in packs. Only a few cars were seen.
Our hotel was guarded with federal police who had stressed faces. They looked at us, I could feel the question why are you here? I talked to one of the officers and asked how long this was going to last. He said that they would be there for a year or years. We felt like God had stationed angles to watching over us.
The following morning we decided to go the Mercado which had always been one of the highlights of a mission trip to Juarez. When we arrived we found the market mostly empty. We actually parked in the first spot right outside the front entrance. Many of the venders had closed their stores. The ones remaining were hurting because there were no tourists to buy their wares.
Many of the venders expressed their sadness over the state of the economy. We encouraged as we could and asked if we could pray for their businesses. Many were glad to have us pray for them. Several gave their hearts to Christ.
As we walked through the market we felt like death had come to this place. Most of the stores had closed yet a few stood in faith that they were going to make it. Walking through the marked we could hear the echo of our voices. Once it rang with the laughter of many happy shoppers.
I remembered a man by the name of Armando who had four stores in the balcony area. At one time had sold blankets to our teams for the orphanages. He had taken in one of our team who had been left at the market by mistake. Through our meeting him and telling him about Christ he gave his heart to Christ. This time as we walked up to his store, we asked him what had happened. With a sad look on his face he told us that business was bad and that he was just trying to make some money to take care of his wife.
We always ate lunch outside of the marked in the busy restaurant area. This time it was empty except for another family across from us.
Surprisingly our waiter seemed very uneasy as he went about waiting on us. He kept on telling us that he could seat us inside of the building where we could be safe. The word safe keep coming out of his mouth, “I can seat you inside where it is SAFE.”
Afterward we discussed what had happened. We noticed, as we were being seated a young man eating by himself. He had the appearance of being rich with an air of arrogance about him. Both Lisa and I felt that he was a drug lord and that the waiter wanted us to move because of a possible assassination being set up. We now believe that God’s presence with us had protected this gentleman from harm.
That evening we went to see Lilly who was one of our translators. We asked her what was going on. She told us about the drug lord and the killings in Juarez. She mentioned that members of the church were scared and many of them were staying in hiding fearful of being killed.
Lilly mentioned that many of the people worked for the U.S. factories that had moved into Mexico. These companies were cutting their pay in half, to $50 per week. If they were late to work their days wages would be again cut into half. If they quite their jobs they would lose all of the retirement and benefits accrued.
That night as we meet with the pastor and other leaders of the church, I could feel a spirit of depression over them. The Lord was showing me that this time we were not there to pray for those that need Jesus; but to encourage those that were ready to give up their ministry. The movement of the Holy Spirit was strong as we prayed and lay on hands; many were slain in the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was telling me to tell them not to give up; to keep on with Jesus because he was coming soon. Sunday morning there was a movement of the Holy Spirit of God like I had never felt or seen before.
God was showing me that for 14 years many seeds were sown; now we were there to give encouragement to the leadership of the church. God was giving them a message that now was not the time to give up; it is the time to move higher and higher with him.
That night, as I was praying about what the Lord had shown me, I kept on hearing the word Taliban. The Taliban is hiding behind the drug lords. They are in Mexico and at all the borders ready to move across into America. Tell my people to keep on praying for the Taliban are ready to overthrow the Mexican government and they will try to overthrow the United States government as well.
We had heard that the United States was thinking about closing the borders because of the danger taking place. This would cease further mission’s trips to help minister to those in Juarez.
God also showed me that through all of these years of work that there remain a remnant who had given their hearts to Christ and were seeking God for answers.
The borders of Mexico are now becoming closed to missionary groups because of fear. “Houses of Christ”, who previously built 110 houses a month, are no longer taking groups in because they fear their team member will be killed.
Because of what is happening, Lilly said that many of the strong Christians believe that revival is going hit Mexico, starting in Juarez.
Please keep our Mexican brothers and sisters in Christ in your prayers.