Bottom photo is of Beth and her brother and his wife and youngest and another missionary couple (Evangelical Free Church) working across the border as well. These friends are running a “helps” ministry. One of their outreach efforts has involved helping women develop micro-businesses in order to help them survive. Many women in Mexico wind up with children but the men have left them to survive on their own. This ministry is helping women find ways to learn and develop skills that can help them survive. Beth bought over $40 worth of handicrafts to help support their efforts. It’s a good work and it has resulted in several women receiving Christ.
Above that photo are a couple of images from the Anglican church up the hill from Beth’s brother. He is the part-time youth pastor at this church. It’s quite a stretch but seems to be a church that has come a long way toward reforming its doctrine with Scripture. It was a very interesting experience to attend their Sunday service with them today. I can’t say I agreed with everything, but many elements of the service were only different to my experience and preferences, rather than in error. Nonetheless, there was a refreshing emphasis on Scripture within the service which I was able to appreciate.
The photo below the lizard is of a mountain that has a cross at its peak. That spot is very near the border of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico.
Tomorrow, we plan to take a late afternoon into the evening trip over to Juarez for a visit to see the area where Beth’s brother and sister-in-law have been ministering for several years now. If possible, we will also visit the ministry of the couple in the bottom photo. Pray for our safety as we travel into what the Mexicans and Americans have been known to call, the “City of Death.” This city has what may be the highest murder rate in the Western Hemisphere and is one of the most violent cities on earth. The murder rate for the first three months of 2010 was almost 40 per day in a city of about 1.5 million people. Nonetheless, it is probably a bit of an overstatement to say that it is overly dangerous for those who are careful and travel in certain areas at certain times.
One thing is for sure, this is a city, like all others in Mexico, that desperately needs the Good News of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about new creations in Christ. We’re privileged to visit this very difficult mission field should our plans for tomorrow work out. Pray with us that we’ll be able to observe the Lord’s work there tomorrow and for our safety and a smooth round-trip. It should only take a few hours.
Knowing Your ABCDs 