First month in Juarez

For one month now I have been working with Promesa de Vida Church in Juarez. I have enjoyed getting to know pastor Juan Antonio Garcia and the members at Promesa. There have been 5 murders within two blocks of the church in October, and 100 murders in the colonia this year. These tragedies have caused the community to consider what happens to them when they die. Just as a jewler often uses a black backdrop to highlight the brilliance of his diamonds. The darkness in Juarez highlights the splendor of Jesus Christ, the True Light of the World. The church is in the middle of an evangelistic campaign to share Christ with their neighbors. We have had a great response. In October four people from the community have joined Bible studies introducing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and two weeks ago a lady professed faith in Christ.

I have learned so much from my brothers and sisters in Juarez. In the United States we often make sharing the Gospel too complicated. We have glitzy programs and media blitzes. But this church is simply using the access we have as children of God to bring the community before his throne.

They go out in groups of two or three to knock on doors and ask people how the church can pray for them. Then after praying for those people at the Tuesday night prayer meeting, we make a follow up visit to see what God has been doing in their lives. I shouldn't be so surprised, but it has been amazing to see God answer those prayers. The first Sunday in October I went with a group and we met Patricia. Two men were murdered that Friday in her brother in law's store around the corner. She has asthma and was experiencing difficulty breathing because of fear. We prayed for her and followed up with a visit two weeks later. She was moved by our prayers and said that she hadn't had to use her inhaler in two weeks. Now she is interested in what we believe and wants to visit our church with her husband. Pray for Patricia and many others like her living in fear and looking for hope.

There is a young man who Pastor Juan has been working with. He is in a drug rehab center down the street. Nicolas is the director of the center. He showed us around and explained that he was a drug addict 8 years ago. But God got a hold of him through a 12 step program. He came to faith and now is pointing others to Jesus as their only hope for coming clean from drugs. He lamented the fact that the church doesn't have the same vulnerability and honesty that many guys find in a 12 step program, because all of us are addicts to different forms of sin and need the support and accountability of Christian brothers and sisters.

I was a bit apprehensive visiting the rehab center because the drug cartels have been targeting these centers in the past couple of months. For more information check out this El Paso Times article. Nicolas asked for prayer for these guys trying to leave a life of drugs, crime, and violence.

Please pray for safety for me and the church members. Pray for peace for the Los Alcaldes neighborhood. And pray for me as I grow in my ability to share the Gospel in Spanish.