Cuties

Here are a couple of pictures of the children. The Lord has certainly blessed us with three very beautiful children.

Recently David has started smiling and does a lot of it.

In the other picture, Ana is sitting next to Carena Raymer. Carena's parents are Russell and Debbie Raymer, missionaries with OREMUNDO Ministries. This picture was taken while we were at the OREMUNDO pastors' conference. Ana, Aaron and Carena are very good friends. The dresses were given to us by some good friends in Florida, Mike and Mel Carter. Their daughters had outgrown them, but they were a perfect fit for our daughters.

47

I recently wrote about the wave of violence that is sweeping Monterrey. (Click here to read my thoughts.) Yesterday, at about 6:00, as we drove back to Monterrey from Reynosa, we passed a huge crowd standing by the road in Cadereyta, a small town on the outskirts of Monterrey. They were all clustered around a group of police cars and ambulances. We at first thought it was an accident, but as we drove by we didn't see any vehicles. Then we noticed that there was an extraordinary police presence and they were carrying automatic weapons and bullet proof vests. We deduced that there must have been another hit.

When we got home, we turned on the television to find out that it WAS in fact another hit. A man recently released from prison was gunned down. A 17-year-old boy that was with him was also seriously injured.

In the two and a half weeks since I wrote, there have been five more hits, raising the total to 47 mob or gang related hits in the Monterrey metro-area this year. Perhaps the most terrible thing is that I have yet to hear about one gunman being arrested and charged. Because of fear for one's life, no one will testify against them, police won't arrest them, lawyers won't prosecute them, and judges won't convict them. In such an environment, it is hard to expect this to end any time soon.

Good Conference

We are back in Monterrey after the OREMUNDO Conference. Although attendance was a little bit down, we had a wonderful time with the pastors who attended. They seemed to be encouraged and challenged by the time they spent at the conference.

For me it was challenging in several ways. Dr. Dick Mercado, from Arizona, long-time director of MGM, was there. He has been preaching for 61 years. We were thoroughly blessed by his wonderful spirit, the longevity of ministry and gracious bearing. If the Lord will give me a ministry as long and half as fruitful as him, I will be grateful to the Lord for his goodness.

It was also sharpened my ministry focus to interact with the pastors. It helped me gain a fresher and clearer vision for the kind of preparation that we need to give our young men here at the University. It also gave me a greater passion for reaching out and helping these pastors to the best of our ability. They are so hungry and open to the teaching. Please pray for us as we explore new ways to reach out to these men.

Oops, this was supposed to be posted on Monday.

Oremundo Conference

This week my family and I are in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, to speak at the OREMUNDO pastor's conference. Counting the three times I spoke yesterday at the host church, I will be speaking a total of nine times before the conference ends on Thursday afternoon.

The theme of the conference is Approved Workmen, from 2 Tim. 2:15. I will be speaking on how we can "rightly divide" the Word of Truth. I will be presenting a basic exegetical process that pastors could follow in their sermon preparation. I will also be giving the pastors a list of recommended resources and Spanish Christian publishing houses.

I would appreciate your prayers for me and the sessions I will be doing. Please pray that I can be an encouragement to the pastors and give them something very practical that will aid them as they seek to preach God's Word. Please pray that I will encourage them to make God's Word the central component of their philosophy of ministry. Also please pray for Susan as she will have the challenge of keeping three children happy while away from home. Although child care will be provided during most of the sessions, I am afraid that the stress level will be greater on Susan than on me! I know that I would rather speak 9 times than do what she will have to do!

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf.

The sessions will be available as the week goes along on the internet at the OREMUNDO website. The two Sunday services are already online. Clike here if you are interested.

42

Early this morning the Monterrey metro area experienced it's 42nd hit of the year. By hit, I mean mob related assasination. "Danny Boy," as he was known, a 38-year-old mob member was gunned down by a group of 8-10 men. They shot into him so many times that his face was totally obliterated and his chest was practically gone. In the ensuing chase, the police engaged in a shootout with the hitmen, apparently killing one of them before they dragged the body into an SUV and got away. Danny Boy had been the target of another attempt in May. This time they got him. These murders are part of the vicious drug gang war that has swept northern Mexico. In some locations, the gangs are so powerful that they control whole towns (elections, police, local government, etc.). The situation has required that the special police forces and army virtually lay siege to several cities.

The most startling hit was when the mob killed Marcelo Garza, the young and respected chief police investigator of organized crime for the state of Nuevo Leon (the state Monterrey is in). He was gunned down in a park with his six-year-old daughter sitting next to him on the park bench. Their audacity at going after Marcelo Garza sent shockwaves through Mexico, as it indicated the boldness and power that these gangs have achieved, being able to assasinate upper-level government members with impunity.

Added to the situation in northern Mexico, there are riots in Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. In May the teachers union organized a strike, asking for increased wages. The governor ordered the police to respond aggressively. In the resulting riots, several protesters were shot and killed by police. That triggered even greater riots that resulted in the police forces being expelled from the town. The protesters siezed control of the capital city, holding it for around six months. With the absence of authority, robbery, killing, rape, violence was the order of the day (including the death of American cameraman, Brad Will). Only this week the Federal police moved in, siezing control of the capital in violent and at times deadly confrontations. There are still ongoing clashes between police and protesters.

In addition to this, the election crisis isn't completely over. After socialist Lopez Obrador lost the election be less than 1%, his party organized massive protests in Mexico City, paralyzing the downtown area for several months. On November 20th, the anniversary of the Mexican Revolotion of 1910, his party plans to name him the "official and legitimate President of Mexico." It will be interesting to see how that whole situation plays out.

All in all, Mexico is a country in turmoil, crippled by corrupt politicians (usually the most corrupt are town and lower level police officials) and drugs wars. Even more significant than the political situation, these situations reveal the desperate need that this country has for the redemptive power of the Gospel to radically transform every layer of society.