“A Journey of Justice”
Mexico Mission Trip Video
After 30+ hours of video editing (what I used to do for a living), I have finished my Mexico Mission Trip video. I hope you take a moment to watch this 12-minute video.
Mexico is a nation of great beauty, a rich cultural heritage, and loving passionate people. However, during my two weeks in Mexico, I saw great injustice. So, it was a very difficult trip. Most of us do not want to see such deep darkness, but the Lord sees this darkness and wickedness every day. He desires for us to know His heart even in this difficult way. I left Mexico knowing for sure that the only hope for this desperate nation is the “great light” of the glory of Jesus to shine dispelling the darkness and setting the oppressed free. This report contains some of the great injustices that I saw and the ministry that took place in the house of prayer, on the streets, and among the poor.
Ven Pronto (Come Quickly) House of Prayer
We began our journey in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Ven Pronto House of Prayer was the focal point of our ministry the first week. From 10 pm-4 am we led prayer sets in the Nightwatch. Since many stayed up with us, we did “Spanglish” sets, as they called them, mixing Spanish and English worship songs, choruses, and prayers. Another part of our ministry at Ven Pronto was training. I taught the house of prayer staff some of the things that keep 24/7 prayer going in Kansas City.
Injustice of Bloodshed and Witchcraft
The Aztec Mountain of El Tepozteco
On top of El Tepozteco is an ancient Aztec temple. Hundreds of years ago legendary Jaguar warriors climbed to the top of this mountain participating in barbaric child sacrifice. On Sunday, July 5th, we journeyed to the city of Tepoztlán beneath that mountain. Attracting tourists from all over the world, the mountain is known as a place for men to come and become god. The darkness could be felt in the city as witches and wizards walk about proudly and freely.
We attempted to climb to the top of the mountain to pray for justice. However, our Nightwatch out-of-shape bodies only made it about a fourth of the way up the extremely steep hike. So, we stopped and prayed. It was a powerful time of intercession with many from Ven Pronto crying out for freedom for this blood stained city.
Pro-LIFE Legislation Enacted by a Drunk Governor in Cuernavaca
Monday, July 6th, we prayer walked downtown Cuernavaca, Morelos. We went to Morelos’ capitol building. Benji, the director of Ven Pronto who became an amazing friend, told me an incredible story. He heard about the Silent Siege that we did in America praying with red tape over our mouths for LIFE. He felt led to do the same in Cuernavaca. So, they stood in front of the capitol building paying in silence for LIFE. Last year, Morelos’ pro-abortion governor was drunk. While he was drunk, he accidently signed into law an irreversible measure banning abortion for the next several years! I love the justice of the Lord!
The Injustice of Poverty
Visiting the Poor in La Estacion
In Mexico, there is a great disparity between the poor and rich. Mexico is home to many millionaires. (Merida, Yucatan in Mexico has more millionaires per capita than any city in the world!) However, many, many people still do not even have their most basic needs met. In Cuernavaca, many extravagant houses darted the hillsides. However, some parts of the city are home to the poorest people I saw on the entire trip. La Estacion is an abandoned train station. It is now home to many squatters who live in extreme poverty. Before we prayer walked, Benji told us some background. He said that La Estacion is very dangerous. However, during the day, he said that it is safe because the kidnappers and drug dealers are out doing their work during the day.
We prayer walked La Estacion visiting a Christian couple’s house first. We prayed for their new grandbaby. As we continued walking, we stopped often loving on the kids and playing with them. At one point, we began to hear songs from a worship service. A couple of us ventured inside the church. The usher inside told us it was a new church and that it was their first service! It was certainly an answer to prayer for our friends at Ven Pronto. We rejoiced with the Lord that finally a witness for His name was established in this dark area.
Leading Worship at Ven Pronto in Spanish
When we got back from La Estacion, Samuel, Ven Pronto’s main worship leader, and I led their Wednesday night prayer meeting. He led songs in Spanish and I led singing first in English and then in Spanish. This trip showed me that a clear part of my calling is leading worship in other languages. I had so much grace leading worship in Haitian Creole in 2007 and on this trip in Spanish. I look forward to what God will do in the days to come!
At the end of the meeting, I shared about Anna in Luke 2 who prayed night and day as her full-time occupation. I had those stand who desired to pray full-time. About fifteen stood. I prayed for financial provision and for God to set them on the wall of Intercession (Isaiah 62:6).
The Injustice of Human Trafficking
Seeing Prostitution in Mexico City
Wednesday, August 8th, we drove an hour and a half up to Mexico City. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw there. Lined up along the street in broad daylight were over a 100 prostitutes five feet apart from each other. They were scantily dressed and sought to seduce us as we passed. Right next to the women the police stood. I asked Benji about this. He said that the police are complicit in the prostitution. They get free service if they don’t bust them.
We kept walking passing many beggars including a little boy. We stopped and Benji talked to us about what we had just seen. He explained that the women we saw because they are in the nicer part of town make $2.50-$4 a client. I was appalled at this serious devaluing of women! He said in the more dangerous areas they make more like $15-$20—but they run a great risk by being there. He also told us of little children who are sold into slavery. Some parents will give their five-year old to traffickers for a few days in exchange for things like a pack of Cokes. Mexico City was formerly the number two city for child trafficking. However, the number one city was recently destroyed by a tsunami. Now, Mexico is the number one city. Benji said with fear in his voice, “What judgment is in store for Mexico City?” Lord have mercy!
Praying through the Night in Mexico City
After seeing all of this, we headed back to Benji’s Dad’s church for their Wednesday night service with about 200 people. Benji led worship and I sang and played keys with him. I decided to attempt a spontaneous Spanish chorus, “Digno eres tu, Cordero de Dios” (Worthy are you, Lamb of God). I was so relieved when the church began singing along with me!
After the service, we prayed in the Nightwatch starting it with teaching the intercessors about justice and the Kingdom of God. Most of the church stayed until we finished at 4 am even though most had to work right after we were done!
Saturday morning, July 4th, the morning I left for Mexico, I woke up from a significant dream. I was at a fall-festival in a small city square. I went to a booth with a photograph. The man at the booth told me actually of a dream he had had. He said, “in my dream, the Lord showed me this—” as he said it he showed me his picture: a field with many, many leaves. “God told me,” he said, “‘this is the harvest available in Mexico.'” I told the church my dream saying, “you are the ones who can bring this harvest about by changing history with your prayers. You must cry out to God for this harvest in Mexico!”
After we finished teaching, I led a two-hour intercession set mostly in Spanish. It was difficult being my first time leading an entire two-hour set in Spanish, I was really tired, and I know there was intense warfare against us. In spite of this, the people joined in singing and praying with us until the end. It was amazing crying out in this very dark city for the light of Jesus to shine forth.
The Injustice of An Unresponsive Heart to Jesus
The Deserts of Central Mexico
Saturday, July 11th, we left at 5 pm for the desert. Because of some construction in Mexico City, it ended up being a twelve-hour drive. It was long and winding but beautiful as we trucked through the mountains of Central Mexico. We arrived at 5 am in the desert village. The first person I met was Octavio. I connected instantly with this godly man who has been laboring in The village for fifteen years.
When we woke up, we prayer walked through the village. The desert was beautiful with surprising amounts of green. As we walked, Octavio began to tell us about the people in the village. Many years ago, at the beginning of every meeting he would feed the people, but, eventually, he realized that the people were coming just to get food. So, he stopped feeding them and, sure enough, all but a few stopped coming. We considered this as students studying justice with the story recorded in John 6. Jesus begins by feeding 5,000 people. Then, many of them come back to him not because they were “seeking [Him], not because [they] saw signs, but because [they] ate [their] fill of the loaves.” It is certainly not wrong to feed the poor. Jesus did it. But, he also didn’t. He knew the hearts of men and knew what they truly needed. Our conclusion was we do not want to feed the poor when Jesus isn’t.
He told us that on several occasions, the Mexican Government has tried to help the community. One of those times, the government did a study with the advanced farming technique of hydroponics. For the first time in history, they grew lettuce in this area of the desert. However, an argument arose in the community over what to do with the lettuce. Finally, the community agreed to sell the lettuce. Octavio offered them the use of his truck so they could take the lettuce into the city to sell it. However, they could not agree on the distribution of the profits. So, the lettuce sat there. Finally, someone suggested that they feed the lettuce to the cows. However, those who did not own cows grew furious because it would give them no benefit. The lettuce just sat and rotted.
We broke into groups visiting homes in the village. One of our teams talked with a family. One family could not have children. They had tried for five years with no success. So, Pastor Salvador, the pastor of the church that Ven Pronto is at, and his wife Claudia prayed for them. God opened up the woman’s womb and she had a daughter. Pastor Salvador suggested they name her Miracle but the father opted instead for Claudia. The team then asked the woman if she believed in the Lord for herself. Surprisingly, she said, “no”. Please join me and Octavio in praying for revival to come to this desperate village.
Salvador told another story of the village. When they first came to this region they did not collect tithes. He thought, “I don’t need their money.” However, they realized that even though the area was poor, they couldn’t change the ways of the kingdom. So, they began to encourage people to tithe. Most of the people didn’t but one family began to tithe. It only does a good rain in this area once a year. So, after he began tithing, it rained just on his crops, nowhere else! His corn grew to full-size—which is unheard of in this region. Later in the season it rained in the mountains and the water from the rain flowed down and water just his crops! It was a miracle for sure!
A Local Dreams About our Team
Tuesday, July 14th, we took both our rented red van and the missionary’s old white van the hour and a half drive from the village we were at to another small village. We began at the house of one of the only Christian families in the village. Jesus (or Chuy), the father, was a gentle, quite man full of the Holy Spirit. We separated into teams to prayer walk through La Tapona.
As one of our teams walked through the village, a young man approached them. He let them in to his property and they prayed over him. He took them on a tour through the village. They went to the top of a hill where the cattle drink. The young man told them, “I had a dream last night. I knew you were coming. In my dream, I saw a red van and a white van pulling up. I also saw these two girls.” He pointed at two girls on our team that had prayed over him a few minutes earlier. He said, “Ya, I have just kind of been waiting around for you guys today. Because, I knew you would come.” When they got back to his house the team prayed and prophesied over him again and his countenance visibly changed from the clearly personal impact of the prophetic words. We realized this was a direct result of our prayers in the Nightwatch while he slept just a few miles away in The other village. I am so glad that Chuy is in La Tapona and will be able to disciple this young man.
Strengthening a Christian Family
We prayed for the Chuy and his family. We prophesied over them praying for endurance. A strong anointing came when we prophesied over his kids. I feel like these children are some of the future messengers God is raising up for this desert area. While I prayer walked the village, I prayed for an older man and his wife. He told me, surprisingly, that he had worked in my hometown, Nacogdoches! I told Chuy about that man being from my hometown. He said in Spanish, “I worked there for many years too.” I was so surprised!
Justice Program Starts Next Week
In two weeks, I will begin classes in the Justice Program. With the perspective I gained on this trip, I feel very inspired to go deep in the Word concerning justice. Thank you so much for supporting me on this trip! I could not have gone without your support and prayers. I have certainly been changed and many in Mexico were forever impacted by our presence there.
