Family Radio Mission to Juarez, Mexico
December 14th - 15th, 2007
LETTER #1
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Wednesday, December 5, 2007. By God’s wonderful grace, our group of 21 “Ambassadors for Christ” (12 men and 9 women) from various parts of the US and Holland has arrived in Juarez [HWAR es], Mexico on another Family Radio trip to this country. We flew into El Paso, Texas and took a chartered bus across the US Mexico border to our hotel, which is located about three miles from the downtown area of Juarez. After waiting several hours for some members on late flights, we got to the hotel in time for a late dinner and went to bed.
We plan to proclaim the True Gospel of Christ to the people here during the next nine days by distributing over 200,000 “Does God Love You?” tracts in the Spanish language, about 500 Spanish Bibles (a King James equivalent), and many booklets and CDs of Bible teaching materials in Spanish that several members of the group brought as checked baggage.
As is customary on these trips, the tracts have been printed locally and contain the current Family Radio broadcasting schedules for this area, School of the Bible information (which offers free correspondence courses in English and Spanish), and a reference to the multilingual website. The Bibles have been purchased locally as well.
Here is a brief background of the Juarez area. There is virtually no recorded history of the area prior to the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the late 1500s. Various indigenous tribes had lived in the valley along the Rio Grande for hundreds of years. What is now the El Paso Juarez area (located at the westernmost tip of Texas) was a logical place for them to visit and settle because of the river and the natural pass through the mountains, which gave the area its original name of Paso del Norte (the Pass of the North).
The population of the area grew very slowly until the early part of the 20th century. It was mostly a stopover point for travelers; but things changed dramatically during the US Prohibition period in the 1920s. The banning of alcohol production, sales, and consumption in the US created an economic boom in Juarez. The city became a center for entertainment for El Paso and the entire southwestern US. Restaurants, nightclubs, gambling establishments, a racetrack, and many less respectable businesses flourished in and around the city. That was the time when Juarez developed a reputation for everything from fine restaurants to illicit entertainment, and much of that reputation continues to be true today.
In the 1980s, the manufacturing, or "maquiladora," industry began to thrive and led to a large population growth. That industry also helped consolidate the commerce and service sectors as an alternate form of employment. Currently, the City of Juarez (la Cuidad de Juárez) has absorbed most of the surrounding communities and has a population of about 2 million people, which makes it one of the largest cities in Mexico. Growth is still fueled by the maquiladora industry and the general belief that economic opportunities are better in northern Mexico. Sadly, it has also become a center for drug trafficking and is known for having one of the highest crime rates in Mexico.
We are looking forward to serving our Lord and Savior in this part of the world during this pre Christmas period, and we pray that God will open the spiritual eyes of many of these dear people to the True Gospel of salvation.
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH
is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico
LETTER #2
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
Thursday, December 6, 2007. After breakfast, we had an orientation meeting to organize the work and review the revisions made to the Spanish tract since the trip to Toluca, Mexico last April. We formed 7 teams and went out to various locations in this sprawling city. All teams reported excellent and courteous acceptance of the tracts, very low discard rates, and many people reading the tracts everywhere we worked today.
One team went to the downtown area near the Roman Catholic cathedral and central plaza that had a lot of people visiting the surrounding shops and stores. One of our lady members gave out tracts to a group of policemen who were talking to a young man. They all politely took the tracts but the man seemed to be holding his hands behind his back and did not reach for the tract. Our member asked him if he wanted her to put it in his shirt pocket, and he nodded in the affirmative and received the tract. She finally realized what was going on when she saw that the man was handcuffed behind his back when the police put him in a squad car and took him away.
Other teams were allowed to distribute in a couple large shopping, which is quite unusual for us. Another team had free access inside a large public hospital, which is also quite unusual. Yet another team received permission to distribute freely at a large university, which is also an unusual occurrence on these trips.
The team that visited the hospital presented this report:
"Our team was assigned to a market place within walking distance from the hotel. There were not a lot of people on the way to the shopping center, but everyone we encountered graciously accepted the tracts with smiles of gratitude. Given that the traffic in the area was so slow, we wandered away from the market place and came upon a hospital which was very busy with patients, doctors, nurses and other pedestrians making for a steady flow of traffic.
"We entered the hospital and were greeted with warm smiles; and our progress from floor to floor of the hospital was virtually unhindered. We covered every department on every floor, as well as the waiting areas with the precious Gospel of life, and the almost perfect acceptance rate was maintained. In one meeting room the doctors and staff were having a meeting. One team member counted the number of people in the room, gave that number of tracts to one of the staff at the door; and they passed them around to everyone in the room. The patients and their visitors also received tracts with no one refusing. Our visit to that facility was indeed a divine appointment."
As is customary on these trips, we try to get permission to distribute the tracts, Bibles, and teaching maerials in the prisons, and our group leader made a preliminary visit to the "Cereso" maximum security prision, which was a 45 minute taxi ride from our hotel. He gave the following report of that visit below:
"The prison is a large complex housing more than 2,000 inmates, and I arrived on one of the busy family visiting days. The parking lot was full of vehicles, and the visitors were just starting to leave at 11 a.m. I was told I could not see the prison director until all the visitors had left, so I stayed at the gate and, with permission from the guards, handed out most of the materials I had brought to very thankful people.
"Eventually, I was allowed in to see a secretary and after some of the usual bureaucratic runaround, was told to come back next week with passports and materials and maybe we could get access to the inmates. However, I did learn that Sunday is a big visiting day and we might just go there when they are entering and give them the materials. We are praying for wisdom on this decision.
"Since a taxi was not available for my return to the hotel, I took a bus and met a man on his way to work as a security guard. He spoke fairly good English and told me he is a long time Family Radio listener, and he listens to the 91.7 FM translator signal from El Paso to help improve his English. He also listens to the 800 AM station in Juarez that airs one hour of Open Forum programming in Spanish each evening.
"As it turned out, I had a copy of the "Time Has an End" book in Spanish to give him, and he was extremely grateful. He told me that he hardly ever takes that bus to work and felt that God had set it up that way so he could talk to me and get a copy of that book. I praise the Lord for His provision and pray that man will be able to attend at least one of our Bible studies while we are here.
Overall, our first day of work here was a very productive one, and we are indeed grateful to the Lord for His providence. We thank our Lord for opening so many doors for the Gospel and pray for a mighty work of grace in the hearts of these dear people of Juarez.
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:17 18)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico
LETTER #3
“Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.” (Psalms 33:20)
Friday, December 7, 2007. This was our first full day of work in Juarez, and we were able to distribute the materials at a rapid pace in most of the areas visited. Teams went to schools, a central bus terminal for out of town buses, large shopping malls, the border crossing, and a US Consulate facility, and the busy downtown area.
Two teams worked all day in the mall called "Centro Comercial de las Torres" where we got permission to distribute yesterday. It is a large, modern complex with cinemas and all manner of stores and shops like in the US, and we were allowed free access inside with no opposition whatsoever. In fact, the security guards and employees were very friendly and helpful.
Other teams visited some other large malls but were not allowed to work anywhere on the properties not even in the parking lots. One team got permission to work at the entrances to a busy Super Mal Mart store, but after about 45 minutes of very productive distribution, the supervisor who authorized the work apologetically told them that his boss had overruled him and that they had to leave. Apparently God had accomplished His purpose for the visit and wanted them to work elsewheree.
There is a US Consulate facility about a mile or so from our hotel that processes visas and other immigration matters for visiting and working in the US, and there are long lines of people there all day long. Our teams have stopped by that place several times with very good results.
The team that went to the schools also worked at the border crossing, and the team leader submitted this report:.
"After trying two or three schools, we finally found one that was open; but because the students were taking their final exams for the semester, we were not allowed on the grounds. However, we were able to distribute the precious Gospel of Christ to the students on the sidewalks and outside the gates as they came to and left from their exams.
"The security personnel at one large college with approximately 2,000 students would not let us distribute the tracts and materials on the campus; and we could not obtain permission because the College Chancellor was absent. However, we were were allowed to leave a few hundred tracts and other FR materials where the students would be able to get them. We also left copies of the "Time Has an End" and "The End of the Church Age and After" books, which would be placed in the college library.
"After spending about three hours at the schools, we got on a bus and decided to get off when we saw droves of people crossing over a very large bridge. As it turned out, that was the border crossing between Juarez and El Paso. We positioned ourselves at three key spots where pedestrians and vehicles were entering and exiting; and with the steady flow of traffic, our tracts, Bibles, and other materials went out at a rapid pace with about a 95% acceptance rate. There were policemen everywhere, but instead of that hindering our progress, it seemed to greatly facilitate it. We quickly picked up any discards so as not to cause too much litter.
"Many people were standing around reading the tracts as they waited for friends and family coming from El Paso. One gentleman stood near one lady team member reading intently for about 15 minutes. Then she gave him some FR materials, and the man began reading that too. In her limited Spanish she asked him if he had a Bible, and he said he had a Catholic Bible. She gave him the Spanish version of the King James Bible we had purchased, and he was very grateful.
"After seeing how intently interested the man was, the team member asked her fellow team member, who is very fluent in Spanish to ask the gentleman if he had any questions. The team member witnessed to him, and he was almost in tears when we were leaving. He said that his mother read the Bible for years and that he would pass on this new information he has learned to her."
We thank the Lord for opening the door to a great opportunity for distribution at that border crossing location and all the other places where we were able to hand out many thousands of tracts today. All praise and glory goes to God for His manifold blessings.
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico
LETTER #4
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Saturday, December 8, 2007. The weather has been very pleasant since our arrival, and our distribution work continued at a rapid pace in most of the areas visited.
A team worked all day in the large mall called "Centro Comercial de las Torres" that had given us permission, and it was extra crowded with holiday shoppers, cinema goers, and families spending time together on a Saturday. Once again, we had free access to the entire mall, and the security guards and employees continued to be very cordial,. In fact, there was no opposition of any kind to our work.
Another team returned to the border area where they worked yesterday, and it was even more crowded today. They took extra tracts and materials, and the distribution rate remained high throughout the day.
Several teams worked downtown near the central cathedral and plaza, which was packed with shoppers and people attending various holiday events. There is a Roman Catholic celebration on December 12th called "The Virgin of Guadalupe Day," which has something to do with a purported appearance of Mary to somebody near Mexico City in the 1500’s. While businesses will stay open on that day, there will be processions from the local Catholic churches that should offer very good opportunities to distribute the True Gospel to the people of Juarez and those coming in from the outlying areas.
There were some processions and entertainment events featuring Amerindian dancers and musicians that were probably preparations for the main celebration this coming Wednesday. Distribution work in the downtown area was extremely productive, and all the downtown teams emptied out twice today.
We noticed a city motto on the police cars that says, "It is the time of Juarez," which means, "It is the time of political change for Juarez." However, we are here to let people know that it truly is a time of spiritual change because it is the time of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are here to let them know what God says in Zephaniah 2:3, "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger."
“Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.” (Isaiah 51:7)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico
LETTER #5
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (John 20:21)
Sunday, December 9, 2007. By God's grace, our distribution work progressed at a rapid pace in most of the areas visited. Sometimes we go to places that we think will be busy, but we encounter very few people because we are not there at the right time of the day, or the right day of the week, or for some other unknown reason. However, everywhere we haved worked, the acceptance of the tracts has remained high with virtually no negative feedback by anyone despite the controversial nature of the True Gospel message.
Once again, a team worked all day in the large and busy mall called "Centro Comercial de las Torres" that had given us permission on the first day. It continued to be crowded with holiday shoppers; and, as usual, we received no opposition to our work.
One team returned to the border area where they worked the past two days; and again the distribution rate remained high throughout the day due to the heavy flow of both foot and vehicle traffic. Another team worked at a different border crossing that was primarily for vehicles. Two 2 lane highways merged together, and the traffic was backed up for over a mile on each highway, which made it possible to work between the lanes and hand tracts to those who opened their windows.
Several teams worked in the downtown area that was packed with people again. Entertainment events featuring the Virgin Mary, Amerindian dancers and a witch doctor, Santa Claus and reindeer, and musicians of various types. Many of the stores were offering discounts of 50 percent or more on their merchandise, which probably contributed to the size of the crowd. It was a pleasure to hand out many thousands of True Gospel tracts explaining the real reason for the birth of Jesus Christ in the midst of all that confusion. Once again, our distribution work in the downtown area was extremely productive.
A team of four persons decided to visit the Cereso Maximum Security Prison today instead of Monday because Sunday is the main visiting day of the week, and this presented an opportunity to share our materials not only with the inmates, but also with their families and loved ones who come from all over Juarez and the neighboring cities. The team leader submitted the following report:
"We arrived at the prison early this morning and found people waiting outside in long lines that snaked around the perimeter of this vast complex. We proceeded to the entrance and waited for them to enter. Most of them were carrying foodstuff and sundry items for those incarcerated. One woman even had a birthday cake for her family member.
"There were throngs of people entering the facility mothers with infants in their arms or in strollers, and men and women of all ages. One woman was very conspicuous in that she was carrying nothing except a young child. She had received a Does God Love You? tract and pleaded for a Bible to take to her husband. We were happy to provide her with the spiritual food that we all so desperately need. Please pray that God, who has entrusted us earthen vessels with His truly special gift of eternal life, would do a mighty work of grace in that woman's life and the lives of many of these dear people. We encouraged all who received the tracts, Bibles and FR teaching materials to share this precious information with their loved ones in the prison.
"We were able to distribute over 2,300 tracts, 200 Bibles, and hundreds of booklets and teaching materials in a very orderly manner. We thank those who have provided the funds for the purchase of these Bibles, and we are also grateful for the prayers of FR listeners and supporters. All glory, praise, honor, and thanks to God for opening this effectual door of witnessing."
There is a large sign painted prominently on a mountainside here that says in Spanish, "Cuidad Juarez. La Biblia is la Verdad. Leala!" That translates to "Juarez City. The Bible is the Truth. Read it!" We pray that many will do that very thing as a result of our work here and that God will apply His Truth to their hearts as a result.
“Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 16:10)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico
LETTER #6
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalms 34:8)
Monday, December 10, 2007. Today was chilly, and it rained off and on all day sometimes quite hard so that the streets were flooded. However, we were able to continue our work albeit at a considerably slower pace than the weekend.
Two teams worked in the "Las Torres" mall again, which was fairly busy for a Monday. It had a steady flow of shoppers, teenagers who are out of school for the holiday break, and people just strolling around out of the rain.
Other teams traveled by taxis and buses to various places looking for people. Some went downtown, and worked in the smaller markets and poorer neighborhoods away from the central cathedral and plaza. One team took a bus to the outskirts of the city and found a busy public clinic and some manufacturing plants. They could not enter the plants, but were able to get permission at each one to leave a few hundred tracts with the security people to put in the employee cafeterias.
One member talked to a man who spoke fairly good English at the clinic. He said he had just found the Family Radio English broadcast on the El Paso translator for the first time yesterday and was surprised to get a Family Radio tract today. God does indeed work in mysterious ways in people's lives.
Another team returned to the always busy border crossing, and a different team reported the following encounter:
"Our location for the day was the US Consulate and Immigration Office. One man said to one of the lady team members in perfect English, 'Why did you come to our country to tell us about your religion?' The team member responded, 'We came to tell you about Jesus Christ and the truth about salvation that the Bible teaches.' The man then said, 'Are you trying to save us Mexicans?' And the team member replied, 'No, we cannot save anyone. God does all the saving.' She further told him that only the Bible teaches us what truth is, and the man's demeanor changed instantly. He said somewhat sheepishly, 'Oh, OK.' Then he took a tract and read it intently for a long time.
"It was a rainy start to the day, but, thankfully, God stayed the rain long enough for us to distribute the tracts and FR teaching materials to the people who lined the streets, waiting their turn to obtain entrance into the Immigration Office where their papers would be processed. Just as we came to the end of the line of people, the rain began again; but in a sheltered area, we were still able to share the words of life with children coming from schools and other people passing by."
Overall, we had a fairly productive day of distribution despite the inclement weather, and we continue to see many people diligently reading the tracts everywhere we work. We give all the praise and glory to God for the wonderful reception to the tracts and the continuing courtesies shown to us by the people of Juarez.
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico
LETTER #7
“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:26)
Tuesday, December 11, 2007. TToday was sunny and cool (high 40s F), and it turned out to be another productive day of tract distribution in and around Juarez.
Besides the usual busy places like the big "Las Torres" mall, some other shopping malls that gave us permission, the downtown area, the border crossing, and the US Consulate office several teams visited various manufacturing plants but had limited success. Our teams were not permitted to enter for security reasons, and most were not interested in placing the tracts inside the facilities. However, the teams were able to hand out tracts to various merchants and miscellaneous foot and vehicle traffic in parts of the city that we had not previously visited.
While searching for one of the factories, one team unintentionally ended up in a muddy "barrio," or poor area, and decided it was God's will for them to be there despite the muddy roads from yesterday's rain and the numerous barking dogs that surrounded them. They went joyfully from house to house distributing tracts, FR materials, and some Bibles to the very grateful residents of that community; and they left there with happy hearts because of the that beautiful, God given opportunity. We pray that God will use His Word in a mighty way in the hearts of those dear people who have very little of the physical amenities of life.
The downtown area was crowded again today in preparation for the "Virgin of Guadalupe" festival tomorrow (Wednesday). Street vendors were setting up their stands for selling all manner of food, religious articles, and other goods; and we were told that most of them will sleep near their stands overnight in spite of the cold weather. Although we have worked downtown every day since we arrived, the acceptance rate remains high because there seems to be a continuous turnover of people from all over the city and the outlying areas.
The acceptance of the tracts continues to be very good, and we are encouraged to see many people intently reading the tracts. We are eagerly looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us tomorrow
“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico
LETTER #8
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007. The weather was sunny and cool again today, and people from all over the Juarez area, and even from some other Mexican states, jammed the downtown area for the big "Virgin of Guadelupe" festival, which is celebrated throughout Mexico on December 12th. Three teams teams worked all day long at the central cathedral and plaza area downtown and were able to distribute many thousands of tracts there.
Apparently "Our Lady of Guadelupe" is the most revered icon in the Mexican Catholic religion. She is Mexico's version of the Virgin Mary and the country's patron saint. This statement is from an Internet search: "The Virgin of Guadelupe is depicted as an Indian 'dark Madonna,' and this has helped the integration of indigenous people and their religion into the Roman Catholic Church. The resulting Catholicism exists in a more multifaceted form which attempts to be meaningful for the whole Mexican population, whether white, indigenous, or mestizo."
There were processions during the day with people re enacting the original event dressed in 16th century costumes. There was much pagentry with riders on horseback, horse drawn carriages, Indians dancing to the rhythm of drums, and people carrying large pictures and idols of various sizes depicting the Virgin of Guadelupe. People attended religious services in the cathedral throughout the day, and many had their photographs taken with a large painting of the Virgin of Guadelupe as well as with a couple Santa Clauses and plastic reindeer. Street vendors were supplying the crowds with tacos, burritos, refried beans, other traditional Mexican delicacies, and all manner of trinkets and souvenirs.
By God's wonderful grace, the acceptance of the tracts was excellent despite the fact that the True Gospel message presented is contrary to the religious beliefs of most of these people; and we experienced no opposition to our work of any kind. Most of the people took the tracts and kept them; and we saw many people, either sitting or standing, who were seriously reading the tracts, seemingly oblivious to all the commotion around them. It is highly probable that most of them were being confronted by the True Gospel for the first time in their lives; and, surprisingly, we received many "God bless you" wishes and favorable comments about the tract message.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico
LETTER #9
“The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.” (Psalms 34:22)
Thursday, December 13, 2007. Two 4 person teams went by bus to some outlying barrios and small villages in the mountains and distributed tracts and most of the remaining Bibles and FR booklets to the poor people living there. They were able to hand out tracts in several small schools, and the all the people were cordial to us and very grateful for the tracts and materials.
One team went to some medical clinics and a hospital within walking distance of our hotel, and they submitted this report, which is good example of how God works on these trips:
"We went into a medical clinic where many people were waiting for to see a doctor. Everyone accepted the 'Does God Love You?' tracts with smiles of appreciation. The team moved on to the next clinic, and the same activity was repeated.
"Our next stop was the hospital that we had visited last week. Again we went from waiting room to waiting room, into the patients' rooms, and to the nurses' stations distributing the words of life to those dear people who, perhaps for the first time, received the True Gospel of salvation.
"As we reached the fourth floor of the hospital, we gave a tract to a distinguished looking gentleman, and after looking it over he said: 'I am a Christian. I heard Family Radio in El Paso, Texas in English, and I have also heard it in Spanish a couple of times here in Juarez.' He identified himself as a neurosurgeon and asked us if we had obtained permission to share the tracts in the hospital. We told him no because when we were there the first time no one told us that we needed permission. The doctor reassured us that it would be all right, but we needed to go to the Administration Office to receive permission to legitimize our distribution efforts there. He then summoned a young intern to escort us to the office.
"We gave the intern a tract and began to discuss its contents with him. As we reached the Administration Office, the lady there, who had visited the Family Radio website the day before because she had received a tract, heard our conversation with the intern, and she handed the intern a pocket size New Testament to facilitate his discussion. The manager in charge gave us permission to continue our tract distribution, and he also graciously accepted a tract.
"We continued our distribution until all our tracts were gone. A couple of hours later we returned to the hospital with two Bibles, praying that the young intern and the lady in the Administration Office would still be there. When walked into the front door of the hospital, our prayers were answered because the young intern was coming down the hall straight toward us. We gave him the Bible, and he was surprised and very pleased.
"Thankfully, the lady in the Administration Office was there to receive the whole Bible also. While we were in her office, she visited the FR website and said she would be willing to monitor the FR program in Juarez and contact Family Radio with regular reports by e mail. We thank the Lord for opening this door of opportunity for us."
Others of our group went downtown, which was cleaned up after the big festival yesterday but was still busy with holiday shoppers; and some group members went to various places within the city that had not been visited previously.
Friday, December 14, 2007. This is our last letter from Juarez. We finished distributing all our materials yesterday and will have some free time today (Friday). We will hold a final meeting this evening to discuss the plans for leaving tomorrow morning, to talk about the upcoming trips to Costa Rica in February and El Salvador in March, and to praise and worship our loving Savior for all He did for us and through us on this trip.
By God's grace, we have placed a total of 203,000 "Does God Love You?" tracts, 500 Bibles, and hundreds of FR books, pamphlets, and other materials in the hands of these kind and gracious Mexican people. Please pray that God will grant repentance unto salvation to many in this part of the world and that He will raise up faithful men and women here to continue the work of the Gospel through the use of the biblical resources that Family Radio freely provides.
As we reflect on our work here, this incident comes to mind and, in a way, sums it all up. An elderly woman (about 80 plus years old), who had earlier received a tract from a group member, was slowly walking along reading the tract, oblivious to what was going on around her. She was approached by another team member who asked her if she had a Bible. She answered "no" and was offered one. Her face lit up with a big smile, and she said, "Alleluia! Praise the Lord!" Then she kissed the Bible and clutched it to her bosom. The expression of happiness on her face told it all. Could it be that she is one of the "great multitude" that no man can number during the current final harvest?
We are grateful for God's guidance and protection during our time in Juarez; and we also thank the listeners and supporters of Family Radio for their prayers and financial support that make these mission trips possible. We consider our being Ambassadors for Christ in this manner a great privilege and honor and highly recommend it to others.
“Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.” (Psalms 107:43)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Mexico