Escalating Violence in Mexico

Chaos and Order

Last month we assured you that the violence in Mexico isn’t having a significant effect in Guadalajara. Just after sending that newsletter off, there was a flurry of grenade attacks throughout the city as well as a major road being cut off by a drug cartel. It appears that their motive is nothing more than invoking confusion and fear... in which they are succeeding. Some people here felt pretty shaken up by it.

What we’ve begun to notice though is God’s pattern of replacing our chaos with his order. We’ve been a part of conversations where folks are asking, “How have we gotten to this point? What have we done to let this sort of climate come about?” The fun thing about being here right now is knowing the Prince of Peace. We see God is using this overwhelming chaos to show people they need something more... something they’ve been denying... until now.

... the effect of violence on our friends in Tlajomulco.

A few weeks ago we arrived to study with the family of Jesus and Carmen in Tlajomulco only to find they had three unexpected visitors. Three of Carmen’s nephews arrived on very short notice. They were fleeing from a special fighting unit (which was formerly trained by the U.S. military) called the Zetas. Originally a part of the Mexican army, the Zetas later went to work for a leading cartel. When that cartel’s boss was killed, they decided to work for themselves. Recently the Zetas moved into Zacatecas, where Carmen’s nephews lived, and began recruiting the young men of the towns to join their squadrons. “Recruit” isn’t the right word to use, as they are abducting young people from their homes. Carmen’s nephews spent well over 10 hours hiding on the floor in their home as the Zetas shot up their town. When they thought it was safe, they fled to Tlajomulco.

The nephews, ages 22, 16 and 4, are very nice and polite young men. Their world has obviously been turned upside down, as has that of Jesus and Carmen to a lesser extent. But as chaos tries to take over their lives, they are humbly submitting to listen to the words of Christ. Since the nephews are now guests in their aunt’s home, they eat breakfast with us and open their bibles and read with us. And we have to imagine that God is planting his seed in soil that’s looking for something greater than the world is offering.