Things are dangerous in our area around Monterrey.

One of our students was robbed at gun point. They took everything including his laptop. The new home of one of our pastors was broken into before they had moved in their furniture. The bandits took all of the light fixtures, plugins, switches and all of the wiring out of the walls.

One half-mile from our home several men were robbed and one shot dead. Two children from one of our churches were kidnapped and interrogated by a drug cartel trying to find out who around our area had money, what their names were and where they live.

One of our staff men from the Bible Institute was returning from Monterrey to the school this past Monday with eight of our students. They had been at the hospital donating blood for one of our students (Perla or Pearl) that has leukemia, when our group came upon six vehicles with about 30 armed men surrounding another car. Suddenly they took off in different directions leaving behind two men that they had shot and killed. By the grace of God our students had not been caught up in the tragedy.

Please pray for the safety of our college students, staff, the people of our churches and their pastors. Please pray for our safety as we travel in several of these dangerous areas because of ministry needs. We are being as careful as possible. We do not leave home after dark and limit our traveling as much as possible and still be able to do the work of the ministry. Every time we leave the house, it is a bit tense until we arrive safely to our destination.

Along with praying for our safety, please pray for some special needs we have for the Bible College. We had to re-roof two staff houses and buy a new deep well pump in order to restore water to the college campus. I had to get an emergency loan of $8,000.00 from the Missions Office to cover these emergencies that we need to pay back as soon as possible.

Also, we are trying to buy a used Mexican vehicle for our commuting in order to maintain a lower profile and not have to use our van that is plated in Texas. Along with those needs, we also need increased financial support. Because of the economic crisis in the States, several churches have had to cut back on support. We have lost $400 to $500 a month in support while at the same time our ministry is expanding.

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Monterrey and Nuevo Leon:

The level of violence and insecurity in Monterrey remains elevated. Local police and private patrols do not have the capacity to deter criminal elements or respond effectively to security incidents. As a result of a Department of State assessment of the overall security situation, on September 10, 2010, the Consulate General in Monterrey became a partially unaccompanied post with no minor dependents of U.S. government employees permitted.

TCOs [The Cartel Operatives] continue to use stolen cars and trucks to create roadblocks or “blockades” on major thoroughfares, preventing the military or police from responding to criminal activity in Monterrey and the surrounding areas. Travelers on the highways between Monterrey and the United States (notably through Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros/Reynosa) have been targeted for robbery that has resulted in violence. They have also been caught in incidents of gunfire between criminals and Mexican law enforcement. In 2010, TCOs kidnapped guests out of reputable hotels in the downtown Monterrey area, blocking off adjoining streets to prevent law enforcement response. TCOs have also regularly attacked local government facilities, prisons and police stations, and engaged in public shootouts with the military and between themselves. Pedestrians and innocent bystanders have been killed in these incidents.

The increasing number of kidnappings and disappearances throughout Monterrey’s consular district, is of particular concern. Both the local and expatriate communities have been victimized and local law enforcement has provided little to no response. In addition, police have been implicated in some of these incidents. Travelers and residents are strongly advised to lower their profile and avoid displaying any evidence of wealth that might draw attention.