Dear Partners in God's kingdom work in Northern Mexico,

With great pain in our hearts we need to tell you that as we predicted last year, the beginning of 2011 has been the worst time for this city regarding violent crimes. As the government fights against the two gangs of drug dealers, the gangs respond more frequently. At the end of 2010, we said that the crime would probably grow in 2011, but still we were hoping that something would change. What we predicted is happening already. 

Last year this violence was mostly occurring outside the city and in a few areas among the poor and oppressed sections of Monterrey. Even when the city is working and moving normally, our biggest concern is that over the last couple of months, the violence is increasing in the very areas where we are planting churches, such as West Cumbres, Apodaca, San Nicolas, and the south end of Monterrey. Last year we were able to avoid the difficult areas, but now, the difficulties are coming to our ministry areas in the city.

As one pastor who wanted to bring a group this summer said, “If crime is becoming a big problem, this could be a sign that your church planting movement is being used by the Lord.” Certainly, we are not sure to call this issue a sign, but what we are sure is that the Lord is working very much through us and He is in control of this city.

He is showing us his presence in many ways: the growth of our new churches, people coming looking for hope, church members becoming more sensitive to the needs of the city, and whole communities—even we missionaries—are continuing to mature in our dependency on God alone, and are developing a greater commitment to church planting.

Unfortunately, we also are experimenting negative effects of the violence registered in the city. We need to avoid activities after 10:00 pm or before 7:00 am, we need to be much more careful where we drive and what kind of vehicles we drive (no black Suburbans, pick-ups, or windows blackened, vans or buses for example), we cannot go to the border easily, our wives and little children are our concerns, we have to avoid traveling or driving big groups in one van or bus, and so forth.

As a result of these concerns, and this may be the most difficult decision we have made in the last 10 years in our ministry in Northern Mexico, we are sorry to communicate to you that we are cancelling all the short term teams for 2011. You have no idea how difficult it has been for us to make this decision, but after many prayers, considerations and risk possibilities, we have to tell you that for this year is much better for you not to send a group to Monterrey, Victoria or Saltillo this year.

As you may know, one of our biggest convictions regarding teams is that we are committed to work together as one people of God growing His kingdom in northern Mexico, giving your people opportunities to see missions as a call from the Lord and experiencing great opportunities without any risks or danger. If you come, you may not even notice the violence occurring in the city, but we and you would be concerned your entire trip and this issue is going to affect us in our normal process or joy of the work we are doing. That fact will work contrary to what we want you to experience coming to Northern Mexico. Also, as I said at the beginning of this letter, the risk of experiencing violence is much bigger this year than last year. 

Everybody in the northern Mexico team, all the church planters and many members of our churches will miss you very much. Short-term teams represent the biggest opportunity for growing our relationships as partners and friends. Certainly our churches won’t be the same this summer without your people serving with us; it will be a completely different summer than we have experienced.

As a church planting movement, we are continuing with our regular ministries such as VBS, sports ministries, medical brigades and so forth; however, we will need your prayers more than ever. Please, continue praying for us even more fervently.

In spite of the fact that you are not coming this year, we would like to express our gratitude for being our partners and ask you to think about some other possibilities to help us. Because of the issues in our cities, we need your help and support more than ever, we need your prayers more than ever, we need financial support more than ever, and we need to grow our relationships more than ever.

Regarding mission’s help, one time I heard Rev. Rod Whited (the board chairman of our partnership) preaching, “Missions is about giving, receiving, sending and praying.” In this sense, we want to point some options that we would like you to consider helping us this year instead of coming:

Praying

• Pray for us especially for wisdom, protection and opportunities to minister through this hostile environment in which we are living.
• Pray for our three cities where we are serving: Monterrey, Victoria, Saltillo.
• Pray for our families
• Pray for our team unity and safety.
• Pray for our summer work.
• Pray for the new churches we are planting.

Sending

• Consider supporting Susan Sundeen, Chris and Julie Koiner, Jarret and Mary Carol Hall as they are raising support to come to Northern Mexico to help us as long-term missionaries.
• Consider sending one to three leaders from your church the last weekend of June to join us in a prayer and vision gathering for the city of Monterrey.
• Consider sending your pastors, elders or deacons to our next vision trip the third weekend of September.

Receiving

• Think about the possibility to receive some “reverse” short-term teams from our churches to serve alongside you in your ministry there in the States.
• As a MTW team, we would like to have the opportunity to go to visit your churches to speak about the Northern Mexico Church Planting Movement.

Giving

• Since we are continuing our ministry during summer, please consider giving some extra support to our ministry and churches.
• Because we want to respond to the violence we are experiencing in this city, we are emphasizing our regular ministry through an initiative called “Jeremiah 29.”

As Babylon needed to see the people of God as an alternative for their lives, Monterrey, Victoria and Saltillo need to see the church of Jesus Christ as an alternative for hope and gospel transformation. The government, army and police are not the hope of these cities, but the church of Jesus Christ and His gospel is the only hope.

The Lord called his people to incarnate their lives and way of life in Babylon to be hope in the middle of darkness. In the same way, we as the people of God are called to incarnate our ministry in the cities where the Lord is sending us to serve. We are sure that this is very difficult, but we are looking at Christ as God incarnated and dwelling among his enemies, showing His love for us.

Christ knows our struggles because He passed through these struggles, too. He understands our weaknesses and He is responding to our prayers. Some things that we are planning to do through this initiative are as follows:

a) To intensify our preaching, teaching and encouraging a gospel-centered passion and love for the cities where we are serving and a passion to meet their felt and real needs.

b) To train people about what to do when crime events occur.

c) To emphasize the ministry of our churches as centers of discipleship and counseling to serve Christians and non-Christians.

d) To secure the homes of pastors and missionaries of our church planting movement.

e) To facilitate public prayer gatherings in different areas of the city.

e) Other opportunities such as, offering hope through Gospel messages around the city using billboards, among other ways.

“Jeremiah 29 Initiative” will need financial support. As a part of your missions program, we ask you to consider giving to this ministry as an extraordinary help to Northern Mexico.

We are writing you this letter not to scare you, but on the contrary to encourage you to intensify your help, and passion for our ministry. We do not want to take away your participation with short-term teams, but on the contrary, we want to open new opportunities according to our circumstances.

“We need you now more than ever, we need you to pray more than ever, we need your advice more than ever, we need your financial support more than ever, we need more long-term helpers in Monterrey, Victoria and Saltillo more than ever.”

Northern Mexico cities need the love and hope of Jesus Christ more than ever!!!

May the Lord bless you very much.

 For The Northern Mexico Network,

Andres Garza

Network Leader

Caleb Dunn (ITEM President)

Chris Koiner ( Administration and Entrepreneur’s ministry)

Carol Oban (Administrator and Short-Term)

Gamaliel Pozos (ITEM and Victoria Veinte Veinte)

Jorge Aleman (ITEM academic dean)

Jarret Hall (ITEM and Church Planting)

Rafael Rodriguez (Church Planting Coordinator)

Michael Lee (ITEM and Church Planting)

Maricela Aleman (Children’s ministry)

Priscila Echegollen (Counseling Ministry)

Ruth Garza (Women’s Ministry)

Sussan Sundeen (Short-term and teachers trainer Durango)

Scott Craig (Short-Term and Logistics Development)

Monterrey, Mexico February 2011