CARTELS

It is a well-known fact that Culiacán is home to the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the largest and most dangerous drug cartels in the world.  Upon my arrival in 2016, I learned that 90% of the city has ties to the cartel– they are either in it themselves or have family or friends who are.  In spite of those grim statistics, for my first 8 years in Culiacán, that was all they were – statistics that didn’t affect my reality.  It’s in the Cartel’s best interests to keep the city peaceful and pretty, so the ugliness of the drug trade is generally eclipsed by the prosperity they provide in exchange for our feigned ignorance.  As the saying goes, “Don’t mess with them, and they won’t mess with you.” We stay out of their business, they stay out of ours, and the city reaps the rewards.

WAR!

On September 9, all of that changed.  Due to some critical arrests and a massive shift in power, the children of the founders and former leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel (El Chapo and El Mayo) have openly declared war against each other, turning our beautiful city into a war zone and shattering the once peaceful and prosperous facade.  In the last three months, thousands of people have lost their lives, liberty, and property in the cross hairs of these warring factions, and the city along with its outlying villages is living under a self-imposed curfew, a “narco-pandemic.”  Few people dare to be out after dark, and as a result commerce is dying, people are losing their homes, jobs, and businesses, and travelling in and out of the city is dangerous at best, deadly at worst.

When I signed up to be a missionary, I knew I wasn’t signing up for something easy or “cushy,” but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine taking shelter with my children at 4:00 AM while cartel members detonated grenades, fired machine guns, and incinerated vehicles two blocks from my home. 😬

BUT, GOD…

One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is “But, God…”  Far from being affected by what goes on in our world, God’s sovereignty always prevails.  Psalm 23:4-5 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

In spite of the crippling violence plaguing our city, God’s hand of protection and prosperity continues to rest on our Calvary Culiacán church family.  With over 1,000 people forming part of our 11 churches, only one family was briefly affected.  A friend’s nephew was taken hostage, but instead of being pressed into service in the war, he was released 6 days later.  Among all the horrific stories of violence, this is literally the only account I have heard of where someone was released unharmed.  God is GOOD!

CAKES GALORE!  … IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR ENEMIES

In spite of the war, the churches of Calvary Culiacán are in fiesta mode, enjoying the table the Lord has set before us in the presence of our enemies!  At the end of October, we celebrated our 9^th anniversary in grand style, renting out the city’s famous downtown theater to welcome more than 600 people from our 10 current churches and our newest church planting team – Horizonte Culiacán.  Our dual theme was “9 Years Doing Church…” and “Praying for the Peace of Culiacán.”  We had guest speakers and musicians from several Calvary churches in other states who braved the drug war to be part of our main celebration and to participate in the individual celebrations of each of our church plants.  

In celebration of all that God is doing in and through Calvary Culiacán, allow me to proudly introduce you to each of our churches and their pastors…

AND WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Besides being the day the Cartel war started, September 9 also marked the first day of classes for this year’s EPICC– the church planting school of Calvary Culiacán.  From 2018 to 2022, all church planting students met together at Calvary Culiacán North in classes ranging from 20-40 students.  In the Fall of 2022, we opened our second campus at Calvary Culiacán South, and we added a virtual campus via zoom to train up the staff of a new church plant in another city.  In the Fall of 2023, we expanded again, adding our 3^rd campus at Calvary Culiacán West.  And this year, in spite of the war, we opened our 4^th and 5^th campuses in Calvary Patria and Calvary Aguaruto!  

Due to the insecurities we are all facing, each campus has chosen to meet in the safest way possible.  Two of our groups are rather small, and since everyone lives within a few minutes of the church, they are able to safely meet in person.  Another has chosen to meet in a centrally located home, so as to not call attention to themselves, and the other two campuses are meeting via zoom.

We have more than 60 students enrolled at this time.  Most of them will graduate in June of 2025 and go on to become teachers of the Word and ministry leaders.  If they continue training and demonstrating that they are F.A.T. (faithful, available, and teachable), the men will go on to become assistant pastors, and many will eventually plant churches of their own. Pray with us that God will clearly speak to all of their hearts and direct them to the ministry and/or location where He would have them serve.

So far, the majority of church-planting efforts have centered on the city Culiacán, but our vision is to grow beyond our Jerusalem (Culiacán) to reach our Judea (all of the state of Sinaloa), our Samaria (the rest of Mexico), and the rest of the world.  Statistics have proven that Mexicans, with their physical appearance and culture, are perfectly equipped to reach the vast majority of the world with the Gospel.  They can blend in to almost any European, Asian, or Middle Eastern culture without raising suspicion, and are therefore welcomed into many areas of the world that are 100% closed to the Gospel… and to Americans.  Please pray that God will raise up not just city-changers, but world-changers from this generation of students.

HOW CAN YOU PRAY FOR US?

With all of the unrest in our city, our primary prayer concern this month is for safety and a quick end to the war.  Our churches were able to resume some mid-week activities a couple weeks ago, but due to a major upsurge in violence this week, all evening activities have returned to virtual mode.  Pray for the wisdom of our leaders in balancing the “not forsaking the gathering of the saints” with protecting their flocks from the inherent dangers of our city.  This will especially be a concern with all of the upcoming Christmas events and outreaches that we are accustomed to having.  May God provide a SAFE way to continue reaching the lost of our city during this special season of the year.

In addition to our safety, you may pray specifically for my family:

• Sammy’s health and schooling.  We praise the Lord for his strong health this year and pray that God would help him to be the best student he can be as he faces junior high for the first time this year.

• Ruby’s safety and continued healing and preparation.  Her shift at work is from 2:00-10:00pm, meaning that she must travel home AFTER the 8:00pm curfew.  So far, we have seen God’s miraculous hand of protection, and we hope it remains as her boss refuses to close early.  While she has made huge strides in her emotional healing journey over the past 18 months, it is far from over.  Pray for her continued healing and that she might continue her schooling and achieve the future she longs for.

• Jenna’s health and priorities.  I’m still recovering from last year’s car accident, I am battling 3 herniated cervical discs.  Pray for a good medical team to find solutions instead of more problems.  Also, pray that God helps me to prioritize my relationship with Him, my family, my part-time jobs, and the ministries He has given me.  Ministry opportunities abound, but I must choose my activities wisely so as not to neglect myself, God, or my family.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US?

If you have not already done so, please sign up to receive my e-newsletters.  They usually come out once every two months, but my goal is to increase that to every month.  Use this link or the QR code below to sign up.

You can also support us financially.  At this time, less than half of my monthly budget is met by supporters, making it necessary for me to maintain a part-time job in addition to my mission work.  I would love to become fully funded and be able to dedicate ALL of my time to the ministry.  Use this link or QR code below to give a one-time gift or to become a monthly partnering the work God is doing here in Culiacán.