For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19: 9, 10 (NASB)
“Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, ‘Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?’ But when Jesus heard this, He said, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Now go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9: 10-13
Without a doubt we are all familiar with the parable which Jesus told of the Pharisee and the tax collector as recorded in Luke 18: 9-14:
“Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This week Theresa and I have experienced these words of Jesus lived out in the flesh. Since arriving in Cd. Valles we have been meaning to spend time visiting with Jimmy and Lilian and their three children, a young couple who are very dear to us, their children even calling us grandma and grandpa. Up until this week we have been unable to do so, but we had arranged to spend the morning with them on Sunday.
Last August Jimmy and Lilian became involved with a new ministry in the city which worked with the rehabilitation of drug and alcohol addicts, and they were very excited to introduce us to what they are doing. On Sunday morning we met them at the facility where they work for a morning service and visit. At that time we also met the pastor and overseer of the ministry, Carlos Sanchez, along with his wife Sandi.
The “Casa de Rescate – Desafio al Cambio” (Rescue House – Challenge to Change) is an incredible ministry in Cd. Valles which is taking drug and alcohol addicts and the downtrodden and outcasts of society from the surrounding region and is rescuing them, and is truly giving them the challenge to change. Both men and women, as well as children, are being set free and are having their lives radically changed by the power of Jesus Christ and the Word of God. All of them have an incredible past and have experienced lives tortured by sin. Most, if not all, carry deep scars. Men, tattooed and literally marked by their drug dealing and often murderous past, raise their hands in praise to God. Women, some of them only young teenage girls, carry the emotional and physical scars of lives of prostitution, drug addiction, and sexual violence but their faces are now softened and beautiful with the newly-found peace that comes from salvation through Jesus Christ.
In Jimmy’s own words in a message that he sent to me on Saturday he gave the following statistics. However by today, only days later, these will be outdated because the intake of new arrivals occurs daily:
– 75 people who were admitted involuntarily [ie. either by family or by the police or other legal means] are listening to the word of God and are getting to know Jesus.
– 50 people who came voluntarily [ie., by voluntary admission for help] are serving God.
– 14 women arrived who, after a six-month process of confinement [ie., involuntary admission], have decided to stay after their required program ended, and to serve God out of gratitude for what He has done in their lives and in that of their family.
– Men and women who were trapped in drugs and alcohol resulting in lives of sadness, anxiety, and depression are being set free. People marked by suicide attempts today see in Jesus a purpose for living.
We arranged a follow up meeting with Jimmy and Lilian as well as with Carlos Sanchez and his wife Sandi for the following day so that we could visit with them further, as well as accompany them to see the property that has recently been donated for the ministry a couple of miles to the north of the city. We also wanted to bring Javier and Cristina to meet them and to introduce them to this work as well.
Perhaps this is the place to interject that neither Theresa nor I are looking for a new place to “plug in”, and certainly Javier and Cristina are both so busy already that they can barely see the light of day. However, interestingly, God seems to be placing drug and alcohol rehabilitation into our path over the past weeks. This was now the third time over only days that one variety or other of this specific ministry has confronted us.
It was also quickly apparent that this specific work, like Teen Challenge or the Father’s Farm in North Dakota, and probably any ministry which targets wounded and addicted people, is very difficult and that it is only by the grace and power of God that anyone can change at all. Many who come, especially those who are brought involuntarily, even if they complete the six-month program still cannot stay clean when they leave and there is certainly recidivism even in an excellent and God-centered program. However, many also do change, and for them the transformation is nothing but absolutely radical and life altering!
Praise God for changed lives and the power of his abiding Spirit to completely make all things new!
On Monday Theresa and I, along with Javier and Cristina spent about five hours with Jimmy and Lilian as well as Carlos and Sandi visiting the land site and learning to understand their vision and passion for this ministry that God has given to them to work with the downtrodden and the despised of the world.
Sadly, even many of the churches in town want nothing to do with them because their clients are “unsavory” and filthy sinners, or at least they were. And who can trust a drug addict or a woman of the streets?
“When Jesus heard this, He said, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Now go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Although Casas de Rescate are located in several cities across Mexico, it only began here in Cd. Valles eleven months ago and the amount of work that still needs to be done is almost overwhelming. Since it is so new here in Cd. Valles they have grown much faster than their facilities allow. Because of this they have hurriedly constructed two temporary housing units on the landsite in which they are beginning to accommodate the voluntary men admissions. The transfer of the women has all happened since Monday and we haven’t even seen what it looks like now that they have moved onto site. When we were there on Monday afternoon the women’s shelter was only an empty building without any beds in it.
There is also a tremendous need for facilities and personnel to teach trades to both the men and women. This is certainly their desire, but to date they have not been able to do so. Cristina is hoping to help in this area by training some of the women to sew. Personally I’m not sure how she can fit any more onto her already full plate, but may God give her strength to do so. They also need bedding and new mattress covers sewn for the clients, so this is a huge immediate need besides that of teaching the women a practical trade.
Please hold this ministry up in your prayers. This is a very good work, and they desperately need God’s grace and mercy as they labor for Him.
Besides visiting with other friends here in Cd. Valles, this week has also been filled with spending time specifically with Javier and Cristina. As I mentioned last time, Javier has felt the need to simply unburden his heart to me on several occasions while we have been here. It was apparent that he longed to be heard without judgment or criticism. The burden of carrying the load of his congregation weighed heavily on him, and it was a blessing to me to simply be able to hold up his arms in the battle. These were things that he did not feel that he could speak about to other people as they related to the shortcomings and sins of those that he cared for pastorally. I could be the shoulder to assist with carrying the load.
On Friday evening (last evening) we also had a graphic reminder of the danger that everyone still lives under here in Mexico. Although things seem safe and “normal”, the calm may not be as sweet as it seems. Theresa and I had accompanied Javier and Cristina to a little village called San Mateo where they have a children’s outreach ministry. We had a lovely time with the children there and Javier shared the simple gospel message with them from the Bible.
When we returned back into the city from San Mateo we invited Javier and Cristina to enjoy a roasted elote with us – maize corn on the cob that is roasted and coated with mayonnaise, chili powder, lime juice, and shredded cheese. It is a lovely treat, and one that Theresa has been talking about now for several days. While we were sitting on a retaining wall by the side of the road enjoying our corn, suddenly several speeding cars passed by us heading down the highway with National Guard and police vehicles in hot pursuit close behind. One of the cars turned around just down the road from us and sped back the way that it had come. By this time Cristina had realized that this was a high speed cartel chase which would probably lead to a shootout and had hurried us all away from the road. We quickly got into the truck and drove off main roads to our house. We could hear sirens throughout the city for at least a half hour after we got home, but we were all okay.
This morning I found out that last evening there had been a major cartel war against the police and National Guard in the city. Many roads and highways had been blocked off and gunfights had taken place across the city. Apparently no one was killed, but three main cartel bosses had been captured and were taken by helicopter for incarceration in San Luis Potosí. Also, apparently there have been no cartel wars here in Cd. Valles for at least a year, and things had been calm until last evening.
All of this is a reminder again that we cannot forget to pray for our brothers and sisters here in Mexico. Theresa and I are safe enough and I am not concerned. Besides, what better or safer place can there be than being in the center of God’s protective will. However, our Mexican brothers and sisters live under the constant awareness of possible danger. May God have mercy on this nation.
Theresa and I will leave this afternoon with Javier for another five-day ministry trip back into the mountains to the west of the city to the Zona Pame. We plan on returning back to Cd. Valles again on Wednesday night. This will make our final time here in Mexico very busy since we hope to leave to return to Canada on the morning of the 28th.
Thank you for your prayers, both for Theresa and me as we spend this time here in Mexico, but especially for our dear brothers and sisters who live and serve here day in and day out, year after year. They are the heroes! They are the ones whose arms we need to hold and support so that they do not grow weary in the constant battle that they fight against the Enemy.
Blessings brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Steven and Theresa Frey
