A letter to WELS from their missionaries in Mexico

If you follow mission work in Mexico, you may have recently heard some crazy (or not-so-crazy) rumors about the current security situation. The truth is, the ongoing drug war in Mexico has affected many areas of the country. It has not by any means, however, made it impossible for us to live and work in Mexico.

I'm including a letter below that was written by our missionaries in Mexico. It addresses the drug war issues and gives some inside scoop concerning the current affairs there. Please feel free to share this with members of your congregation or school. What it states is not so much political speak; rather, it is an honest view of the situation our mission team is working through right now. Here's the letter:

A probable change is taking place in the mission work in Mexico. WELS missionaries are currently investigating the possibility of moving out of the city of Torreon and into a different city in Mexico for a few years. The northern Mexican city of Torreon is home for the Mexican Lutheran Seminary and four mission congregations. However, the drug war in Mexico has begun to affect the city in an ever increasing manner.

Most people in the United States are aware of the drug war in Mexico. What many do not realize is the extent to which the war is affecting the country. In some areas of Mexico, such as the border town of Juárez, the violence is so great that missionaries no longer even enter the city. Over 2,600 people were murdered in Juárez in 2009, making it one of the more conflictive cities in the world. Still, other areas of the country have been left relatively unaffected. The Mexican state of Yucatán, for instance, reported no drug war related casualties in 2009.

The missionaries’ desire is to work together with our sister synod, the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mexico, to find a safe city for the missionaries to reside until the conflict resolves in Torreon. The missionaries are not in any imminent danger in Torreon, rather they feel it best to act proactively to avoid potentially serious consequences in the future.

Missionaries Mike Hartman and Larry Schlomer are currently doing an exploratory trip within the country to check out potential sites for the mission team to transfer to. God willing, a plan will be developed in the coming weeks and implemented in March.

Please pray that God use the situation in Mexico to bring people closer to Him. Also pray that He keep the WELS mission team safe together with the members of our Mexican sister church body. Paul’s missionary journeys come to mind as the mission team seeks a new location. On numerous occasions Paul had to modify his plans and leave a city unexpectedly. Each time God used the occasion to bring His Word to new areas. God has blessed the Mexican Lutheran church with steady growth these past years. We trust that He will use this situation to bring his precious message of salvation to more people in Mexico.