“That’s a negative…”

The U.S. Border Patrol agent shook his head as Wayne and Greg asked if they could stop just inside the U.S. border line, to hand out food to the Mesticos (indigenous indian people) who were on the other side.  The question came after spending 2 hours trying to get the Mexican custom officials (aduanas) to approve the load of food the guys were bringing in to the poor and needy.  After 4 weeks of jumping thru every hoop imaginable, this particular night the load was rejected.  And the 200 waiting people at the Tuesday night outreach, men, women and children, would not get  bread tonight.    What now Lord?……..

This has been a tough month for VOB in Mexico!  Serious hindrances and obstacles have made bringing food to the hungry a major undertaking, even as more food has become available!   A new thing that the Mexican government has implemented, in an effort to combat corruption at the border, is replacing the Mexican customs officials every 6 months.  Whereas Greg, Surrender Ministries founder, and Wayne’s ministry partner, has had great favor with the ‘aduanas’ for many years, the last two changeovers, have resulted in blocked access, higher fees and many more ‘hoops to jump’ in order to get food to the needy.

The first changeover was difficult, but when officials actually saw Greg on the street giving away produce and bread to scores of people, they realized the amount of food he was bringing in was legit.  So the harassment stopped.  However, about a month ago,  a new changeover occurred and a new head official was put in place.  This man has been bound and determined to make things difficult for Wayne and Greg (while some officials give them favor,  others stand in the way). Arbitrary rules have been enforced, making it difficult for them to know when they can even go into the country with food.   Hour long waits to be cleared, with no discernible reason, has become commonplace. The following gives an example as to what we must wade thru to get food in:

♦ food donations can only come into the country before 3:00pm (time subject to random  changes).

♦ produce MUST be inspected and only between the hours of 9:00am, and 2:30 pm (time subject to random changes).

♦ no clothes, no toys, no anything but food, and only at the right time, in the right amount, and the right  ‘type’ of food.

♦ load must stay under 20 bags of bread…(amount subject to random changes).

♦ load must be no higher than the bed of the truck… (hard to do when you have a lot of bread).

♦ fee charge to bring load into Mexico goes from $5 to $20 depending on who is charging you and when.

♦ a fax ahead must accompany every load, with specifics of load and day of arrival and must be gotten to official office the day before (and hopefully the right person will see it and give it to the next right person).

There is more, but this gives you an idea.  In the past, some of this has been in place, but officials were willing to bend the rules because Greg and Wayne had a good relationship with them, and they were ok with the guys bringing food in later than the stated time.  It would be impossible for them to bring food before 3:00pm in most cases, due to the constraints of both Wayne and Greg’s work schedules.  This has been especially difficult to work with over the  last few weeks, causing a multitude of trips, increasing both time and expense ($20 a night!).

Greg, who speaks excellent spanish, has worked diligently to have an open communication with the man in charge.  He has repeatedly tried to communicate the great need of all those being fed, resorting to asking those they are helping to write letters of recommendation for the officials.  The response, at one point, was that perhaps the guys need to ‘just stop feeding so many people’.…WOW!   While there has been some small progress made in discussions with those in charge, every day is a battle at some level.

“..For our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against the rulers,

against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness,

against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”

Eph. 6:12

At the heart of all this, in the natural realm, is the idea the Mexican government has that people try to cross into Mexico and sell food and other items to make money.  So they set certain rules in effect to prevent this.  And of course, the government wants people to buy products in Mexico, not be given anything for free.  But in the spiritual realm, this is definitely warfare.  There has been a huge increase in those being fed every week,  with the Tuesday night outreach now numbering up to 200 each week.   And so, an increase in the warfare involved in getting food to these needy ones.  As a dear missionary friend of ours told us recently, there is always extra warfare around serving the poor.  She called them the Lord’s treasure.   And of course, this sort of thing is quite normal for most 3rd world countries.  While the Mexican government is trying desperately and admirably to stop corruption and all of the drug violence, the effect of that battle, creates great difficulties for those who are trying to help.

Please join with us in prayer this month, to see these obstacles removed, the heart of the main official changed, and the poor and needy continuing to be fed.   As the battle amps up, we are calling out the troops!!!!  (that’s YOU!!)

Thank you so much!!

Remembering Karen . . . 

I first met Karen [KA-rin] over two years ago.  She came to us with her mom, and 3 younger siblings. They were in need of food for their family.  My first impression of Karen was that of a pure and gentle heart with a warm smile (the name Karen originated in the Greek and means pure). Karen and her family came each week from then on, to meet us for a bag of bread.  When we prayed with Karen she would often weep as she prayed out.  The Lord was so evident on this young girl.  As the months went on I noticed that it appeared as if Karen was pregnant.  With my little Spanish, and unsure of how to question a then 14 year old if she was with child, I waited a few more weeks until her showing became obvious.

In Mexico, things are very different as I have noted many times, and children do not usually continue school beyond 8th grade.   Families cannot afford the costs as they increase beyond grade school.   Also children are needed to go to work for income to help with the family household.  So it is not unusual for many teens to become involved with one another and begin a family of their own.  I was not sure if this was the case with Karen. But I could not shake my concern that she was 14 and might be pregnant, and that her mom was often altered in one way or another by either drug or alcohol influence.  As we do with many who we encounter each week, we consistently ministered and provided for this family.

Eventually, Karen gave birth to a beautiful little girl who now accompanied them to the families’ weekly pilgrimage for a bag of bread from the ‘whetto’s’ (Mexican slang word for white folk).  A few months went by and, once again, I was concerned that Karen’s abdomen was growing again.  Still unsure about asking her such a private question, I waited a couple of weeks before I could no longer go without knowing.  After asking, she and her mom quickly responded – “no not pregnant – something’s wrong!”.  Knowing the family would not have any money to have Karen checked by a doctor, like so many in Tijuana, I began asking medical professionals I knew, about possible problems Karen could be experiencing.  Specifically, if there could be a complication from her pregnancy – having delivered, of course, her baby at home.  I was advised about a couple of possibilities, but was unable to find someone who could come and examine Karen directly.  Eventually Karen was seen by a doctor who diagnosed her with a tumor that was growing rapidly in her uterus.  Unable to pay for a surgical procedure, she was sent home.  This is, unfortunately, a case scenario often heard over and over again in Mexico.  As Karen’s stomach grew much to the capacity of the days she was pregnant, she was weakened and unable to come to the street outreach for food.  We learned where her family lived (quite far actually, if traveled by foot), and informed them that we would be happy to bring food to their home.

One night, Karen was particularly weak, with the tumor stealing all her nutrition.  We scooped her up out of her bed and carried her to the hospital ourselves.  The scene at Tijuana General Hospital was unlike anything I had ever experienced.   Sick people were lying on the sidewalks outside the hospital gates, awaiting acts of kindness or in hopes of a miracle for their physical needs. They are not permitted to enter the gates if it is known that they have no money for attending their needs.  The guards opened the gates upon seeing our truck pull up (common treatment toward Americans who are believed/known to have money), driven by whetto’s.  Karen’s friend walked her inside as we watched, preparing to return to the outreach to dispense bread to those awaiting us.  That was the last time we saw Karen.

We saw her mom once more, when she informed us that she had to move, as the garage where they were living was being turned over to someone who could pay more, and she herself had decided to enter a rehab.  We did not see Karen that night. But her mom told us that she had only been given a nutrition boost that night in the hospital, and was released again. We lost touch with the family for weeks until this past month. Karen’s mom came to the streets to tell us that Karen had died.  I quickly remembered my thoughts as Karen was escorted into the hospital.  “She is going to die if she does not get help”. My thoughts now became, “Karen died because she could not afford help”.

Though many needs in TJ are similar and often great, I never want to personally be this close to a situation where I can’t offer greater help.  This situation, and others, is eye opening discoveries particularly with our present health coverage concerns in this country.  We are contemplating a way to create a fund where specific funds/grants can be raised where needs in Tijuana such as these can be addressed.  Please join us in prayer for clarity, to ensure that the “Karen Fund” will never be in vain.

UPDATE: We now have an ongoing medical fund “The Karen Fund” for taking care of medical needs as we are made aware of them. 100% of any donations to this fund will go toward these needs. Carol has also made 100% of any proceeds from the sale of her worship CD’s to go to this mercy medical fund.  CD details here.

“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

 Proverbs 14:31