What Drugs are doing to Our Families

By Fidel "Butch" Montoya

I received a telephone call a few days ago from Pastor Jerry Gonzales of Grand Junction, Colorado with an urgent request for prayer. He asked that I share the prayer request with you and your churches. This is a very urgent prayer request and we believe that only through the intervention of God will make a difference. But first of all, as members of His Church, we must call upon his name in unity.

Yesterday two women came to his office at the church and were very worried and distraught about the drug wars in Mexico. The Washington Post recently had an editorial about "Mexico's War". The newspaper editorial reports there have been numerous murders, missing people kidnapped by drug thugs, rape and crimes against women and children, scores of beheadings, massacres of entire families and assassinations of senior officials.

Unfortunately there are many corrupt local police who are on the drug lord's payroll. Even federal law enforcement authorities are also cooperating with the drug cartels. President Felipe Calderon recently added 40,000 army soldiers to fight this war, but even they have failed to put a halt to the state of chaos, violence, fear and the gangs waging this war.

Pastor Gonzales says in his email, "Yesterday I spoke with two very distraught ladies about a very critical situation going on with their loved-ones in Mexico. I spoke with Rosario and her sister Ortancia regarding the kidnapping and beating of their brother and husbands by criminal elements demanding money and/or selling drugs for them. The brother was severely beaten but his life was spared after the gang members were offered his new car.

Entire villages are at the mercy of these thugs. The police and authorities are powerless to do anything and in many places they have abandoned villages and towns in fear for their own lives.

Only an intervention by All-mighty God is the answer. I ask you to pray not only for this situation but for all of Mexico.

This situation is just the tip of the ice berg. I know I am not telling you anything you are not already aware of but my heart was so broken by this family that I am trying to share this with the people of God to come together and intercede for those suffering so greatly."

From a political and strategic point of view, with the worsening conditions in Mexico, we must remember a free and democratic Mexico is best for Mexico and the United States. If Mexican President Felipe Calderón cannot control and resolve the violence and state of urgent need, we may have a very dysfunctional and leftist government, on less than friendly terms with our country, just south of our border. The ramifications of a country out of control would have massive repercussions for both the United States and Mexico.

Here is just one more fact mentioned in The Washington Post editorial which I think will help you understand the urgency and violence that exists in Mexico at this very hour.

"MANY PEOPLE in Washington are rightly alarmed about the rising toll of military and civilian casualties in Afghanistan. They might be surprised to learn that a roughly equal number of people have been killed so far this year in a war raging much closer to home -- in Mexico.

More Mexican soldiers and police officers have died fighting the country's drug gangs in the past two years than the number of U.S. and NATO troops killed battling the Taliban. Civilian casualties have been just as numerous, and as gruesome, By the official count, kidnappings in Mexico now average 65 a month, ranking it well ahead of Afghanistan and Iraq."

One last thought we need to think about and include in our prayer as well. "U.S. money and weapons are fueling this war. Billions of dollars from American drug users flow to the drug syndicates."

The Mexican government's battle against drug gangs is deadlier than most of us realize.

Let us join together in prayer across this nation in unity and in a spirit of urgency, asking for deliverance from the killings and violence for the people of Mexico.

God Bless Mexico and it's people,

Fidel "Butch" Montoya
H. S. Power & Light Ministries - Latino Faith Initiative
Denver, Colorado 80212