December 17 – “Stopped at the border”

 

 

I got a call the other day asking if I could send out an email requesting prayer for some missionaries we support.  They used to live and work in Mexico, but they were forced out of the country a while back because of the rising unrest and anti-American sentiment.  The local pastors insisted that they leave for their own safety.  Since then they have been doing ministry in Louisiana and have gone back into Mexico off and on with supplies and to encourage the pastors and people. 

 

The other day they were on their way back in with Christmas basket supplies when they were stopped at the border.  For some reason the border patrol agents were refusing to let them enter the country.  They had been at it since 5:30 a.m. – several hours.  They tried a different checkpoint.  This one indicated that they could enter only if they declared everything in their van and paid import taxes on it.  That process would take literally days.  It would mean emptying out and itemizing every single thing they had.  And they didn't have that much time to spare for this trip.  And besides that, they had not near enough money to cover it anyway.  They were on their way to a third checkpoint when I got the call from the missionary's sister asking for prayer.

 

I assured her I would send out the email right away and add my own prayers as well.  I also reminded her that this might just be God's way of protecting them by changing circumstances.  It's possible he was just slowing them down so they would miss a possible rendezvous with evil, or preventing them from entering at all, like he did with Paul when he wanted to go further into Asia and ended up influencing Europe with the Gospel instead.  Either way they would probably never know how God's hand was involved in the situation.

 

I finally received word back through a text about ten o'clock that night as we were heading to bed.  George and Polly had made it into Fresnillos and all was well.  There it was.  God did it again.  I think that counts as Him at work.  Way to go, God.

 

Isaiah 35:8-10 says, "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.  The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.  No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there.  But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return.  They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."  

 

Father, keep your watch over George and Polly and the others who risk their lives in your cause every day.  Amen.