In early November, it was my honor and privilege to take part for the second time in an ongoing joint prayer/action initiative between Mexico and the USA called Dos Naciones, Un Proyecto (Two Nations, One Project) aimed at bringing an end to three awful scourges afflicting both nation - drugs, violence and human trafficking. Both times, groups of American Christian leaders have ventured down to Mexico City to meet with President Calderon and other public figures as well as with local Christian leaders and intercessors in an effort to bring God’s deliverance to this critical and tragic situation affecting both sides of our border.

It has been a great blessing and honor to meet with President Calderon and Alexander Poire who provides leadership to the government in the areas of national security and intelligence. We have been helpfully briefed and also encouraged to do all we can on our side of the border to end the flow of illegal weapons, especially assault weapons like the AK-47, that since 2004 have been freely available through U.S. gun shops and shows to drug criminals from Mexico who use them to assassinate public officials, military and police as well as those from competing cartels and many innocent people caught in the crossfire.

70% of such destructive weapons have been traced to the USA. Consequently, over 45,000 people have lost their lives over the last 5 years in this mindless violence that we as Americans bear a great responsibility for since our government lifted the ban on assault weapons and has allowed the flow of such destructive weapons into Mexico. Local police are simply outgunned by the much better equipped criminal cartel members who seek to take over whole communities and subject them to their rule of organized crime.

President Calderon is a very admirable, intelligent and committed Christian who seeks the Lord through daily Bible reading and prayer. He has also asked us to pray for God’s solution, realizing that without His help through prayer, there can be no real transformation of the horror that is the current drug war, including the related phenomenon of human trafficking, that his nation is battling.

Each time we have gone down to Mexico, we have also engaged in an all-out prayer gathering with several thousand on-fire believers the final evening of our stay. These have been powerful, moving times of united intercession that we believe God has used to bring about the arrest of 21 of the most wanted 37 drug lords. Of course, He works through the public authorities, military and police efforts which have been enormously beefed up by the Calderon government; however, it is clear from both Scripture and history that the Lord requires prayer by human partners for His intervention into human affairs. This is the awesome privilege and responsibility we have as those who stand between heaven and earth as His intercessors.

John Wesley, the great revivalist/reformer of 18th century England, based on his experience of seeing his nation saved from the bloody revolution that engulfed France at about the same time, affirmed from his experience that “God does nothing on earth apart from believing prayer.” He saw that we as God’s children are also His regents on earth, expected to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Much as He turned Israel’s enemies into confused fighting against one another, so, I believe, He is causing these wicked, ruthless cartels to fight it out among themselves, so that they are weakened and defeated.

Transformation is a process that is dependent on our ongoing, specific prayer about particular issues. God loves us to be specific, united and continual in our focus (see for example Isaiah 62:1-8, Luke 18:1-). Praise God that we are now seeing signs of His deliverance and shalom coming upon Mexico! The economy is growing at over 5% per year in the midst of worldwide recession. Almost all Mexicans are now covered with universal health care, and all will be very soon. Thousands of schools and open spaces have been made safe for children, with recreational programs to prevent them from being lured into the cartels’ grip.

We were so impressed to hear how the Calderon administration has worked perseveringly in many sectors of society to bring sustainable development as well as doing all they can to build up the federal police and military to interdict drug shipments. New laws have been passed and the constitution reformed to prosecute those who engage in human trafficking. Young women and children who have been kidnapped, raped and trafficked around Mexico and across the border into the USA are being rescued and given new hope through the efforts of Rosi Orozco, an outstanding Christian congresswoman and leader of these anti-human trafficking efforts. She and her husband Alejandro Orozco also lead the Dos Naciones project.

Please pray for the following:
1)    For President Calderon and his administration (including Orozcos) and others), during this final year of his administration that they will see God’s peace and healing will come fully upon Mexico through their efforts.
2)    That they will see full deliverance from the scourge of drugs, arms and human trafficking.
3)    That God will give them wise and effective strategies to prevail against the criminal cartels and that these cartels will collapse, dissolve and their leaders will be brought to swift justice. (See attached list of remaining cartel leaders that we need to focus our prayers on.)
4)    Pray also that the U.S. Congress and other public officials will be sensitized to our responsibility as good neighbors to do all we can to effectively work with the Mexican government and specifically to re-implement the ban on assault weapons and ensure their flow to Mexico is cut off.
5)    That the Lord’s hand will be upon the current presidential election campaign, preventing corrupt and wicked people from coming to power and raising up someone of integrity and honesty to carry on the excellent work of the Calderon administration.

Thanks so much for continuing with us on this journey of prayer for the deliverance of Mexico.