A Maybe Crazy or Maybe Not-so-crazy Thought

These few weeks around Thanksgiving seem to be prime time for planning next year's mission trips; almost daily I am getting more and more e-mails from groups wanting to book for next year. It's looking like summer 2012 will be more like 2008 with its 33 groups in 10 weeks than 2011 with 7 in the same time frame. At least part of the reasoning for that is because the violence in Juarez has improved markedly. There are still killings almost daily, but the numbers are far less inflated than in past years. The military and federal police presences have also been dramatically reduced.

That leads me to a thought that has been in my head for quite some time now. I'm not sure if it's completely crazy or not. I think that maybe the improved situation across the border and my leaving are related. The onset of the cartel violence roughly coincided with my coming down here to volunteer long-term, and the same correlation applies to its present respite and my moving back to St. Louis. I believe that this is not a coincidence, but rather a God thing. Not like He is bringing change to a city of 2.5 million because Erin Mackenzie isn't going to be here anymore or something, but like He used my presence on the border in a special way, and things looking up in Juarez is one more sign that my calling here is up. Maybe He needed my words in an e-mail to convince doubting groups that the needs in El Paso were as great as in Mexico, or needed my calmness to lend peace to those who were apprehensive about crossing the border.

You decide if I'm crazy or not, and please also continue to pray for the evil taking place less than a mile from where I sit right now. I definitely have a good feeling about how next year is shaping up though!

Until next time, blessings!