Wow, Wow, Wow – What can I say!!!

The Lord certainly has been with us as we have stepped out into the things we dreamed of back in February when I initially visited Mexico with Mario Otero of Gospel Action. One morning in prayer Mario and I both looked up at one another and said what would it look like if we tried to reach a city for Jesus, as we dreamed and decided to split it into zones and run simultaneous missions a plan was formulated. Mario visited Mexico throughout the year, working hard to pull together this ground-breaking mission, birthing out the vision of Alcance 22 (means together) A fractured leaders fraternal was healed and reunited under the vision. Hallelujah!

We had the the most amazing time in Mexico in November, one that we will never forget as we saw the Lord move mightily. We knew the Lord’s hand was upon us from even before we set off, laying on our hearts words to be shared and opening up opportunities and doors.

Go and Tell were part of a wider team with Mission24 and other ministries, who each had a zone of the city. We were so blessed to be working alongside the churches in the South East Zone of the City. The Pastors were amazing and took us to places to visit in the mornings and then local football fields for evening crusades, culminating on the Saturday night in a big central crusade in the American football.

On the Sunday we preached at the many churches across the city. The first 3 day were packed full with Morning Outreaches and then Evening Crusades.

The Outreaches

On the Wednesday we visited a local hospital where we ministered to the people who were living outside, camping on the streets as they waited for free treatment which could take months. One heartbroken lady had just had a caesarean section the day before but couldn’t stay inside with her premature baby due to lack of space. She couldn’t afford a hotel to stay in so had to live outside on the street so she could visit her baby every day.

On the Thursday we visited a Retirement village where we had the wonderful freedom to tell testimony and preach to the group of older folks and the care assistants in which most of them responded to the Gospel and were in tears as we prayed for them to know the love of a Saviour.

On the Friday we were given access to speak with a group of teenagers in the local high school. The churches had not been able to get access into this school before but the headmaster allowed us in for the first time. There is no preaching allowed in schools in Mexico so I spoke on Good and Bad Choices and told my testimony and how to choose the best choice, Jesus. We left with the door being opened now for the local church to visit again and build a relationship with the school, we were even invited back to do an after school outreach within the school ground but we had another crusade that night .

The Crusades

There were 3 nights of crusades in each zone of the city, in a different place each night. On the first night there was over 1100 people. As the rest of the team was still stranded on a different continent and Lucy preaching at a children’s crusade it was just Joseph and myself. The Lord moved mightily and after Joseph’s testimony and I preached and gave an appeal for salvation, I looked and saw a huge crowd that looked like a tsunami of people responding coming to Jesus, coming forward, and they just kept coming and my heart was just so moved as you could tangibly feel the Holy Spirit moving and responding to the wonderful saving grace of our Lord Jesus.

On one of the night's a young girl who was born with her feet pointing inwards 90 degrees was totally healed and her feet ankles and legs were made straight, what an amazing God we serve!

The following nights saw between about 600-800 attending each night. Over the course of the 3 nights and days over 800 people responded to Jesus with many miracles seen as we prayed for people. Jenny released a word of blind eyes opening and we saw many of those. We saw a lady who had a leg cast of throw it off and come up onto stage to testify of being healed. Andy prayed for a man who had been mute and began to speak – All glory to God, He is mighty and powerful to save.

There was a final crusade on the Saturday night in the city American football stadium where Jonathan Conrathe preached to a crowd of a couple of thousand with many responding to the appeal for salvation.

As well as these crusades there was also a children’s crusade on the Wednesday night where Lucy was booked to speak. This was an annual event run by the local mission in one of the poorer areas of the city with approximately 250 parents and children attending. It was fabulous to hear of the excitement of the children and the wonderful work being done by this mission. Lucy went and preached at this event and gave an appeal for salvation in which over half of the crowd responded. Absolutely awesome – Thankyou Jesus for these precious families and children.

Meet the Team

We took out a wonderful team of people with us who are absolutely on fire for Jesus and so willing to serve Him……Andy McCulloch, Jenny Carroll, Joseph Warner, Gill Berry, Lucy Hudson and Myself. These guys were awesome and showed such character and tenacity. Due to being delayed on our original flight out of Manchester Airport, (one of 3 flights to get us to Tuxtla) we ended up arriving separately, with the final 3 in the team over 2 days late…but wow did they hit the ground running.

Over the next 5 days Jenny, Joseph & Lucy gave powerful testimonies on the evening crusades in front of hundreds of people. The team ministered each night for hours, praying for people and ministering healing. On the Sunday we split into 3 to preach in local churches with Andy and Jenny preaching and Gill and Joseph giving testimonies of God’s goodness. .

We were so privileged to be taken up into the mountains by the pastors that were looking after us and given some traditional Mexico clothes as a way to honour us. I know the team, along with myself were blown away with this beautiful gesture

Valientes – The ‘Brave Ones’

Whilst in Mexico it was arranged that we would see the Valientes. This is a fantastic project run by the Lugo Family and headed up by Jocobed. She is dedicated to bringing in the local street vendor kids who don’t have access to education and teaching these wonderful children about Jesus as well as to read and write. This is such an important work as it reaches children and young people who are not registered or even recognised as existing, many of them not accepted by their dads, the guys here do a wonderful job demonstrating the real love of the unfailing Eternal Father. I had visited theses fantastic children in February so was eager to visit again but more than that, my wife Lucy was coming to Mexico this time also and after years in children’s ministry she was so eager to meet these wonderful children.

Report by Lucy…
It was amazing to finally meet the Valientes children and Jocabed and see the brilliant work she is doing with the children. It blew me away when they had specially learnt some familiar English children songs to sing to us and we as a team were able to join in and show them the actions. After telling a simple story, we got the opportunity to pray for these young children. It was harrowing to hear about some of the problems and poverty they face and it especially struck me as I prayed for one young girl who was suffering fears and anxiety because of the problems at home due to an alcoholic father that we must not forget to bring the little children to Father God, whether it’s in Mexico or UK.

A few months before going out to Mexico the Lord really laid this fantastic work on my heart and I began to talk to a few people about wanting to take some resources over. Before I knew it we had 5 donated laptops as well as money given to us to buy resources of good quality pencil crayons and text books. We also had the Sunday school children from our church New Life Milnrow and Branches Christian Fellowship making lovely cards and letters to take out to the children.

Before we left we gave out these resources and the children’s and helpers faces lit up.

Thankyou so much for those who have donated and given. I am excited as we are look to develop links and support this ministry as we plan to visit again next year.