On June 15 BridgeBuilders launched the "Enough is Enough" call to 20 days of prayer and fasting for the capture of "El Chapo" Guzman, leader of the Sinaloa Federation, along with other cartel leaders and the dismantling of their criminal organizations. We also called for prayer for the Mexican elections because of the great impact the outcome will have on our economy, immigration and the continuing "war of drugs."
Praise Reports:
1. Good news was reported in the newspaper Milenio on July 1 that killings related to drug violence in Mexico fell 17 percent in June from the month before, reaching the lowest level this year.
2. The Mexican elections took place without reports of drug related violence or election fraud.
3. From June 15 to July 4, USA and Mexican law enforcement arrested many significant leaders within Mexico’s cartels. On June 17, Obied Can Zepeda, nephew of “El Chapo” Guzman, and two other cartel members were killed. On June 21, two of Guzman’s young leaders, one originally thought to be his son, were arrested in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Also during the 20 days of prayer, US officials said they have taken steps to freeze all the U.S. assets of both Guzman’s wife and son.
4. Arrested on June 12 was Juan Francisco Trevino Chavez “El Quico”, the alleged Zetas leader of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and the nephew of Miguel Trevino Morales, “Z-40” (the number two leader of the Zetas cartel). Arrested on June 15 was Jovan Erick Lozano Diaz, alias “El Cucho,” the alleged financial operator for Morales, “Z-40”. And on June 14, it was reported that 52 suspected members of the notoriously violent Los Zetas drug cartel were arrested in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. And arrested on June 12 with several other accomplices was Jose Trevino Morales, the brother of Miguel Trevino Morales, “Z-40” – who was behind a U.S. horse breeding operation called Tremor Enterprises that U.S. officials say laundered millions of dollars in drug money.
Yet the "Drug War" is not over. Mexico's president elect, Enrique Peña Nieto, from the PRI party, is giving mixed signals on how he plans to stem the violence yet keep the pressure on the drug trafficking organizations. In the wake of Mexico's presidential election Sunday, analysts are expecting Mexico to launch a major blitz against the drug cartels during current President Felipe Calderon's remaining term.
Therefore, as "watchmen on the wall" we need to keep vigilant in prayer to see an end to the drug trafficking organizations in both Mexico and in the USA.
BREAKING NEWS ALERT!
It has been an incredible week for reducing violence on Arizona’s Southwest border.
Just two days after the conclusion of BridgeBuilders’ “Enough is Enough” call to prayer and fasting for the dismantling of the Sinaloa cartel, three homes were raided in the Valley – a stash house in Phoenix and two in Tempe, one of which was the Sinaloa cartel’s Tempe office headquarters.
After a six-month investigation, Tempe police say the Sinaloa cartel is now down 20 people, 14 guns, 10 vehicles, $2.4 million, three tons of pot, 30 pounds of meth, and a plane.
“We’ve cut off the head of the snake,” said Tempe Police Lt. Noah Johnson. “This definitely makes it a lot harder for our children and residents to get drugs.”
In the last few days, three drug-smuggling tunnels have been discovered, two in Arizona. And two senior members of the Sinaloa cartel (one a lieutenant of Chapo Guzman) were were arrested in the last few days in Mexico’s crime capital Ciudad Juarez. Today, our border is moving toward being a safer place.
Drug-related violence is falling on the border according to a recent statement by Mexico government officials. Murders by criminal gangs in the most violent city of Ciudad Juarez along fell by 42 percent in the first six months of this year from the same period last year.
God is answering our prayers! The decline in Juarez homicides is attributed to the weakening of the local Juarez drug cartel and the rival Gente Nueva gang, which is allied with the powerful Sinaloa cartel. Gen. Emilio Zarate, the local Mexican Army commander, told reporters the Juarez cartel has become so weak that it is having trouble paying its members.
Zarate said the number of homicides in the city has averaged about 40 murders a month recently. In the past years, Ciudad Juarez sometimes saw as many as 300 homicides in a month during especially violent periods. The general said he sees signs that citizens have faith in the army’s anonymous tip program, which allows people to file complaints about drug gangs by hone or email.
According to President Felipe Calderon, homicides in Mexico overall have dropped 15-20 percent in the first six months of this year compared to the same period of 2011. “Today, violence related to rivalries between criminals is declining,” Calderon said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal recently. He said that drug-related murders in Mexico have fallen by roughly 12 percent in the first five months of this year.
In the state of Chihuahua, state officials indicated a similar decline. Prosecutors said there were 653 murders in the first half of 2012 compared to 1,322 in the same period of last year.
Let’s keep pressing in to God for more victories.
PRAY:
1. We PRAISE You, Mighty God, for the many answers to our prayers! Thank You, Lord, for the decline in the violence along the borderlands!
2. We continue to press in to You, Mighty God, for the complete demise of all Mexican drug cartel activities and the capture of its leaders, including Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman of the Sinaloa Cartel.
This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. Fro the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15b (NIV)
Two days after the election, President-elect Pena came to the U.S. to announce that he would “welcome debate on the issue of drug legalization and regulation in Mexico.” In an interview by PBS New Hour, President-elect Pena clearly stated: “I’m in favor of opening a new debate in the strategy in the way we fight drug trafficking. It is quite clear that after several years of this fight against drug trafficking, we have more drug consumption, drug use, and drug trafficking. That means we are not moving in the right direction. Things are not working.”
These are “code words” to signal the PRI intends to cut a profitable deal with the cartels to legalize drugs in exchange for collecting tax revenue on drug sales. The month before, Congressman james Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) called a Congressional hearing to accuse Pena Nieto of advocating “a reversion” back to the old PRI policies of “turning a blind eye to the cartels” as long as they weren’t perpetrating grisly violence.
President-elect Pena’s announcement of the PRI’s new cozy relationship with the drug cartels directly followed President Obama’s announcement of his “Dreamer” Executive Order curtailing deportations of “undocumented” aliens. These actions have caused major alarm among rank-and-file border agents that the Sinaloa Federation and Los Zetas are now unrestrained to flood into the United States with drugs and violence. In a joint union press conference by the customs agents and the border patrol unions, Chris Crane, President of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council (ICE) warned: “It’s impossible to understand the full scope of the administration’s changes, but what we are seeing so far concerns us greatly…There is no burden for the alien to prove anything.”
Pray:
1. Almighty God, empower Mexico President Calderon to be successful in restraining, dismantling, and eliminating all drug cartels, violent gangs, and trafficking - especially taking down the Sinaloa Federation and Los Zetas during the remainder of his term in office.
2. Merciful God, we pray that President-elect Pena will sever any and all ties with leaders of criminal organizations and will not negotiate with narco-terrorist organizations. We pray that the new administration will take a strong stand against organized crime and transnational criminal organization (TCO) activities.
3. All-knowing God, block and expose anyone within the new administration that might have TCO connections and ban them from any position of national leadership.
4. God of Truth, expose the lies behind the advertising and promotion of drug legalization and the corruption and violence behind this agenda. We pray for all attempts to legalize drugs in Mexico and the USA to cease. Reveal the truth of the immeasurable damage the use of recreational drugs does to our society.
53% of the Cartel Money is Funneled Through Arizona
ONE TRILLION DOLLARS…This is not the amount of our nation’s indebtedness; this is the estimated amount of money that drug cartels have illegally funneled through US financial institutions.
We Praise the God of Justice and congratulate the Mexican government for another victory in the war on drugs!
Continue to join others in praying for the cut-off of these criminal cartels and the flow of drugs, weapons and human trafficking between the two nations.
Based on the call to ‘equip the saints” in Ephesians 4, we are excited to introduce the new Pray for America website (www.commit2pray.com). Filled with relevant tools, resources, and encouragement, we will challenge God’s people to engage, be equipped, and encourage others to take the challenge to Pray for America – and encounter the power of God through prayer! Are you in? Commit to pray today!
Join the movement at www.commit2pray.com
North Korea: Gospel balloons
‘Seoul USA’ has launched balloons filled with Bibles and Christian literature into North Korea for 40 years. In April they began attaching GPS tracking devices to the balloons to refine their effectiveness. Seven days after the first GPS tracking launch North Korea began blocking GPS signals from South Korea. Jamming disrupts passenger air flights and ships. The jamming signals are coming from somewhere near the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. This is precisely the area where Seoul USA's payloads have been shown to land. The jamming reveals just how concerned North Korea is over the balloon launches. North Korea doesn't fear military might. Economic sanctions don't slow them down. The economic situation in N Korea is dire, for internal reasons apart from external sanctions But the spread of the gospel is a direct and serious challenge to the message that Kim Il Sung is god and deserves the unquestioned allegiance of the people. To halt the spread of that message it seems that North Korea will stop at nothing.
Pray: for a softening of hearts and minds of North Koreans to God’s truth; may now be the season of fruitfulness from this 40 year ministry. This may be one peripheral form of Christian witness to N Koreans, but there are many more effective ones, not least from Yonggi Cho's Church (Ps.95:7b-8)
More: http://vomcblog.blogspot.co.uk/
Iraq: Widows of Iraq
Women of Iraq have suffered the pain of three wars in 32 years. As a result 9% of Iraqi women are widows. Often the younger recently widowed women with only one or two children find new husbands. But for older widows and those having more children remarriage is rare and sometimes impossible. Several foreign governments actively helped the widows while their military forces were in Iraq. The Iraqi government itself has also made efforts to help the women, but the sheer scale of the problem is overwhelming for government agencies and their budgets. One can imagine the distress of women who have lost their husbands in a society which restricts female work and social activities. Having enough well-paying work to raise a family is beyond their ability, for many. A number have even turned to short or long term prostitution.
Pray: for a workable network of administration of resources to be created for orphans and widows. (Ja.1:27) Pray also during Ramadan for the people of Iraq to meet Jesus Christ (John 17:3).
More: http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/mid-near-east/iraqi-widows/
China: Christians try to take legal action
A house church in far Western China’s region of Xinjiang that took legal action against local police for earlier persecution has been targeted again by the police. On Sunday July 22nd Police took pastor Zhong Shuguang, his wife and fifteen other believers into custody for a day and confiscated church books. In April and May the church filed for an administrative review for having its church leader, Zhong Shuguang taken into custody for 15 days. Now the church has been targeted for a series of retaliatory actions by the local police. In July agents illegally entered the house of Zhong on the pretext of investigating an illegal meeting and took the projector, computer and other computer-related items. ChinaAid strongly condemns the authorities disregard for the law and wilfully trampling on the right to religious freedom of its citizens.
Pray: that the Chinese Christians currently being persecuted will experience God’s protection and provision against illegal interference and attacks and may they continue to find creative opportunities to grow. (Ps.20:1)
Syria: Fight continues for Aleppo
With the bloodshed mounting in Aleppo the Arab League chief accused Assad's government of atrocities. A report on the Aleppo carnage Amnesty International said, ‘Scores of demonstrators and bystanders, most of them young men and boys but including several children and older men, have been shot dead and hundreds injured in the city by security forces and the notorious Shabiha, the armed militias working alongside government forces. Some of the victims were bystanders who were not taking part in the demonstrations. Families of demonstrators and bystanders shot dead by security forces have been pressured to sign statements saying that their loved ones were killed by 'armed terrorist gangs'. Life for Aleppo's three million residents is becoming unbearable under military siege. An activist told the Associated Press by Skype. ‘There is not enough food and people are trying to leave. We really need support from the outside. There is random shelling against civilians.’
Pray: for international protection for those who are trapped in the city and the 200,000 who have managed to escape.
More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/08/20128125840642184.html
India: Pastor and believers attacked
Twenty Bajrang Dal activists roughed up pastor Kamalesh and more than fifty believers at a prayer meeting in a in Bakli Village 55 kilometers from Raipur Chattisgarh. Men women and children were attending a prayer meeting at a house in a slum cluster on July 22nd, and during the prayers twenty armed men from Bajrang Dal openly identified themselves and threatened the pastor and believers. They accused Kamalesh of proselytization, desecrating idols and defaming and blaspheming their gods and goddesses. The perpetrators commanded the pastor and the believers to chant hymns praising Hindu gods and goddesses - the believers refused to oblige. The radicals tormented the congregation for 45 minutes and then left; but before leaving they threatened the women that they will not hesitate to violate them if they continue to follow Jesus Christ.
Pray: for God to build up and empower His Church in India as they face increasing anti-Christian violence. (Is.62:10)
More: http://www.persecution.org/2012/07/30/radicals-threaten-to-rape-christian-women-in-indian-village/
Cooperating Christian organisations release Jesus Agenda
Micah Challenge has partnered with Christian Aid and Compassion UK to produce a new DVD entitled ‘The Jesus Agenda’. This new production is actually a 9-week DVD-based course, which explores the biblical framework for advocacy through a social engagement perspective. Using the framework put forth by Luke 4:18-19, ‘The Jesus Agenda’ highlights the role of advocacy in the civic sphere and its relationship with the Proclamation, Power and Promise that is taught in Scripture. ‘The Jesus Agenda' aims to raise awareness of God's heart for the poor and how He wants His followers to seek justice for the oppressed,’ the Rev Joel Edwards, Micah Challenge International Director, told The Christian Post. With a new understanding of how followers of Christ are to seek justice for the neglected and marginalised, 'The Jesus Agenda' will enable advocates from around the globe the opportunity to be better informed and prepared so as to demand action from local governments.
Pray: for many to follow the DVD course and that it will have a far-reaching practical impact. (Lk 4:18-19)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/micah.challenge.releases.jesus.agenda/30367.htm
Praise Bus & Prayer Rally
The atmosphere was ‘electric’ as the Praise Bus rolled into London last week, says one of the people behind the historic project. The open top double decker left Land’s End on 19 May and traversed the nation ahead of the Olympic torch, travelling more than 8,500 miles through England, Scotland and Wales and playing host to over a hundred musicians and singers who filled the air with Christian-inspired music. An estimated million people saw the Praise Bus during its 65-day journey. Also, a 70-day prayer relay ended its journey in Westminster last Thursday, having accompanied the Olympic torch to 70 towns and cities as it criss-crossed the nation. In each location, church leaders exchanged a prayer baton containing prayers and a specially written prayer of blessing. The final stop was the Emmanuel Centre, a stone’s throw away from the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey where a prayer session was hosted by Christian groups serving in Parliament.
Praise: God for the diversity and unity of the Christian witness of the Church across the British Isles.
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/national.prayer.relay.ends.in.westminster/30357.htm
Praise Bus & Prayer Rally
The atmosphere was ‘electric’ as the Praise Bus rolled into London last week, says one of the people behind the historic project. The open top double decker left Land’s End on 19 May and traversed the nation ahead of the Olympic torch, travelling more than 8,500 miles through England, Scotland and Wales and playing host to over a hundred musicians and singers who filled the air with Christian-inspired music. An estimated million people saw the Praise Bus during its 65-day journey. Also, a 70-day prayer relay ended its journey in Westminster last Thursday, having accompanied the Olympic torch to 70 towns and cities as it criss-crossed the nation. In each location, church leaders exchanged a prayer baton containing prayers and a specially written prayer of blessing. The final stop was the Emmanuel Centre, a stone’s throw away from the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey where a prayer session was hosted by Christian groups serving in Parliament.
Praise: God for the diversity and unity of the Christian witness of the Church across the British Isles.
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/national.prayer.relay.ends.in.westminster/30357.htm