Thread by @jarrodmckenna

Ok. I’m not sure where to start. With the Sicarios? Or with Pablo Escobar? Or with the prison reform? Ok. When’s the last time you were rocked to your core with what it means to love? I’ll start here...

My mate Graham says, “I want you to meet my friend from Mexico while he is in town, you share a lot in common.” Um, no...

No former State Attorney General has said that my ministry has caused, "Homicides have decreased by 80%, Kidnappings have been eliminated 100% and extortions are down 90%" in the “murder capital of the world”.

How? Well, my new friend Poncho Murguia felt God call him to take a tent to a park in the centre of the city and to fast and pray for 21 days... not exactly a plan.

During that time he felt led to repent of loving people to build his church instead of loving people because God loves them. Full stop. That’s it. A journalist interviewed him and asked, “What are you protesting?” Poncho explained, he’s not. He’s praying for the city.

Journalists thinks this is hilarious. They print the story. 4,000 join him to pray for their city. So he’s then asked to what would he do about one of the most corrupt prisons in Mexico. Long story short, it works. So the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico put out a hit on him.

He and his wife gdaioy face that he might be murdered so give thanks each night for just one more day.

Poncho prays about what to do and God answers with a question, “Why don’t you adopt the sicarios?” 😳

*Side note, Poncho came to Christ when he was 18 and after 4 months adopted 7 children, one of whom was only 2 years young than him after being challenged by a woman to go do what Jesus did after he tried to share the ‘four spiritual laws’ with her.*

Another side note, if you aren’t sure what sicarios are, yep like the movie. Professional assassins who only make $40 a hit and might do 4 a day.

Then the unthinkable happens. A sicario comes to Christ, hands his boss his M16 (to shoot him) because he’s become a Christian and can’t kill anymore. Boss says he’ll only kill him if he returns to the cartel.

So the sicario rings Poncho and says, “I’m coming to church the Sunday after next.” Poncho knows that his whole congregation lives are in danger because of rival cartel reprisals. So his explains to the church, “We can’t turn this brother away. Christ loves him...

...but I understand that this puts your life in danger. So we will arrange for anyone to find another safe church where you don’t have to fear that yet again there is be another mass shooting as a reprisal, this time in church because we will not turn away sicarios.

That next week, not one person from the church left. Everyone in the community was willing to put their own lives on the line so sicarios could find redemption.

And it is that radical welcome to former murders, including by people who have had loved ones murdered, that is transforming their city. And I don’t know what to say...

But I want to follow Jesus.