Recently, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," was killed in a Mexican military operation. What followed was cartel-related violence across the country, which created security concerns.
Associate Press previously reported on the resulting violence and the fear of many after the death of the cartel leader.
John Darnell, CEO of Global Outreach International, says that he knows of mission trips scheduled for Mexico that were cancelled.
"For the missionaries on the ground, they're trying to juggle faith and wisdom as they think about short term teams,” explains Darnell. “We have faith. We know that we're in places where the Gospel hasn't gone yet. There's inherent risk with that.”
He says that, at the same time, God has given Christians wisdom.
“Paul, when he knew of a threat, a specific threat, he avoided it though he knew general things could happen. So that's the faith and wisdom part. We look to the guy that we hold as a great missionary, and we see an example of, 'Oh, he actually avoided the specific ones,'" states Darnell.
He also notes that mission teams from the U.S. do not need to go if they could put a missionary at risk or burden the local missionary with being responsible for a mission team in the middle of a hostile environment.
However, he says that, while missionaries get the same news as the U.S., they have better information on the ground. He talks about a missionary that dealt with recently cancelled trips.
"The specific missionary had some frustrations around, 'Man, our area is safe. We have ministry planned. It would have been completely fine for them to be here, and they didn't even call and ask me if they should come or not. They just saw the news and canceled the trip and then let me know,'” says Darnell. “And so, I think it's wise to consult with the person on the ground with good information."
