Over the past several months, the Lord has been exercising our hearts concerning our family’s specific ministry once we finish language study. As a result, we wanted to let you know what has been transpiring in our lives.
As many of you know, we were planning on a ministry in Mobilization back in Paraguay. Mobilization involves working with the national churches to encourage them in the area of missions in general, and in tribal missions in specific. However, the Lord has shown us a huge ministry need right here in Mexico for which we seem ideally suited.
New Tribes Mission has over 100 missionaries in Mexico working with 10 different tribal groups. The majority of our tribal works are located in the remote mountain regions of northern Mexico where the drug cartels pose a major problem. In fact, most of Mexico is suffering from increasing violence as the drug cartels battle each other & the government forces that are trying to stop them.
The needs here in Mexico concerning security are daunting. To see to the safety of our missionary families & help ensure their ability to continue to proclaim the Gospel to the tribal people requires much planning, prayer and proactive action, as well as, people experienced in crisis management & security.
As we have considered the great needs in this area, the Lord has increasingly drawn our hearts to this essential ministry. In pondering the possibilities, it seems that the Lord has been preparing us for such a ministry over the years through our previous work in private security and our past ministry efforts in the former Soviet Union & other high-risk areas.
Therefore, after much discussion as a family, and after many hours in prayer, we have come to the decision that Mexico is where the Lord would have us serve & be involved in the ministry of ensuring our missionaries’ safety & security. Of course, it may seem strange to some that we would choose to stay in an area where security is deteriorating. However, we are confident of the Lord’s leading in this area. As a result, and in fellowship with our sending church & the mission leadership in both Mexico and in Paraguay, we have made the change.
We are also excited about the other ministry opportunities we will have open to us by staying here in Mexico. Sherri will be able to use her language ability to help teach Spanish to newly arrived missionaries. Our entire family will be able to get reinvolved in a puppet ministry (something we greatly enjoyed in Paraguay) that reaches both Mexicans & tribal people. Moreover, because of the security situation, we will be working closely with the tribal works in order to facilitate our missionaries’ ability to continue to proclaim the Gospel to the precious tribal people of Mexico.
However, the decision not to return to Paraguay has been a very emotional one for us. After all, that was our home for 6 years, and for the last 4 years we have been trying to get back to it. In one regard, we are experiencing a sense of loss & feelings of sadness over this decision. Nevertheless, being convinced that staying in Mexico is the Lord’s will encourages us that this is the right move to make. Therefore, we earnestly desire your prayers as we make this transition in ministry.
Thank you for your prayers, love and support of our family. Together, may the Lord use us for His glory in reaching the unreached tribal people of Mexico.
Your Co-laborers for His Glory,
David, Sherri, Bethany & Matthew Pryor
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