I lived in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico for 3years and 8 months and not once was I shot, stabbed, raped, murdered, or otherwise mutilated. Well, I was punched once but that was my own fault really. Generally, the first question from short term mission teams was, are you safe? Or do you feel safe? Juarez was the murder capital of the world when I moved there. That year they had dropped from #1 to #8 in the world, yay! Right now it looks like they sit at #5. A violent place, yes, but an unsafe place?

Are you safe?

  What does safe mean? The dictionary says safe means protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost. The thesaurus uses words like secure, protected, intact, okay, snug, cherished, guarded, maintained… I felt all these things, I feel all these thing.

  The Bible says God will keep me safe. Proverbs 29:25 says “Fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” This means to me that if I am trusting Jesus, my soul is safe. My body, maybe not, but that part of me that lasts forever is good to go. I will take care of my body and do my part to avoid harm. But this body I have now is not meant to last forever.

  God sent me to Juarez to learn about ministry and avoiding violence where I can is part of that. He sent me specifically to Amigo Fiel. And He asked Amigo Fiel to equip people, which they did; which they are still doing. Equipping people to serve the Kingdom. Whether that be in the middle of a war, in the calm quiet of a library, on a soccer field, in a mud hut, a cyber café, in the murder capital of the world.

  Using common sense goes a long way, no matter where you live. Things like being aware of your surroundings, not going to places you shouldn’t go, not be staring at your phone as you are walking around. I believe violence can happen anywhere you find people. We are all at our best and our worst every day.

  I honestly didn’t think about my safety much while living in Juarez. There are so many great people there. Did I see violence and have to deal with the aftermath of violence? Yes, I did. But I think that can happen anywhere. It really is being inside God’s will that keeps me safe. Trusting in Him, and moving forward with what He has asked me to do, regardless of what men are doing.

  So I ask, are you safe? Do you know Jesus? His will for your life? I pray you do and that you are living it to the fullest. If you do not know Jesus or have questions, I would be happy to talk with you. Please reach out and let’s start a conversation today. Deb@NowDeb.com