Tuesday morning, May 2, I received a phone call from my friend Hector that I was not prepared for. He was calling to tell me that we had lost five members of a family to a fire in the colony. At first we thought the fire had been caused by accident, but we soon learned differently. The fire was the fulfillment of a threat made. We're not sure of all the details, but what we were certain of was more than we could find words for.
We lost a mother, two of her young children, her teenage daughter and 6 month old grand baby. I still can not fathom the hate and rage behind such a horrific act. As a drove to Ensenada quickly after the phone call, I could still hear my friends voice on the phone replaying in my mind, "Robin, we knew these people. We prayed with them and played with the children."
As time passed, I learned more and more details. Some were more than I needed to know, but the most difficult one for me get passed was the mother. I had prayed with the mother (Maria) shortly after we came to our knew location for dispensing food. I remembered how she waited for us to be finished giving out the food. She came with her friend Laura and asked Maribel and I to pray for her. When we asked her what her need was she said that she was very afraid for her life and the lives of her children. She had been robbed and stabbed and was facing a threat on her life and family. I remember wondering how to pray. In all my years of serving the LORD I had never had such a prayer request. I prayed for God to protect her and hugged her.
Recently, when we had different houses in the colony that had been set on fire, I saw her. Her house had been burned. She only had a room the size of a small kitchen area that remained. Her and her 7 or so other family members were going to have to sleep in this small little place. As I look back, she seemed very quiet. I didn't realize it at the time, but she was probably terrified. Whoever had threatened her had made an attempt on her life, but had only succeeded in burning down her home.
The story seems to be that a neighbor offered their house for Maria and her kids to stay in until they could rebuild. It was the neighbors house that Maria and her kids died. As this horrible crime was committed, I'm told that another threat was made to a nearby family that they were next. That family was Laura's family.
When I arrived in the colony, I saw Laura and her daughter Leslie. Ten year old Leslie was traumatized. She had lost her closet friend in the fire and was fearful that she and her family would be the next victims. Hector, Maribel and I prayed for this family. They asked us for some money for gas for their car. They had packed their clothes and were going to leave to relocate.
I went to the wake for Maria and her family last night. Never have a seen such a sad sight. Five coffins with pictures of the children that were from many years past because they had nothing current. A room filled with people that had no hope and some of them filled with rage and the desire for revenge. Children coming up to me and Maribel crying and scared. The three of us were the only ones representing Jesus and the job ahead of us was huge.
As I listened to Hector address the family and friends I began to pray. I knew enough Spanish to understand him telling them how to have eternal life and to hear him pray for the emotions of rage and revenge to be set aside. That justice was God's job. He gather six remaining teen and young adult sons to the front, asked the men in the community to some forward and offer their support as he laid hands on these young men and prayed over them.
It all still seems too horrific for me to take in. On the other side, I remember that God never wastes ANYTHING. I am convinced that He has the attention of quite a few and we are about to reap a harvest of souls. May the Light of Jesus push back the darkness in the colony. May Jesus be seen in the team of Dios Me Ve. Most of all, may God reveal Himself to the lost in colonia #89.
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