Bill Glass Behind the Walls

Friday, July 14, 2017

Evangelism On The Edge in Mexico, part 2

After spending the Easter weekend in Reynosa, Mexico on a mission trip, James Guerra (Area Director for North Texas for Bill Glass Behind the Walls) returned to Mexico on June 29th to do more evangelism. This time, he went to the city of Monterrey, just southeast of Laredo, Texas. This is his account of his most recent trip:

"My mother-in-law (Petra Carrera) and I left for Monterrey from Dallas, Texas on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. After driving all night, we arrived in Monterrey at 10am on June 29th. It ended up being a 14+ hour drive, and I was died tired upon arrival. Along the way, we encountered Marine, Federal, and State check points in Mexico. Could make for a shock for those unprepared to deal with this culture, but we were not fazed.

"On Thursday, we had the opportunity to put on a Gospel service at Topo Chico prison, one of the most infamous prisons in the country. It's known for violence and gang presence. In fact, just over a year ago, there was a gang-initiated riot at Topo Chico that left 52 inmates dead and 12 more injured. It's an unsafe place for ministry, to say the least. By God's grace, the service inside the prison went very well, with 50 men in attendance, not letting the 100 degree heat stop them. Men worshiped, were touched by the Holy Spirit through testimony, and nine men were saved after the Gospel message was preached! To God be the glory! Afterwards, all were prayed for and we left rejoicing.

"The next day, we visited the prison called Cadereyta. This prison is known for the presence of the Gulf Cartel, a Mexican organized crime group with a hand in international drug trafficking. We had the privilege of attending an ordination ceremony where an inmate (Roberto) became the pastor of the church behind the walls. It was a wonderful, Spirit-filled service--souls were saved and lives were changed. The wind of the Holy Ghost came by--praise God!

"That night, we went to Alcance Victoria church for a service. German Diaz shared a poem, I gave my testimony, and Arturo Corpus preached the message. Pastor Rafael Martinez is always nice enough to allow us to service his congregation.

"We took Saturday as a day of rest, filled with family and food.

"On Sunday, we visited Apodaca prison. I am pleased to report that the church inside the prison, 'Island of Patmos,' is alive and well. While there, I was told of a recent story where an inmate named Edward was left for dead with 4 stab wounds and 68 bat hits. He was left in a pool of blood, wrapped in a blanket and dropped in a ditch. God spared his life, someone found him, took him to the hospital and to this day he doesn't know who the "good Samaritan" was who rescued him from the ditch. He is a former Zeta Cartel gang member with the tattoos to prove it, but he now lives in prison and lives for the Lord Jesus Christ. His story touched me and others with us.

"The Gospel service went well that morning, with 200 in attendance including families. We worshiped, testified, and preached the Gospel. God did the rest: again, souls were saved and men were healed and delivered. We opened the altar for men who desired to repent and it was full. The presence of God met the men there, just as they were. Thank you Jesus!

"I am looking forward to making more trips to Mexico, and I would love for Bill Glass Behind the Walls to eventually be able to have events south of the border. If you feel so led, please pray that there will be an opportunity for an international Bill Glass Behind the Walls event in the near future. There is much work still to be done in Monterrey and in all of Mexico, and BGBTW could have a huge part in bringing the Gospel to those who are hurting and in need in Mexican prisons."

If you want to sponsor a potential international BGBTW event, contact James Guerra at 214-883-3601. True to his dedication to minister in Mexico, James is going back in September and over Thanksgiving as well. Pray for safety and blessing as he does God's work and brings evangelism on the edge to places where many others aren't.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Evangelism on the Edge in Mexico - Interview with Area Director James Guerra

On the Wednesday before Easter of 2017, James Guerra and his team of missionaries set out for the city of Reynosa in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The plan was to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with inmates in the city's prisons, something James has been doing for nearly 20 years. Prisons in Mexico are a very dark place, and the inmates there are often very hungry for hope. What better hope to bring than the hope of God's salvation?

Despite the city bordering the state of Texas, Reynosa is known for its violence and lack of government presence. The Mexican cartel is the entity with the most control over the city, and the government that is in place is corrupt. Things are getting better, James says, but it's still a dangerous place.

The law enforcement that does exist in Reynosa is militaristic,

making it commonplace to see well-armed officers patrolling the city.

James is no stranger to the evil of the Mexican cartel--in fact, an extended family member of his who lives in Reynosa was recently kidnapped by the cartel and held at a ransom of 18,000 pesos (about 1,000 American dollars). The family was able to pay the ransom because they were saving up to throw his daughter a Quinceanera, but no law enforcement got involved with the crime.

There are no organizations sending missionaries to Reynosa prisons due to the danger involved, and very few organized trips to the city itself. Beforehand, James made sure to inform his team of what they were getting themselves into, of the inherent risks involved with this mission trip. Come at your own risk, he says.

When James and his team arrived in Reynosa on Thursday, they began their mission trip by ministering in a rehab facility. Most people in the facility were drug addicts seeking their own help, and the team gave a two-hour Bible study on the kingdom of God. Everyone was encouraged, says James.

James Guerra and a team member preaching at the rehab facility in Reynosa.

On Good Friday (Viernes Santo), the team got the chance to watch a drama put on by a local church's children's ministry. It depicted the Passion of the Christ and James says it was the best drama he'd ever seen of the best story ever told. It touched his heart and he's confident it touched God's heart as well.

On Saturday, the team would get to do what they came to do: minister to inmates in Reynosa's prisons. Now, James says that Mexican prisons make American prisons look like daycare centers. There isn't anywhere near as much staff in Mexican prisons as there is in the US, and most of the guards simply prevent anyone from escaping. Inmates are not provided with much in Mexican prisons--in fact, the American government spends about 40 times as much money per inmate per day than the Mexican government does. The lack of control and care in Mexican prisons has allowed the cartel to have a presence within its walls, dealing drugs and other contraband on a regular basis. For an accurate depiction of the realities of the Mexican prison system, James suggests watching the movie Get the Gringo.

James Guerra with his team outside one
of the prisons in Reynosa, Mexico.

Because of all the harsh differences between American and Mexican prisons, James says, prison ministry in the US and prison ministry in Mexico are two very different experiences. The team began their work on Saturday with that in mind.

They started Saturday off by putting on an Easter service in a women's unit, consisting of worship music, an Easter poem, James Guerra's testimony, and a message from Ron Corrigan, who was on his first ever prison ministry to Mexico.

After that, they went to the Men's prison. There, in conjunction with an inmate pastor, they provided same Easter service to the inmates followed by a very special time of prayer at the altar. The presence of the Lord moved mightily, James says, touching at least 50 people. God's mercy was alive and well within the prison walls, leaving believers encouraged and giving new life to those who received salvation that day!

James performs the wedding ceremony at
Victory Home Church in Reynosa.

On Saturday night after leaving the prisons, James, alongside Michael Scudiero, performed a wedding ceremony for two friends who have been involved in the local Victory Home Church in Reynosa. James is grateful for the relationships he's made throughout his years ministering in Mexico.

Easter Sunday began with four baptisms of new believers at VHC. Missionary Tim Brannon, on his second trip with James, got to preach the Easter message that morning. After it was all said and done, James and his team headed back to the US. On the way back, they stopped at South Padre Island to reflect on all the Lord had done over the course of the trip and admire his creation.

James continues to do these kinds of mission trips on a regular basis. He asks for prayer that there will be an opportunity for an international Bill Glass Behind the Walls event in the near future. There is much work still to be done in Reynosa and in all of Mexico, and BGBTW could have a huge part in bringing the Gospel to those who are hurting and in need in Mexican prisons.

If you want to sponsor a potential international BGBTW event, contact James Guerra at 214-883-3601. True to his dedication to minister in Mexico, James is going back in July, September, and over Thanksgiving. Pray for safety and blessing as he does God's work in places where many others aren't.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Meeting Bill Glass

A couple of weeks ago, our local staff took a trip to a steakhouse for a Christmas lunch. It was a time of fellowship and celebration, but the best part of the lunch was that Bill felt well enough to attend! I've been working for Behind the Walls for about three months now, but hadn't met Bill until then. I had the privilege of getting to know his heart and humor, and it gave me a new appreciation for this ministry.

Despite not being 100% healthy, Bill made sure to make everyone at the table feel loved and appreciated. Along with me, there was one other staff member there who he hadn't met yet, and he had both of us tell him our story and how we came to be involved with Behind the Walls. It was apparent to me that Bill is a man who loves God and loves people.

It is an honor that I get to work with a ministry whose founder has been passionate about it for decades. His leadership has helped make Behind the Walls a ministry that I believe the Lord will continue to bless for many years to come, long after Bill goes home.. We'll have a mission as long as there are people who don't know Christ, and we'll have the passion to accomplish that mission as long as we can learn from Bill's lasting example.

Teammates, though he says he's feeling stronger, continue to pray for Bill's health as it remains true that nothing in this life is certain. Also, continue to pray for this ministry, that the Lord would bless it spiritually and financially in this new year.

Ben Casey, Communications Coordinator

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Behind the Walls Blog Revival! - 2016 Ministry Update

It's been a pretty long time since anything has been posted to this blog, but we're reviving it! I'm Ben Casey, the new Communications Coordinator for Bill Glass Behind the Walls. I was hired to help Staci Woodruff in developing the Communications Department. One of the things that I'll be doing is working with the ministry's social media sites and helping to increase awareness of what we do in the vast realm that is the Internet.

We're still in the brainstorming stage of what this blog will look like on a more permanent basis, but for now, I'll give you an update on what 2016 looked like for Bill Glass Behind the Walls. If you weren't involved in the ministry this past year, you missed out on seeing God do lots of amazing things!

In 2016, 4,473 teammates shared the Gospel with 145,661 offenders, and 24,138 of them made a decision to make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior! Praise God for blessing this ministry.

The biggest event from 2016 was our last one, the DFW/Waco Weekend of Champions that took place over the first weekend in November. 22 different units were visited in the DFW and Waco areas, and nearly 2,500 inmates made decisions for Jesus.

I was able to serve as a teammate at the DFW/Waco event, and it was a huge blessing for me. I knew God did big things through BGBTW before that weekend, but experiencing it firsthand opened my eyes to how truly incredible it is. The nature and layout of the events make it incredibly easy to share one's faith, and, from what I saw, the inmates were extremely responsive! I can't wait to serve at many more events during my time with BGBTW.

I wasn't the only first-timer (freshman) who was impacted by serving at a Day or Weekend of Champions. Here are some quotes from several different freshmen from various events throughout the year:

"Most Christ-like ministry I've ever been associated with. Incredible testimony by all the platform guests and just an awesome witness to the prisoners and to me too."

"I was so energized by being able to and encourage so many women and just be with them and listen to them and pray for and with them. It was great!"

"I love the simplicity of how we are to share the Gospel with the inmates. I will definitely use this in the future when I share with others about Jesus Christ."

"It was amazing, I was extremely uncomfortable thinking that I would be with the male inmates but I enjoyed every minute with them! ... I can't believe how receptive, kind and respectful the men were. I can't wait for the next event."

Part of my job with BGBTW will be to utilize social media and online marketing to recruit new freshmen teammates to serve at 2017 events, and I'm excited about that after reading through so many incredible testimonies from 2016's freshmen.

Another highlight from 2016 was the hiring of our new Operations and Process Manager, Joe Barron. Joe has been a wonderful man to work with for the time I've been with BGBTW, and his heart for the gospel is apparent to anybody who's met him. Joe's experience ranges from pastoral jobs to high school basketball refereeing, and has a story that makes him especially passionate about BGBTW's mission.

"I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord through Bill Glass Behind the Walls," Joe said, when asked about his experience so far working with BGBTW. "Knowing the work we do has an eternal value that can be expressed and enjoyed while here on earth is both humbling and awe-inspiring. Only a great God, with a great purpose, could call me to a great mission, and allow me to witness such great results. I am grateful for this ministry and the countless lives impacted by its God-honoring desire to minister to the least of these!"

Like Joe said, countless lives were impacted by Bill Glass Behind the Walls in 2016, and we're excited for an even better 2017! There are 32 events on the calendar for next year, from a Day of Champions in Austin in January to one in Florida in December, and we are praying that God changes many lives through each one of them! You can already sign up for events in Austin, TX, Macon, GA, Shreveport, LA, and Huntsville, TX. If you want to see the other 28 events for next year, visit the calendar on our website!

I hope that you'll join me in praying consistently for Bill Glass Behind the Walls. The Lord has great things planned for this ministry, but that means the devil is eager to get in the way. Pray that God's will be done through BGBTW in 2017, and that the Gospel changes many hearts!

I hope that this post has been informative, and that this blog can be a good source of encouragement in the future as we near the start of 2017. If you have any stories you'd like shared on this blog or ideas for posts, leave a comment with your email address and I'll get contact you as soon as possible. Or, just give me a call at (972) 283-7325. Thanks for reading!