A few years ago a took a team of students on a missions trip to Mexico. We had a great time seeing God do an incredible work in people's lives, including many salvations and a few healings.
After spending about a week there we loaded up the vans and got ready for our trip back home to Florida. We were excited knowing that in just 4 short hours, we would be back in the states....however that 4 hours turned into 4 days.
On our way home we were in a car accident, it totaled our van, but that was the least of our problems...
One of my students received a cut on the side of his head that was going to require stitches, an ambulance arrived and took him and another student to the local hospital. I was unable to go with them, because the local police had another destination in mind for me.
I was told that I was going to have to get into the police vehicle and leave my students on the side of the road,and that unless I bribed the police with $100 dollars we would never see our trailer again... (including all our luggage and sound system)
One of the darkest, most hopeless moments I've ever felt was when I was sitting in the police car, sliding a hundred dollar bill over to him, as two of my students drove off in a ambulance, and I watched my other students fade into the distance as we drove away.
I felt like God had forsaken us, like we were all alone....but God is always there.....even when He's not.
We had some wonderful friends from Saltillo, Mx. drive down to help us, they got someone to pull our trailer and picked up all our students, Including the two that left int he ambulance, and met us at the police station.
I was thrilled to see my students again, but terrified because as I was walking into the prison, I was given some disturbing news.....in Mexico they have a law, if you are in an accident, even if its not your fault, and someone in the other vehicle is injured.....then you go to jail until that person is out of the hospital.
The insurance agent even told me, in some cases its better if the other person dies, because if they go into a coma, you could be in prison for years.
The accident was not our fault, and the other driver was not injured, at least not until the police showed up.....then the driver started acting hurt and because we were "rich" Americans the police decided the wreck was our fault.....so here I am walking into the jail knowing I might be in here for a long time.
When we walked in they told me to hand over my passport, wallet, belt and phone....as I was handing them over....I was pretty sure that I would never be seen again. I pictured my family seeing my face on milk cartons somewhere.
I was walked towards the cells, there were 3 of them, they were dark, wet, and smelled like urine.
I was told I could pick which cell I wanted to be in, the first cell had about 20 men in it. They were all yelling things at me...the only word I understood was gringo...I decided I didn't want that cell.
Second cell had a prostitute in it, and she looked like she could whip all 20 of the men in the previous cell, I skipped this one also.
I chose the third cell, it only had 2 scary looking guys in it. I sat down on a bench far away from the other two, and prayed to God asking Him to please save me, I felt hopeless, forgotten, on my own. But even when you can't see/hear/feel God....He is still there, and has a plan.
Psalm 139:7-10 says, "I can never be lost to Your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there. If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, Your strength will support me"
I was only in the cell for about 30 minutes, and was eventually released on house arrest, I was reunited with my students and was able to spend the next few days with friends...and no one called me gringo.
on day three we went to meet the judge and he told me I would be released, but he said that even though I was released, I would still not be able to leave the country until our van was released, and that getting it released would be very difficult, they said they always gave people a hard time and seldom released anything easily.
As we headed down to see if they would release our van, I prayed in tongues, and thanks God for what He had already done. I had not been faithful...but He had proven Himself faithful, and was about to do so again.
Romans 3:3-4 (ERV)
3 It is true that some were not faithful to God. But will that stop God from doing what he promised? 4 No, even if everyone else is a liar, God will always do what he says.
When we opened the doors to where our van was being held hostage, the men in there started pointing at me and laughing, they grabbed my papers and signed them immediately, even asked if they could have their picture taken with me.
We were free!!!!!!
When we left the room I asked my interpreter "What just happened"?
She told me that the men thought I looked just like a famous Mexican soccer player....what do you think?
Oh and the soccer players name????
Emanuel...which just happens to mean "God is with us"
No matter what your going through, God has not forsaken/forgotten you, He has a plan.....and it's better then yours :)
BTW: I forgot to mention, about a week after I got home, someone took a bomb into the prison and blew it up....I technically should have still been in there.
or this...
