The resulting effect is that an observer from the outside gets the impression that Mexico is falling apart and that a visit to the country would result in death, great bodily harm, or something equally disastrous.
Border-state governors from Arizona and Texas insist the cartels are hitting their states hard, using terminology like "war zone" to describe the mayhem created by drug bosses.
However, there's another side to the picture. In stark contrast, Customs and Border Protection along with Homeland Security say their measures are working and the border has never been safer. Their claims are backed by a recent study that violent crime in cities within 50-miles of the border is consistently lower than state and national averages.
Juan Carlos Millán, Buckner Mexico program director, agrees with that. "I have never seen people fighting with guns, and I have been four or five times in Juarez, per year. And in Oaxaca, I have been many times, and in Guerrero...and we haven't seen problems like that."
That's not to say that it doesn't exist, Millán notes. "Nothing is 100% sure on safety. But we received five groups this year, and all of them are really happy because we had no contact with this problem (violence)."
Millán says they take the safety of short-term team members seriously. "We know there is a really bad situation in some places. Some moments are really difficult, and you have to be careful." When a team visits, their safety is paramount. However, this year, the reputation of the region scared a lot of people off. "Many people don't want to come to Mexico. The people who live in Mexico, like me and our team, know that God is in control. We have to be serious and careful."
The question of violence came up again when looking at the disruption to other ministries. Millan explains that the opposition they encounter doesn't come from the place you'd expect. "In Mexico's Republic, nobody knows Buckner because Buckner began to work three years ago. Now, they understand sometimes it's a little difficult, as you may know. The Catholic people are 99% in Mexico, so sometimes they reject the Christians."
During the last quarter of 2007, more doors for ministry opportunities opened in the cities of Oaxaca, Mexico City, Arcelia and Juárez. Buckner officially formed its NGO in April 2008 under the name "Familia y Ninos Buckner Mexico A.C."
Today, Buckner has foster care programs, feeding ministries, and humanitarian aid programs. They're a ministry dedicated to the restoration and healing through the hope of Christ. They also just started a hydroponics program to address the food shortages. It opens a lot of doors. "When we work with them to get fruit for the poor people, many people are growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ."
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