Last night I had a very interesting experience at the plaza in downtown Matamoros. I was at the plaza with the FYM's, Mexican Bible College students, and a group of American's who are visiting for a one-week mission trip. Our group in total was quit large so we rode to the plaza in an old school bus that the American group was using for the week. Ministry time went well. We were able to talk, show love, and explain the Gospel to many people.

It was a good night and we were all getting back on the bus to leave when two military vehicles pulled up across the street. This was no big deal because here you see Mexican military all over the place. They have checkpoints you stop at and you also see them just driving around the city. There are always at least two trucks, one of the trucks has several men with machine guns and the other has a manned machine gun thing on top with four or five other men surrounding him with machine guns. They are slightly intimidating the first few times you see them or are stopped by them.

When they pulled up across from us it was business as usual for us however to the American group visiting it was a big deal. One guy shouted to one of the teens on the bus to take a picture. The fifteen year old got out his camera and took two photos. Next thing I know an armed, military man is on the bus walking past me to the kid. He stopped in front of the terrified kid and ordered him to take out his camera. One of the guys with us started to stand up to help the kid and the armed man shouted, "Sit down!" He ordered the kid to show him the photos and delete them. The kid obliged and the military man turned around said thanks then walked off the bus leaving a group of speechless American's.

The visiting group of American's got really scared. They nervously talked about it for the half hour ride home and until that left last night. Every single one of them was red as beets and pouring sweet even after the military man got off the bus. The strange thing about this whole situation is to me it all seemed normal. In my mind when I saw him standing next to me I thought, "oh, guess they want to look on the bus." I was not afraid, I was not worried, and my heart did not race. I simply knew we were okay because God protects us and people are praying for us. So thank you for the prayers and please continue praying.