h2. DESPERATE PEOPLE DO DESPERATE THINGS:
h3. The story of the Transformation of Cereso Prison, Ciudad Juarez, MX
At 12 midnight outside of Cereso prison in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Pastor Poncho Murguia walks up to the first perimeter guard and asks him for his cell phone and radio. He then walks to the second and does the same, then after the third and last perimeter guard he calls warden and gives him the signal to send in the 700 SWAT troops...
The story begins 12 years ago when Pastor Poncho decided to visit Argentina. He had heard the stories of what God was doing there and wanted to see it for himself. His stay in Argentina included a visit to Olmos Prison where he met prisoners who had once been the most depraved, violent and discarded of society and were now serving God and man with an intensity that startled him. Realizing these were not nominal “jailhouse conversions,” Poncho observed that Olmos prisoners occupied nearly every waking moment in prayer, worship or service to others. Many prisoners, for example, would spend hours on their faces in intercession; others actively gathered packages of food and small gifts they had received from family and friends to give to orphans and those they considered “less fortunate.” The impact of this experience was all the greater because, at the time, his city was receiving international attention for the growing epidemic of violent homicides against young women.
Back in Mexico, Poncho had built a very successful church which was considered “cutting edge.” People were getting saved, the congregation was growing and positive things were happening. Now, however, he found himself confronted with a vision for change that was much bigger and deeper than what he previously believed possible. The inmates at Olmos were doing more from behind bars to change their nation than most “free” believers he knew. The passion for God they exuded was something he longed to see in everyone, especially back in his beloved Ciudad Juarez. Poncho returned to Mexico a desperate man. He knew there was more, and he had to have it.
h2. A DESPERATE ACT
They say that desperate people do desperate things. From the perspective of conventional wisdom what Poncho did next would classify as a desperate act. Despite the fact that his church was a vibrant growing body of believers, the Lord clearly directed him to resign his post as senior pastor, turn the leadership over to others he had trained up, and then plant a new church with just a small core group of leaders. This was to be a radically different type of church – one built entirely on transformation principles, committed to seeing their city and nation transformed, designed not only to reach individuals, but to disciple their city, bringing lasting change to society. It was to be a new wine skin for the new wine. This was the birth of Cruz de Gracia, a transformation church.
Over the next few years, the church grew, but still Poncho knew there was more. The Lord then led him to another desperate act, a 21 day fast, which in itself wasn’t particularly challenging. The real challenge was in the Lord’s instruction that the fast be carried out publicly. God clearly instructed him to pitch a tent in the central plaza in front of City Hall where he would pray and dwell for the entire 21 days. Eventually the local newspaper sent a reporter to inquire about this peculiar arrangement and Poncho explained to him in simple terms what he was doing and why. Fascinated by this strange man, the newspaper began reporting daily from Poncho’s tent, initially from a somewhat condescending perspective. But Poncho realized that God had created an opportunity for him to share with the city what the Lord was speaking to him. As the fast continued, the reporters where touched by the spiritual reality behind what he was doing. His daily reports became required reading for the news headlines in Juarez. Before long it was apparent that Poncho was not a lone voice in the desert. Inspired by his testimonies, believers from across the city began streaming to the tent in front of City Hall to join Poncho in discerning God’s heart for their city. By the time the fast was over, four thousand people were coming out regularly to worship and pray alongside him.
Mayor Hector Lardizabal
That was when things began to happen. Ciudad Juarez Mayor Hector Lardizabal, a former skeptic of the evangelical community, began to warm to the idea of working together to improve their city. That people would fast and pray without a particular legislative agenda in the wings was a refreshing discovery for him. The mayor has since become a great supporter of the Church and offers a succinct appraisal of the process he saw evolving: "Following Christ generates the desire for helping people in pain... people who suffer from hunger, people who lack shelter. If all society participated in the same way as the church Pastor Poncho Murguia leads, we would have a very different society."
h2. CONFRONTING THE GATES OF HELL
As Poncho walked in obedience to the seemingly foolish things the Lord directed him to do, the Lord came through each step of the way. This encouraged Poncho to trust completely in the Lord and obey the direction of the Holy Spirit no matter how ridiculous it seemed. He needed this training for the next assignment which was by far the most difficult of all. One day about two years ago, the mayor approached Poncho about working together to reform the local prison. This was no small matter because the prison was the hub for the extensive drug trade in the city, controlled by very powerful and ruthless drug cartels. Corruption was rife: 92% of the inmates were drug addicts and the supply chain involved not just prisoners, but guards and administration. Furthermore, Poncho was a most unlikely candidate for the assignment since he had no prison background and had never ministered in a prison before. The mayor approached him because nothing else had worked and he knew the power of God, which was so evident in Poncho’s life and ministry, was the only hope. Poncho could now see the Lord’s leading in his life and the reason for the seeds he had sown in his heart at Olmos Prison so many years before, so with fear and trembling he accepted the mayor’s proposal.
For three months they secretly developed plans to purge the prison. Then on the determined date, at midnight, a force of seven hundred police officers was authorized to take control of the prison. The prison was locked down with absolutely nothing and no one going in or out for 30 days. All the guards were given mandatory drug tests and 80% of them were fired. They were replaced with Christian guards who had been trained in the principles of transformation a la Olmos Prison. For the next 30 days nothing went in or came out as thousands of inmates went through drug withdrawal assisted by doctors, nurses and pastors who ministered to them. When the operation was over, El Cereso was clean and the drug cartel dismantled.
The large-scale lockdown involved massive preparations, particularly in provisioning all necessary food and medicine beforehand. The plans had to be made in the utmost secrecy because of the extensive corruption. If the information had been leaked, the plan would have been foiled. Poncho, along with all of the Christian prison guards, prepared themselves in prayer for what they knew would be even more difficult – having over 2,000 inmates going through drug withdrawals at the same time.
This purging process was the turning point for the prison’s transformation. The prison has not only maintained itself as a clean prison, but has experienced a level of transformation so overwhleming that the United Nations has begun to send research teams to analyze the change. The inmates have constituted themselves as the Church in the prison which is now over 650 strong, with many more open to the gospel.
Shortly after this, Juan Fernandez, an attorney in Poncho’s church, was appointed as the new prison director. He says about this experience, "That's when I found out that I could really make a difference in people's lives. To me, it's much, much better to be a minister in the marketplace, doing what I'm doing, bringing not only the gospel but justice outside the four walls of the church."
h2. TODAY THE PRISON, TOMORROW THE CITY
The Church has had great impact not only on the prison system, but also throughout the city. "We have in our own congregation several business people that are taking a step of faith, changing their paradigms, focusing outside of the four walls of the church building and actually working as pastors of their own places of business."
About all this, Poncho says, "The Kingdom of God is coming to the city of Juarez, and we can see the results. The principles that God is giving Ed Silvoso about transformation have always been a confirmation in my own life of what God is doing."
They are taking the kingdom of God to where the gates of hell have been and proving that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. In the process, they are rewriting the history of their city.
Comments
1
ConsecratedtoGod,
2010-12-21 21:19:10
Whenever I get discouraged and forget how big God is....I think of the Olmos Prison transformation and this incredible story. It's then, that I see that we serve a Great BIG God that does great big things! Praise You Lord, for you are a God that does much more than we could ever hope or imagine!!
