Safety First

People sometimes ask me about safety in Mexico. There has been a lot of media coverage about the increasing violence relating to drug-trafficking.

Safety is something we think about every day. Although we do not feel like we are in direct danger, we do take extra precautions. I always carry my phone, we do not travel at night, and if we were to travel in the mountains in a secluded area, we would have another car come along.

I've told people that it's a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Which is true everywhere - whether you are in Mexico or in Zeeland, Mich. However, this has been an eye-opening experience. It is not uncommon to see truckloads of federal soldiers carrying machine guns. There are military check points throughout the country. It does tend to make you feel a bit on edge at times, but I have never felt like my life was in danger.

There have been a few incidents close to home. Saltillo - where we live - has seen increased cartel activity. In February, a narcotics cemetery was found in the mountains near Arteaga - where Innotec is located. One of our friends used to run in the mountains and was stopped and questioned by a federal officer. We later heard about the discovery of 20 bodies - all related to drug activity. While my family was here in March, more than $3 million worth of drugs were discovered in a vacant parking lot near Innotec. The drugs were hidden in the panels of high-end vehicles. For several days, federales with machine guns and masks guarded the area. A couple weeks ago, a major drug lord was captured in Saltillo.

I did not take these pictures - but they were taken in Saltillo and near Monterrey.

We are not targets - but some of our Mexican friends have experienced some scary moments. Some guys working at Innotec have had family members kidnapped and held for ransom. The same has happened to a few members of our church. One of Michael's friends - whose family has quite a lot of money - is being extra cautious by driving an older vehicle.

Like I said before, I do not feel like we are in danger. I wouldn't have brought my parents and sister here if I was worried about their safety. But we do have to be smart. My church was planning to bring our youth group here for a service project, but we decided to cancel the trip. It is very unlikely something would happen, but the worry and anxiety was not worth it. Although the cartel activity is not the main reason we made the decision to return home - it was a key factor. It's not as comfortable here as it once was. And the current circumstances greatly reduces the amount of activities we are able to do - travel around the country, hike in the mountains...

It's my understanding that one of the reasons things are getting worse is due to the Mexican government's decision to crack down on drug-trafficking. In the past, the government has been corrupt and the cartels simply offered bribes. Now the government is trying to become moral - and it is causing the cartels to retaliate with violence.

Like Michael said, it's interesting how drug use in the states impacts lives here in Mexico - and in South America where most of the drugs are coming from. Thousands of people are losing their lives because people in the US are using drugs. Drugs are directly and indirectly taking lives and ripping families apart.

Please continue to pray for safety.