Dear Friends,
I returned from Nicaragua last month and only two weeks later traveled to the country just to the northwest of it: El Salvador. This country, while close in proximity to America compared to most the countries in which we minister, has experienced the sort of problems that are so prevalent in other parts of the world. This country has been ravaged by political corruption, drug cartels and gang violence. It is currently the murder capital of the world—more people are murdered in El Salvador, per capita, than any other country in the world. This has caused widespread fear among the people. I was talking to two young adults about the status of their country, and they explained to me that the young people in El Salvador do not feel as though there is a positive or bright future for them in El Salvador. They believe that for them to succeed, they will need to travel to another country. In many ways, the future of El Salvador looks bleak and disappointing.
But when I hear situations like this, I am not discouraged, I am expectant for the way that God can move in a miraculous way. During my time of ministry there, I had the opportunity to preach in a school to hundreds of students. Many of these students may have this perspective, but I told them that it does not matter their situation or circumstances, if they put their faith in Jesus, He is able to make the impossible become possible. So many of these students committed their hearts to Jesus and their life to follow His plan. I believe that the future of El Salvador is bright because of these students. The Bible says that “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more” (Rom. 5:20), and so I believe that the sin of this country will be overcome by the grace of God given through Christ and demonstrated through this next generation of Christian leaders.
I am hopeful, though, not only because of the students but also because of the Church in El Salvador. One of the days I was there I spent 8 hours teaching the Word of God to dozens of pastors from around the country. They were so hungry and ready to receive because they know how desperately their country needs a move of the Spirit. One of those pastors was Pastor Roberto. I preached at his church Sunday night and he shared with me how he is planting churches in cities that do not yet have any churches. These cities are run by the gangs who do not want churches to start. As a result, Pastor Roberto has had objects thrown at him and been beaten with sticks for his attempts to plant churches, but that persecution is not stopping him from bringing the Gospel where it is needed the most.
We see a need for the Gospel in this nation. Crusades are very difficult to do here because of the political situation and the gang violence. This makes anything outdoors or at night dangerous. The four previous trips we have taken to this country have been with schools, churches and conferences, but in just two weeks, my father, Evangelist Kevin, is going to El Salvador to minister at our first crusade in this country—in the city of San Julian! We are excited for what God is going to do at this introductory crusade and believe it is one more step to turning this country’s heart to Jesus! We rejoice in what God did last month and we are expectant for what He will do this month! Thank you for your prayers and support, as God is using us to empower the local Church in El Salvador to rewrite its history!
I want to take a moment to thank so many of you for your generosity in the past few months, toward our upcoming crusades in El Salvador (as referenced above) and Ethiopia (next month). Because of your giving, the entire crusade budgets have been met—Hallelujah! We can’t wait to see what Jesus will do on these historic trips and about the Harvest that He will bring about because of your generosity. We are now asking you to prayerfully consider giving toward our November crusade in a very unreached nation in Asia. For security reasons, we cannot advertise its location, but we can tell you that this is a nation desperate for the Gospel. We have already had some donations come in for these meetings, but are still in need of $4,900 to meet the Crusade budget. Thank you for considering what part you may play in the Great Commission. Together we are changing this world for Jesus, bringing light to the darkness, health to the sick, hope to the destitute and salvation to the sinner!
For the King,
Joshua Wagner