FRM Newsletter
February 2024: Following Christ and Obeying His Word
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I researched my family heritage many years ago and found out it is mostly English. My sister did a DNA test, which confirmed that we were from different parts of England and Gibraltar. I have researched the history of the Bentley name, and according to history, it goes back to the tenth century. The original Bentleys fought in the Holy Wars and in three of the Crusades and were awarded the second-highest award for heroism and bravery. These awards were given three different times; thus, the family crest has three dark bands on its coat of arms. But I was also curious about my middle name and its origins. I am not sharing it because it is irrelevant to the story, but I was surprised and found it was Norse Viking. I shared the history with a pastor friend of mine one night over dinner, and he said, “Wes, I am not at all surprised!”
Truthfully, who knows if there is any real connection, but I do find it interesting because of the work we do in war zones. Some people would think because I am a descendant of Vikings and Crusaders, that is the reason why Far Reaching Ministries (FRM) is so successful as if I inherited strength and determination from my ancestors. I can assure you that if I do have any strength, it is only through following Jesus Christ and obeying His Word; it has nothing to do with me. I want to encourage all of you that the only true strength comes from following and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Family history does not determine who you become, but with Jesus Christ, simple obedience to Him can be used greatly for the Kingdom.
I have several important things to share in this newsletter.
First, the young man we wrote about in the newsletter last month, who was battling cancer, went home to be with the Lord on the 22nd of December, leaving his wife, Spenser, a widow with three small children. I sent money to help her get through while we raise support for her.
Second, two of the retired military members who worked with us in Afghanistan, went to Israel to work with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Mossad intelligence network. They have said that the government is asking for help, and they need to raise $350,000 to meet some of their needs. These are not for arms or ammunition but to help protect the soldiers who are fighting. So, for any who want to give, we will pass it on to them. These brothers have had many opportunities to share Christ with the Israeli soldiers and have been well received.
Now, we will move on to a very frightening chapter in the history of Mexico. We were down in Mexico for the Christmas outreaches with the children, and everything was going great until I was introduced to a family that was confronted by a criminal gang—a woman with four children and her elderly parents. The woman’s mother, who was in a wheelchair and very fragile, told us with great sorrow what happened. One night, men from a criminal gang came and demanded the family surrender their home, business (a car used as a taxi), and everything but the clothes on their backs. The woman and her husband alternated shifts in their taxi to earn a living; the husband drove in the evening and the wife during the day. Her parents lived in a small home behind the main house, and the criminal gang demanded they vacate immediately as well. The woman was restrained and warned if she did not call her husband and tell him to come home immediately, they would execute her. The husband answered her call and rushed to get home. The criminal gang ordered the woman to take her parents and children and flee. They threatened to kill her husband if she was still at home in the morning. The terrified family immediately left and boarded a bus, hoping family members would take them in. The woman had a brother who pastored a small church she ran to him for help. Before this family boarded the bus, the criminal gang mercilessly slaughtered the husband and posted it on social media as a boast of their ruthless disregard for life.
The brother opened his home and is doing all he can to help them heal. Despite all the tragedy, this family praised God for enabling them to survive. The pain of their loss was evident, but they are committed to trusting that God will not fail to help them rebuild. They were able to get a small piece of land and build a shack made from shipping pallets. When I spoke with the grandmother, she said, “We do not know why this happened, but we still trust the Lord.” Her faith and devotion to Christ was humbling. I found meeting someone who suffered so much but still trusted Christ very special, and I told them not to worry that we would help them to build a house. The grandmother said, “All we need is a small room with a bed and, if possible, a microwave to cook.” I could see the helplessness in her eyes. She and her husband had worked their entire lives and in one night everything they had worked for was stolen. While conveying they had a great need, she seemed to try to not burden us by asking too much. I plan to do more than what they asked for and build a home for the woman and the children and a large studio apartment for the grandparents—enough to have a couch to rest on in their old age. FRM would like to raise enough money to build a small home and studio apartment and purchase a car for the taxi business. Their old car was a 2012 Nissan. All of this will cost about $50,000 to construct the new homes and purchase a used car so the woman can continue to support her family. As always, we promise every penny sent will be used to help this family. So if you want to be a part of restoring what Satan has stolen please select Mexico Widow & Family on the enclosed gift card. And I would ask all to pray that the Lord would give us wisdom to know how to fight this great evil and bring an end to those who terrorize and kill for no reason but evil. This is our opportunity to stand in prayer and fight to put an end to this flood of evil and torture.
Wes Bentley
Far Reaching Ministries