Posted: 12/01/06
Laredo church prays for
release of kidnapped members
By George Henson
Staff Writer
LAREDO—At press time, members of United Baptist Church in Laredo continued to pray for the safe return of the congregation’s treasurer and his son, along with another man.
Librado Pina Jr., United’s treasurer and a Laredo businessman, was kidnapped along with his son, Librado Pina III, two hunters and a cook from a ranch owned by Pina in Mexico near the border. The ranch is leased for deer hunting.
Witnesses told police 30 to 40 armed men took the five men from the ranch Nov. 26.
Mike Barrera, pastor of United Baptist Church, said Nov. 29 that law enforcement officials had told him that one of the hunters, David Mueller from the Sweetwater area, and the cook, Marco Ortiz, had been released on a remote stretch of highway that day.
At that time, there was no word of the location or condition of the other men.
The other hunter has been identified as Fidel Rodriguez Cerdan, a Mexican citizen.
The church prayed for strength during the ordeal, Barrera said.
“The Lord works in mysterious ways, and, of course, this has been devastating,” he said. “But we had an all-night prayer meeting and to hear the beautiful prayers and the beautiful music—it’s been helpful for the church and family.”
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.