Fore Word:

"Lament is a Christian Death Metal band like no other. They are, like all of us, a work in progress. God's hand is evident in not only the band's ministry but the lives of each member. The members of Lament claim Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Lament sound is not exactly Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, or even Heavy Metal. Lament is a Christian Death Metal band. They sound like other Death Metal bands to an extent. But, Lament has a unique style all their own. They blend elements of their Mexican heritage throughout their music like a rich Metal tapestry that can comfort you with a mother's love and cut you like the jagged edge of a rusty blade. Lament's discography includes: Breathless, Through The Reflection and Tears Of A Leper."

Rick Summers
95one.com

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Biography:

I feel deeply moved by the Holy Spirit to write this biography, the biography of the band Lament. This history is a very simple one, one that God has created thru the music of the band. My objective of writing this history is to show whoever reads this, is that God is able to do exceeding all and it is by His love in us that we can do all things. It is the honor, the glory and the praise I give to God, Amen.

This is not an extensive biography of the band and all its work that has been undertaken in the 12 years of its life. But it began in the beginning when I knew this style of music by the name of "Christian Rock". It was with two bands, Rez and Stryper that really made a mark in my life. These two bands marked my life so much that I remember the day I lost a cassette of the band Stryper, "In God we Trust" that I felt so grieved inside by not being able to hear the lyrics that focuses so much on God. Over time I was slowly introduced to the environment of the Christian music scene, and it created a passion for God, so that to be used as a destruction of pulling down walls in our lives.

We attended all the concerts and we supported any band that had a heart that had an interest to develop Christian Rock. Therefore at that time, there was no such group or band in our city of Mexico that played the music style that was so impassioned in our heart, Christian metal. We felt there was a need to create, support and promote this style of music. We felt so convinced that it was the power of God that moved us and it was in His hands and that He had already put the hunger in us. So in Mexico, over time, little by little, we got to know other people who were interested in Christian Rock. Over time, we gathered a small group of rebellious rockers as they called us. But in us the flame of the gospel burned inside us and there was a placed downtown called Berean Music. This was place sold Christian metal and this was our small groups meeting place, to congregate together so we could feed our hunger for music and where God provided for us, the weapons we needed to fight a spiritual battle.

A church minister put us in the right direction towards our first mission, a mission that focused on a foreign exchange. This would change our lives and give us the first fruits of making progress that we used to bring glory and honor to God. We took an interest in anything that we could identify as Christian Metal. Since in those times, resources, albums or magazines were very scarce in Mexico. And it was very rare to see someone interested in this style of music. On one occasion, at a church, we met someone we knew who was carrying a LP under his arm. The album was of the American group called Vengeance and was titled Human Sacrifice. This boy also belonged to a band that had just begun to play Christian Rock as well.

We befriended the boy and his band. God spoke to us and moved us to join in unison with this band. Already the pieces were in order to begin the first battle. We begin to support this band with our heart and soul and we saw God use this music to change lives completely. We wanted to serve God through this powerful instrument called Christian Rock. We began to support the band by loading cables, instruments, and cymbals. We would praise and encourage these musicians, because we loved them and what they did.

For nearly two years we worked very hard with this group in everything possible in so much that we were able to see in each concert God using Christian metal to bring salvation to many. The power of God was declared in a great and exceeding way. At each moment I saw this, I felt the call but was hardly ready. God began to use me in an incredible way. God wanted to use my hands to produce fruit but at that time I was unable to play any instrument. No one in my family is a musician or had anything to do with music. I had some encouragement from some relatives in my home and once I received that motivation then God had some large surprises for me. I began to feel the call of God in my life and I felt it was wise to do this quickly. Then I felt God move a change in my life in the direction with the need to play extreme music. At that time, there groups existed that played Christian Death in Mexico and it was in this field with the Band that something began to begin.

I (We) were moved to be part of something that did not exist in Mexico. There was an enormous need for a band that played brutal metal in my country but there was none. The Minister from our church encouraged me to begin one and thus my first band began that was called Beheaded in July 1993. My mother bought my first guitar, which was a SPS Red and was very modest, plus a Marshall amplifier that only had a small wattage of 30 watts. I was so moved but not really knowing what I was getting myself involved in I began my first steps into a realm of music that was to motivate me and I worked hard as I became determined to obtain my objective. One of the greatest surprises was the Minister encouraged me as made me realize that what I was doing was going to take a lot of personal effort and made me realize that I had the ability. Despite having received a lot of criticism and humiliations from some people who were moved by Satan to try to destroy and stop what was being created. It was from these experiences that caused me to begin to write my first songs.

I knew some people who also shared the same interest in the same music but did not reveal the vision God had given me. But in short it was God who changed their plans for His glory. I began my band with members who were not even Christians but in their own time changes were made in their lives. Although at that time none of these people would know the gospel, I knew they had a purpose for being in my life and I knew the call of God was in my life. We would begin the day with the same routine where we would practice and rehearse 4 songs. Over time we were invited to have a concert that would be held at my house and that would have the purpose of using the concert to act as a refuge and become a house church. During a prayer meeting with our church team, something happened to me that had never happened before and it was here that God in this one time event that God would confirm his plans for me. It was at the moment praying for a member who was beginning to cry and tremble and he began to speak in tongues and immediately started to prophesy over me and told me the following.

"God had chosen to you and He will carry you all the nations to preach His name and I assure you that you will be always under My will."

That word from God literally transformed my life completely ever since. I remain amazed and thought, Who am I that God would want be personally involved to direct me. But God revealed to me that He was the Master of the Universe and it has to comply with His word. His word says he will take what is shameful to embarrass the arrogant and that God is faithful and full of love. From that moment on, that word entered my heart as a promise that would encourage me for the future, as it was God who knew my future and what would come to pass, I am so thankful in Jesus for that God's love.

The concert finally arrived and we were so inexperienced for such a concert. There were some there who did not want this event to start and I, myself was nearly to give up on this plan. We finished the concert and became very motivated by the whole performance, in spite of the deficiencies of our attempts at evangelizing. But we were encouraged inside as we saw God beginning to use us not alone as assistants but as musicians.

The following weak, we began to practice very hard and we focused our band to have a plan. We wanted to work on the vision on the belief that God was really with us. Something began to happen in our hearts in such a powerful way that it showed us that we had a real purpose in God. It was a Saturday morning that we were in a prayer meeting praying to God over our next concert, and wishing to leave it in His hands. When all of a sudden someone called out from the stairwell below, crying and told us some terrible news, that our bassist player had be involved in a car accident and was possibly dead. The room was surprised by this devastating news, so much so that the room was full of silence and this was the first of many blows the Enemy would use to come against us.

It was so very sad for all of us, with the absences of a person who was a trusted friend and the pain to know that we would never see each other again. The pain was so great in all the members of the band that we gave up doing any plans. All our dreams and plans faded, we felt we were left with nothing, without our bassist, without our brother. But it is not an illusion but it was Gods wisdom that God was preparing the others and me for future times when we would once again pass thru the fire. Many with me that at that time felt it was the end of the band, but if it weren't for that first demonstration of Gods power in the beginning, I would not have seen the value of continuing on. I felt the fortress of God surround my life and after this incident I thought the other band members would not wish to continue with me but they felt encouraged to continue the band and its goal. So from that point on, we decided to continue and God's power covered us in a wonderful presence.

This time was hard for us all, but since we were all musicians in Christ, we were responsible to Him. It is hard to forgo the care and love for the band member we had lost and wondered who would replace our friend. We all felt we could not permit an outsider to join the band, especially one who would not connect with the same vision we all shared. The search for a new bassist was very difficult and we tried several bassists but one could fill the place of our dear friend and we began to feel like giving up. But this was where the second miracle of God was shown, that even when I see it, I still don't understand. One morning our guitarist passed a comment that if we were serious as a band, that I (Abel) should play the drums, instead of our friend. I looked at the rest of them and didn't know what to say.

At this time, I had no experience with the drums. So the next day I encouraged myself and felt that if this was how things should go, thru the Holy Spirit and it was His will in my life to go thru many trials and miracles, so be it. I arrived the following morning and began practicing alone on the drums. I asked God to help me and to give me the power and it was by His power that enabled me to play the double bass drum in a style that was required for our death metal style of music. It was like in a moment that I felt like my body became loosened in such a way that when I played the drums, it was like only God was the only one who could have empowered me to play like I did that morning. Before I was unable to play the drums, and it was only after that moment of prayer, that Gods hand touched me. I began to cry like a boy as I could see Gods glorious hand touch my life. In His word, it says God listens to the prayers of His children and that His mercy is larger than life. Halleluiah. God is good and praise His holy name because nothing is impossible.

The feelings I had about the plans for my life was that metal was going to be part of it. The feeling that metal was going to play a big part of my life was very strong. It was like I had metal in my veins, my breath and my thinking. It was the incentive of being used by God that kept this plan in my life. Thus I was involved in many fields of music and God could use me as an instrument of blessing. God was able to bring me to many places to sever and to be a light in the middle of darkness. I was able to witness how God was able to move in those who sought Him and was able to witness many miracles brought only by the powerful hand of God. There was an occasion when I was practicing the drums, when a friend arrived at my house at about 11am. I had very little in common with this friend and to see him visit me in the middle of the week, didn't really catch my attention. I greeted him inside the building and he told me that he was there to bring a word of God for my life and this is what he told me;

God says that he has seen your suffering and that your work is His work and that He is going to reward you.

That was all he said and I remained quiet for some minutes after he had finished and suddenly I began to worship and praise God. I felt so humbled to see His love toward me was so great and that His plans in my life were so complete. God started to provide for me some new band members that were extremely talented. I could see that the Father does wonders with nothing. Thus after a few months of rehearsing together that we would record a demo with 7 tracks only with the support of God was this possible. We used the resources we had but sadly by a mistake done on my part, three of the 7 tracks were erased but this was a curious thing, but it did not demoralize us. We released a lite demo called "The valley of the Decision" with only 4 tracks.

With that one work alone, we would sell 100 cassettes. But thru the months of that release God moved us to return to re-record the 4 tracks with a producer that had some experience in making music. So I was able to gain a lot more experience because of doing the re-recording. Now the band would sell 500 more copies of the re-recording and it was our very first serious step in doing the will of God as a band. In 1995, we were invited to participate in a festival held at the Grand Rapids, Michigan called the Michigan Mosh Fest and the organizer of the event selected us as we had previously sent a demo to him.

The organizer included us in the concert schedule and in a miraculous way I accepted the offer to participate in the festival. The news of the invitation and acceptance touched us all in the band and it directed us towards our first great international mission, it could be seen as a testimony of faith alone. In 24 hours we would obtain all the money we needed to be able to pay for a 4 person round trip airplane tickets. Glory to God, because without His aid, we would not have been able to achieve what we did.

During the day of our performance, it was Gods plan to have a third person added to the band. It was the will of God to see this happen and I could see with my own eyes that God was in control of it all, no matter how insignificant the fact would be. We took advantage to talk with a new acquaintance of the band called Crashdog. We had almost finished our chat when I asked about if they knew the organizers of the large Christian festival called Cornerstone. The person that I asked replied said, " I am one of the organizers of that show" It was like at that moment that God was showing us like never before that this was the person we should be talking too. We stood there opened mouthed and saw that His promise of being in charge of the band and we saw that the Holy Spirit was moving ahead of us. I raised a collection of money that would help us out with our stay in the USA as well. The Master is faithful and His promises come true, with those who follow them.

We would become great friends with this organizer since God had larger plans for the band and this lady. God was able to carry us to a place that was unknown to us and at this venue, Cornerstone; it would open the door for more future concerts for the next following years. In the same way God has plans for other purposes of everyone that maybe is different for another person. But we knew that Cornerstone was the festival for us and it was Gods plan for us to follow the designed road and nothing would impede that invitation. This serious metal festival was a great bridge for us, as for now I can see that God didn't want us to work alone but He wanted us to get in touch with this event and it was necessary for us to be there since it would give us the doors that would open our future as a band. The following year we were guests at another festival at the populated Marble Falls, Texas. Thus we undertook the trip as God opened the doors to be able to provide the money to join and be able to travel to the US again.

The day we arrived there for our performance and we could see the power of the glory of God descending. Although we didn't give a good performance we did leave a good impression that the concert organizers asked us back for a second invitation. And the people who supported us did so in a great way. And it was there that God gave us a great push, which placed us in a direction that would fulfill God plans with the band, which was still named at that time Beheaded. The following year, we returned to the festival but now God had larger plans for the band as have we found out, Steve Rowe from the band Mortification would be present to see our performance. Our bands guitarist approached me after the show and told me that Steve Rowe wanted to sign us to his label, Rowe Productions. I told him jokingly that I didn't not believe him and that it if was Gods plan to sign the band, then I would believe this truth. We talked with Steve and God provided an interpreter who was able to provide help with negotiations and thus we signed with the label, just as if it was the will of God.

After we had finished talking with Steve, we decide to leave for the city of Forth Wayne, Indiana where we had before hand had plans to record a demo in a place with our friend that we had met at Michigan. But now I can see with great clarity that it was God who saw what was going to happen before we connected back with this person, as it was a fundamental event in the history of the band. Glory to God. While in Indiana we had received a copy of the contract form the Michigan Company and we had not signed it. As yet we had to pray with God and ask Him for his direction.

Steve wanted us to record at the studio with Jeff Scheetz, in Illinois, so we undertook the trip with our good friend. Here I would like to comment that God moved the heart of this person in such a way that in a way he was supporting us all the time. God moved him to share food with 4 complete strangers and to help take us to Illinois while at the same time having the responsibility to look after his own family. This was a clear example of God providence. We arrived at Illinois without any problem and we arranged ourselves to record our first album that would be known as the Tears of a Leper. The recording was done after 6 days or arduous work and where we had to work for more than 12 hours a day in the studio. Thus after the trip to the US, we returned to Mexico and we waited for some months for any reply on the sale of the album.

The CD was an instant success and God continued to show us his will. We could see that Gods majestic work was bearing fruit thru the band. Thus to promote the album in Mexico, we undertook a promotional tour thru various states of the Republic. Taking with us our message of salvation and in each state, we placed our feet there claiming ground for God, and we witnessed a lot of people coming to know the Lord thru our concerts. Satan did not want to yield the land we were claiming for God and thus began to attack us and attack our loved ones that were close to us. So the attacks came in various forms. Rowe productions terminated our contract between them and us and the Devil tried to infiltrate and contaminate what God had created. But Satan didn't not count on the cunningness of God.

It was by Gods divine will that we would return to visit the US without knowing that the whole trip would be planned by God alone. He would prepare us for our second blessing and prepared our performance at Michigan. The festival had changed its name from Michigan Mosh to the Gas Tour Festival, but it still was held at the same town, with the same organizers. We arrived in the afternoon and from the time we arrived, we saw God working before us. What had seemed to be closed doors after being dropped by Rowe Productions, the doors were being reopened. We were touched by God in a way that we had never been touched before and all that were there at the show were touched by the Holy Spirit and from then on, God began to move a different way for the band, that was now called Lament.

The organizer of cornerstone was able to contact us well ahead of time was not only able to invite us not only to participate in the show but to also be one of the leading bands for the festival as well. This was a big surprise for us as were very saddened by being rejected by Rowe Productions but God had better plans for that nobody in this world could ever plan, Hallelujah. Soon one of God miracles would be seen occurring in our band, when we got in contact with the Michigan organizer, she offered to take us to the Cornerstone herself. Already during the festival, she commented to us that she had been praying that she could sell a lot of merchandise that she had brought and she would help us prepare for the next recording. So as a band of course, we prayed and waited on God for His answer.

For all of Gods glory, she would sell merchandise like she had never sold before and in those days of having a festival; it would normally be expected to have a low return of sales. But God intervened, she received a tremendous economic blessing, that left us all without words to express our praise to our God. God is very powerful and with this, she would be the instrument in the hands of God to help us not only prepare our first demo but also with our second CD without us having to spend a dime for its production.

Another powerful testimony that demonstrates the power of God and for His glory was the introduction of a person that we would meet during the festival and get to know. As I approached him, he was wishing to interview me for his magazine. It was delightful for myself that he spoke in perfect Spanish. During the interview I was able to give an account of myself to him, as he did not believe in God and was in fact an atheist. I spoke with him for about 20 minutes, about the power of God and how He had changed my life, and how God loved this man. I offered him an opportunity to receive the Lord into his heart and after we finished the talk, I did not see or hear from him until I returned a day later back in Mexico. I received a letter from him telling me that he had received Christ as his master and he told me about the journey of returning to his house he received the Holy Spirit. I was so touched by how much God had transformed him. Halleluiah.

The moment arrived when the organizer of the event was able to fulfill the obligation that God had assigned to her, that was to help produce the second CD for the band. And that obligation was affirmed, as he was able to fulfill provide for the band, proving again He was with Lament. I immediately got called into the studio with a friend called Kevin Reynolds, the bass player of the group Blood and Fire. We all began to record the tracks, believing that God was with them, had given the band a mission to do, complete the 2nd CD. God provided everything that we needed as we were working in a foreign country. And Gods love was revealed to everyone helping in that studio that day. We finished the discs, but it was not trouble free but at the same time, we had victory to see it accomplished. We felt very little worry when we returned to our home country and we wanted to remain in the US if it was possible. But one morning, God spoke to me thru a husband of a friend of ours and told us:

Return to Mexico because the government there is not your supplier but I am.

With this word being given to us, we returned immediately to Mexico to see the power of God working. Already in Mexico were working very hard in any place we could play at and the trials the band went thru were very difficult. Then one day, the Lord gave us a great surprise as we had left the plan for the new album to God and we did not have any company to release it. This was the new miracle of the Father, Manu Letheine of the company Little Rose Productions emailed to us, commenting that he was very interested in signing a contract with the band Lament. Immediately as a band, we put this decision into the hands of God and prayed about it over a period of days. God opened all the doors allowing the second CD, "???" to see the light thru the label Little Rose. We were amazed to see God work and put it on the heart of the owner of the company to support us without even listening to the recording. Hallelujah. The CD was packaged and sold well, and it was an instrument of blessing to who ever bought it, and it still continues to do so today.

Everything around us seemed to be a world of wonder about the new album. So as a band we did some shows to promote the new CD and we received many messages from around the entire world. Some messages told us God was using our music but Satan had his own plans and decided to sharpen his weapons to attack us and the blow from this attack was one that would try to really throw us. That night, our guitarist unexpectedly decided to leave the band, that even I found surprising. He left us standing half way in the road and left with many questions unanswered without responding to any of our questions. We knew this was an attack from Satan; therefore we decided to pray together and consulted together in what to do. We had to go thru a lot of battles because of this band member leaving and so we had to put our touring off for many months and yes, we were discouraged about something that is not unique to happen to a band but that had come unexpectedly. The brother of the owner of Little Rose was planning to come to Mexico as an exchange student and he chose Mexico because he was an admirer of the band Lament. But he was to lose his life before arriving due to natural causes due to an illness he suffered from. The news of his death hit us hard and so Many was devastated by this event and decided to close his company and with this closure, was the only label support the band had. It seemed the band Lament was again defeated.

Without a guitarist and without a label, we were all devastated again and we felt inside our heart that our Master still had a purpose for us, even in spite of this gray view. We spent a lot of our time praying and expecting something from God. Almost a year and a half would go by, without any answer given to us by God. Then one surprising day, God provided no one but two excellent guitarists. This was the answer of prayer we were seeking from God all this time. He brings it to pass and we began to praise Him and again felt his powerful hand again working in our band so to provide for His work and we then were compelled to serve the Lord, so we began to work on the next recording for the 3rd disc.

We were again guests of the 2001 music festival, at Cornerstone, where by divine grace we would tell all who would listen that our master of our music is God, who influences our lives and was the reason why they were at the festival.

I shared an account with the audience that God sees all of our requests in our hearts. That there is a marvelous God who is there at all times protecting us with His hands and we gave thanks to the organizers for allowing us to come again to the show. We were all amazed at this show. During our time there, The Lord Jesus worked thru us, showing us how he worked thru our music and how God wanted to use us. At the end of our performance, I approached a couple who were walking towards me and they told us that God had touched their marriage and had restored them back together. Our hearts at that moment were filled with happiness and it left us with the clear impression that even thru so many tests, life still had its rewards and now we understood that just because the devil had tried to make us give up our objective. That objective was to minister to others thru our music and that God was the inspiration for this music.

During following day we could know to Jimmy Brown of the group Deliverance who a record contract he offered ourselves thing that was totally amazing for us but God had other plans. Because of confirmation thru Gods word, we accepted this contract and from there, we found ourselves tagging along to the city of Detroit Michigan. There we were to meet Kevin Reynolds who had recorded our second album. We were happy to see our dream come into reality and also being able to work with Jimmy Brown. During talks with Kevin, he asked if he could produce our new CD but we had made other plans. So we decided to pray and to our surprised Jesus spoke to us and told us we should accept the offer given to us. Otherwise our dream of seeing ourselves not reaching across the world would never be carried out. So we began to work with Kevin, in truth, God wanted us to obey Him and was teaching us that even we should sacrifice our dreams. Therefore a servant is one who is to serve, not to be served. Lament was learning to serve a living God. We finished the recording that was to be called Breathless, which would be our third release and we returned to Mexico after being there for several months. We began our local promotion of the CD inside some of the local states of Mexico. But also we were to be called outside of our country and we were called to our neighboring country of Guatemala. Satan had one of the worst tests to give us, that had yet to be dealt to us.

Glory to God that this testimony can serve as an illustration that there is more to the power of God and that His hand is always able to maintain us thru even the hardest of situations. I know this will be a great relief for those who need to hear the Word of God. It so happened that on the 19th of April of ¿?? We were almost 20 hours on the road, since we had left the City of Mexico and were bound for the country of Guatemala and were just about to arrive. Our trip was over land and so we did not consider going by the economic means by traveling by plane to Central America. But it was our desire to carry the word of God to our Central American brother but this trip had already been postponed 5 years already. It did not matter if we had to travel 20 hours just to reach Guatemala. What was important was to do what God wanted, and that was placed on our hearts, to carry the word of love to the entire world.

We arrived at the border of Mexico border Mexico - Guatemala by Tapachula, Chiapas. And were already to meet the requirements to enter Guatemala with a Mexican vehicle. In the customs we did not perceive anything strange in what would come to light later with the future misfortunes we would yet have to experience. After many questions regarding the paper work we had to handle, we entered Guatemala at about 4-5pm and the dream to being there was about to become a reality. We were very happy to be there and at the same time we were exhausted by the whole trip and had a great desire to arrive at our destination. We stopped at a gas station to refuel and this stop was a major influence for causing us to be delayed drastically before arriving at the Capital City.

It seemed that this eternal and tiring trip would finally come to an end but we had to stop for an accident that occurred on the highway. This accident found us in the middle of the night on the highway, tired and exhausted, we didn't need this. 20 minutes later we continued to advance with the traffic, as the traffic movement was very slow. As there were two rails on the highway and it was impossible to pass any traffic. By 6:30 pm, there was another incident that would scare us the whole night.

It was close to the 22 or 23 KM mile on the highway but I cannot remember such details but I do not remember when 8 heavily armed men closed in on us with a blue small truck. My brother went flying and it was him they attacked first. They attacked him first by giving him 2 blows to the face and then attacking him verbally by telling him "Do you like that you son of a ....." we were the only ones traveling alone in the car. We remained surprised and very frightened and above all in great shock.

Immediately they targeted the car as something they wanted to investigate. They placed their weapons close to our bodies and they told us continually to be silent or we would be killed right there and then. All there was silence at that movement and I began to recite Psalm 23 "Although I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because my God is with me." One of the men told me to take control the car and with a great surprise returned the vehicle to us and left it in the middle of a forest. Another man commented, "You already know where is the truth".

The vehicle was taken inside a forest and then it was taken to what seemed to be pastureland all around us. The car stopped and the men descended on the vehicle and they talked amongst themselves nervously. Because they did not want us to see them so they covered our eyes. They threatened us that if we tried to look they would strike us or would kill us. The first one they attacked was David, a friend of ours that had offered to take us in his car. The subject with a strong voice which sounded like a cutting knife, "you descendants of a son of a .....". It was at this moment that I feared for the life of David and I begged God not to let them kill us but all seemed in vain. Later my brother and I heard them carry him deep into the forest, making me fear the worst things imaginable.

One by one they descended on us and they finally arrived to me and they removed everything of value from my person and then they threw me to the floor after their searching. Each time the men asked us with great insistence "Where is the drug money, you sons of a ....."? We were alone and only replied "we do not have anything of value, we haven't come in touch with any drugs. We are Christians and we are a music band but we are welcome to give you anything we have" On the floor I listened to them attack the others and my heart was broken as I know it was my brothers being attacked.

With my eyes I was able to see one of our captors received a phone call from a caller. He said, "They don't have anything chief, we don't find what we were looking for"

Already while lying on the floor ground, One of the men began to attack me physically and verbal abuse me. He kicked me repeatedly in the ribs and one of them put their gun into the side of my neck and he told me "I am going to kill you, you son of a ....." but at that moment another captor told him with a voice that was surprisingly at the time loving in sound and told him not to strike at me and to leave me in peace. This was the first angel of God used to protect me.

At that moment, another captor helped me up and carried me with my hands were still behind my back. While the captor was carrying me, I told him, "Can I tell your something", and he answered "okay" and I told him that "God loves you". This comment was met with silence and what followed is what he stated. Ok, you pray to him then. I was placed at the rear of the vehicle on the rims of the car and was scared that they would set the car on fire with me beside it. But praise God; such a thing did not eventuate.

Suddenly I was able to hear the voices of 2 people who were peasants passing by there. The captors threatened them too and tied them up as well. A little later the captors wet away and left us alone in the darkness, in a strange country, in the middle of nowhere and without any possessions. My brother and I were able to untie each other and then were able to untie the others. God brought the peasants that had passed by there, as they were able to lend us their lamps and we tried to seek out our possessions without their help. They did not know why we were captured and tied up. These were the second angels that God used to help us get out of there.

It was at that moment of anguish that I raised my eyes to the sky and alone exclaimed in words that all of us would wish to say, "Please God remove us from here" We did not know what to do, as all around us was darkness and terror. We feared that our captors may return and finished the night with what they had started and finish us off. The car of our friend had a sophisticated alarm system that could only be started with the aid of a computer chip. Which was lost during the whole event. Our guitarist had a lot of knowledge about electronics and knew how to wire the car without the aid of the chip. He was able to do it in the darkness, we were all full of fear and were anxious to leave that place and praised God that carried some extra keys for the car. He is a wise God and He had placed it in the heart of our friend to take some spare keys.

At last they were able to start the car and we found everything that we owned and thru it in the car as all we wanted to do was to leave there. Everyone got in the car and we left very fast and I began to pray even with the tears in my eyes. I began to speak everything that was in my heart at that moment, we were full of fear. The road seemed never to end and the desperation to get off this road and get away from the danger that had just been inflicted on us.

At last we reached a gas station and a shop, and far from the danger that held us before. At this place, some people were able to lend us their cell phone and we were able to call the organizers of the concert so that they could help us. Thank the Lord for these angles at the shop who could help us. Our friends came to find us; they too were tired and full of rage that such a thing could ever happen to us, but at the same time full of gratitude that we had come, as we were so close to canceling our show in Central America. This was a concert that had been expected years before and was again on the verge of not being carried out again.

Our captors had carried off everything of value, our money that was made from our hard effort, our equipment, our video camera; everything of value was gone and left us with nothing. The police said they were drug traffickers who were searching for money and since they saw our car with Mexican number places they thought we were drug dealers from Mexico to buy drugs from Central America. Another version is that these were kidnappers who never leave their victims alive and they always kill them, after taking all their money. They had done this, they were only after money and we were able to escape with only our lives.

At the home of one of the organizer I was determined to play there but that was not His plan, He wished to see His name glorified. Inside my heart I told God, Jesus, this is okay I will do the concert for you in Guatemala but I will not do the concert in El Salvador but God told me in a quiet voice, Yes I am going to send you to El Salvador. God wanted us to touch people's lives in El Salvador as well. My heart was filled with great fear and I said, I don't want to go there. But he said in his quiet loving voice. I will go ahead of you and if I am with you, who can go against you, not even the hands of death can touch you. This was then I knew that He wanted us to go to E Salvador as well.

That day I could see God really existed, coincidences do not exist but I know that Satan did not want us to reach out and touch peoples lives in either Guatemala or El Salvador. Satan is wise that we were able to see many saved and the result was exactly that, many were saved.

In Guatemala, the tickets for the concert were sold out and the place that where the concert was held was so packed that not even a needle could be packed inside it.

In El Salvador, the concert there was the best one we had had all year and people left that concert with a sense of awe and amazement.

Four months after that incident there were still memories of hurt in our souls and a day did not pass without a feeling of fear of having to return to relive such an experience again. Even now we cannot recover from that day. It is only God who keeps us in what we are doing. By April 19, we wanted to finish with the band LAMENT and to forget everything about it. But this was not the time to give up and we felt that we were barely at the beginning.

On the 24th of April, a week after the incident, God gave us a promise from a well-recognized prophet of Mexico, who prophesized that the Latin American market was ours and even without this promise, we know it is worth our while to suffer as a good solder for Christ.

I encouraged the people who were with us to continue praying for the band LAMENT so that God would continue to use us with the ability and economic necessity so to continue the good fight. If God is placing a move in your heart to support us after reading our biography, please feel free to contact us. As it is written in the book of Habakkuk:

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; ...he enables me to go on the heights." Habakkuk 3:17-19

Since then we lost our two guitarists but God is faithful and has brought us a new member into our family without any problems. And from there we have been working on visiting as many places with our music and seeing the power of God is at the highest is when you see the Devil flee and you hold his authority in your hand. Lament has existed for almost 11 years and is an example of how the Celestial Father can work thru by showing His providence and faithfulness. We know that for those who God loves, everything will work well out in the end. I encourage you that if you do not know Him and you have an opportunity to be alone, pray and invite Him into your life. As He is the one who can give true peace, a peace that the world does not provide.