The Mission Diaries

The following story was first posted on the blog of the Xela Church of Christ. Xela, pronounced “shella” and also called Quetzaltenago, is a city in Western Guatemala. The story reminds us of how much God loves his children and how much he wants for us to be with him. As you read it, please remember how you came to know Christ, and how God orchestrated the events and circumstances that led to your encounter with him.

Victor was a disciple of Christ, baptized in the church in Puebla, Mexico. About ten years ago, under the pressures of various personal and family problems, he decided to leave the church and return to Tapachula, in his home state of Chiapas, Mexico. Chiapas is located in the southern part of Mexico, on the border with Guatemala. At the time that Victor returned, there were only a handful of discipling churches in the whole country; none in Chiapas. He had found a way, at least in his mind, to run away from God.

In 1999, the Guatemala City Church planted a mission in the city of Xela, about 60 miles across the border from Tapachula. Since people travel frequently between the two cities, it wasn’t long before a few people from Tapachula were also baptized. One of them was a man named Antonio. Antonio had first learned about the church during a visit to Puebla, where his son  was a disciple. During that brief visit, he had met Victor, when Victor was still a member of the church.

A few months ago, Antonio was sharing his faith in a park in Tapachula, and who did he see? Victor! They recalled that they had met briefly many years before. Antonio shared about his new life as a Christian. Victor shared about his struggles and the reasons why he had run away. Antonio studied the Bible with him and prayed with him, and finally Victor recaptured his faith and was restored to the Lord! He had tried to run away from God, but God had found him! And just a couple of weeks ago, in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, Victor baptized his wife, Conchita!

J De Anda

Comments(1)