Another Entire Village Comes to Jesus

Amazonian Wednesdays 🌴

December 2019

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Marianela came into the hut crying. “My dad is dying. He’s going to pass any day now. He’s so angry at everyone. He won’t speak to us. He lashes out at anyone who tries to get near.”

Our team was visiting the jungle village of Lida, bringing the message of Jesus’ hope to the villagers. They had arrived the day before and begun to preach the gospel.

Pastor Pablo replied to the distraught woman gently, “Please ask him to come here.”

A little while later, Francisco shuffled weakly into the room. Every step was a laborious effort. Painfully, he lowered himself to a seat at the table.

Tiago, one of our team members, looked at him earnestly. “I would like to share my testimony with you, Francisco,” he began. “I used to beat my wife. Anger was my cruel master. I utterly hated who I was. But you know, Jesus came and gave me a new heart. He made me into a brand new person. He will do the same for you… if you let Him.”

Francisco’s face was softening as he listened. Holy Spirit was doing His powerful work.

“Do you want to go to heaven, or hell?” Tiago asked the old man in a firm, loving voice. “If you want to go to hell, reject Jesus right now. If you want to go to heaven, receive Him into your heart as your Savior and Lord. What will you choose?”

“I want to receive Him!” Francisco blurted out, shocking everyone. “And… I want to be baptized – right now!”

He was too frail to make it down to the river. So the family brought a small plastic tub to the side of the hut. They filled it up. He was baptized that very moment.

A glorious presence of God saturated the atmosphere. Francisco came up out of the water weeping. He embraced his wife, tears rolling down his wrinkled cheeks. He barely got these words out through his overwhelmed sobs: “Forgive me!” He then embraced his children, weeping more. “Forgive me!” he cried. Then he reached for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “Forgive me please!” he repeated over and over, holding them all close.

As you can imagine, soon everyone was crying joyful, healing tears in that place. And the entire village of around 120 people surrendered their lives to Jesus. For you see, Francisco was the patriarch of that village. His obvious, radical transformation immediately convinced everyone they needed Jesus too.