Marriage

Amazonian Wednesdays 🌴

January 2018
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The bride’s eyes sparkled with joy. Twenty years later, the time had finally come for Deysi. 

Not too long ago, things were very different for this sister. Every day was an ugly, painful fight with her children’s father, Ronaldo. Her house was a mere hovel; a depressing, demeaning place to live. Money was in short supply and tummies rumbled. Her young daughter, desperate for an escape, had run off with a terrible man. Life dragged on mercilessly. 

Then Deysi met Jesus. I’m not going to say that everything instantly changed for her. This is not the case. Nevertheless, that day, the process of change commenced. Pastor Carmen looked at this broken woman and saw a life full of potential. She took Deysi under her wing and began to disciple her. 

In the Amazonian culture, marriage has been historically scarce. Most of the families in our jungle city of Iquitos immigrated at some point from tribal life in the rainforest. The indigenous peoples here do not have much of a concept of marriage. As a result, one of our main discipleship challenges is to foster in our people a desire to enter into covenant commitment. Most of them have grown up without any models and without any idea of what marriage even looks like. 

Deysi was no exception. She and Rolando had been living together for almost two decades and raised a family together. They were not married. They didn’t get married when Deysi got saved either, in spite of our encouragement in that direction. However, the Holy Spirit began to work. 

After some time, Rolando approached Pastor Carmen. “I have a favor to ask of you,” he said. “Would you teach Deysi to administer money? It seems like she has holes in her pockets. She spends everything I make before we can do anything productive with it!” 

Pastor Carmen added that onto her teaching list. And she continued to plug away. Week after week, month after month, she continued to invest in Deysi. Little by little – at first almost imperceptibly and then in increasing measure – changes began to take place in her disciple’s life. Deysi’s grumpy, impatient, impulsive nature was gradually being replaced with genuine love, peace, patience, and joy. 

The months have become years, and much prayer, hard work, and patience have paid off. Rolando, seeing the gradual transformation in his partner, eventually surrendered to Jesus too. And just last month, the two of them finally got married! What a joyful day that was! 

Deysi was brimming over with excitement as she prepared for her wedding. “After so many miserable years, my life has turned around!” she exulted. “Pastor, come see Continue reading The Story of a Fruitful Discipleship: A Family Transformed