The Degree of Love
As we represent family in Christ, we should treat each other well and speak words that build up and edify. The love and faith the Lord has given Alex for the body of Christ is priceless. I will never forget his resolve, his faith, and his encouragement to me when I was staring at death.
He contacted me and proclaimed: “Brother Mike, in the same way that God had you overcome the Taliban in the Middle East, the voodoo priests in West Africa, and the MS-13 gang in El Salvador, we pray that God will give you strength and healing so that you can overcome this poison and disease. God will raise you up. We are praying for you.”
Open Doors
It all started when the Lord called me with an open door to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) at a public college in Central Florida. My first set of students were Spanish-speaking from Latin America, representing ten countries. Alex Lara was in the first class that I taught. He won a lottery pick: Out of 400 medical workers, only 4 were granted scholarship visas (from Georgetown University) to come to the US for a medical degree. And having to learn English was essential. (On a side note, how I went from being a surfing beach-bum with no college degree to being invited to be a professor of ESL! That in and of itself is a miraculous story!)
As part of teaching them English, I asked the administrator of the college if he would agree to purchase Spanish/English Bibles for the students, to which he did. With Bibles opened, and John 3:16 written on the blackboard (you are reading this right!), I began teaching them in English what it means to believe in the only Son of God for salvation… at a public college. In God’s time, Alex believed that message. Becoming brothers in Christ, I then began discipling him to be a pastor and teacher. And our relationship and friendship has flourished to this day!
The Beginning
That’s how it all began. After Alex graduated and returned home to his native land, he invited myself and many(!) SOS faithful to come. This is how and where SOS started pioneer church planting overseas where there were no churches. Then Oscar Quinonas (from Honduras) was in the next class after Alex graduated. He came to faith in Christ at the college… this is why and how SOS started the Honduras mission. Then Sanjeev from Nepal. Then Jaime from Colombia. Then Fola Oni from Nigeria… and so on and so on. Can you believe that??
Three Generations!
That was just the beginning for Alex. He reiterated part of his story: “I was the first to believe in my family. Then my mother, then my wife Maira, and my father. My two children, Geraldo and Yeimy, believed and were baptized.” Did you hear that? Alex was the very first convert in his family. How incredibly beautiful to see: three generations of Alex’s family coming to faith in Christ and baptized through the ministry and worshipping together at La Esperanza (the Hope Center) where the Lord called SOS to pioneer plant a church. All because… God sent a Salvadoran to a college in the U.S. to learn English from a Christian professor. Good stuff. Isn’t our God amazing?!
History of the Latin America Mission
El Salvador
Over twenty-five years ago, the Lord opened the door for us to begin a pioneer church plant network of bringing the gospel where there was none, which took us from El Salvador, to Honduras, then to Guatemala. Through the initial church plant in El Salvador, where the Lord used us to plant churches where they had not existed, and now the Lord is continuing to do awesome things where He is now growing and maturing His church.
SOS has used mission teams that have helped advance the gospel and come alongside the indigenous churches to encourage them, to run conferences, and to help them bring the gospel to new locations where there is no church.
Prayer Needs: Pray for our brothers and sisters in El Salvador to continue to grow in spiritual maturity. Pray for our youth who suffer greatly from the gangs and violence. Pray that they would live faithful and holy, and that God would even bring members of the gangs to faith.
Honduras
In 2007, the Lord led us to a region of Honduras in desperate need of the gospel. Today, church groups are meeting in many different communities throughout the region and corporately in our Hope Center – “La Esperanza 2”.
Prayer Needs: Pray for boldness and unity for our church that is scattered over so many different communities. Pray that they would be a light in their communities and that God would break down many hard hearts to surrender to Jesus Christ.
Guatemala
Guatemala is our newest mission and church plant in Latin America. Led by a pastor with a zeal for the Lord and for people to come to Christ, we have planted a church in a region that once had no solid Christian witness. Now people are coming to Christ and discovering the joy of their salvation.
Prayer Needs: Pray four our pastor Bladimir and his family to press on and to be faithful in the Lord. Pray for the new believers to grow in spiritual maturity and boldness alike.
A beautiful, personal testimony!
Here is an excellent video from Alex Lara. In his own words, he gives the account of what happened when he heard the Gospel for the first time — how it lead him on an incredible journey with the Lord and SOS. This is a testament of what can happen when God saves just one man! Here is Alex, in his own words…