Victor, a bartender from Dallas, came to Nuevo Laredo in search of a relationship with Christ!
What an incredible trip to Mexico! Where the Lord leads, there is no reason to fear!
Between our two teams in Veracruz and Nuevo Laredo, we saw a few hundred people come to Christ in the short time we were present! We were able to connect most all of them with a Bible teaching church to disciple them as new believers!
One such man is Victor!
At the conclusion of one of our ministry sites, one of my students called out to me rather urgently. I came to her and learned that the man she had encountered (Victor) had spiritual issues and needed help.
We began to talk. He was struggling with thoughts that were evil. He confessed that he was a "good man," but that these thoughts were plaguing him, and he wanted them to stop. He also stated that he was having panic attacks as a result of the war in his mind.
He stated repeatedly, "I just want to be a Christian, I wish someone would tell me how to be a Christian!"
He spoke of growing up in religion, and that he was part of a church that was very religious, but it did not teach him how to be a "Christian."
In the course of our conversation, he said that he was a good husband and father and that he worked two jobs to make a living. He is a bartender and also works another job to provide.
It was not always easy to get a word in with Victor. His hearts desire was so impassioned, and he had desired this for so long, that he struggled to stop talking about it long enough to listen.
When I was finally able to capture his attention, he listened intently. I told him that though he was a good man and that though the world was filled with good men, it was not enough to reserve a place in heaven.
I told him what Scripture says about "our righteousness [being] like filthy rags," and told him what that meant. I taught him about the three voices that we each hear in life...the voice from above, the voice from within, and the voice from below. I showed him how in his own life, the voice from below (the enemies voice) had been received as his own voice, and he was now believing lies. I told him he would need to "take those thoughts captive," according to Scripture, and surrender them to Christ!
Finally, I got to share with him how simple it would be to become a Christian! Upon learning this, he said, "Oh how I wish my wife and daughters could be Christians, too!"
He fought through tears and with much passion, Victor surrendered to Christ!
Upon completion of his surrender, he looked at me and hugged me tightly (as seen in the picture above). Such a peace came over him, that he began to tell me about it. His worried demeanor gave way to a calm. Now his desire was for his family to come to Christ. We prayed over that, and sought the Lord to intervene. He asked me to connect him to a good Church in the Dallas area. I took down his information and also gave him my card, that we might stay in touch.
After he walked away and I was telling my story to the gathered students, they told me that while Victor was praying to receive Christ as his Lord and Savior, his wife was doing the same thing with one of the students!
I met Victor's wife (and mother) just before they left, but was unaware at the time of her appointment with the Lord, where she too would surrender to Him! I wish I could have been present, when they shared with each other, what had just happened!
I praise God for His amazing provision! How incredible that a man and his wife would drive to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, during a time when our media paints the city to be in violent turmoil, only to find the most overwhelming peace of his life!
My God has all authority in heaven and on earth! The forces of evil may rise against Him, but they shall not prevail against such a Mighty God!
We can rest in His peace, while ministering to the broken!
32 of us traveled to Mexico. 8 went to Veracruz (including Deanna who spent the week with her brother and sis-in-law) and 24 remained in this border town, where Christ was at work in power! I praise Him for all He did in the mountain villages of Cerro Grande and La Cruz (in the state of Veracruz) and in Nuevo Laredo!
We serve a Mighty God, and He needs to be praised by ALL of His people!
dad
3 Comments:
Amen!! What a great story!
God Bless!
how awesome our God is - so wonderful how He organised things for Victor and his wife, and reached out through you all to so many people in Mexico.
It brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear about this incredible encounter! God is so good!!!!
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