Testimony

​I come from an unconventional family. I lived with my mother, my grandparents and my older brother and sister. I was the youngest in the family. Since I was very young, my mom took us to church, and it was there that I began to learn about the Bible in Sunday School.

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When I was 8 years old, my mother began attending to a different church due to the influence of a friend. It was a legalistic church. From the type of messages they taught,  I would now call it a cult. While my family was there, the church had four different pastors at different times. With the last pastor, my family suffered when he used his authority to manipulate the church. He spiritually abused the church and even more so, my family.

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After getting into a lot  trouble in my teens, I felt like my life was taking me to a point where I was a complete failure. I also felt that my life needed to change because there was nothing good in it. I remember going through an embarrassing experience and I didn't want to be remembered as the guy who made those stupid mistakes. The youth pastor at my school took me into his office and introduced me to a Person who was capable of transforming my life into something much better. He introduced me to Jesus as Savior and Lord. He told me that I could give my whole life to him so that He would work in it. That day I spoke with God and asked Him to take control of my whole life. I wasn't sure what I really did that day because the other church had never introduced me to Jesus in this way. I prayed the same prayer repeatedly for the next two weeks. I remember having an encounter with God in one of the church services where I prayed to receive God once more. I told Him that my life no longer belongs to me, and that He could do whatever He wanted in my life because at that moment I was a mess. I asked Him for forgiveness for my sins and I also asked Him for eternal salvation. Since then, I have been His son and heir.

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Since I was saved, I have gone through some difficulties in my spiritual life because I didn't do much to grow spiritually. Also, another problem that could be part of these difficulties is that I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 18. When I had bad days due to my condition, I did not know what to do and I lost control. I was involved in drugs for about three years. I thought that I could live my life according to my own decisions and since I already had my salvation, it was fine.

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One day I decided to leave all that life behind and I left my home and city where I had spent most of my life. Missionaries Johnny and Donna Maust were extremely helpful throughout this process. They have been my mentors since the beginning of my spiritual life. They taught me a lot about the Bible and helped me discover and treat my bipolar disorder. They knew I was making bad decisions, but they were there when I needed them most. They confronted me about my sins and prayed a lot for me. Johnny and Donna invited me to live with them to leave all the past behind and start over. So, I decided to come to Rioverde, leave my friends, my university (I was in my last year), and everything, to start from zero.

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Here in Esmeraldas, I found a job, started college again, and started the process of staying clean. It was difficult for me and for them because I relapsed back into drugs several times. Now, I can say that I'm free from this addiction. I’ve been clean since 2017.

 

I want to follow Jesus with all my life. I want to make good decisions for my personal life and for His kingdom. I told God that, beginning now, I want to do everything possible to follow His direction in everything. I don't want to do what I want, or what I think is good for me. I want Him to reveal to me what He wants me to do. All my skills, my gifts, my time, are at His command.

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For this reason, I began to teach in the Lagarto church. Also, I started a ministry with youth from the area. Little by little, God has opened doors to serve Him in different places. While Johnny and were in the US in 2021, God allowed me to take leadership in three different churches in formation. I served by leading both the worship time and teaching on Sundays and Mondays. Also, I started teaching two Bible studies: Wednesdays at the church in Rioverde and Tuesdays with the County fire department. We had the opportunity to open a ministry to young people in a community called Peñas Blancas, where more than 10 young people from the area attend. I also started a Bible study with a family on Fridays to help the family since the youngest daughter of the house has emotional problems which must be treated not only psychologically, but also spiritually.

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While I was working in Lagarto, I met Jissell Ortiz, a Christian young woman who became my wife and life partner in ministry on February 12, 2022. She has a very noble heart and loves to serve God. At present, she is in her final semester studying Sociology at Luis Vargas Torres de Esmeraldas University. We chose this career because we knew that if at some point God called us to the ministry, it would be helpful to be able to understand society and its problems. It is our hope that in the future, and with time, Jissell can begin to teach and disciple different women in the area. That has always been her desire and I know that God through our ministry will guide us on this path.

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I completed a Master’s in Theological Studies from Southwestern Theological Seminary in May 2023. This has helped me teach more effectively and to find useful tools for spreading the gospel. I remember that since I was a teenager, I wanted to study the Bible in college, but I didn't. I asked God to show me the reason why He led me to study for a Master’s in Theology. After praying, thinking, and talking with other Christians, the Lord confirmed to me in many ways that I should start working on building the church and especially discipling the new believers.

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It has not been an easy decision. The Lord has been preparing me little by little to get to this point. One of the ways He has shown His will to me is putting me in a leadership position to teach others. It showed me that I love teaching God's people and above all, that I enjoy spending time with other Christians. I know that God asks me to give my gifts to the service of the church to help others grow and be edified.

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Jissell and I have reached the point in our lives where we just want to do God's will. We want to be better Christians every day, better workers, leaders, ministers, husbands and wives, children, and brothers for His glory.