Crossing borders, bringing hope

El Salvador | OM International

A group of 32 Salvadorians recently crossed borders to share the gospel with people in Belize. The communities they visited, Guinea Grass and San Roman, are two of the very few Spanish-speaking communities in the country, where people from different backgrounds like Mexicans, Guatemalans, Salvadorians and Hondurans live.

The participants in the outreach shared God’s love door to door, held a show for kids in schools, provided medical attention and educated people on public health. They also showed movies at night and organised a festival for kids where every person received a special gift.

One morning, one of the outreach groups walked around looking for houses to stop at and share the gospel. The road seemed lonely and it looked like there were no more houses. However, Ivonne, the group leader, was convinced that God wanted them to keep walking.  

After a while, they found an old, isolated house. “It looked like nobody lived there,” says Ivonne. As the group got close, the participants realised someone was in the house. They found Celestina, an old lady who was surprised to have visitors.

“As we started to share God’s love with her, she instantly opened her heart,” says Ivonne. “She shared her story with us. The reason she lived there alone and far apart from everyone was that her husband mistreated her and her children hated her for leaving home 10 years ago.” Celestina told her visitors that her son had stopped by her house two days before, not to express love but to mistreat and beat her. “She prayed for the Lord to comfort her heart and send her angels from heaven,” says Ivonne.

The group then understood that God had already planned for them to find this lady. As they shared with her, Celestina accepted Jesus into her life. She knelt down and prayed, asking Jesus to come into her heart and give her peace. The team invited her to come to the medical outreach being held in the nearby town, but she said she couldn’t. “I thought we wouldn’t see her again,” says Ivonne.

God, however, started to work in Celestina’s life. At the end of the day she went to the church in town, found Ivonne and told her what God had already done in her life. “My son, the one who beat me two days ago, came home today to ask me for forgiveness,” she shared. She was so happy to see how God’s love can work immediately.

During the outreach, over 400 people received medical attention and around 400 children were surprised with a gift, reports Daniel with OM El Salvador. “Day by day God’s grace continued to make an impact,” he says. “Many people came to Christ with a genuine heart and He started working in people’s lives immediately.”

Maricela, a 13 year old girl, also accepted Jesus. Her mother had died recently. She lived with her father and stepmother, who didn’t treat her very well. While walking on the streets, she met Karla and others on the team.

“We started to make conversation with Maricela,” says Karla, “trying to let her know there is a God whose heart is for those in a loveless situation.” By using her own testimony, Karla shared the gospel and explained how God wants to support everyone.

“Maricela clearly understood that the only one who can heal any broken heart is Jesus,” says Karla. “At the end of the day she came back to church for the kids’ festival and brought her brother, who accepted Jesus in his heart as well.”

Praise God for His work in Belize, and pray that the new believers grow a firm relationship with Jesus Christ.

Credit: OM International
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