Saul was shaken to his core. A family member who drove a taxi had been shot needlessly in a drive by shooting. Then, when another young relative was also shot and killed, Saul began to examine his life.
What had the gangs and drugs of his neighborhood given him? Sorrow, pain, fear, and the loss of family for no good reason. He realized he needed to change how he lived. He had heard about Jesus and decided to try what that missionary, Gustavo, had suggested. Saul gave his life to Jesus and immediately experienced a sense of peace as he never had before. The Lord’s work in his life helped him change. Soon, he began volunteering with Gustavo’s ministry, Love for Honduras.
Ministry in a Desperate Area
Gustavo Souza came from Brazil to Honduras because God directed him to minister in an area where most churches would not go. He went to the worst part of the city, where people experienced extreme poverty and violence.
In that dangerous area, Gustavo pulled out some soccer balls and a few cones to set up a soccer game. That was all it took to attract a bunch of kids! Gustavo collaborated with an established ministry, Seedtime and Harvest, to begin a soccer ministry like the one they had successfully started in Mexico.
The soccer games and training attracted the kids, getting them off the streets and out of gangs. Gustavo trained the kids in soccer and spiritual principles, sharing Jesus before practices. The kids began to get saved, and then their parents came to know Jesus as their Savior. Gustavo started doing children’s programs to disciple the saved children. Eventually, he was able to build a church in the oppressed community.
A Challenge for Saul
Saul volunteered in this ministry as he grew in his faith and worked with his mother in the church. As a Christian, he became a husband and a father and was becoming a very faithful man in the church. Then they received the terrible news that Gustavo was suddenly called back to Brazil with family issues.
To their surprise, Gustavo left Saul and his mother in charge of the church! Saul had no training or warning that he would be in charge, but he didn’t panic and began to study so he could lead the church properly. Gustavo had left right before COVID hit the country, so there were many challenges. The biggest challenge was finding food and supplies in the area where the church was. It was a poor area where the only way to earn money was selling drugs with the gangs or driving a taxi.
What is the Need?
Renee Lilly, the ANM Director for Latin America, checked in with Saul and asked how life was going for him and his family. At first, he said that everything was fine. As she continued questioning, he finally admitted that he did not have enough money for formula for his baby. As she assessed the situation, Renee found out the whole community lacked beans, rice, and the basics they needed to survive. ANM had just begun to receive funds for COVID relief, so Renee was able to send Saul funds about once a month. The ministry gave care packages of food and basic supplies to people in need in the church’s community.
Along with supplies, Saul and others shared the Gospel with the people they were helping. He also focused on discipling the people in the church. Partnering with ANM, Saul met the congregation’s and community’s physical and spiritual needs.
Supplying a Vocation
As he ministered in the community, Saul realized that the kids he was reaching needed a way to earn a living. He wanted to get them off the streets, keeping them out of gangs and off of drugs. There were few choices in their neighborhood and drug dealing or taxi driving were the most available options. So, right before the pandemic hit, he decided to open a shoe factory. A donor from ANM gave money for a self-sustaining project, and they established the factory. It has been a great success even during COVID.
Recently, Saul has devised a new strategy for marketing the shoes from the factory. He realized that they would sell better in remote rural areas. ANM was able to give financial support to the ministry to transport the shoes outside of the city.
The Ministry Impact
When Renee visited the ministry recently, she was inspired to hear testimonies about how the church saved the community’s people and helped them get established. One member stated, “This is my church. I’m going to serve here, and I’m going to do everything I can in this church till Jesus comes to get me.”
Renee explained the conditions of the community, where there is a lot of poverty, dirt, and squalor, upon her return to the U.S. She said, “The church is a beacon. They keep it immaculate, which takes quite an effort.” The people in the church have given the community Biblical training, vocational training, and a sense of pride. They have also received training from Seedtime and Harvest to develop a dance ministry. Soccer training and the dance ministry impact children positively. These activities get the kids off of the street and offer them more productive options than gangs.
Desiring to be More Effective
Saul currently runs the shoe factory, pastors the church, and is a Godly husband and father. He desires to receive more training in the ministry. Renee has connected him with a church networking ministry in Honduras, the Council of Evangelical Churches, to get more pastoral training..
What started as an emergency and a challenge has become an effective ministry for Honduras.
Your Help Is Needed
Missionaries like Gustavo and Saul need your prayers to obey the call of God and reach people with the truth of the Gospel.
