“THE CANCER HAS DISAPPEARED!”

This testimony happened two months ago in the Road to Life Church of the Nazarene in the neighborhood of Chillogallo in Quito, Ecuador.  This church was planted by the Jesus Film ministry.

My name is Guillermo and I am 72 years old.  About a year ago, my wife died.  A few days after her death, I was diagnosed with cancer.  I was devastated and decided to stay in my home.  I didn’t want to eat, bathe or do nothing.  Life had lost all of its meaning.

Marcelo, my son, attended the Road to Life Church of the Nazarene in Quito.  One day he arrived at my house with the pastor of the church and said, “Papa, we want to pray for you.”  At first I was reluctant, but finally conceded.  The pastor first spoke about the importance of salvation and then spoke about my physical health.  I ended up accepting Jesus as my Savior.  During my entire life, I had never heard the true message of salvation.

At that instant, my spirit was revived, and I took a bath!  The following day I went to see my doctor who ran some more tests.  He was astonished to see that there were no longer any signs of cancer!  He couldn’t find cancer anywhere.  Jesus had healed me.  Being elderly, I don’t know how much longer I’m going to live.  But for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.  Every week I faithfully and joyfully attend church.  I give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to testify about his power and love.  Christ lives!

JESUS FREED ME FROM JEHOVAH WITNESSES

This testimony came from the Eucalyptus Church of the Nazarene in Quito, Ecuador.  This church was planted with the Jesus Film ministry.

My name is Fabiola Gavilanes.  Years ago I joined the Jehovah Witness church hoping to find purpose and joy.  However, while I was with them, I never experienced a personal relationship with Christ.  To make matters worse, I had problems in my marriage and was on the verge of divorce.  I was emotionally unstable to the point of neglecting my children.  I was so caught up in my commitment to the teachings of the Jehovah Witnesses that I neglected the material interests of my family.  The elders knew about my situation but didn’t think it would be that bad if I divorced.  Perhaps later when my husband became a Jehovah Witness then I could return home.  They also said the most important thing was my spiritual life, not the studies of my children.  I just needed to be more committed to them and to God.

When I made the decision to leave this cult, I was publicly scorned and ex-communicated from the church. This was very painful.  However, in the midst of pain, God sent to me Pastor Bolivar Rodriguez from the Eucalyptus Church of the Nazarene.  He spoke to me about Jesus and salvation in a way that was very different from the Jehovah Witnesses. He helped me to receive Jesus and today I feel God’s peace in my heart.  I give praise to God for all that He’s done in my life.

My husband and two of my children have also been baptized.  I give thanks to God for the unity that my family now has.  Christ is our new Head.  I also give thanks to God for Pastor Bolivar and his wife.  God used them to heal my heart and to expose the false doctrines of the Jehovah Witnesses.

Today I want to follow God’s call to preach the Good News to all.  Because of this, I am going to take classes and study to fulfill this calling.  I’m trusting in Christ, for the battle is not mine, but the Lord’s.

THEY KILLED MY FATHER BUT JESUS FILLED ME WITH HIS LOVE

My name is Melvin and I am 15 years old.  (He is pictured above in the yellow shorts.)  I am the only one in my family who has an education.  We didn’t have money to send my siblings to school, so therefore, I was their teacher. My siblings aren’t very proficient in reading and writing.

My mother has never overcome the death of my father, perhaps because she saw him murdered.  It’s not easy for me to talk about this.  I cry often.  My mother is even worse.  Her emotions are very damaged.  Once she took poison and I had to ask the neighbors for a ride to rush her to the hospital.

One day the Jesus Film was shown on my street and they invited me to accept Jesus.  That evening I surrendered all my pain and bitterness to Him.  I invited Jesus to come into my broken heart.  Time has passed and with God’s help and the support of my church friends, my pain is slowly diminishing.

For a long time I’ve wanted vengeance against those that took my father’s life.  But now God has given me compassion towards them and I’m asking God that they too may receive Jesus as their personal Savior.  God has filled me with His love and removed all my hatred towards them.  It is a feeling that I can’t describe.  I’ve asked the brothers of the church to bring back the Jesus Film to my neighborhood and to pray for my mother.  Perhaps, one day she too can be saved.

JESUS CHANGED MY PLANS

Greetings Brothers and Sisters. I am Segundo Pita and I am 44 years old.  About eight months ago, my family and I turned our lives over to the Lord our God.  I have been very happy since that day.  My family and I believe in Jesus more than any other thing.

I’ll never forget the day that the Jesus Film came.  I have a small store which is located across from a plaza.  The day of the film, I saw a lot of people in the plaza and thought to myself, “I am going to sell a lot of items from my store tonight.”  I was happy thinking of the money I’d make, but never imagined that my true happiness would come from Jesus, knowing that He is Lord of my life and my family.

In truth, I had problems both in my business and in my home.  Worst of all, there was a deep emptiness in my heart.  But Jesus fixed everything that evening.  I never dreamed that through a simple movie God could save me.  Today I am firmly rooted in Christ and the Church of the Nazarene.  Glory to God.  “Thank you Lord for changing my life.”

Evangelism Brigades that Establish God’s Kingdom

Central Church of the Nazarene in the city of Armenia, Colombia, continues to plant new missions, groups, and future churches.  During this past month, they have planted two new churches in two different areas called Girasoles and Virginia.

Pastor Jacinto replies, “Evangelism Brigade” is the term to describe what God is doing—a form of reaching people in a unique way.  For example, recently a lady who was involved in witchcraft approached an evangelism team asking them to pray for her.  She had been thinking of committing suicide.  They prayed and God set her free, and today she is attending a small group in the Virginia community.  We give glory to God because the Jesus Film has been a great tool to reach people.  We will soon open two more churches so that we can gather the new believers together in the name of Jesus.

You Need to Choose

For the last year, the church of Bocas Curry has been reaching out in the southwest zone of Colombia.  They have planted ten new cell groups with about 14 people in each group, totaling about 140 new people.  One of the tools used to plant new cell groups is the Jesus Film.

The seeds sown during the past year are now beginning to bear fruit.  God is raising up new leaders from these groups.  A lady named Magnolia came to know Christ through the Jesus Film.  As soon as Magnolia accepted Christ she felt opposition from her roommate. Her roommate continued to harass her about her decision to follow Christ.  She gave Magnolia an ultimatum:  “You need to choose between Christ or me.”  Magnolia replied, “You shouldn’t say this because if I were to choose, I’d choose Christ over you.”  A year has passed since that day, and Magnolia lost her roommate and friend; however, she is one of our best leaders in this new zone.  Magnolia has received the support of her family, but her friend still has not yet come to God.  Please help us pray for Magnoilia, her friend and these new cell groups.

Camila: An Instrument of God

Camila is a four-year-old girl whose favorite phrase is, “I love Jesus.”  She lives with her grandparents because her parents abandoned her.  Recently, Camila accepted Christ as her Savior after she watched the Jesus Film shown in her Nazarene church.  Now the Jesus Film is her favorite movie and she shares it with her friends and neighbors.  Many of them have also accepted Christ as a result.  Her grandparents testify:  “We give thanks to God for the testimony of Camila. Even though she is a young child, she is a great instrument in the hands of God.”  Amen.

A Decade of Blessings

The first church organized with the Jesus Film in Ecuador recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.  Pastor Rodrigo Olmedo continues to lead the San Francisco Church of the Nazarene.  The wonderful celebration included a great number of testimonies about transformed lives, healing of people who had no hope, new leaders, new daughter churches, and many more blessings.

Sometimes people say that it isn’t good to look behind at former things.  However, in this case, it is a different story.  After seeing the Jesus Film for the first time in this neighborhood, many people accepted Christ and put their faith in Him.  Now one can easily see how God has blessed this church over the years by His powerful hand.  After a few JF showings, and a few services held, a portable chapel was put on a newly purchased plot.  Later, a Work & Witness team from the Missouri District built a church.  Never did the church imagine that this would be the beginning of more than 50 churches that would be planted in Ecuador by means of the Jesus Film.  Glory to God!

How could God love a person such as I?

My name is Victor Angel.  I am 60 years old and this is my testimony.  As a young boy in school I was asked, “Who are your parents?”  I responded, “I don’t know who they are. I live with my grandma.”  Yet, in reality, my “grandma” was a lady who had adopted me when I had been abandoned.  When I was 10 years old, I met my real mother by coincidence.  I felt hatred and bitterness in my heart because I remembered every Christmas and every birthday, without a gift or a hug.

Eventually I married and had two children; however, we had many problems and fought almost every day.  One day I found my wife in bed with my cousin.  I lost control, grabbed a machete, and started hitting him until I killed him.  I fled the house with my small children and brought them to my aunt’s home.  I asked her to take care of them and ran away.

I arrived in the large coastal city of Guayaquil (Ecuador), without money, without a bed to sleep in, without anything.  As I was wandering the streets, a stranger offered me work—to rob cars, houses or whatever I could find.  By age 25 I was serving an 8-year prison sentence.  While in prison, I got addicted to drugs; however, I also learned the trade of carpentry.  Because of my job, I was able to leave prison four years early.

Once free, I arrived in Quito and began to traffic drugs from Colombia.  I earned a lot of money quickly, but I still felt empty.  Once again, I was caught and sentenced for a year in prison.  When I got out of prison, I began to live a life of hell.  I found myself looking for food in the garbage like an animal.  I had hit rock bottom.  Eventually, some people helped me get into a rehab center.  While I was there, they showed the Jesus Film.

As soon as I saw the film, I wanted a new life of forgiveness, healing, peace and joy.  This was the beginning of a radical change, a complete transformation in my life.  I couldn’t believe that a holy God could love me after all the things I had done.  Today, I have a family, food, a place to sleep, and love in my heart.  People in my home and in my church love me.  But more than that, I’m convinced that the King of Kings loves me most of all.  God is so good!

A Jehovah’s Witness Now a New Believer

The challenging project to open a new Church of the Nazarene in the city of Tumaco, Colombia, continues to move forward. After a campaign of showing the Jesus Films three different times, a new group of believers was formed. One of the new believers was a Jehovah’s Witness who lives right in front of where the Jesus Film was presented. Everyone was surprised when she and her extended family attended the showing. Today, she and her family continue to attend this new group. She had major questions and doubts about this new faith, but God continues to work within her life.

A Light in the Midst of Dense Darkness

In the Vallejuelos neighborhood of the city of Medellin, Colombia, various groups outside the law exercise power and control. These groups profoundly influence the youth. The Church of the Nazarene in Margaritas took the Jesus Film to that area. It is a poverty-stricken zone where most people have no fear of God. Nevertheless, many people attended and were receptive to the message of salvation. It was incredible how the youth gathered to watch.

For the Margaritas church it was a total victory. Now ten people are part of a new potential cell group in that place. Without a doubt, the Jesus Film and the Margaritas Church of the Nazarene was a light in the midst of dense darkness. Please pray for this work and for new believers to grow in their faith.

Young People Important Part of Ministry

In this photo, the young people are a part of the Jesus Film team that travels across the district sharing testimonies before the presentation. Manuel, in the middle, shares this testimony:

God has blessed me in allowing me to be part of the Ministry of Evangelism and Jesus Film. I have had the opportunity to grow in my spiritual life and know the goodness of God in the lives of those who accept Jesus as their Savior. I enjoy watching a group of new Christian brothers build a church with their hands as they praise God with their hearts. The best work of my life has been to serve the Lord by means of this great ministry of the Jesus Film. I know that there are many prayer partners for the Jesus Film ministry in North America, and I thank God for all of you.

From the Streets to God’s House

Ines’ mother died when she was a child. Her only memory of this time is that she played with neighbors while the family took her mother to the cemetary. Then, when she was only 10 years old, her father was killed when a car hit him and left the scene. Her world turned upside-down. She quit going to school so that she could cook and clean for her older siblings. Her friends talked her into running away from home, and she lived on the streets until she was 16-years-old. Then, she returned home when she was ready to deliver a child.

Years later, with her husband and children, she moved to a new neighborhood. During Easter week, a church presented the Jesus Film, and she accepted Jesus in her heart. Now she attends and works in the local Church of the Nazarene, and she thanks God for allowing her to know Him and love Him. Praise God for a new life in Christ.

Jesus Brought Me Out of Depression

For two years, a deep, dark depression robbed the life of Mercedes. She wasn’t eating, her mind played tricks on her, and her nerves were shot. She went to doctors but they could not help her. Instead, they told her that if she didn’t come out of the depression, it would kill her.

Mercedes’ husband could no longer watch what was happening to his wife. One day he brought some brothers from a church and they projected the Jesus Film right in front of our house. Mercedes testifies: “That day, I accepted Jesus into my heart and began a new life. Today, a new church plant meets in our house. Glory be to my God.”

“For Me to Live Is Christ and to Die Is Gain”

I am Marco Antonio and I am 38 years old.  I am ashamed of what I have done with my life.  For many years, I prostituted myself for money, and then immediately lost my money on alcohol, drugs, gambling, and sex.  I always wanted to be a better person, but I didn’t know how.  When I was 20 years old, I tried to change on my own.  I married and had two children; however, it wasn’t long before I was back to my old life.  While I was married, I visited horrible places and deceived my family.

One day, the Jesus Film was shown in my neighborhood, and I watched it from afar.  I watched the entire film and returned home thinking of what I had seen.  Because I was desperate, I put my shame aside and contacted the church that showed the film.  The brothers prayed for me and helped me to grow spiritually.

For four years, I have attended faithfully the House of the Lord.  Now I have been diagnosed with AIDS.  I have very little time to live, but I am not afraid to die because I am going to the home of my Creator.  I know that the blood of Jesus has cleansed me of all of my sins.  In my mind, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  Alleluia!  Thank you, Jesus, for saving me!

That Something Was Salvation!

My name is Roxana and I am 21 years old.  I want to tell you my testimony.  It is difficult to explain all that I have lived through.  First, my mother died when I was 7 years old, and after six months, my father died.  I was torn apart so profoundly, I could not overcome the trauma.  I grew up lonely and depressed.  I even attempted suicide several times, but something always caused me to fail.  I couldn’t understand why God permitted my life to continue as it was.

One day, Gabriel, my neighbor, invited me to church.  I was so depressed I didn’t want to go or talk to anyone, but he insisted.  He told me that God had something for me.  Eventually he convinced me, and I accepted.

I watched while Gabriel and his friends set up the film.  I wondered how they could be so happy.  It was as if they had never experienced any pain.  Later, while watching the film, I remembered the words of Gabriel:  “God has something for you.”  In that moment, I realized that something was salvation!  When the film had finished, I ran to accept Jesus as my Savior.  Jesus filled the emptiness left by the deaths of my parents.  Today I continue to grow in the Lord.  It makes me laugh to think that I had wanted to end my life.  I enjoy sharing my testimony, and I am the youth leader in my church.  I’m also a part of the Jesus Film team and evangelism team.  Glory to God!

Changed Lives Deep in the Interior of Ecuador

The Jesus Film team traveled deep into the interior of Ecuador.  At a Film showing, God started to move among a small group of brothers that were converted that day.  This group has continued to grow to include about 40 people.  Soon after, someone donated a piece of land to begin building a church.  Jesus arrived with the Film showing and continues to change the lives of these people.  Amen!

Bar Owners Encourage their Clients to Watch

Sometimes the Jesus Film team has to deal with hostility from nearby bars and entertainment establishments.  Even so there are always people receptive to the Gospel in the middle of the chaos.  The Church of the Nazarene in Turbo, Colombia, evangelizes in this kind of area.  Recently, in the town of Bolivar, the bar owners unexpectedly shut down the music and encouraged their clients to watch the Jesus Film.  Six young people became a part of the new group of believers that are now receiving discipleship.

Jesus Loves the Little Children

In the city of Armenia, Colombia, a new work has begun which focuses on children, ranging from ages 8 to 12.  Recently, Tatiana, a 10-year-old child with chronic diabetes, shared her testimony with the supporting church.  She placed her sickness in the hands of God, and she was completely healed.  Please pray for these children and their workers.

I Should Have Been Murdered

My name is José Torres, and I’m 18 years old.  When I was 12, I ran away from home.  I traveled to Quito, Ecuador, to prove to my family that I could be a good student.  However, life in Quito was very difficult.  What little money I made only paid for my food and rent.  In my loneliness, I made “friends” with the wrong kind of people and began to abuse drugs and alcohol.  Although I felt “tough,” I also felt guilty, knowing that I was ruining my life.

When I finally returned to my family, I ended up in jail for robbery.  It broke my father’s heart.  Worse, at 16, I was shot with a gun while robbing a house.  I was very tired of my life.

One weekend, my friend, Manuel, went to a youth event called Youth Alert at the Nazarene Seminary.  When he came back, I wanted him to help me with a robbery, but he told me that we would not longer be “working” together.  Christ had changed his life.  Although I was frustrated at losing my partner, I was glad to hear that he had found a better way.

When Manuel shared with me what Jesus meant to him, it really impacted me.  His eyes were shining with happiness every time he talked about God.  He challenged me:  “José, do you want to have Jesus in your heart?  He changed my life and can change yours.”  In that moment I opened my heart to Jesus and accepted Him as my Savior.  That same night I had already planned to rob a house but didn’t go.  Later I heard that the police killed three of my friends in the robbery.  That proved to me that God has big plans for my life.  That night Jesus not only saved my life but my soul and spirit.  Thank you, Jesus!

Jesus Gave Me My Life Back

Mariano de Jesus Sambarano, a 50-years-old father, was once happily married with four daughters.  Then he started to drink socially.  Little by little, he became addicted to alcohol and gambling.  He was oblivious to the pain he was causing his family until the day they left him.  Ten long years passed.  Although he felt guilty over what his life had become, he couldn’t stop drinking or gambling.  He tried to find happiness through other women, but that didn’t work either.  Committing suicide seemed to be the only solution.

One day, Gabriel, a friend and neighbor, invited him to a Church of the Nazarene in Santa Domingo, Ecuador.  Although Mariano didn’t know much about the church, he decided to go.  God began talking to him during the sermon, and he knew he’d found THE answer to his life’s problems.  Since then God has healed his wounds.  His second wife is helping him to grow spiritually and they are both a part of the Jesus Film crew in the church.  Glory to God!

Heaven's Award

My name is Segundo.  I am 38 years old and this is my story.  I’m a homebuilder, and every Friday I took my salary and got drunk with my work mates.  I went home mad and abused my wife and two children.  Hugo, my brother-in-law, tried to talk to me about Jesus but I always sent him away.  I told him if he continued to talk to me about God, I would not be responsible for my actions and I would cut off our relationship.

About 2 ½ months later, Hugo invited me to see a film.  He also told me that he’d been praying for me this entire time.  I don’t know why I changed my mind, but I accepted the invitation.  Since that day, Jesus is the Master and Lord of my life.  Recently, the Nazarene church that I attend celebrated its anniversary.  They presented me with an award for “most faithful person to attend church.”  My prayer is that I will continue to live my life so that I receive an award in heaven because of my faithfulness to my Lord.  Alleluia!

Jesus Film as Evangelism Strategy

The Modelia Church of the Nazarene in the North Central District of Bogotá, Colombia, is using the Jesus Film in several ways to reach the lost.  First, the church planned an evangelism event during Passion Week in the city of Villavicencio.  A total of 210 people viewed the Film during the three-day event.  All of these people were contacted during the next week and 125 people requested either a second visit or agreed to discipleship.  Fifteen then attended a follow-up meeting, and Pastor Carlos Muñoz anticipates more converts soon.

Second, the Film was part of the strategy to plant a new work in a neighborhood called The Treasure.  Twenty people meet together for a weekly discipleship time.  The pastor praises God for transformed lives.  For example, Betty was so addicted to cigarettes that her family never thought anything or anyone could help her.  Now she is free from addiction!