A team of East-West short-term missionaries and national partners set out for a day of ministry in an un-churched Latin American town with one mission… finding people willing to open their homes to plant house churches.
It is illegal to build new churches in this country, so believers are forced to meet in homes or backyards as the Kingdom expands. Many people were coming to faith in Jesus, but they didn’t have a place to meet with other Christians and nourish their newfound faith.
The team’s first stop was the home of Maria—a new believer being discipled by missionaries who met with her a couple times each week.
Just a few months before her conversion to Christianity, Maria’s father died from cancer. By the grace of God, he prayed to receive Christ days before he passed … but at his death Maria spiraled into an internal battle with God.
When the missionaries and national partners visited her, it had only been two weeks since she’d stopped fighting God and placed her trust in His Son—Jesus.
As they enjoyed each other’s company, Maria shared her testimony and the East-West team gave her literature to help her understand the Bible.
Before they left Maria asked how she could be praying for them. The national partner responded, “Pray for house churches in this town.”
Immediately Maria knew she had the perfect place for a church plant—her rooftop.
That day Maria’s home became the first house church in town.