How Discipleship Works

When we entered the church, I immediately saw Ciro*—my true son in the Lord!

We met in 2006 when I knocked on the door of his apartment to share the gospel. After hearing the message, 16-year-old Ciro somewhat reluctantly prayed to receive Christ and immediately felt changed by the Holy Spirit!

During that trip, I invited Ciro to come to the church youth group. He came and—in his own words—"I came to stay!" Ciro quickly became very involved in the church youth group.

In 2008,‎ I returned on another mission trip and learned that Ciro had been baptized and was now serving fruitfully in the youth group. On that trip, I gave Ciro a Bible and wrote words of encouragement inside the front cover along with a few verses of Scripture and words of exhortation.

When we returned with another team in 2010, Ciro introduced me to his girlfriend—Lucía*—who was a committed Christian and member of the church. A year later, they married and included a picture of the three of us in their wedding video because of the role I had played in their lives.

In 2012, we returned yet again, and I had the great privilege of doing evangelism ministry with both Ciro and Lucía. In one home, we met with a believer from the church who was 103 years old! We were privileged to share the gospel with her great great grandson and great-great granddaughter, who both came to Christ!

Nine and a half years after we first met, Ciro is now 26 and in his third year of a five-year seminary program and hopes to become a youth pastor.

What a joy it is to see a young man like Ciro—nine years after coming to faith in Christ—now faithfully and fruitfully serving Jesus … sharing the gospel with others and making disciples in his own community.

As the Apostle John writes, "I have no greater joy than this, to see that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). This is certainly how I feel toward Ciro!

His story captures East-West’s hope for the multiplication of disciples in the spiritually darkest areas of the world. Thanks be to God!

*Name changed for security reasons