I have believed since I was a baby, growing up within “The Redemptor” Baptist Church (Pastor Walter Silva), having heard the stories of the Bible countless times. At the age of 12 I made a conscious and real confirmation of the times I had previously made the decision to place my faith in Jesus as my only Savior.

After this decision, I remained in the ways of the Lord. I began to develop the gifts and skills that I can now use for ministry. As a young man I began my studies at “The Redemptor” Baptist Bible School, having clearly received the call to missions to the interior of the country. I was given the opportunity to participate as a student and lay worker in all the activities that were carried out in the church.

By the grace of God, I long to put into practice all that I have learned, both in Montevideo and Colonia (in the Fundamental Baptist Church of Colonia), for the growth and building of the work in the department of Artigas.

As the first weeks of the quarantine in March 2020 passed, we started working with the youth of the church through the internet, sharing short missionary biographies. Through this we learned of Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China, and as a family we started to read her story which impacted and challenged us.

We asked the youth group how many fundamental Baptist churches existed in Uruguay currently. Many of them became interested in trying to find out the exact number, so we began a more serious and precise investigation. We learned that in 8 of the 19 departments of Uruguay, there are no Baptist churches that preach sound doctrine. We could count in the rest of Uruguay about 25 faithful churches. We felt a great responsibility to do something about this as a family. So we began to pray and the Lord gave us all the same feeling and peace that we are doing what He wants us to do.

In speaking with different pastors and missionaries, we have heard mentioned the great need that Artigas has for the Word, since the Brazilian influence and pagan practices keep souls away from the knowledge of the Truth. We spent more time in general and specific prayer and the Lord has not changed our minds as to where to go. In the two visits we have made to Artigas, we have met a small group of Christians who have been praying for years for some family to settle down and form a church that honors and teaches the Word of God as it is.

We are in God’s hands and we want to be useful by practicing what we have learned over the years from faithful pastors and missionaries.