From a young age I always professed to be Catholic. I had no vices and did not hang out with the wrong crowd. I decided not to live a wasted life, but I always felt like I was missing something.

My older brother, who is deaf, invited me to the Baptist church in the area and I accepted his invitation. Since we were always together and I only hung out with deaf people, all the people at the church thought I was deaf, too. I did not speak to anyone at the church because I knew sign language, which is inclusive.  The idea was to not go back to the church, since I did not feel I needed any friendships there. What kept me going was that my brother cared enough to invite me over and over. Also, after classes I would run into some of the brothers who were out giving tracts, and they gave me “The Bridge to Eternal Life.” That really scared me about where my soul would go after death.

I remember one time, I skipped school by climbing over the wall and I was about to go somewhere I wasn’t supposed to go. I saw a girl from the church and she did not recognize me. She gave me a tract titled, “How do you get to Hell?” I read it and thought to myself it was nothing. But I immediately went back to school the way I came and never escaped again.

The times that I went to church, the people of the church were interested in talking to me. What really drew my attention was the way they would search the Bible so quickly. That encouraged me a lot. When I went to church, I really did not pay much attention to the sermons, but as the days and weeks went by, what I was hearing was more interesting to me. That is when I realized that images, religions, or any good works I had done would not get me to heaven. After several months of going to church I decided to accept Christ in my heart after a Thursday night service. That’s when I started talking to the people and they found out I wasn’t deaf. I brought my friends from the neighborhood and from school so that they could also be a part of what happened to me for my salvation. Since that time I have not strayed from the Lord.

At church, I told the music director that I wanted to help in any way I could. He told me:

–you can help by passing out and gathering the hymnbooks

— cleaning the bathroom

–sweeping the church

–and arranging the Sunday School classes.

I went to the youth group meetings, I went out on Saturday visitations with the men of the church, I participated in Sunday School, and I helped the Sunday School teacher. For several years I was involved in the youth meetings. I intended to go to seminary at the same time I was studying for a secular career. I made the decision to stop those studies to go to seminary full-time. I always kept it in my heart to serve the Lord God in whatever way I could.

When I went to Hunter Baptist Church in 1996 at the age of 13, I was going with the intention of learning more about God, not thinking anything about being called by God. I only said in my heart that I wanted to serve in some way. Whatever I was asked to do, I did with pleasure. If I had to clean the bathrooms, I did it. If I had to clean the church, I did it. If I had to help decorate or build something, I also did
that. I went out on visitation and to win souls without a lot of knowledge, to be honest. But I gave out tracts and it was exciting to me.

After a few months I was asked to help in Sunday School. It wasn’t very hard at first. All I had to do was help. After the Sunday School teacher told me that he was going to start another church, I started thinking about that subject. I became responsible for the Sunday School program. My pastor at the time taught me with books and other biblical materials, and my interest in knowing more about the Scriptures grew.

In time I was put in charge of other events, visitation, and Bible studies. I dressed up as a clown to bring kids to the church. We ended up with 300 children in the church. We helped with the teens, and I helped the assistant pastor with the weekly couples meetings on Fridays, and with music. So, my heart began to fill even more with the desire to serve the Lord.

On one occasion, the pastor said the following words from the pulpit: “Those who are called to preach, stand up.” I was about to finish high school and planned on studying at the university. With great doubt, I let this request of my pastor pass by, but I kept those words in my heart all year long. The next year, the pastor once again told those who had been called to preach to stand. I stood up and said that I would study at the seminary while I studied at the university. But I made the decision to go to seminary at 17 years old. My parents did not agree with this decision, so they were not interested, but my pastor helped me with some of the seminary expenses. I may have studied for a secular career, but I never finished it, because I was sincerely more interested in serving my Redeemer as He expected. To give my time and youth for what He expected of me.

In my third year of seminary, I went out to make routes through the Sierra of Arequipa, such as Caylloma, Polobaya, Mollevaya, Yarabamba, and Quequeña. In those places I traveled on foot, by bus, motorcycle, or whatever way I could. I gave out tracts in the towns, sold Bibles, or gave them away. We held meetings in the houses of people that were interested. Sometimes people did not want to receive me, in others I was very lonely, but God strengthened me.

When I finished seminary, I married my wife at the age of 21. After some time, I took on the pastorate of Filadelfia Baptist Church, and now have my children as well as my wife by my side.