Roberto Sanchez was baptized on Sabbath, Oct. 27, at the conclusion of a weeklong series of meetings at the Nampa (Idaho) Spanish Church. The series title was "Secretos de la Vida" (Secrets of Life). The speaker was Ramon Canals, North Pacific Union Conference vice president for Hispanic Ministries.
"My life was harsh," Roberto says, "I've been in a gang here in Nampa since I was 14. For the past several months my life was going in a spiral of destruction. I needed a change. I couldn't handle it anymore. I knew that with God's help, He could get me through anything, and I am tired of my heart being like a rock."
Gustavo, Roberto's older brother, was baptized about four years ago at the end of a similar series of meetings in the church. When they were young, their mother had brought the boys to Sabbath School and church until she could not make them go anymore, but she would not give up. Every Friday she would call Gustavo and invite him to church. He would tell her, "Maybe next Sabbath, I'm going to be sick tomorrow." "One day," he says, "she got smart and got someone else to invite me, and I showed up just to be able to tell her that I had." The sermon that day changed his life.
During August, Gustavo had decided to dedicate a special time to pray for three people: his uncle, a cousin and Roberto. A month later, Roberto showed up in church. "I spoke to him, and he said that he wanted to give his life to Christ. I said, ‘Let's start studying' and that is where we are at today. We have not left a gang," Gustavo says. "We have just changed into Christ's gang now. Now we are soldiers of Christ, and we are going to go after those other guys to show them the way."
Within the last four years six family members have been baptized. Gustavo says, "My mom has been praying hard."
Ramon Canals, NPUC vice president for Hispanic Ministries, presented an eight-part series titled "Secrets of Life" at the Nampa (Idaho) Spanish Church.
Roberto Sanchez (rear) and his sister Erica were baptized by Edwin Lopez, Nampa Spanish Church pastor, at the conclusion of the evangelistic meetings. A total of 18 people were baptized and one person became a member by profession of faith. Many more are studying and preparing for baptism. (Ramon Canals)
Los Heraldos de Esperanza, the Heralds of Hope quartet supported the evangelistic meetings in the Nampa Spanish Church.
