Salvation at a meat plant

 

Editor’s Note: Many believers find that being an ambassador of Christ involves… building relationships, giving away resources that explain the gospel clearly, and guiding people in a course so that they can understand the message of the Bible for themselves. Kyle* has been doing just that in his work place for the past several years. He wrote recently to share what God has done:

I work in a meat packing plant where I have the opportunity to build relationships with about 1200 employees and their families. Most of them are Hispanic and know very little English. Your tools have been invaluable to me as I look for ways to help many of them rethink their worldview and gain a new understanding of who God is and what He has done for them.

I was blessed this past Sunday to witness the baptism of Pedro*, an employee who trusted in Jesus for salvation after reading and studying El Forastero, the Spanish edition of The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. He had not stepped into a church in over 40 years and would have never done so had it not been for a major change in his life. Alcohol had been his god. He thought he had no need for God. I would see Pedro in the workplace and he would tell me about his many problems however he would also tell me why he had no need for “religion” or for God. It took several years just to gain his trust. I made many attempts to get him to read or study El Forastero with me but he always refused. Then, one day I printed out the first chapter and gave it to him. I waited and prayed.

About a month later, Pedro came back and asked me for the rest of the book. I gladly gave him a copy… and he read it! God used it in a powerful way to open his eyes to the truth and bring him to faith. Today, his circumstances haven’t really changed but his outlook is completely different. Pedro has hope! He loves the same job that he used to hate. He struggles loving his wife when she treats him like dirt and demeans him for following Christ but now he has a purpose. He no longer lives at the bar after work, coming home drunk every evening. Rather, he spends every waking moment studying Scripture, reading books about the Bible and is gaining a passion to reach others who haven’t heard, just like him! Pedro can’t figure out how he lived almost 60 years with a church on every other corner near him and why he had never heard this truth before. So, on Sunday, he stood before 1000+ people at his new church, including his unsaved family who came for his baptism. He professed what God had done for him through Christ and that he is now a follower of Jesus! What a joy! I was blessed to be a part, and want to thank you, as well, for being a part.

This is one example of many. I hope it expresses my passion for having these tools at our disposal and demonstrates the need that it fills in my personal ministry.

Best regards,
Kyle

(*Names changed as per GoodSeed policy)

Photo Credit: “Our meat” by Rens Sanjaard is licensed under CC BY 2.0