Mere Missions

140 • M ere M issions : M oving F orward to M ultiply

a prayer of faith in Jesus as Lord. Looking at James I said, “You need to be discipled.” We set a time for formal discipleship which led to a friendship that continues to this day, though separated by thousands of miles. Though James had his ups and downs, he began to grow as a disciple. He soon began to invite his community friends to follow Christ and join our weekly fellowship in worship, prayer, and the word. What started as a one-on-one became a one-on-three which became a one-on-nine, which moved to twelve and growing. At one of our men’s group gatherings a local drug addict joined us. He spent a good portion of his time in prison and was known by most everyone in the community. He was my neighbor. It was during this specific night when the Spirit was moving in a powerful way that Tony went into withdrawal and slipped off his chair into convulsions. Immediately the twenty plus men gathered around Tony. Some with arms raised and others laying their hands on Tony, this group of men began praying and believing for a miraculous healing. The Lord answered our prayers. Tony’s convulsions stopped immediately, and he quickly rose from the floor, being in his right mind, and joined us in our fellowship. The men gave praise and honor to the Lord Jesus. That week Tony committed and went into a Christian rehab program. This men’s group was always a highlight for me. The Spirit was preparing these men to be the foundation of a church plant. The Lord was working in a mighty way. During this time the Spirit of the Lord brought Pastor Jonathan Villalobos into my life. He, and his wife Becky, felt a strong urge from the Lord to plant a church in the Devil’s Half-Mile. His heart and passion for the Lord and the people in this community of poverty and violence, was a confirmation that we were called together to plant a church. As a missionary I knew that I was not