Missionaries are losers who can’t get a job in the U.S. That’s what I thought until God got hold of me in college and changed everything.
The last thing on my mind when I was growing up was to be a missionary. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Jesus, and wanted to pray and preach just like my mom and dad. I made “Aaron-size” pulpits around the house so I could preach to thousands, even though I was the only one in the room.
Jesus filled me with the Holy Spirit when I was 8, and I experienced speaking in tongues for the first time. I also began to learn how to listen for the voice of God, and soon learned He was faithful to speak to me and through me.
During college, everyone said Spanish would be important. I thought it would be hard and decided biblical Greek would be easier. Boy, was I wrong!
In 1998, my college led a missions trip to Ecuador, and I decided to go along. I really didn’t have an interest in the country, and I couldn’t communicate with the people, but I went along to see what it was all about.
Walking through the hills of Ecuador, God showed me a life-changing vision for the people of Latin America. He transformed my heart in what I can only say was like open-heart surgery. That’s when God’s call in my life began to make sense. I was called to Spanish-speaking, Latin American people—in Latin America!
God transformed my negative attitude about missionaries and turned me into one. He turned my indifference about speaking Spanish into fluency so that I can passionately convey the gospel and see other lives changed, just as mine has been.
I knew God had spoken, and I knew I had to listen. I got involved in a Hispanic congregation and learned enough Spanish to get by. Then, I traveled to Mexico to pastor a small church. From there, God opened a door for my wife, Francis, and me to serve as children’s pastors in a 20,000-member Foursquare church in Honduras. I was hooked—completely in.
Today, I speak fluent Spanish and love the people I serve in Latin America. I can’t imagine living and ministering anywhere else. God gave me His passion for young people, and now I am part of bringing the transformation of Jesus to an entirely new generation in Latin America.
God transformed my negative attitude about missionaries and turned me into one. He turned my indifference about speaking Spanish into fluency so that I can passionately convey the gospel and see other lives changed, just as mine has been.
My life is a testimony of what can happen when one generation intentionally passes our faith to another generation and does not limit the work of the Holy Spirit to grownups alone.
Every person requires an encounter with God just as I did, an encounter that will transform and confirm His call. Our part as adults is to partner with the Holy Spirit so every generation, every people group, and every language will experience God’s heart, passion and vision for those He wants them to serve.
This article was written with Rod Light, an ordained Foursquare minister, Life Pacific University instructor and freelance writer.
