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Steve and Heather Wilson and their three sons lived and ministered in Monterrey, Mexico. They worked in an urban poor church, focusing on discipleship and community development as well as working to strengthen the Mexican mission movement.

Steve now serves as the director of missional communities for The Mission Society in the Norcross office. Here, Steve recounts the amazing transformation of a family the Wilsons worked with in Mexico.

When our family lived in Mexico, we became friends with Saul, Barbara, and their two young children. Barbara’s mother lived in the squatter community where we worked. She was deep into witchcraft and would charge people to provide ‘curings’ for their ailments. Needless to say, Barbara grew up under quite a bit of darkness and oppression.

Over time, Barbara came to faith in Christ. She became a close friend and worked with our sewing ministry and was involved in our discipleship group.

One evening we were having a Mother’s Day celebration. It was a glamorous candlelight dinner in the middle of the sewage-filled streets of our church’s community. Much like the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14:13, it was a fabulous evening just for moms, most of whom were not a part of the church.

Well, Barbara’s husband Saul came to the church during the Mother’s Day celebration extremely drunk. Full of jealous rage, he began yelling at men serving dinner, accusing them of all sorts of things. He then smashed a door with his fists. Bloodied and still angry, Saul stormed off. A few family members followed him into the streets and back home.

In a community plagued by judging your neighbor, Heather and I encouraged the group of new believers to welcome Saul into their community despite his actions that day. Amazingly, the next day he came to church. The people embraced him and made him feel very welcome.

Saul continued to come to church when he wasn’t working and grew in his faith. He accepted Christ as Lord and later sensed a call into ministry!

That was four years ago. Barbara recently emailed Heather and reported that their extended family has come to know Christ! They were all baptized on May 27, 2012. Our family is praising the Lord! The gospel is transforming this family from the kingdom of darkness to His marvelous light!