The Mag - WMU

(cont. from p. 55)
begin meeting and connecting with
Hispanic people on the streets of
Baltimore. Isaac is currently serving in
three church plants, so he must help
people and outreach in three different
communities. He leads worship and
preaches in these church plants. Isaac
plays guitar and sings. His favorite song
is “Jesus, I Love You.” There is a Hispanic
seminary, and Isaac serves there as a
professor. He works to train the students
so they can effectively lead the Hispanic
church plants.
Reaching Hispanics
Much of Baltimore’s Hispanic populations
are from El Salvador, Honduras,
Guatemala, and Mexico. One of the ways
Isaac and volunteers reach out is to offer
English-as-a-second-language classes.
Hispanic immigrants are not always
familiar with English, and this can be a
very difficult problem when they arrive
in the United States. They also help
them with other physical needs such as
transportation to medical appointments
and food delivery. These opportunities to
meet physical needs demonstrate God’s
love to the community. Once trust is
developed, the Hispanic people are open
to hearing about Jesus.
Hispanics Reaching Others
In 2010, Isaac went on a missions trip
to Senegal, West Africa. The Hispanic
church has adopted to send mission
support to a church in Senegal. Several
Hispanic churches in the United States
work together to sponsor 24 Senegalese
children.
Isaac has three young helpers who serve
Hispanics in their communities. Paola
teaches English in two locations. She
says, “I want to serve the Lord.” Another
young lady is Cesia. She is only 13 years
old, but she also assists with the English
classes. Also, Isaac and Ana’s daughter,
Tatiana, who attends university, spends
every Wednesday and Sunday helping the
ministry to Hispanics.
The Dream
Many Hispanics have come to the United
States for the “American dream,” which is
to get an education, own a home and car,
and have a good career. Isaac shares that
God has a bigger dream for them. “The
real dream is to realize the reason the Lord
brought or put you in this country, which
is to be an instrument for God’s glory.
You are here because this is the country to
reach the nations for Christ because it is
home to all the nations of the world. This
is your opportunity to serve the Lord, and
that is the true dream, the divine dream.”
Living in Baltimore
The culture of the Hispanic peoples in
Baltimore are very different from those of
the Rengifo family. While they all speak
the same language, the Rengifo family is
South American and the Hispanic peoples
in the United States are mostly from
Central America. Therefore, the cultures
are very different. Isaac is learning many
new things, especially in regards to food.
He has had to learn to eat foods like
enchiladas, pupusas, burritos, and tacos.
While many of the Hispanic peoples speak
Spanish, some have lived in America
for several generations and speak only
English. So Isaac and Ana are learning to
speak English.
The city of Baltimore is also very
different. Since it is so large, there is a lot
of traffic and city noises, such as sirens,
helicopters, and ferry horns.
In Isaac’s Own Words: God at Work
For over a year, we had been praying for
a building to use as an operation center
and facility to start our meetings. One day,
the Baptist Convention of Maryland and
Delaware made contact with a local pastor,
and in less than a month we were working
there. We consider this to be a miracle
of God. Now, every Wednesday we teach
English and a Bible study in that building.
In Isaac’s Own Words: Story from
the Field
In one area we work, people look for jobs
every day. We started meeting with them
on the street. Someone would play guitar
and we would sing Christian songs. At
first, the people were discouraged. Now
they feel confident, and we have found a
place to meet in a restaurant.
In another area, families have heard
about Jesus but not many have made a
full commitment of their lives to Him
yet. They are not committed to coming
to church regularly. So we hold special
programs in this area and are praying that
God will help them understand salvation
and Christian living.
We met Dennis in a store. We gave him
a brochure about our church meetings
and told him what a great time we had
visiting together. One thing Hispanics
like is visiting together, having good
fellowship, and finding people who have
similar struggles and hopes. So Dennis and
his mother, Ritza, came to church. Ritza
realized that she needed Jesus. She asked
Jesus into her life and was baptized. Now
How Can You Pray?
1. Pray for the Hispanic seminary
students. Pray they will be able
to lead the church plants at
Iglesia Bautista de Baltimore City
and Primera Iglesia Bautista de
Townson.
2. Pray for the Hispanic church
plants at Iglesia Cristiana de
Armistead Garden, Iglesia Bautista
de Middle River, and Iglesia
Bautista Principe de Paz. Pray that
they will grow and thrive under
Christ-following leadership.
3. Hispanic people are always
working, even Sundays. Pray for
God to give Isaac creative ideas
to meet the people and build
relationships.
she invites people to the church. She has
faced many problems, but with the help
of God and her church family, she is a
faithful Christian. She shows great trust in
Jesus.
People like Ritza encourage me to keep
going. I want to see people here come to
church, become Christians, grow in their
spiritual maturity, and become leaders.
Once a strong church is established, we
can go start another. Isn’t that what you
want to see in your community too?
Thank you for praying for us in Baltimore.
Libby Quigg is a writer, guitarist, and dancer.
She teaches missions to the children and
Acteens ® in her church and community.
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