Ezequiel regained consciousness, slowly awakening to the realization that he was still alive—but he wouldn’t be for long if he didn’t find a way to radically alter his lifestyle.
For more than 20 years, his identity had been consumed by his role in a Nicaraguan gang and fueled by alcohol and drugs.
He had joined the gang as an adolescent. Although his mother had occasionally taken him to church, he rejected religion, preferring to pursue a sense of belonging with his friends on the streets.
Then came the overdose in 2013 that nearly proved fatal. Ezequiel knew it was a wakeup call, but, after two decades in the gang, what purpose would his life serve apart from it? His lack of answers left him increasingly depressed.
When Pastor Ramiro Ojeda from Iglesia Vid Verdadera (True Vine Church) visited his house, Ezequiel agreed to talk with him and listened intently to the gospel. Two weeks later, he surrendered his life to Christ.
Ezequiel’s life transformed. After several years of observing his spiritual growth, Pastor Ramiro invited Ezequiel to enroll in ABWE’s Institute of Church Planters (ICP). Since its inception in 2008, the ICP has trained over 145 pastors who have applied their education to plant more than 100 churches throughout Nicaragua.
Armed with this preparation and a passion to rescue others in his community from gang involvement and substance abuse, Ezequiel became a pastor. Today, he leads the church in which he was saved, where he is blessed to serve with his wife, Maria Luisa, and daughter, Litzy.
About the Image
Ezequiel, like many Nicaraguan pastors, is bi-vocational. Recognizing his need for part-time work, an ABWE missionary connected Ezequiel with a partner church in the US that graciously provided him with a moto-taxi. Moto-taxis and bicycle taxis are common in Nicaragua, especially in smaller towns, and the flexible schedule of driving is ideal for accommodating ministry responsibilities—along with ensuring that Ezequiel and his family have reliable transportation to a church plant as his ministry expands.
By: Katelyn Hawkins & Jeff Raymond | Originally posted at: https://abwe.org/blog/driving-for-change/
