It was a Sunday afternoon after worship that Armando heard the announcement. The announcement said that some members of the congregation from Decatur, Alabama, were coming to help build three classrooms for the children in their Mayan village of Texan. The announcement said that a list was being made of all those who wanted to come and help the Americans build the classrooms. Armando wanted to help, but he had to work, Armando is a barber and had a commitment to his business.
As the days continued to pass by, there were less spots left to sign up. Finally, Armando made the decision to close his barbershop for three days. He was thinking “the brothers from Alabama had left family and work to come to my village to work, the least I can do is to take a few days off to work with them”. Armando wanted to dedicate his time in working side by side with those brothers from the United States.
Armando arrived Wednesday at the site where the classrooms were being built. He was immediately assigned to paint the back part of the three classrooms. This was the hardest part to paint, because there was a concrete wall where the classroom ended. It was very hot and uncomfortable to paint in that area, but Armando and other teenagers did not complain; they finished the job.
During one of the water breaks, I started talking to Armando. Armando said that he has been coming to church but has not been baptized. He said that his dad was baptized many years ago, his mother does not attend church and he has a girlfriend who has visited the church several times with him. I asked why he had not been baptized. He was quick to tell me several reasons. We talked in length about each one of those reasons. I encouraged him to think about being baptized.
Thursday morning when we arrived at the site in the Mayan village, Armando was waiting for me. As soon as I shook his hand, he told me that he had made the decision to be baptized. We baptized Armando the day before we came back to the United States. His father was present at his baptism and his mother and his girlfriend. Armando says that his goal now is to work hard to teach his mother and his girlfriend the gospel.
In our trip to the Mayan village in Mexico a lot was accomplished. We were able to build the three classrooms where for many generations children will be taught the great news of salvation. The three classrooms that were built were of great encouragement to the church in the Mayan village. But the greatest encouragement was to see that our great God had a plan for Armando, God has been seeking Armando and Armando accepted the invitation to be saved by putting Jesus in baptism.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
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