Delver Herrera, a 28-year-old architect, lived the experience of a year in missions in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. He is an Adventist by birth and a native of Bagua Grande, Peru. He quit his job to take and plant the seed of the Word of God.
During this time, together with a team of volunteers from different countries in South America, they developed a center of influence called "Hope Life" where they worked the methodology of Jesus to relate with the community and meet their needs. They promoted different activities and workshops, such as music, healthy cooking, psychology, social networking, a mini spa, and a language classroom, where 100 people started to attend and participate frequently.
"I spent 24 hours breathing the mission, concerned about how to be intentional in bringing people to Christ. This experience marked my life and helped me in my integral life," comments Delver, a volunteer with the One Year in Mission (OYiM) project. During his work in this place, he learned how a Christian should be: how to be intentional, more helpful, and above all, an angel for other people who do not know about Christ.
Through its vocation, it enabled spaces and infrastructures for the center of influence. However, Delver had to adapt to the new reality. From architect to master in the kitchen, he taught healthy recipes—main dishes and desserts, among others—always highlighting the benefits of these delicacies for health.
As a result, 11 people decided to be baptized. They also opened a Pathfinder club with 30 teenagers, 99 percent of whom are non-Adventists, and an Adventurer club with 15 children and 7 non-Adventist families. The participants currently attend Adventist church activities. They already have the seed of the gospel in their hearts, and it is hoped that they will soon decide to follow Christ through baptism.
The Hope Life project will continue in 2023, and they have already trained the members of the church in the different workshops. The community thanks the volunteers for their labor of love and service during this year. Delver invites other young people to get involved in this project and dedicate a year in mission to be a blessing in other places and plant the seed of the gospel.
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division, Spanish news site.
