A Security Guard Plants a Church
Edison Mina works as a security guard in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He and his wife have four children. While Edison was serving at his local church, he heard some women share about their experience with Multiplication Network Ministries (MNM) and the church planter training they were taking.
“The Lord put this feeling in me to plant a new church,” Edison shares. He joined a church planter class and began to receive the training. While taking the modules, Edison asked the Lord to show him where he could plant the new church. He had a desire to start one in the housing complex where he lives. “I told my wife and my children what God had put on my heart and immediately we began to pray.”
Edison asked God for direction. He also shared his vision with his local church. After some time had passed, Edison’s church agreed to support him and the work began.
“The new planted church is having an impact on the children and adolescents,” Edison shares. They use tournaments, traditional games, and group choreography to present the gospel in a unique way and to respond to the needs of the families. Their work with the children allows them to reach the parents. Additionally, they are looking for a way to reach the youth who have become involved in gangs and drugs.
Edison shares that Gilber, one of the neighbors, heard the message of Jesus Christ when it was being shared outside. When he had a problem later, he knew he could call Edison. “The first thing I did was to pray for him and present him with the plan of salvation. Now he is part of our group and just three months later, he was baptized.”
Edison is a bi-vocational church planter who is making a difference in his community because of the training he received through MNM. He asks for prayers for the new Christians to stand firm in the way of the Lord and to be an example to others so the gospel can spread.
“Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.” 1 Thessalonians 2:9, NIV
