Preacher, could you go pray with a family. Arturo is a policeman. His little girl, Stefanie, is very sick. She suffered brain damage at birth and has never been right. Her little body was as stiff as a board. She was three years old and still couldn't talk or walk. Carmelo Alvarez is a carpenter that attends the Hunter Baptist Church. He had been hired to build a door for the Portocarrero family. As he worked in their house he began to converse with them about the door of salvation. He told them what a difference that the Lord Jesus had made in his life. As he witnessed to them they mentioned that their daughter was very sick.

Arturo and Lola were spending all their time and money looking for a way to help their daughter. They had seen all the doctors. There was no help for little Stefanie. They asked Carmelo if God could help. Carmelo called his pastor asking him to come and pray for the child and to witness to the parents.

The missionary came and explained to the parents that he had no special powers but that they could pray that God would give wisdom to the doctors and if it were His will then He could heal little Stefanie. The missionary gave them the plan of salvation. Together they prayed and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to save them. They came to the church and the entire church prayed for Stefanie and the family.

Stefanie died. Now they were in a turmoil. Funerals and burials can be a real problem in all the bureaucracy of a third world country. Carlos the assistant pastor of the Hunter church went to help them. He went from government agency to government agency getting all the paper work done. He helped them buy the casket and make all the arrangements. Arturo and Lola were very thankful.

The neighbors, however, were very concerned. What would be done for the soul of little Stefanie! If the Catholic church didn't pray for her and bury her she would go to hell. Arturo explained what he had learned about salvation to his neighbors but they weren't convinced. They insisted that he call the priest.

Arturo went to see the priest. The priest said that everything was alright that they baby had died as a child and innocently and that it would be a waste of time to pray for him. Arturo was under a lot of pressure from neighbors, friends and family so he insisted that the priest come and pray. The priest said if he went to pray that Arturo would have to pay him 85 soles or about the salary for three weeks. The funeral mass would cost even more.

Carlos once again explained to him that you can't pray for folks that have already died. He explained that Stefanie was now in Heaven and the important thing was that Arturo and Lola be sure of their salvation and that they be sure and share the gospel with family and friends by means of the funeral.

A funeral in Peru can be a very sad time for more than the obvious reasons. One the Catholic church will charge them for the funeral mass. They have a price list and the family can see just how much they can and are willing to pay for. A spoken mass with no music is so much, a mass with music is more, a singing mass is even more and so on. Also the neighbors all come to the house of the deceased to get free food and drink. The family and friends sit up all night and drink and chew coca leaves. Needless to say a funeral is very expensive and also tiring since the family is serving all the neighbors and visitors.

Hunter Baptist Church has taught them how Christians do a funeral. They have seen the love shared between Christians. They have seen the hope on the faces of the family because they know that their loved went to Heaven and that one day we will be together again. They no longer feel the desperation of thinking that their family is in purgatory and that they must pay the priest year after year to get their loved one out of that place of suffering. Even death is different when you know the Lord Jesus.

The gospel was preached plain and clear at the funeral. The family and friends became very interested in the way the family was being treated by their new friends from the church. They asked if the missionary could come to the house and explain the gospel to them. He began Bible studies in the home of Arturo and Lola and several family members made professions of faith.

Arturo and Lola are faithful to the Lord now. Their child Stefanie is in Heaven and they still give testimony to how thankful they are that God took Stefanie so that they could get to know the Lord and his saving grace. Lola is pregnant now. God has blessed again. She works on the Christian school staff and helps in the church nursery. Arturo is still a policeman and teaches in the school for the children of Policemen. As he teaches he carries his Bible. He witnesses to his fellow workers and the children. He is now attending the evening Bible college. He thinks that maybe God is calling him to preach.

Through the death of their daughter, Stefanie, Arturo and Lola were able to come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their testimony is that it was worth it all if through the death of their daughter that could get saved and have new abundant life in Jesus.

The death of someone even more important brought the possibility of salvation to all of us. Jesus left heaven, came to earth and died on a cross so that through his death we could have eternal life. He died so that we might live. His death gives you the opportunity to be saved but you must decide if you will trust him or not. He has done his part the rest is up to you. Will you put your faith and trust in him today.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6