A God Moment

By Barry Kelly (pictured above, right, next to Jose Correa)

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go on my first mission trip to the island of Puerto Rico.
I had never been there and never had the desire to go. To be honest, I am not certain I even knew we had a Free Will Baptist church planter there, before hearing a revival message preached by Rick Bowling, cross-cultural officer for North American Ministries. He referenced the work of José and Suhey Correa. He encouraged the church I was pastoring to send me to Puerto Rico, so I could catch a small glimpse of God’s bigger mission around the world. Otherwise, I would more than likely still be searching for understanding.

On May 30, 2014, I boarded a plane in Nashville headed to Puerto Rico. I had never met (or even talked to) José or Suhey. A quick Google search allowed me to read their bio on the NAM website. I was about to land on an island where I had never been to work with church planters I had never met in an effort to discover how God was working there and how I could help. José picked up Allen (the balloon guy) and me at the airport. He did not speak English very well, and I can assure you his English was better than my Spanish. However, this was a God moment. The two of us felt an instant connection, and I am certain it is because our hearts are knit together with a common thread. That thread is the life Jesus Christ sacrificed so José and I could know we are His children.

After arriving at Pastor Correa’s home and church, it quickly became evident our cultures were different. The comfortable Christianity to which I had become accustomed was not available in the mountains of Puerto Rico. I was determined I would not let Satan use that to deter my quest to see God’s mission in action. As the days progressed, it was clear I had no clue what “laboring for Christ” really looked like. This church, under the leadership of Pastor Correa, was the truest example of “the hands and feet of Jesus” I had seen in real life. They worked tirelessly to build His church and further His Kingdom. On the first day alone, I saw a teen service, marriage conference, and a wedding—all in the same church building. I watched people tear down and set up for each new event, usually within hours of each other. Then we spent all night on the streets of Old San Juan evangelizing and inviting folks to church.

During this trip, God allowed a lifelong friendship to grow between “brothers from other mothers.” The friendship I have with José transcends cultural divides, formed by the common bond that seeks to accomplish the same goal—sharing the gospel of Christ.

Over the next three years, I watched the Correa family continue to work tirelessly. The church grew explosively, and the congregation made plans to launch a school at the church called Genesis Academy. Everything was ready to take the next step.

Then, in September 2017, a cruel lady named Maria changed everything. Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc across the island, including the work the Correas spent five years building. Everything they worked so hard to build was reduced to a single pile of jagged, twisted rubble.

I found myself in utter disbelief. I immediately thought, “What will happen to this work?” “How will this family ever have the strength to carry on?” I watched as Puerto Rico fell into complete disarray—no fuel, electricity out for nearly seven months, scarce and expensive food. People fled the ravaged island. Soon only a remnant of God’s people remained.

I wondered, “Now what?” As I watched and prayed, my heart was once again challenged by the Correas’ faithfulness to serve Christ through adversity and unfavorable circumstances. I watched this dedicated couple continue to carry out God’s call to share the gospel of Christ. They continued laboring faithfully, reminding Puerto Ricans the God of the universe after Maria was the same God as before Maria. My heart has been forever changed by their faithful example, and it has affected the way I go about ministry in my own backyard.

Fast forward to 2019—two long years after Maria’s destructive journey—and God is rewarding their faithfulness. I have watched God’s people from all over our denomination pitch in and assist their congregation, bringing back some normalcy to their lives. The church building has been restored, and the church is growing once again. In August, the congregation had four baptisms.

Photos: (top) The church destroyed by Maria; (middle and below) the congregation worshiping in the restored building.

Once a mission church, grown and led to self-supporting status, this work was destroyed in a matter of hours. Now, thanks to the grace of God and the generosity of His people, this congregation is back once again as a mission church. They continue to put it all back together,

meeting the needs of the people in their community and taking every opportunity to share Christ.
Three things about this couple have remained constant over the past five years: sacrificial love for God, unwavering faith in God’s calling, and unfailing desire for the people of Puerto Rico to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In my quest to understand the mission of God for His church, it did not take me long to discover that the mission was not the invention, responsibility, or program of the church. Instead, it is revealed through the character and purposes of a missionary God. He has a mission to set things right in a broken world, to redeem and restore it to what it was created to be. Today, I recognize God’s mission in the world and the church as the tool He has chosen to carry out His redemptive mission. José and Suhey are my example of what this looks like “in the flesh.”

José and Suhey have returned to full-time church planter status under North American Ministries. I want to encourage you to pray for their work and their efforts. Also, please ask God to guide you about supporting this work financially.

About the Writer: Barry Kelly pastors Belk FWB Church in Belk, Alabama. To learn more about the Free Will Baptist work in Puerto Rico, visit www.FWBNAM.com. Send financial support to NAM, designated to: José and Suhey Correa, Puerto Rico.