In December of 1998, a young man, his wife, and their three children arrived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from Quito, Ecuador. They left behind all they had known for the young man to follow the call he felt as a newborn Christian—a call to go and preach the gospel to men and women in need of a Savior.
Diego Cueva and his wife Maria longed to find a place where they could train and prepare to serve God. Opportunities were very limited in Ecuador. Once in the United States, Diego began a search for the right place to prepare for ministry. The institutes he found were for English-speaking students only. Places became available for Spanish-speaking students, but financial and time requirements were too much for the family to bear. The call remained, but it was in God’s hands to train His servant.
The Cueva family began attending a church in Colorado Springs and became actively involved in its ministries. God began to use real-life experiences to shape and mold this willing servant. Diego went to work as a salesman in Denver (a one-hour commute each way). As he submitted himself to God’s will, doors for ministry training began to open.
In the early days of 2004, Diego picked up a Christian magazine and his eyes were drawn to an advertisement for the Gwen Hendrix Hispanic Bible Institute. Immediately, he felt as though God had opened the door for his ministry training. He and his wife began praying earnestly for God to guide them. After discussions with their pastor and weeks of prayer, Diego, Maria, and their children prepared to leave for the institute in South Carolina.
Diego, Maria, and their oldest daughter Sarah, enrolled for the second term of 2004 in this new institute. During five months of concentrated study, they also were involved in practical ministry at the Hispanic Free Will Baptist Church in Una, South Carolina, where Home Missionary Rev. Gerardo Rodriguez pastors. As they studied, God worked in their lives and opened doors for a church to be planted in Northern Virginia. Diego once again trusted God’s guidance and decided that he and his family would move to Woodbridge, Virginia, to begin a Spanish-speaking Free Will Baptist church.
From Quito, Ecuador, to Woodbridge, Virginia, God has led this willing servant. The road has not been easy but well worth the journey.
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