First Baptisms of Granada Mission – Oct. 27, 2007

Dear Friends in Jesus:

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Two years ago, responding to an invitation from a group of people, our Lutheran Church-Canada through the Christian Mission in Nicaragua called Rev. Rufino Quintero Lainez to serve as a missionary at large to the province of Granada, Nicaragua. Rev. Quintero moved from Chinandega (185 kms) with his Deaconess wife Mariana Santeliz and their four children.

Granada is one of the oldest colonial type cities in Nicaragua founded by the Spanish in 1500. There are thousands of foreigners living in the city, most of them from Europe. This makes the city to be the most expensive one in the whole country. There is also a very strong traditional Catholic church with big and beautiful temples everywhere.

For a pastor with five years experience to accept a call to a new ministry in a complete different environment was not an easy task. He and his family didn't know anybody in the new city. All their relatives and friends were back in the remote rural town of Villa Salvadorita, Chinandega.

As spiritual overseer for all these devoted men and women serving our Lord and His church, it is my priority to pray and take care of those who have left everything behind to serve the Gospel wherever the church has called them to do it. I remember the many times I talked to missionary Rufino encouraging him to trust our gracious God and His faithful promises through Jesus. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18). Rufino´s special commission was to spread the Good News and to reach out to those who never heard about God´s grace, love and mercy through His beloved Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God that our LC-C missionary in Granada was always confident in God´s providence and blessings upon his given ministry. Although many times he experienced frustration and sadness due to the rejections of unfriendly people who called themselves to be conservative Catholics.

Missionary Quintero and his faithful Deaconesses wife Mariana did more than 254 home visitations in less than two years. The people in Granada have seen the missionary couple walking those streets of long blocks almost every day. They had knocked on so many wooden doors telling the story of Jesus and His unfailing love. Many of those doors were open wide and the missionaries were received by smiling faces ready to listen to the message they were delivering. Other did not even open their doors.

Last Sunday, I had the privilege to worship with the new congregation in Granada named "Christ, King of kings". It was an emotional day to see missionary Rufino baptizing the first seven children of Granada. Their parents were so glad and confident that their children were receiving great benefits like forgiveness of sins, faith, salvation and eternal life. The Gospel of Jesus is producing abundant fruits wherever the Word is faithfully preached. The Kingdom of God is truly increasing in number on this His mission field of Nicaragua and Central America.

Please pray for our LC-C mission in Granada and for all these new believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

May our merciful God bless you always,

In His service,

Sándor Arguello, LC-C missionary
Central America