Rafael's Story

Christ Church Missionary Support Reaches Rafael

My name is Rafael, I was born in a atheist family 31 years ago. It’s evident that my upbringing was not Christian and for many year I lived without God. When I went the University everything was went well and I didn’t have any academic problems. However, I started to feel an emptiness in my heart (as I am writing this tears come to my eyes with emotion). But I did not turn to God right away, I tried Buddhism.

I joined a Buddhist community here in Valencia. I have to admit the Buddhist doctrines were a shock for me; I meditated and meditated as the Guru told me to do, but my emptiness grew. When I realized Buddhism was not for me (after 5 years) I decided to try with the Bahais, but when I read their doctrines I knew they were false doctrines (they believe that Baha ullah is God and that his second coming has already taken place). From there I went on to study Judaism (I was in a contemporary synagogue): the Hebrew faith surprised me and I must say that the Bible shows us a romantic faith in the Old Testament, the authentic faith has 630 precepts and is not spiritual at all, it is all law, and in the end I did not like it at all. I fell for Hinduism too, and the experience was even worse that Buddhism.

Finally, the light came through, (again I am moved emotionally and as I remember tears come). It all started when I turned the television on one morning, and it occurred to me to switch to channel La2, your program was on! I watched it and then I continued to watch it every Sunday, I took the 4 lesson correspondence course which I didn’t quite finish and the program that I liked the most was the one about the "Differences between the churches" (this program convinced me that this was the way for me, that God was calling me). I looked up "Protestant" in Google and saw FEREDE (Federation of Religious Entities and Evangelical Churches of Spain). Glory to God! I had no idea there were so many denominations, I got to know the ones here in Valencia, and right now I am attending a Baptist Church "El Salvador" in Valencia (I'd like to meet you and share about the program sometime.)

This is my testimony, that is all, blessings.

The television program Rafael refers to in his letter is Good News, a program supported in our Missions Outreach ministry. Jose-Pablo Sanchez of Spain serves as director of the Evangelistic Association Decision-Spain, director of the Good News TV evangelistic program, director of the Protestant World radio program and President of Encounter Radio which shares the gospel with 200,000 Spaniards every Sunday.