Life in Venezuela is difficult by the standards of today’s world. An ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis has caused hyperinflation, starvation, disease and crime. Many believe this is the worst crisis in the country’s history. The United Nations estimates that 94 percent of the people are living in poverty, and 20 percent of the population has already fled the country in this time of hopelessness.
Genesis is one of the Venezuelans who has remained in their homeland. To counteract the rampant despair among her people, she began attending a church. Instead of experiencing joy in the Lord, however, she felt only a sense of duty. She felt a deep need for God, but she wasn’t encountering the God she believed in.
One day, a group of believers, who had been trained by Reach A Village’s ministry partners, came to her home. They talked with her about God and shared verses from God’s Word with her. Before leaving, they invited her to join other believers for Bible study, prayer and worship at a nearby church.
“I made the decision to attend the church,” Genesis says. “They welcomed me with great joy and great attention, and I felt very good being there. They explained to me how I could give my life to Christ Jesus and find God’s answers to my problems. Soon, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and I was baptized.”
Genesis continues to gather with this group of believers, and now her daughter is joining them, too. “These believers are very attentive when it comes to praying for one another and helping those who are in difficulty,” she says. “I really like that they only talk about what is in the Bible, and the teaching is based on God’s Word.”
