After moving to the United States, Mauricio feared death and loneliness. However, a timely conversation from a coworker lead Mauricio to the truth that brought him freedom from his previous life.
00:00:02:17 - 00:00:03:08
Yeah.
00:00:03:08 - 00:00:05:02
You know.
00:00:05:02 - 00:00:09:00
Well, it's kind interesting, because when
I turned 17, I graduate from high school.
00:00:09:22 - 00:00:14:04
I kind of basically left home
without permission
00:00:14:15 - 00:00:17:00
where I was just like, I'm done.
00:00:17:00 - 00:00:19:14
I don't want to live with my dad. That's
how bad things were.
00:00:19:14 - 00:00:22:14
I was like, as soon as I can
get out of this house, I am gone.
00:00:29:03 - 00:00:32:08
I came to the US.
00:00:32:18 - 00:00:35:22
when I was 18.
00:00:36:14 - 00:00:42:00
and I was like, well,
I was born in the US,
00:00:42:00 - 00:00:46:06
so I should take that from my advantage,
you know, And,
00:00:47:00 - 00:00:50:20
you know, instead of making,
you know, $3 a day, I can make,
00:00:51:10 - 00:00:55:10
you know, way more than that,
you know, the first time actually came,
00:00:56:03 - 00:00:59:22
or at least was invited to a Bible study
at all.
00:01:00:13 - 00:01:04:22
I was like, 20 years old,
so it's like a year a year ago,
00:01:05:14 - 00:01:08:15
my coworker at that time, he,
00:01:09:08 - 00:01:12:11
you know, he was initiative
and came to lunch
00:01:12:11 - 00:01:16:22
and tried to be my friend and,
I wasn't really interested at that time
00:01:17:06 - 00:01:21:00
and part of
it was because there was so much going
00:01:21:00 - 00:01:24:00
on in my mind
00:01:24:04 - 00:01:28:02
because a month or two
00:01:28:02 - 00:01:32:06
before he invited me out to Bible study,
00:01:32:06 - 00:01:35:19
I have just recently lost my car
and my job.
00:01:36:01 - 00:01:39:20
my roommate at that time, I think he was
00:01:39:20 - 00:01:44:15
he was definitely like drunk and,
you know, took my car without permission.
00:01:45:15 - 00:01:46:14
then after that,
00:01:46:14 - 00:01:49:23
I wake up to a phone call around,
you know, four or 5 a.m.
00:01:50:09 - 00:01:53:17
and it's sheriff telling me like, Hey,
is this your car?
00:01:53:17 - 00:01:54:12
And I was like, Yep.
00:01:54:12 - 00:01:58:15
Is like, well, bursted
in the back of a semi truck and it's,
00:01:58:15 - 00:02:00:10
it's total, you know?
00:02:00:10 - 00:02:02:11
And I was like, What?
00:02:02:11 - 00:02:04:22
I'm in there. The girl is in my car
over there, you know.
00:02:04:22 - 00:02:10:05
which led to me losing my job
because I can't get to my to my work
00:02:10:08 - 00:02:14:07
and on top of that,
00:02:14:07 - 00:02:20:22
I was in a very toxic
I guess I found out later
00:02:20:22 - 00:02:25:20
on as I learn about these definitions
that I was in an abusive relationship.
00:02:26:10 - 00:02:29:05
as I reflected one night, you know,
00:02:29:05 - 00:02:33:22
just how my life was going and just like,
00:02:34:18 - 00:02:38:02
basically, like everything
I'm trying to do is just going to
00:02:38:02 - 00:02:41:20
the trash,
like my relationships, my friendships,
00:02:42:07 - 00:02:47:02
I feel so lonely, like all my friends
that I grew up with in Mexico,
00:02:47:15 - 00:02:50:12
you know, my mom and dad, like my family,
00:02:50:12 - 00:02:54:04
all everyone that's in Mexico is like,
What am I doing here in the U.S.?
00:02:54:04 - 00:02:58:00
You know, like, I'm thinking,
you know, I'm reflecting on, like, how
00:02:58:00 - 00:03:02:07
my life is going and,
you know, I'm like, Wow.
00:03:02:07 - 00:03:07:10
Like, things are not going well,
and I feel very lonely, and I'm just like,
00:03:08:07 - 00:03:10:20
I have no one else to ask for help.
00:03:10:20 - 00:03:14:00
And I was just like, Well,
maybe I'll just call out to God.
00:03:14:02 - 00:03:16:04
Like, maybe I'll just pray.
00:03:16:04 - 00:03:18:21
And like I said, God would do something
here.
00:03:18:21 - 00:03:22:07
And I remember like, very late at night,
00:03:22:16 - 00:03:25:09
I'm just like,
I was like, God, if you're real, like,
00:03:26:11 - 00:03:28:08
I mean, help me out.
00:03:28:08 - 00:03:29:21
Like, I need some guidance.
00:03:29:21 - 00:03:32:13
I have no idea what I'm doing here.
00:03:32:13 - 00:03:36:17
I feel very lonely and one day as I as
00:03:36:18 - 00:03:40:00
I was saying,
like I was in an abusive relationship,
00:03:40:10 - 00:03:45:18
I think I got pretty bad and to the point
where I couldn't go back to my apartment
00:03:46:07 - 00:03:50:11
and I was basically living in my car
for like three or four weeks,
00:03:50:11 - 00:03:54:10
you know, just kind of navigating
a way to escape from where I was living
00:03:54:10 - 00:03:57:11
and from, you know, that relationship,
00:03:57:21 - 00:04:01:14
and my friend from Bible study
00:04:01:16 - 00:04:06:07
offered me for, you know,
not just help his roommates as well,
00:04:06:14 - 00:04:10:13
where like, you can just,
you know, crash at night, stay over.
00:04:10:13 - 00:04:13:22
And if you want to take a shower,
feel free to do so.
00:04:13:22 - 00:04:16:22
And, yeah,
yeah, man, we're we're here to help.
00:04:16:22 - 00:04:18:06
And I was like, cool.
00:04:18:06 - 00:04:21:17
And I thought it was weird because
he didn't know me that well, you know?
00:04:22:04 - 00:04:22:16
And I just.
00:04:22:16 - 00:04:26:23
Hempel I his friends to,
so I thought that was kind of weird.
00:04:26:23 - 00:04:29:21
I was like, like,
why are you guys so nice to me?
00:04:29:21 - 00:04:31:09
Like, it makes no sense that you guys.
00:04:31:09 - 00:04:33:01
You guys just met me not too long ago,
00:04:33:01 - 00:04:35:03
and you guys are trying to help me,
you know?
00:04:35:03 - 00:04:38:21
my friend invited me to our study again,
and I said, You know what?
00:04:39:12 - 00:04:40:20
I got nothing else to do.
00:04:40:20 - 00:04:43:07
Like, what am I going to go out there,
just sit in my car?
00:04:43:07 - 00:04:46:13
Like, Yeah, let's go. I'm down. You know?
00:04:46:23 - 00:04:48:03
So I shut up.
00:04:48:03 - 00:04:52:04
The Bible study and first reactions
was actually kind of interesting
00:04:52:04 - 00:04:56:01
because I was amazed
by how many young people were there.
00:04:56:12 - 00:04:59:18
and I was pretty judgmental.
00:04:59:18 - 00:05:02:11
I was like,
What we are doing here is pretty lame.
00:05:02:11 - 00:05:05:07
Like, really? Yeah. Let's just go party.
You know?
00:05:05:07 - 00:05:08:13
But I don't know, it's just kind of nuts.
00:05:08:22 - 00:05:12:19
And anyways, I go down there,
I was in the basement,
00:05:12:19 - 00:05:14:08
you know, they're having the Bible study.
00:05:14:08 - 00:05:17:21
This person started teaching
the Bible word for word,
00:05:18:08 - 00:05:22:14
used a lot of analogies
and asking questions to the audience.
00:05:23:04 - 00:05:25:00
And to me, that was very new.
00:05:25:00 - 00:05:29:23
Like I've never said down to a teaching
that was that interactive.
00:05:30:23 - 00:05:32:08
after like
00:05:32:08 - 00:05:36:13
probably 14 or 15 time, I came around
00:05:37:00 - 00:05:41:20
the gospel really like,
like connect it to me.
00:05:42:08 - 00:05:45:13
And it's so interesting
how it took me so many times to, like,
00:05:46:06 - 00:05:47:16
understand the message.
00:05:47:16 - 00:05:50:16
But I was like, okay,
so you're saying that, you know,
00:05:51:04 - 00:05:55:17
if I placed my trust in
Jesus for what he did in the cross,
00:05:56:03 - 00:06:01:01
dying for my sense, he will forgive me
if I ask for forgiveness.
00:06:01:01 - 00:06:02:20
And my friend was like, Yeah,
00:06:02:20 - 00:06:05:16
that's exactly what the word says
is not my words.
00:06:05:16 - 00:06:07:02
That's in the Bible.
00:06:07:02 - 00:06:08:12
And I remember, you know,
00:06:08:12 - 00:06:13:07
reading Romans 623 where it says,
like the ways of sin equals death,
00:06:13:17 - 00:06:17:12
but the gift of eternal life, you know,
it's true, Jesus Christ the Lord.
00:06:18:04 - 00:06:23:02
And I was like,
Wow, I have never heard that before.
00:06:23:02 - 00:06:27:23
Like, Maybe this is what I was asking for
when I was lonely that one night
00:06:28:10 - 00:06:32:06
where I was asking for answers,
you know, like, I need help
00:06:32:16 - 00:06:35:16
and I'm not quite
sure what that looks like.
00:06:35:17 - 00:06:38:16
And I'm like,
I think what I need is spiritual help.
00:06:38:16 - 00:06:41:04
Like, I'm just dead,
you know? Like, I have nothing.
00:06:42:04 - 00:06:42:23
And, you know, I
00:06:42:23 - 00:06:46:20
decided to receive his forgiveness
00:06:46:20 - 00:06:51:10
and I accepted Christ and, you know,
00:06:51:10 - 00:06:54:22
things really get a lot better immediately
after that.
00:06:55:04 - 00:06:58:08
I still had all these problems
that I was trying to understand
00:06:58:19 - 00:07:01:19
how to navigate, you know, But
00:07:02:04 - 00:07:05:07
the body of Christ really was a very,
00:07:05:13 - 00:07:08:22
very strong influence in my life.
00:07:09:01 - 00:07:12:03
You know, this people like, loved
00:07:12:03 - 00:07:16:04
me and cared about me, asked me questions
00:07:16:04 - 00:07:20:09
and actually, like, helped me
even to find a place where to live.
00:07:20:09 - 00:07:23:07
Like, I mean, they really went beyond
00:07:23:07 - 00:07:26:18
what I've ever would have done
for someone else at that time.
00:07:27:06 - 00:07:30:23
after that,
I feel very excited about my faith.
00:07:30:23 - 00:07:33:07
And I was like, I got to call my parents.
00:07:33:07 - 00:07:35:23
I'm going to tell them about,
you know, like, what's up?
00:07:35:23 - 00:07:37:15
You know, like what I just did.
00:07:37:15 - 00:07:42:03
And so I call my parents, you know,
I call mainly my mom
00:07:42:03 - 00:07:47:13
because I had a pretty bad relationship
with my dad at that time. And
00:07:48:14 - 00:07:48:21
yeah, I
00:07:48:21 - 00:07:51:21
remember sharing the good news
with her multiple times.
00:07:52:03 - 00:07:54:04
Eventually she came to Christ
over the phone.
00:07:54:04 - 00:07:57:00
It was wild.
She'd just pray there with me.
00:07:57:00 - 00:08:00:02
and then, you know, a year
00:08:00:02 - 00:08:03:02
after my sister came to the US
00:08:03:12 - 00:08:06:21
and she saw
my life has changed a little by little.
00:08:06:21 - 00:08:10:12
And was very intrigued, like,
why I care so much about
00:08:10:21 - 00:08:13:17
Bible study and the Word and God.
00:08:13:17 - 00:08:16:17
And eventually she also came to Christ,
you know,
00:08:16:22 - 00:08:20:14
And, you know, with the help
of all of my friends over there,
00:08:20:15 - 00:08:25:17
you know, to share the good news
with her, a year after I flew to Mexico
00:08:26:05 - 00:08:29:20
to visit my family
and have a little sister
00:08:30:05 - 00:08:33:01
and we were in a hammock and she's
been going to Bible study, apparently.
00:08:33:01 - 00:08:37:12
And I asked her questions and eventually
I also share my faith with her. And
00:08:38:14 - 00:08:41:04
she was religious with Christ, too.
00:08:41:04 - 00:08:44:22
And she sat there,
Christ, eventually, years later, my dad.
00:08:45:01 - 00:08:48:00
And none of that would have happened
00:08:48:00 - 00:08:52:19
if it wasn't that God was pursuing me,
you know, through
00:08:53:08 - 00:08:58:15
the friends that I made,
that one friend invited me to home church.
00:08:58:22 - 00:09:03:14
You know, that one invite
what really many invites
00:09:03:14 - 00:09:06:21
that he, you know, sent to me and
00:09:08:00 - 00:09:11:08
I mean, last month, like, my mom
and my dad share the good news with it.
00:09:11:14 - 00:09:13:17
Like my grandparents,
00:09:13:17 - 00:09:16:20
that was the first time I see them
share their, their, their gospel.
00:09:17:05 - 00:09:19:17
And I was like, wow, Yeah.
00:09:19:17 - 00:09:22:14
Like, that's crazy one of the crises
00:09:22:14 - 00:09:25:16
in that was, you know, it's expanded like,
this is this is awesome.
00:09:26:02 - 00:09:28:15
Like, that's what you want to see,
you know, like,
00:09:28:15 - 00:09:31:02
you know, the hope being shared. And
00:09:32:02 - 00:09:34:16
I'm just so
thankful that God that's able to do that.
00:09:34:16 - 00:09:37:00
Like I know even they're now dangerous
doing it on their own.
00:09:37:00 - 00:09:41:03
Now I've never felt this much peace
and like in my entire life,
00:09:41:03 - 00:09:45:18
like if it wasn't for God, you know,
00:09:46:07 - 00:09:49:15
really answering
really the biggest fears of my life,
00:09:49:15 - 00:09:53:05
which a lot of time was loneliness
and death, you know?
00:09:53:08 - 00:09:57:04
And he's provided so much
00:09:57:04 - 00:10:01:01
for good community and fellowship
00:10:01:01 - 00:10:05:09
and just being able to hang out
with trusted friends who also follow God
00:10:05:18 - 00:10:09:23
kind of really,
really helped me a lot on that.
00:10:09:23 - 00:10:15:12
And you know, also the thing
that I I'm never lonely, you know,
00:10:15:13 - 00:10:17:00
I mean, God is there.
00:10:17:00 - 00:10:22:10
I mean, he says and some 139 like work
and I go from your spirit nowhere
00:10:22:11 - 00:10:27:17
like literally I can't hide hide from you
got like everywhere I go you're there and
00:10:28:17 - 00:10:31:04
that gave me a lot of peace to,
you know, to be able
00:10:31:04 - 00:10:35:06
to push through the things
that continue to come in my life,
00:10:35:06 - 00:10:39:00
you know, with the sufferings
that just go through.
00:10:39:00 - 00:10:39:10
You know?
00:10:39:10 - 00:10:45:22
And the way that God can transform
your life is just, you know,
00:10:46:10 - 00:10:49:00
I only made little steps,
you know, kind of
00:10:49:00 - 00:10:52:00
trust him with like, Well,
I'm going to trust you with
00:10:52:00 - 00:10:55:10
being around more people
who believe the same thing, you know?
00:10:55:10 - 00:10:57:06
And what God says.
00:10:57:06 - 00:11:01:12
And that really informs
a lot of my future decisions
00:11:01:12 - 00:11:04:14
and had led to a lot of peace.
00:11:04:14 - 00:11:07:20
And, you know, overall comfort,
00:11:07:20 - 00:11:10:20
I guess, from God.