about one of our Four boys

By Lina Urban

Greetings to all! I write to give a quick update and encouraging report about one of our boys. As many of you know last summer I got news that Angel our youngest would not be allowed to finish kindergarten at home. The DIF (equivalent to CPS) said that kindergartners were not allowed to be homeschooled and told me I had to send him to school. With sadness I sent our little boy to a public school in the middle of one of the worst neighborhoods in Guadalajara. I debated within me to enroll him there or put him in a private school. I kept having much peace about leaving him in the public school. Many people in our church would tell me how that would affect Angel that he would pick up bad things from the kids in that school. Still the Lord gave me much peace. His first day of school he got bullied. One of his classmates stole something from the teacher and wanted Angel to cover up for him. Angel refused and told on him. The boy got furious and grabbed Angel and slammed him into a wall and shouted at him. I only found this out because at lunch time Angel asked that we please pray for his school mate's salvation. He then proceeded to tell me what had happened. I counseled him to love his enemies and to bring his enemies some cookies the next day, which he did with gladness. A few days later he shared with me excited about how he had preached to some of the teachers of his school. I said, "really, what did you preach to them?" He said, "I asked them if they knew what propitiation was, they didn't know so I taught them what it was and how Christ is our propitiation." 

As the months passed I more and more saw how being in school didn't change him a bit in a bad way. I actually saw how it helped form more character in him and make him stand on his convictions. There were a few times we got called in by his teacher because Angel would refuse to do some activity that would go against his convictions. He stood very firm till the end. The end of his school year came to an end last week.

On Monday I took him to school only to be told by the teacher he wasn't allowed to come to school all week because he had pink eye. She told me to just bring him to his graduation. We said our goodbyes to her and thanked her for teaching Angel. We then proceeded to say our goodbyes to the principal. We thanked her and she solemnly told me, ''Angel is an apostle". I couldn't help but laugh at what she said, I know he's not an apostle and that just sounded so silly to me. She then very solemnly held my hand and said, '' Truly, he is an apostle." She told me that I had no idea how much Angel had taught her. She said, ''he came in here and he taught us''. She told me how she knows he's of a different religion but he taught her so much. She started weeping uncontrollably and hugged and kissed him and thanked him for teaching her. She said she had lived life taking God for granted and many of His truths, but that Angel helped her understand so many things. She also told me how he was so noble, that through the school year if there was ever a teacher that didn't come to school that he would go into the principals office asking, ''where is so and so teacher, is she OK?'' She admired his care and love for others. We all wept and hugged each other and said our goodbyes. On the way to to car Angel told me, "Mommy I taught them everything daddy taught me, everything". What a faithful little imitator of Josef this little one has been! May the Lord use him mightily to bring many souls to the feet of Christ. A few days passed and I took him to his graduation. He was so happy but sad to leave the school and those he loved behind. As we walked away he ran to hug the principal and when we left she waved from afar and said, " Goodbye preacher, goodbye preacher."

Brethren, I write this not to advocate that we send our children to public schools. I know without a doubt that this was a special call for Angel. I wrote this to encourage you to pour into your children. Fill them with the Word of God, with love, with godly example. Cover them with much prayer and fasting. 

I remember when I first got these kids I got so sad, I would cry so much because I couldn't go out into the streets and evangelize like I used to. The Lord later showed me I was to mainly evangelize these four boys and now our own little Josiah. I still pass out tracts and talk to people in my daily life when I'm at the store or at a restaurant or even when the Lord brings people to my door, I'm not advocating only evangelizing your children either. THere's a lost world out there in need of Christ may we with our families reach them with the Gospel. 

I love you all and thank you so much for your prayers. Please pray for our five boys, for the principal, and for me and Josef to continue to pour into the lives of these little ones.