José Cepeda came to know the Lord through his wife’s testimony. “I was empty and without hope in my heart,” he says. “When I understood what Jesus did for me, I received it with all my might and I was saved. The transformation, from that moment, was dramatic in my life.”

José lives in Madrid and is the deacon of evangelism at the Good Shepherd Baptist Church. In 2015, he signed up for the church planter training with Multiplication Network Ministries (MNM). Every Saturday there was a meeting, he and his wife would travel the almost 250 miles to Denia to attend. “We did it with great pleasure and expectation,” José says. The trip was worth it.

“What I learned captivated my heart and revolutionized my work as a planter in the historic city of Ávila. It is a beautiful city, charming people but they are far from having a personal experience with Jesus Christ,” José comments.

It was exciting for José to be able to approach the people of Ávila and share that Jesus was their only hope, the One who could give meaning to their lives by forgiving their sins and giving them an abundant life.

José’s mother church helped them in the process of planting a church in Ávila. “God has been bringing people. We have a beautiful building that will soon be too small. That in Spain is uncommon to see; God is wonderful.”

When José heard that more church planter trainings were to be held in Madrid, he spoke in his church and asked if anyone wanted to go. They were able to send 11 leaders who are attending with a vision to start new churches in the neighborhoods and towns of El Espinar, Vallecas, Alcorcón, and Hortaleza.

“I really value the teachings MNM provided to us. It has helped me especially in areas of leadership, intentional evangelization, how to train other leaders, and to have a vision of where we want to go,” José says. “We want to reach our communities with the gospel and MNM is helping us to do it.”