When she first came to Nuevo Israel Church at the invitation of a friend, Shirley Ríos was depressed. The pressures of life weighing her down were beginning to overwhelm her. Her husband was without a job and she had to provide for her family. Everyone in her home had been fighting and the whole situation was very tense.

Although Shirley had always been a part of the local Catholic church, she didn't experience growth in her walk with Jesus like she is now. Her husband, not sure of all the changes happening, respected Shirley's decision to attend Nuevo Israel but had no interest in joining her. But Nicol, Shirley's nine-year-old daughter, enjoyed going to church with her. "God is very important," Nicol says. "When I get home I am going to tell my daddy about God when I get home."

Despite his resistance at first, he started coming with Shirley and Nicol occasionally because he couldn't deny the positive changes that were happening in their lives.

Shirley continues to grow in her faith. A great challenge for her is the emotional distance that has developed between her and her work friends—God had helped her realize her family was more important than partying with them. However, one of the women began to seek her counsel because she knew Shirley was in a Bible study. Shirley uses this opportunity to tell her friend about the Bible.

One of Shirley’s pastors, Miguel Castillo, says this church in Patio Bonito, Colombia, is evidence of God’s presence. “God has been with us. He is directing us to bring the Word of God to a town that does not know Him. It has been a marvelous thing.”