Many children in the town of Villa San Francisco, Honduras do not have the opportunity to finish primary school. Their parents often require them to work in the fields to help provide for the family. It is the reality of this farming community.

Melvin Hernández was one such child. He never was able to learn how to write because he stopped attending school to support the family.

But Melvin doesn’t resent this and remembers how his mother would teach him to read from the Bible. “She always brought me to Sunday school and these teachings stayed with me,” Melvin shares.

When he was invited to participate in the church planter training with Multiplication Network Ministries (MNM), he wasn’t worried about the fact that he couldn’t write.

“I have always wanted to advance the gospel and bring it to others,” Melvin says.

His wife, Leticia Amaya, helped him with the homework he had to complete for the training. Despite the difficulties, Melvin and his wife began to share the gospel with the people of the area.

“We are happy with what God has done so far,” Melvin says. “We learned it is best to start with evangelization, win some people for the Lord, and then focus on discipling them.”

Currently, the new group of believers is meeting in the patio of his house. It has been a blessing for this church planter to see how the new church has been growing. Dany Souceda, a new member of the church, is an example of that growth.

“Melvin invited me to attend and I came with my wife. When we first came, there were only three people but we have been growing. Praise God for that. We are persevering and I thank God we haven’t given up,” Dany shares.

Melvin plans to continue their outreach and to grow his church, numerically and spiritually. They hope to some day open another church nearby.