Services
Henry Farfan from Lima, Peru, was invited to Mars Hill Albuquerque when subtitles were first introduced. After hearing and reading the gospel message in his native Spanish, Henry was saved. Shortly after being saved, the Holy Spirit led Henry to repent to his ex-wife and 7-year-old son. After seven years of being divorced, Henry has remarried his ex-wife, Veronica, and is striving to be a godly husband and father.
Leadership
Andres from Mexico was brought up in the Catholic Church but at age 30 was a professing atheist. He was saved in one of Mars Hill’s first Español Community Groups and was baptized at Mars Hill Albuquerque. He is now seeking opportunities to lead.
Community
Raised in a Spanish-speaking home, Carlos Hernandez, a firefighter, husband, and father of two boys, has known the need to bring the gospel to fellow Spanish speakers but has been hesitant to act. After seeing the Holy Spirit moving among the Español ministry at Mars Hill Albuquerque, Carlos has been compelled to start living missionally. Carlos and his wife will be the next couple to start an Español CG beginning this month.
Training
After serving as a missionary and helping plant a church in Peru, Abiel Diaz realized the calling on his life to plant churches as well as his need to be trained in a gospel-centered church. Abiel met Pastor Dave Bruskas in the summer of 2009 and learned about Mars Hill and its mission to make disciples and plant churches. Abiel moved his wife and two sons to Albuquerque the following December and has been training to become a pastor and church planter since.
Translation
We have around 50 people in Spanish-speaking CGs, but this is not where the benefits stop. Having subtitles allows all 900+ attenders of Mars Hill Albuquerque to invite anyone they know whose primary language is Spanish.
Another encouraging part of translation is it serves churches outside of Mars Hill like Zona Vertical of Torreón, Mexico. Pastor Carlos of Zona Vertical recently wrote that Mars Hill has been an amazing influence in the lives of him and his staff and that he is grateful for all the resources Mars Hill puts out. Pastor Carlos recently began classes at Zona Vertical using the translated Real Marriage content. Speaking of the content in Real Marriage, Carlos wrote:
It has been challenging to be confronted with clear biblical truths about marriage . . . it’s teaching us how our families can shine as a testimony of the grace and truth of Jesus in our communities.
