Ana Patricia and Ernesto met Mauricio (pictured with his son) in 2006 in Chile, when their sons attended the same school, but they lost contact after they moved to Australia.
Then in 2019, Mauricio sent Patricia a message on Facebook, and she replied with a link to a sermon she had recently preached at the Springvale Spanish Adventist Church. Mauricio was not interested in anything spiritual, but the sermon touched his heart, so he replied telling about his anguish to watch his seventeen-year-old son Camilo battle with cancer.
Ana Patricia asked Mauricio if he would accept a prayer. He agreed, as he was willing to try anything that could help. They prayed over the phone, each one of them kneeling down at their place of work. Patricia also shared the prayer request with the various small groups of the church, and members began to pray.
Suddenly, COVID-19 forced the closure of churches and the Springvale Spanish Church moved all of its activities, including small groups, to Zoom and Whatsapp.
Prayers for Camilo and Mauricio continued in the different meetings online. Meanwhile, the teenager became depressed, so Patricia, Ernesto and their sons decided to record and send videos to encourage him. Camilo’s family and friends were shocked at the loving gesture from these Christian strangers on the other side of the world.
One day, Ernesto invited Mauricio to attend a live worship service on Zoom. It was the first time the church saw the face of the man they were praying for. It was also Mauricio’s first time attending church. He was stunned to find so many friendly people who knew his name and who had been praying for his son. He also appreciated the music, the prayers and the sermon. Since then, he has joined every church service and Sabbath School held by the Springvale Spanish church on Zoom.
Not long after that, Mauricio shared the wonderful news that Camilo has been cured of the cancer. He also revealed that he had promised God that he would study the Bible if his son was healed. So in July 2020, Ana Patricia and Ernesto began studying with Mauricio via Zoom.
Mauricio says that he is a new man, and he acknowledges that God used his son’s disease and the coronavirus pandemic to bring him closer to Jesus and the Church.
The Lord listens to the prayer of His people. Whether we meet in buildings or from the comfort of our homes, if we unite in our petitions, we will witness many wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Written by Pr. Jonathas Newlands
Patricia and Ernesto loved Mauricio to God