“Here comes the church-boy with his shiny new shoes.” chuckled one of the bullies.
Chucho could feel the heat rushing to his face as the rest of the boys laughed. The ringleader bent down to examine the boots more closely. Chucho stood motionless, trying to look indifferent. He had never been able to stand teasing of any kind. Before he knew quite what he was doing, his fist met squarely with the ringleader’s jaw. All his buddies hollered excitedly as their leader howled in pain. They urged him to teach the “squirt” a lesson, something the older boy didn’t need any encouragement to do.
The fist fight that ensued didn’t take long to attract the attention of the teacher. Both boys were sent immediately to the director’s office. Chucho knew the way to the director’s office well, from frequent visits. His quick-temper, and inability to take even the smallest offense led to no end of trouble for the young boy. He would fight at school, he would fight on the street, he would fight with his uncles and cousins, he even fought with a kid at a Bible camp. One day when Chucho was older, he got angry at another driver at a stoplight. They both got out of their cars and began fighting right in the middle of traffic. The other driver punched Chucho in the jaw. It was a week before he was able to chew anything without intense pain.
Realizing the trouble his son was always into, Chucho’s dad, a devout Christian, made it a point to involve him in his carpentry business. Whenever possible, Chucho would go to the shop and learn woodworking from his father. What he did not realize was the influence his other workers were having on his son. As Chucho’s expertise grew, so did his responsibility. His father trusted him to go to nearby cities to deliver and install furniture. Chucho relished these trips alone away from his parents’ watchful eye, for he had money and freedom, and could do as he pleased. This lifestyle soon led to no end of trouble as Chucho had to hide his true self from his parents. At home he was a hard-working young man, while at school, he became involved in smoking, drinking and relationships.
Chucho’s disruptive behavior soon got him expelled from school. After attempting at three other schools, all with the same result, he gave up on trying to finish High School. Instead he began working at an Industrial Park company. It was here that Chucho’s sinful lifestyle developed even further. He now had more money, more freedom, and was treated as an adult. About this time, Chucho’s parents decided to begin a church plant in the southern section of the city of Irapuato. Now there was a constant flow of visitors coming to the Mendoza’s house for Bible studies and church services. Chucho’s discomfort of being at home was such that whenever possible he would ask his manager for overtime at work. Many weeks, this included working on Sundays which served Chucho’s purposes perfectly. The company bus would pick him up at 4:00 a.m. and some days he would not return home until 10:00 p.m.
With this arrangement, it was not hard to live a double life. All this secrecy weighed heavily on Chucho, however, he simply could not bring himself to tell his parents who he really was. What would people think if they found out that the oldest son of a godly, Christian family who had recently started a church plant in their city, was actually an undercover pagan?
Although his parents knew Chucho was not doing well and would often reason with him and try to correct him, it was not until one hot day, that the truth finally emerged and they realized the extent of the wickedness their son had fallen into.
…but then came Jesus
“I’m going to the fair today.” Chucho half asked, half stated, hoping his parents wouldn’t object. “No. I don’t want you going by yourself.” was the firm reply. “But dad, you don’t understand, some friends of mine are going and they invited me. I won’t be alone.” After much nagging, Chucho finally got his way and headed to his room to get ready for a fun evening out. However, he hadn’t told his parents the whole story. Yes, he wanted to go to the fair, but only because at the fair, there was going to be a concert Chucho really wanted to attend. Knowing his parents would never have approved, he insisted he was only going to the fair. A few hours later, Chucho was enjoying a beer with his buddies, laughing uncontrollably and making a ruckus, when out of nowhere, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He nearly choked on his drink when he turned and saw his father’s steady eyes penetrating his own. He hung his head, handed his beer bottle to one of his drinking companions, and without a word shuffled meekly behind his father. Chucho knew his game was over. He had been caught in the very moment when the bottle was pressed to his lips. His true identity had been discovered and he knew only too well the reprimand that awaited him at home.
“Leave me alone!” Chucho yelled as his parents tenderly yet firmly tried to reason with their wayward son. “I like bad things.” he added in a drunken slur. His mother finally dismissed him, instructing him to go to sleep since there was no point in reasoning with someone who was inebriated.
The following day Chucho’s parents gravely presented him with a choice. He could either submit to their authority or leave. Although outwardly he chose to submit, it was clear that there was an internal battle raging within him. Upon returning from work, he would often hear with envious longing the warm exchanges and lighthearted laughter coming from their dining room as his parents sat with Jose and Maricruz, studying the Bible. Chucho was bothered to think that these strangers could enjoy his family in a way he could not.
“I’ll give you a ride to work today, son.” offered Chucho’s dad as he came downstairs, one Sunday morning. “If we leave right now, I’ll make it back in time for the service.” he added.
Chucho didn’t argue, he simply headed for the door and waited for his dad to unlock the car. On the way, his dad shared a verse with him that he had heard many times before, but for some strange reason, this time it penetrated Chucho’s callous, implacable heart. It was Matthew 16:26, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” His father went on speaking but all Chucho could remember were these words. At that moment the thick, hard shell he had built around himself for so many years began to crumble.
Not long after this conversation, Chucho was sitting on his bed when his mother entered the room. She would often try to talk to him, to no avail, but tonight he didn’t explode in anger or try to cut the conversation short. Instead, he looked up at his mother and with tears streaming down his face he said, “Mother, I’m tired of this life. I’ve hurt so many people. I see you so joyful with Jose and Maricruz, and I, your own son, can’t have that joyful fellowship with you.” Delia’s response was simple. “You need Jesus.” Although Chucho had grown up in church hearing the gospel dozens of times, even sharing it on occasion with outsiders, in that moment, his mother’s words made all the sense in the world to him. Right then and there, he confessed his sins to the Lord and cried out to Jesus for salvation. In Chucho’s own words, “That night the Lord broke my heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh that loved Him.”
It soon became apparent to everyone who knew Chucho that he was indeed not the same person. One day shortly after becoming a Christian, Chucho was on his way to work, when he felt an urge to get away. He no longer wanted to go near the place he had fallen so deeply into sin. By the time he arrived he had already made up his mind. Rather than going his normal route to the worksite, he made a beeline to the office where he turned in his resignation. He returned to working with his dad in the carpentry business where he faithfully stayed on for several years. During this time, he opened up to his parents about his desire to get married. They promised to pray for him with regard to his desire. As he waited, he diligently sought to know the Lord more deeply. Since becoming a believer, he had an overwhelming thirst to read God’s Word, something he had never before experienced. He also began enjoying the activities with the church and getting involved in helping his parents with the ministry.
One day the young people from Irapuato invited the youth from the Salamanca church over for a Bible study. This was the first time Chucho remembered having met Karla. Although he knew her brother well from summer camps, he had never been introduced to her. Little by little a mutual interest formed between the two. One day Chucho felt the need to be upfront with her in regard to his intention that their friendship result in marriage, if she was so inclined. He was honest about his past and confessed that he had made a mess of his life for following his own inclinations, but now he wanted to submit to the Lord’s leading in his life, therefore if she was not interested in pursuing marriage, he would respect her wishes and end their friendship. Thankfully, she had the same desire as he and readily accepted starting a serious relationship. Less than a year later, they were married.
Epilogue: The Lord has blessed Chucho and Karla with three energetic boys, Matthew, Luke and John Mark. After seven years of marriage, they felt the Lord’s leading to move to the nearby city of Moroleon to serve Him fulltime in the ministry. Their desire is to start a church plant.
Note: Chucho asked me if I could possibly add a note to all those workers who labored in love during the boys summer camps when he was a camper. And I quote, “I would like to apologize to all those people whose desire was to lead us to the feet of Jesus and I was a bother with all my bad attitudes during the camp. I thank them for this and for never giving up on us.”