Pablo and Belu
“My name is Belu.”
It’s the first day of English classes at Iglesia Saldan. A mission team has traveled from Briarcliff church in Kansas City to Saldan, Argentina, to spend a week with the local congregation. Belu is sitting in an English class taught by “Mr. Matt,” learning basic greetings and sentences that she hopes to use to introduce herself to the Briarcliff team later in the day. Iglesia Saldan and Briarcliff Church have had a partnership for years - before Belu even came to church - and the fruit of the resources and friendship shared between the two churches is testimonies like hers.
Belu felt incredibly comfortable on her first Sunday in Iglesia Saldan in 2022. The Lord had recently transformed her son’s life, so when he invited her to church, she was willing to go and learn more. She wasn’t uncomfortable because of the message or the people at church - in fact, she liked hearing from the Word and was curious to understand more about Jesus and the cross.
However, Belu felt awkward because her ex-partner, Pablo, was sitting across the room. Pablo, her son’s father, had been the first of the family to visit Saldan church and come to know Christ. He had invited their son, and now their son had invited Belu. As much as Belu enjoyed learning about the Lord, she had no intention of speaking to Pablo. True, they had once lived together and even had a son, but they had separated years before and hadn’t spoken to each other all that time.
Yet the Holy Spirit called Belu to know more about Christ and his gift of salvation. She knew she wanted to return to church the next Sunday and follow Christ. So she did. She began to go to church every Sunday, read her Bible at home during the week, and let the Word influence her conversation and actions every day. She just sat as far away from Pablo as possible.
Pablo, for his part, was fine with this. He also felt bitterness after a former rocky relationship with Belu. Though he loved the Lord, he was still unsure how to apply his new faith to such an old wound.
Last October, Pablo and Belu attended a spiritual retreat that Iglesia Saldan hosted in the mountains.
Both were eager to learn more about the Lord and grow in their faith - from opposite sides of the room, of course. But as the daily devotions and Bible studies took place, the restorative power of the Word began to tear down their walls. It started with a simple “Hi, how are you” one morning - more words than had been spoken in years. Simple greetings later became short conversations throughout the week, culminating in a serious talk about what the Lord was doing in their lives and how they both felt convicted to forgive one another.
Belu and Pablo knew they needed counseling and a spiritual guide as they sought to reconcile. After the retreat, they met multiple times with Pastor Ariel (leader of Iglesia Saldan) and his wife for counseling. The Lord was moving mightily in their hearts and their relationship. They addressed their hurt with scripture, and the two learned to pray and study the Bible together, bringing their faults and struggles before the throne. After several weeks, they realized the Lord was calling them to be a family again, restored by grace and walking forward in faith. On December 23, 2022, Pablo and Belu were married before God and their church family. They and their son are now sharing a home and are learning to be a household built on the Word.
Back to the first day of English classes at Iglesia Saldan.
It’s 6:00 PM, and today’s English class is finishing. “Thank you, goodbye,” the students practice saying. There’s time for a quick dinner before the workshop starts at 7:00 PM. Pastor Tim Armitage from Briarcliff will be teaching on personal bible study, and both Pablo and Belu have registered to be part of this four-day intensive. The workshops will help Belu and her husband dig into the Bible individually and as a family, a crucial foundation for their young marriage. At 7:15 (Argentine time is always a few minutes late!) Pastor Tim kicks off the workshop. In the corner of the auditorium sit Pablo and Belu - together.