Book in Glove Compartment Changes Family in Peru
The 10-year-old boy took the book to Father. He had never read the Bible. Father hadn’t either.
Little Cesar dreaded Father coming home from work in Peru.
Father, who drove a dump truck, stopped to buy beer. When he arrived home, he was drunk, and he wanted to argue with Mother.
Cesar didn’t like to hear his parents arguing every night.
Then everything changed. One day, Father didn’t come home drunk. Instead, he was carried into the house by some friends. His legs were paralyzed, and he couldn’t walk. He couldn’t move his arms and fingers either.
Cesar learned that Father had lost all feeling in his arms and legs while driving the dump truck. Fortunately, someone called for help. At the hospital, the doctor said something was wrong with Father’s nervous system but didn’t know what to do.
Father went to another doctor, but he couldn’t help either. Father visited a third and a fourth doctor, and he still couldn’t walk. A friend suggested that Father go to a witch doctor. Father asked several witch doctor for help, but they couldn’t do anything.
After all the doctors and witch doctors, Father used up all his savings and, since he wasn’t working, didn’t have much money left. He didn’t know what to do. Cesar also didn’t know what to do, and he was worried. He wanted Father to walk again.
Book in the Car
Then Father asked Cesar to run out to the family car.
“You’ll find a black book in the glove compartment,” Father said. “Bring it to me.”
Cesar took the book to Father. On the cover was written “Holy Bible.” Cesar had never read the Bible. Father hadn’t either.
Father told Mother that a Seventh-day Adventist co-worker had given him the Bible several years earlier at work, but he had left it in the car. Now he wanted to read it and see whether God could heal him.
Father read the Bible every day, and he prayed to God. Cesar heard him praying, “Dear God, please give me a second chance. I won’t drink anymore, and I will be a good father.”
As the days passed, Cesar saw that God had heard Father. Feeling slowly returned to Father’s hands and legs, and he began to walk again. Cesar was so excited!
When Father read the Fourth Commandment for the first time — “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” in Exodus 20:8 (NKJV) — he remembered his Adventist coworker.
Looking for God
“Let’s go the Adventist church next Sabbath,” Father told Mother.
The nearest Adventist church was in the next town, and Father, Mother, and Cesar piled into the car. But when they reached the church, the doors were locked. Church members had gone to a church event in another town.
Disappointed, Father didn’t try to go to church again for several months, but he kept reading the Bible and praying. He also returned to work as a driver.
Cesar was happy. Father no longer came home drunk after work. He didn’t argue with Mother. Cesar ran to him when he came home and followed him around the house.
One day, Father said to Cesar, “I heard that there will be evangelistic meetings this week at church. Would you like to go with me?”
Mother didn’t want to go, so father and son went every night that week. They loved what they heard about Jesus and His soon coming. On the last night, the preacher asked who wanted to be baptized, and Father went to the front.
The preacher was pleased that Father wanted to give his heart to Jesus, but he said that he needed to take Bible studies first. He also said Father needed to marry Mother.
Praying for His Parents
Cesar decided to pray about the matter. After all, God had heard Father’s prayers to walk, so why wouldn’t God hear his prayers for his parents to be married?
Cesar prayed every day, “Loving Father, I ask You for my mother and my father to be married.”
Father and Cesar also attended church every Sabbath, but Mother refused to go.
“Please, Mother, come with us,” Cesar said. “Put God first.”
“Not today,” Mother said. “I have so much to do.”
But as the weeks passed, Mother noticed big changes at home. Father always spoke kindly to her, and Cesar always obeyed her promptly. Cesar even came to her and asked how he could help around the house.
After a few months, Mother said, “I want to go to church with you and Cesar. I want to see what is happening at church that has made the hearts of my men so kind.”
Cesar was so happy! Just a few months later, he became even more happy. His parents were married and, after the wedding, baptized.
With no church in their town, Father and Mother opened a house church in their home. Neighbors started coming, and soon 20 people were attending every Sabbath. Cesar started a youth program. Even though he is only 10, he leads a group of about eight young people aged 14 to 21 every Sabbath afternoon.
Cesar is happy that God answers prayers. His new prayer is for a church building in his town.
Short interviews with Cesar Manuel Condor Ttito and his father. In English and Spanish. (Andrew McChesney / Adventist Mission)
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