“We are planting new churches in strategic locations. In places unworked for years. Many people here thought it was impossible to start new groups of believers. But people like Nestor are demonstrating that this is possible.”

Nestor is a former businessman and retired taxi driver in Montevideo, Uruguay.

He is also a talented guitar player who used his gifts to do something difficult in this city. Nestor decided to plant a new Adventist church here.

Up until recently, there were few Adventist congregations in Montevideo. Certain parts of the city were completely untouched by the Adventist message. It seemed impossible to reach people in this highly secular society with little interest in religion. But it was here that the Adventist Church of Goes [GO-ehs] started.

Nestor and the other missionaries working with him wanted to use Christ’s method to reach the community. So they mingled with the people and met their needs by starting an Urban Center of Influence.

“We had a lot to offer the community: smoking cessation courses, healthy cooking classes, guitar lessons and spiritual counseling. We served food to the homeless. We offered them guiso, a traditional dish in Uruguay made of lentils and rice. We invited them to spiritual activities too and we saw that God led and brought people to us.”

Many people who were reached by the missionaries began to study the Bible, and in just the

first year of activities of the Goes church plant, five people were baptized. The number of visitors kept growing and the newly formed congregation started to pray for a bigger building.

In 2016, God answered their prayers through your contribution to the 13th Sabbath Offering. Adventist members around the world supported this project and a building was purchased in a busy street between many shops. Since then, the church of Goes has met in a large hall. Approximately 40 people attend Sabbath worship services and welcome visitors from the surrounding region.

“Goes is practically a family. I always feel welcome in this church. Here, I learned the true faith, I learned who the true Jesus is and the true church of God. Because of this, I felt confident to become an Adventist and follow the”

“commandments as Jesus asked us.”

“The world moves very fast, there is time for nothing. And when you find a place, a refuge like this house of God, the people feel good, feel satisfied and decide to take part.”

Through the new church of Goes, God is blessing the city of Montevideo. Nestor is thrilled to see this congregation growing, but there are other areas of the city that need to be reached. So Nestor and the local leadership have planned a church plant in the La Aguada [lah ah-GWA-dah] neighborhood, where more than 200 thousand people live.

“God wants us to open new paths and conquer new lands. Just as the heroes of our faith in the past. We must continue to conquer because time is short and Jesus is soon returning.”

The challenge is similar around the world. Until every member becomes involved in mission, the world may remain largely unreached. Please pray for more people to allow God to use them, like Nestor did. Pray also for the millions of people living in the cities, that they may desire to know Christ. And thanks for your support of the 13th Sabbath Offering.