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Luis Alonzo ~ Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Print E-mail

I was born in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on July 1, 1970.

Before I was saved, I wanted nothing to do with the Bible or religion. I lived to have “fun” and when I wasn’t working, I played soccer with my friends.

In the Fall of 1997, my mother announced to our large family that she was going to a gospel meeting in the Gospel Hall in Puerto Vallarta. When she asked me to come, I laughed and told her, “I already know the Bible. Then I began to blaspheme the name of God.

I continued to live my life of sins. I always thought that if I did enough good works that I would go to heaven. I didn’t know the Bible says this is wrong. Salvation is “not of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). I thought I was a good person and better than all the drunks, drug users, murderers and thieves.

My whole family went to hear the gospel. I laughed and made fun of them. One by one, though, my family members got saved.

As the days passed, I secretly became curious about salvation. One day, I decided I was going to a meeting. I couldn’t believe it. It seemed that when they preached the gospel, they were preaching right at me and about me. It was as if they knew all about me. I felt terrible inside.

A few days later, as I struggled with what I had heard at the meeting, it was as if a voice inside me said, “Luis, you are a very bad sinner. You need to be saved.” This made me start going every night to the meetings.

After a few nights, I suddenly realized, they were preaching God’s word and it wasn’t affecting me. I didn’t feel concerned at all. Immediately I thought of the Bible verse that says, “Harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15). I became worried that perhaps I had hardened my heart against God and now there was no salvation for me. Immediately I began to pray to God longing that He have mercy on me give me another opportunity to be saved.

That night, December 26, 1997, I didn’t really pay close attention to the preaching. All I could think about was being saved. About 10 minutes before the close of the meeting, I remember thinking of the words of the Lord Jesus, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). Then, I realized, if the Lord Jesus came to call sinners, I am a sinner. He came to call me. Right then, I understood that salvation is a very personal matter.

Later I read John 3:17. I understood it like this, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn Luis, but that Luis through Him might be saved.” That night the Lord Jesus became my personal Saviour.

The Bible says, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). I don’t know whether I am the chief (worst) sinner or the best, the first or the last. But I do know this, Christ Jesus came into the world to save ME!


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