Missionaries use many tools to accomplish the Great Commission goal of making disciples of all nations. Evangelism is just the start. Once people are saved, they enter the long process of spiritual growth. Sometimes that growth needs specialized help. In this prayer letter, read how Latin America missionaries Josiah and Holly are using biblical counseling as a powerful tool both to lead people to Christ and to help their congregation grow spiritually.

A Ministry Born from Vision and Need

Biblical counseling is the personal ministry of applying God’s Word to those burdened by sin and suffering so they might experience genuine heart transformation and live to please God. When we were invited to pastor our church, part of the call was to help establish this kind of ministry. The church recognized a deep need in the community and had a desire to bring biblical counsel and hope.

Since our arrival, we’ve been training faithful believers in the church to become biblical counselors. While the ministry is still in its early stages and many counselors are in training, God is already drawing people in who are seeking help and healing. Let us introduce you to two lives God is transforming:

Frank — From Self-Leadership to Christ’s Lordship

Frank came to us overwhelmed. As the leader of a major engineering project, he was under intense pressure. The project was crumbling, and in his stress, he turned to marijuana as a coping mechanism. His church attendance had been minimal for years. One Saturday during youth group, he heard about our counseling ministry and asked to meet.

As Josiah listened and shared, it became clear that Frank longed to be a good leader but had never submitted to the ultimate leader—Jesus Christ. Through Scripture, Frank saw that genuine leadership flows from a heart surrendered to God. In God’s grace, Frank trusted Christ as his Savior and Lord!

Frank is now learning how to lead as Jesus led, seeing himself and others through the lens of God’s Word and the Grace of Jesus, seeking to glorify God by leaving behind ungodliness, training his heart to have an affection for what God loves, and faithfully living out Christ-centered leadership. Please pray for Frank. He has just begun his spiritual marathon.

Flavian — From Secret Sin to Shared Victory

Flavian has been active in church for years and showed spiritual maturity on the outside—but inwardly, he was battling pornography. His fight had led to anxiety, health issues, and spiritual discouragement. He came to counseling desperate for change.

One of our first steps was a weeklong study of Psalm 51, cultivating a heart of repentance. Flavian took radical steps to limit temptation and protect his heart. God gave him a victory-filled week—something he had never experienced before. He is now walking through a 31-day devotional study, approaching a month of freedom from this sin. Though he still battles temptation, he’s rejoicing in what God is doing. His anxiety is fading, and even his physical symptoms are improving.

But the story doesn’t end there.

This week, Flavian came to my office after church—with a friend named Roger. Roger had been struggling with the same sin, and Flavian had started to disciple him. In the course of their conversations, Flavian realized Roger didn’t know Christ. And with a counselor’s heart and a friend’s love, Flavian led Roger to faith in Jesus. Praise the Lord! Pray for these men as they fight against sin. Christ has announced the victory on the cross over their sin. May they daily live out this forgiveness.

A Growing Ministry with a Growing Vision

We’ve named our counseling center “Victory”, after our church’s theme verse: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:57

Currently, our team is serving about 15 cases each week, and the need continues to grow.

(All names in this article were changed to protect the ministry’s confidentiality.)