My name is Crystal, and I’d like to tell you my story. I was feeling depressed and lonely, having recently moved to Chicago. My relationship with the father of my third child was rocky, and I struggled as a mom. I was born in Venezuela and had somewhat religious parents, yet our home was very dysfunctional. I found myself living in a big city, feeling very alone.
I was invited to a Thanksgiving/Welcome to the Neighborhood party by people who had helped me when I was at a shelter last year, so I went with my three children. I was touched when Chris prayed for me, so I decided to invite them to my home the following week. When they came to visit me, Chris asked if I would be willing to invite neighbors in my apartment building for dinner, prayer, and a Bible Study. I was so excited that I asked everyone from my apartment building to come to my home.
Several of my friends came to this Discovery Bible Study (DBS), and these times have become a saving grace for me. The father of my child eventually attended, and soon we both wanted to follow Jesus. We decided to get married, and he and I got baptized along with several other people from our group. Our group has now become a small church in our neighborhood, and we are helping other people come to Jesus. We believe that Jesus has called us to make disciples, and several members of our church are hosting DBS groups in their apartments. God has truly blessed us since we arrived in Chicago.
[Chris leads a Spanish ministry for New Generations.]
