Born in Mexico to a very large, traditional Catholic family, Isidro has always felt the presence of God walking with him, guiding him to help other Spanish speakers find Christ.

When he was a young boy, Isidro and his eldest brother were walking through their neighborhood when they saw the remains of a human body. Instantly traumatizing him, Isidro became unable to speak or walk. When the local doctors couldn’t find a cure, they suggested that his parents take him home and administer the Last Rites of the Catholic Church to him.

His parents agreed to the sacrament in observation with the traditions of the Catholic Church. However, his grandparents were unable to accept their decision and they took Isidro into their home and cared for him. After two years without improvement, they decided that they would take him to the Catholic Church and have the priest administer Last Rites. When they returned home, Isidro asked for a glass of water and was able to talk. Then he began the long, arduous process of learning how to walk again.

After making a full recovery, Isidro went to a Catholic school where he felt called to become a priest. As he studied scripture, he realized, “faith was about love and caring for others by following in Jesus’ example,” and not simply about following tradition.

Isidro continued to read and study the Bible daily, but decided to leave the seminary and go to the University to study agronomy. He remained strong in his faith because he knew God had a different plan for him. When Isidro moved to Dallas, he began to look for a church that offered a Spanish service. One afternoon, as he was walking around his neighborhood, he found one, but as he was about to enter, two men told him that he was not welcome at the church. Disheartened because they were also Hispanic, Isidro left, but he had a feeling that he should keep walking. A few blocks later, he found another church that also offered a Spanish service. Isidro walked inside and sat down at the front of the church to pray.

The pastor came in and started the service. When they got to the Passing of the Peace, Isidro turned around to offer the Peace to those around him and realized he was the only person at the service. After learning this was the church’s first Spanish service, he knew the pastor had done the service just for him, and he thanked God for leading him to this church. Feeling that God called him there to help grow the service, he joined this Lutheran church and helped the pastor bring in more parishioners. When the pastor recommended Isidro for Lutheran seminary, he began taking classes. As the church grew, the pastor asked Isidro to be on the call committee to search for a second pastor. Pastor Varinia received and accepted the call, and later, she and Isidro married.

With Pastor Varinia’s call to Good Shepherd, Isidro is continuing to find ways to help grow the faith of the Hispanic community in the metro St. Louis area. Currently, he spends his time fixing used cars to help those in that community who need transportation, while also ministering to them. He assures them that God has always walked by his side, and reminds them that God is walking with them as well.

Thanks to the generosity of those at Good Shepherd, we are able to offer many Bible study groups along with three different types of worship services that reach different members of our varied communities to “walk with God” in a way that is meaningful for their faith journey.