As a shepherdess, Martina resonated with the story of Jesus leaving the 99 to rescue the one sheep who wandered off. Other Bible stories International Mission Board missionaries Phil and Laura Metcalf shared seemed hard for her to understand.
The Metcalfs work with Indigenous communities outside of Oaxaca, Mexico. Martina’s husband, Alfredo, had a Bible that he received in the U.S. He read some, but he didn’t really understand it. Phil offered to study with him, and they met weekly to go over 10 stories, including creation, the problem of sin and who Christ is.
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When the Metcalfs first started Bible studies in this village, Alfredo attended, but it took Martina a while to show interest.
After hearing the stories, Alfredo believed and was ready to be baptized. He waited and prayed, wanting his wife to choose to follow Jesus too, so they could be baptized together. As she struggled to understand the gospel, he moved forward with baptism.
Martina gradually started opening up to Laura, and she agreed to listen to some Bible stories. However, she struggled to understand and grasp the stories. Martina’s parents pulled her out of school after first grade to help raise the family’s sheep and goats. She never learned to read.
Laura faithfully taught her the stories aloud. To help her understand better, they used a flannel board to better visualize the stories. Still, Martina struggled to comprehend, even after multiple retellings. Despite the challenges, they continued to share, trusting something would stick.
Ready to be baptized?
One day, Martina said she was ready to be baptized, but Phil and Laura weren’t sure if she really understood.
“I don’t want to tell her no if she’s willing to follow the Lord, and she seems to have a child-like faith. What do we do?” Laura asked her husband.
On another occasion when they were talking about Martina’s past, Laura asked, “How did you feel when your dad took you out of school?”
“I was so thankful,” Martina replied. She became a shepherdess and loved the opportunity to care for the family’s animals.
‘I am lost and I need a Savior’
The following week, Laura and Phil decided they’d share the parable of the lost sheep, and how Jesus left the 99 to save one sheep. They also told the story on the flannel board. They always share the story twice, and Alfredo repeated it.
Martina latched on right away. This was a story she understood and related to as a shepherdess.
When they asked her, “Who are we in the story?” she answered confidently, “We are the sheep. I’m lost and I need a Savior, and I need Jesus to rescue me.”
Bowing her head and putting her hands together, she prayed, asking Jesus to save her.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Tessa Sanchez and originally published by the International Mission Board.
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