Living what you preach
By Ángel and Blanca Infantes
EMC Missions, Guadalajara
There go my neighbours on their daily walk. I always greet them when they pass by my house. Juan Manuel and Nena have lived in this neighbourhood for years. We are the newcomers, and our first greeting was the beginning of something we hadn’t imagined.
At first, it was just a courtesy. Over time those exchanges grew. They would stop to remark on the beauty of the day, recommend restaurants, and tell us about dishes worth trying. Those small conversations opened doors. From talks on the sidewalk, we moved to going out for meals together, and from meals to deeper conversations.
Ángel found a kindred spirit in Juan Manuel. They discovered a shared passion for reading and now discuss authors, styles, and writing projects. Nena, meanwhile, quickly struck up a bond with me (Blanca). Our conversations would stretch for hours, full of laughter and memories. These ordinary moments laid the foundation for trust.
When we finally shared the gospel with them, their response surprised us. They said it wasn’t new to them—they had already seen our family’s witness in everyday actions. “There is consistency between what you preach and how you live,” they told us. That affirmation eased a concern we had long carried. In the past, people sometimes withdrew after hearing about our faith. However, in this instance, seeing how our life matched our words opened a door.
Nena showed particular interest. As a child she had attended religious schools but the memories were mixed. She had even been mistreated for being lefthanded. Juan Manuel had good reason to be cautious. He’d seen how religion could harm the vulnerable. Yet, both began to hear the gospel from a fresh perspective; not as an institution that condemns but as a message of healing and freedom.
Nena joined our Wednesday Bible study. On the first day, visibly moved, she stood and said, “This is what I’ve been looking for. I have to tell my sister.” That moment marked a turning point. Shortly after, Paty, Nena’s sister, began attending. Neither had known they were waiting for an invitation like this. Both became steady students of Scripture and living examples of change.
Paty (pink jacket) invites Jesus into her heart. (Photo supplied)
The transformation quickly moved from belief to action. Paty started visiting a neighbour who had become a widow, offering tender help and companionship. “Since she learned about the gospel,” Nena said, “Paty has become more compassionate and available.” Nena invited us to serve at a local home for widows. We accepted gladly. We prepared meals, listened to stories, and offered patient presence—practical expressions of the love they were discovering.
Juan Manuel also began to participate. Where he once closed himself off to others’ stories, he now listened with attention and openness, without the defensive barriers that had protected him from past hurts.
What began as a simple greeting on the sidewalk became the first of many steps toward friendship, understanding, and service. The gospel did not arrive as an abstract doctrine but as shared life: it turned casual conversations into community, distance into closeness, and suspicion into compassionate action. Through consistent acts of love, a neighbourhood has been reshaped, one life, one family, and one meal at a time.
Ángel and Blanca Infantes live in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they seek to draw their neighbours to faith through hospitality and faithful presence.
Audio is generated with AI voice technology.
