From Forgiveness & Grace to Growing God’s Kingdom
Pastor Abel Pérez Mederos and his wife, Diana Torres Reyes, are two of the humblest people you’ll ever meet. Married for almost thirty years, they view challenges and hardships as opportunities and always face them with a smile. For instance, they consider caring for family not as a chore but as a privilege. They’ve cared for her 57-year-old uncle with Down syndrome, who is now facing dementia, for many years. Also, her mom lives with them. Beyond her mom and uncle, they have two grown daughters, Dayany and Daniela, and two grandchildren.
Diana said, “Living with him and mom is a blessing. We thank God for all the years He has allowed us to have him. We’re having a hard time because of the dementia. He doesn’t know us sometimes, but he does at other times. God gives us strength.”
To be so grounded in their faith, one would think they’ve always known the Lord. But that’s not their story, and interestingly, it didn’t start with Abel.
Diana was stressed, depressed, and very nervous all the time because she struggled with her father-in-law’s past alcoholism issues. Two missionaries came into town and had a small church. Diana’s daughter started attending church with a neighbor. Their daughter shared how they pray for sick people at church, and many were healed. This sparked Diana’s curiosity, so she went to church the following Sunday, too. She opened her heart to Jesus Christ and confessed to Him as the Lord and Savior at that service.
After that service, she attended every Sunday, was passionate about God, and prayed. While everything seemed perfect, she still felt something needed to change. God spoke to her about forgiving her father-in-law. She listened, and as soon as she forgave him, her stress, depression, and anxiety disappeared. She hasn’t felt the same way since then.
A month later, Abel joined her at church and took his vows. Initially, coming to church was challenging for him. He struggled with past sins and his current lifestyle despite having accepted Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, he maintained faith in God. Then, one day, his friends said that he wasn’t living as a Christian but was going to church. He responded that he wasn’t Christian and wasn’t attending church. God spoke to him at that moment, and a Bible verse came to mind.
The verse was Matthews 10:33, “But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven.”
Abel was ashamed of going to church and didn’t want to accept his Christianity to his friends. But this pivotal moment changed everything for Abel. He felt proud. The Holy Spirit transformed his heart, confirmed his decision, and guided him to work for God full-time.
They became Christians 18 years ago and have served as pastors for over 14 years. Their ministry includes outreach, evangelism on the streets, and visiting people in Christ with thirty-five congregation members as part of their church. They hold a Sunday service, a men’s service once a week, fasting and prayer on Wednesdays, and lead many local groups called cells to spread God’s Word further in the community.
Abel and Diana are a true team in marriage and ministry. Abel is never alone in serving God and leading the church. They visit the elderly, congregation members, and nonbelievers to share the Word and bless others in the community. Also, Diana leads a women’s ministry where she holds services for women and times of prayer. She also leads a children’s ministry.
After Diana began serving God full-time, she discovered her talent for baking. A true gift from God, this talent allowed them to sell cakes to support themselves and bless others by making their special occasions memorable. It started with selling cakes to other families at their daughter’s school. After the girls graduated from school and with the rise of social media and technology, she began posting photos of her exquisite designs for people to request a custom cake.
When the equipment for baking breaks, Abel’s resourcefulness gets her baking business back up and running quickly. Recently, the oven needed fixing. Abel originally crafted this oven with pieces from other cooking equipment. He needed a part, so he looked on the black market. He couldn’t find the exact item he needed but found a part he could use to adjust and make it work.
Diana said, “We try to take advantage of what we have and make it work for what we want. God is always with us, opening doors for us. He gave my husband the wisdom to keep the business going and for us to continue surviving.”
As with many things they do together, they dream and plan for the future of the ministry. This summer, they plan to host a large event for kids, including Bible lessons, games, snacks, and more. Looking ahead, they want to spread the Gospel beyond their community by establishing more small groups and missions. Their hearts are set on building and growing God’s Kingdom, and that is precisely what they intend to do.
