Quarantined at home, Ernesto and Marina Pinto looked online to see what other Spanish-speaking leaders were saying about the Covid-19 pandemic. They were dismayed that some Christians were using the crisis as an excuse to judge and condemn.
“We should choose to bring people to God,” Ernesto explains. “Not use the Bible to infuse panic.”
With technical help from their son, David, Ernesto and Marina began streaming on Facebook Live: the perfect way to share the Good News from their own living room, right to where the people are.
Using practical health issues as a starting point, it was natural to also talk about spiritual health. “Not to just look around us, but to also look up,” says Ernesto.
The first episode was viewed wherever Spanish-speakers live – including Cambodia and Japan!
The live program soon became a daily event. Assisted by Marina at home, and with co-host Omar Mena from Honduras, Ernesto invited guests from all over to describe how the virus impacts their region.
Some guests reported that food security is the most serious issue. Especially in developing countries with no financial or social safety nets, people are more concerned about being hungry than they are about catching the virus.
Ernesto is a firm believer that we can’t separate preaching from doing.
One way he uses media is to influence people. He invites Christians everywhere, especially pastors, to do good in their neighbourhoods.
“Now is the time for the Church to awaken and do good things,” he says.
Media is also an opportunity to shine the light of God’s grace and mercy into the dark places.
Ernesto and Marina are reaching people who have never made time for the Gospel before. They are speaking to people who are hungry both for physical and spiritual food.
“God is good!” exclaims Ernesto. “These extraordinary times bring us extraordinary opportunities to make Him known.”
Ernesto and Marina are giving hope to the hopeless in this pandemic. But they can’t do it alone.
Please pray for them to speak with wisdom and compassion. And please, help them with a financial gift. Your generous donation of $50, $100, $200 – or any amount God puts on your heart – means that they can keep sharing God’s gift of life in this time of crisis.
Help them use this extraordinary opportunity to make Him known!
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