 Birthplace: My name is John Steven Zúñiga Aguilar. My parents are: Pablo Eduardo Zúñiga Casapía y Marleny Angélica Aguilar Corrales. I have a half brother and 3 other siblings: Evelyn (24), Renzo (20), and Liz (8). I was born on March 1st, 1987 in the district of Arequipa, in the province of Arequipa , that is in the department of Arequipa , Peru .
How I came to Know Christ: I come from a non-practicing Catholic family. The kind that does not go to church, get baptized, does not participate in neither the first communion nor the confirmation rituals. My father never showed much respect for us or for our mother. My father was very quick tempered and said whatever he thought. Because of this we kept quiet as kids. When we got older my brother Renzo, who was already saved at the time would try to reason with him. My bother invited me to go to church and after much insisting I went. While at the service I really thought it was interesting and could not wait to go back. When I did, I heard a message that missionary Austin Gardner was preaching about the suffering of Christ on the Cross and of all the love that He had for me. At the invitation I surrendered and asked for forgiveness from my sins and asked Christ to save me. I was 15.
How Christ has changed my Life: Before accepting Christ I was very rebellious and normally was in the street all day long, only coming home to eat and sleep. I spent more time with my friends playing video games and being on the Internet. I was very disrespectful with everyone even if they were older than me. I was always going to parties although I did not sty out too long since my father had rules and a certain amount of control over us. After coming to know Christ, He put a desire in me to go to church faithfully. I broke up with the girl I had going out with because know that relationship did not please god. I started to share the Gospel with friends in my high school. My family did not oppose the change in my life but was grateful for it. Y dad once told me to just go live at the church because I was always over there anyway. Now my family is all saved except for my sisters. However my father and mother have not yet learned to live Christian lives. My older sister is very stubborn but I continue to pray that her and my younger sister might be saved. I also pray that my parents might be faithful and learn to encourage the rest of the family to live the way Christians should.
My Calling into the Ministry: After being saved for 7 months I started to work in the music ministry, in the Sunday School class and in the young peoples meeting. Everything was going great until that December I got away from God after receiving some advise about how if I continued in the things of God I World end up being a poor nobody. I then decided to go into getting a career in English and Hotel management. I fell into the worldly things I used to do before. I started hanging out with girls and going to parties. Then one night I saw a procession in the center of the town. I saw many people on their knees following the procession. They were slaves to their own ignorance and I realized their need. God began to work in my heart and I could not sleep. I went back to church and talked to my pastor, who had just had an eye surgery and had a bandage on his eye. He said that a man in his position cannot afford to rest” and continued with the bandage on his eye.
God continued to work in my Herat and show me the true path that He wanted for my life. I decided to study for the ministry but I was no0t sure if that was what god wanted me to do. That was when Christ Gardner told us about the opportunities of serving god in the field of TV communications. After talking to my Dad about it he agreed and I went in to study at the Seminary. I am now in my second year of my preparation. The seminary has been like a home for me. I have found older brothers in the faith that have helped me, helped formed my character and helped direct me in the things of the Lord. The Seminary has been like a spiritual nursery for me, like a preparation for what is to dome. We have difficulties here but it is only a preparation for the real challenges that will be out there for us.
My Plans for the Future: I believe it is in the Hill of God that I help with the TV communications ministry. We help spread the salvation message throughout all Arequipa . WE plan on establishing a TV ministry in any and every area where we begin a missionary work to help and strengthen the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has placed a burden in my Herat for Spain , since this is where we could more easily send a signal to the continent of Africa . There may be a need for me to learn other languages but I am willing. Right now I am struggling learning English but I will face any challenge that the cause of the Cross has for me. |
