Location: Spain
“Hello… my name is Juan Sánchez Miranda,” said the voice on the other end of the phone when the pastor of an evangelical church in Rioja picked up. “I received a booklet called ‘If You’re Looking for Happiness,’ and your number was in it,” Juan continued. “Are you the parish priest for the evangelical church?”
The pastor clarified that he wasn’t a priest, but his church, just four kilometers from Juan’s village, had recently been trained for outreach with Every Home and had visited Juan. The pastor said he would be delighted to meet with Juan and answer his questions. Not wishing to waste time, Juan asked if the pastor wanted to have dinner that very evening.
Over dinner, Juan shared his story. He was from Benahadux, in southern Spain. For most of his life, he worked tirelessly as a scrap metal collector and street vendor, going door to door, often under the hot sun, collecting and reselling whatever he could find. It was a simple, hard life. Now in his mid-seventies, Juan realized he was living in spiritual silence, without direction or lasting hope.
Juan listened intently as the pastor explained the gospel. He held the gospel booklet from the outreach in his hands the entire time, asking thoughtful questions.
After his conversation with the pastor, Juan began attending church regularly. God was moving in his heart.
Within a few months, Juan gave his life to Jesus Christ and was baptized. Juan then excitedly began to take part in outreaches and share the love of Jesus with others. He often said, “If I found out about God through this little booklet, then others can too.” Juan walked the same streets where he once collected scrap metal, handing out gospel literature and food bags to the homeless. He knew what it meant to be forgotten and overlooked, and now he wanted others to know that God sees them and loves them.
When Juan accepted Jesus, he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, which spread to his lungs. His doctors had given him a bleak prognosis.
Then one day, during a prayer meeting, Juan’s church family prayed for his healing. Miraculously, Juan’s cancer disappeared! Medical tests confirmed it! God gave Juan more than two years of life than his doctors predicted—not just any life, but a restored, joy-filled life. He began to see his family relationships restored. His transformation was visible to everyone around him.
A few years later, Juan was diagnosed with leukemia. But Juan experienced deep peace in his final months. Friends who visited him during this time said that he gave them peace. His faith was unshakable.
“Juan’s life was a loud testimony to God’s grace, power, and relentless love,” writes our team. “In his final years, he experienced what many long for their whole lives: healing, purpose, joy, and salvation. His story reminds us that it’s never too late for God to work in someone’s life, and that even a simple gospel booklet can lead someone to eternity.”
