Joel Sandoval

Joel Sandoval grew up in an Adventist home, but his life was not transformed by God’s grace. As a teen he resented the restrictions that the church represented. At age 15 he dropped out of church and joined a gang. He quickly became involved in organized crime, drugs, and spiritism. He had his body tattooed with symbols of the devil and began smoking marijuana. Soon he moved to hard drugs, such as cocaine.

Joel’s parents allowed him to live at home, hoping that he would see the error of his ways. But when he was high on drugs, he often destroyed things in the house and terrified his mother. When the drugs wore off, Joel became depressed. One time he even tried to commit suicide. In spite of his parents’ constant prayers and offers of help, Joel was convinced that no one loved him.

He made fun of his parents and others who invited him to church. Joel hated them for what they stood for; he hated the church; he hated God. In spite of his abuse, his parents and church members continued to pray for him and remind him of God’s unfailing love. His mother was convinced that someday he would return to God and the church.

One night Joel was supposed to join his gang in a battle with another gang. A voice seemed to warn him to not go out that night. He remained home. Later he learned that his best friend had been killed during the fight. Joel realized that the warning voice he had heard was the voice of God. It had saved his life.

As he thought about the past few months, Joel realized that God had been speaking to him, telling him that the life he was leading was wrong. He began to cry, for he saw no way out of his drug-infested life. He began attending church again, but when members welcomed him, he thought they were staring at him. He felt like an outsider and stopped attending.

Joel decided to leave the country. When he told his mother, she cried. Before he left she pressed a small book into his hand. “Please, take this,” she begged. It was a New Testament. And in spite of his feelings about religion, Joel asked her to pray for him.

Joel and five other young men left Honduras, heading for Mexico. They passed through Guatemala and crossed into Mexico. But early one morning they found themselves surrounded by an angry mob who were brandishing knives and guns. The youth realized that these men intended to kill them. The previous day someone had stolen merchandise from a local business, and the mob was convinced that the six youths were the thieves. Spewing death threats, the locals locked the youth in a house, then circled the house with their guns and knives in hand.

Frightened, the boys watched as the locals prepared a noose to hang them. Some swore; others sobbed. Joel thought about how he had disappointed his family and God. He pulled out the New Testament that his mother had given him and began reading.

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Joel Sandoval lives with his parents in northern Honduras. He works in a clothing factory and spends his free time sharing his faith with others.

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