Meet “Miguel,” a dedicated Venezuelan missionary who tirelessly distributes Bibles and trains others to carry out missionary work in his country. One of his main tools for training is the SOM-Latin America film La Montaña. He has his trainees watch the movie before sending them out, telling them, “This is what you need to do.”

The Struggles and Strengths 

Miguel’s journey has not been without challenges. Over the past three years, he has been kidnapped twice. On one occasion, a dangerous terrorist group in Latin America demanded $5,000, and he didn’t call anyone on his team for help to get the money for fear of getting others in trouble. Just before they were about to execute him, Miguel asked if he could pray. Surprisingly, his captors granted him permission. He intended to pray for himself and his family, but the Lord moved his heart to pray instead for his captors and their families.

A Prayer That Changed Everything

Hearing his prayer, the group’s commander ordered him to stop and demanded, “Are you a pastor?”

Miguel replied, “Yes, I am.”

The commander shouted, “I don’t believe you! Where is your Bible?”

Miguel explained that he didn’t have it with him but offered to show a picture of it on his phone. When Miguel showed the picture of the Jubilee Bible, the commander’s demeanor changed. It turned out the terrorist’s mother was also a Christian, and although he was deeply involved in evil things, he still held great respect for Christians. Immediately, the commander ordered Miguel to be set free.

An Unexpected Gift

As Miguel was leaving the area by bus, he received an unexpected phone call. To his surprise, it was the commander. Fearing the worst, Miguel hesitantly answered, only to hear the commander offer to donate a truckload of chickens for Miguel’s children’s ministry! Miguel didn’t receive the offering because it was blood money. He immediately destroyed his phone’s sim card to avoid getting contacted again.

The Unseen Heroes of Missionary Work

Miguel is one of the many unknown missionaries that SOM-Latin America has helped with providing Bibles, Christian reading materials, and movies. An army of people are evangelizing Venezuela and Colombia. With the Jubilee Bible, the team not only provides free Bibles but also covers the transportation costs of distributing them, which no other organization does in Venezuela. When Customs officials saw the Bibles and noticed that the back cover said the Bibles were free, they waived the shipping costs!

Reaching the Remote Areas

These Bibles have reached even the most rural areas of Venezuela. One time, Miguel wanted to print materials for children to help them learn how to read, but it was too expensive to produce them in Venezuela. He found a book that had contact information for a printing press in Colombia and decided to call them.

He asked for a quote to print 1,000 learning materials for children, and their pricing was so reasonable that they were able to print ten times that amount. These books are now being used in schools and indigenous communities throughout Venezuela to teach children how to read so they can eventually read the Bible.

Gratitude and a Call for Support

Miguel said, “I want to thank everyone who supports this missionary work. Even though I may not know you personally, your contributions are seeds planted in this ministry. It is impossible to continue this challenging work in the jungles without your prayers and financial support. We need you to keep sustaining this mission—through prayer and giving—so that we can continue reaching these remote areas. This is a frontline battle, and it requires commitment and courage.”

Miguel said he is inspired by Russell Stendal’s dedication and emphasizes the need for more workers to join the work. “We need more workers—more people willing to risk their lives for the eternal cause, not for fleeting or lost ones.”