“I’m a wanderer,” Carlos once told me, joking about the many moves he’s made in his life. Born in Paraguay but raised in Mexico, he has lived in 7 of its 31 states.

Now a seminary student, Carlos Rosales currently lives in Torreón. While he may not be permanently settled (pastors travel long distances in Mexico – learn more about it here), he has found his grounding in God’s Word.

Being a pastor was not always a dream for Carlos. He says, “I’d always been told I’m a natural leader. In fact, I wanted to be the President of Mexico when I was young. But I didn’t seriously consider being a pastor until recently.”

Then, three years ago Carlos began attending one of our Lutheran churches in the Torreón area. “I immediately identified with the doctrine,” he says.

As he grew in God’s Word, he recognized the strong need to share the Gospel with others. Of all the worries in life, he realized that “the relationship people have with Christ is the one that matters the most.”

Carlos has been studying for a year and a half at the Mexican Lutheran Seminary in Torreón (see a picture of the seminary here). A typical day begins with classes. In the afternoon, Carlos goes to a guitar class. Then he spends time with students from the music school. “We get ice cream or go somewhere to chat. I’m always looking for evangelism opportunities.”

And those opportunities often lead to results. On Mother’s Day, three of his friends from guitar class came to the mission Jesus Bread of Life. They serenaded the mothers.

Carlos is very involved at Jesus Bread of Life. He helps out with the youth group, teaches Sunday School, and assists with liturgy and preaching.

The road to becoming a pastor is not easy. When Carlose entered the seminary, he remembers, “I lost many friendships. People tend to categorize you and stay away.” This is a common occurence in Mexico, where Catholocism dominates. Leaving the Catholic church to join a Lutheran one almost always leads to isolation and broken friendships.

Carlos has found new friendships in the Lutheran Church. “For me, the greatest blessing of the Lutheran Church is the “compañerismo” (fellowship) that we have. I know that here and elsewhere there are others that share my faith.” How true those words are!

Carlos asked me to share his e-mail with other Lutherans. Feel free to drop him a line. English is fine, as he’s fluent in it.

I encourage you to write him. It is so uplifting to hear from fellow Christians, and to know that we are one in Christ, no matter where we are or where we wander. Carlos’ email: carlosaros@yahoo.com.mx