El Salvador Fertile Soil for the Gospel of Christ, Missionary Says

by Allie Martin
June 8, 2004

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(AgapePress) - A Mississippi resident who has served as a missionary to El Salvador for nearly 20 years says residents of the Central American nation are hungry for the true gospel.

In 1985, Bob Kendrick took a trip to El Salvador, saw a need for evangelism, and responded. Now -- almost 20 years later -- Kendrick Ministries operates a Baptist Bible institute and a radio station, and oversees numerous crusades and outreach efforts in the predominantly Catholic country. Kendrick explains that the environment in El Salvador is ideal for planting seeds of faith.

"For the most part, the door is just wide open; the people are very receptive to the gospel," he says. "I have been treated like a king down there-- they treat me so well. I've not really faced any opposition or even had anyone speak rudely to me in almost twenty years down there. They're grateful that someone's down there trying to help them."

According to Kendrick, often it is easier to preach the gospel in public places in the Central American nation than it is in the United States -- and that despite "cultural differences," the message of the gospel never changes. "They're open to the gospel -- and we don't change the message whatsoever," he says.

He explains that he is able to present the gospel in public schools, parks, and other settings without any restrictions. "A lot of the schools, even the high schools, don't have textbooks or visuals to teach them," he says.

"We have gone in and presented the gospel -- had dramas, had puppets, given the gospel out, given invitations [to accept Jesus]. [We've had] a couple of hundred high school kids weep and accept Christ," the missionary shares. "We leave them a Bible -- and because they have nothing to teach with, they use that Bible. Even [an unsaved] teacher may use that Bible to teach those young people how to read and write."

Kendrick, who lives in Laurel, Mississippi, spends eight to nine months of the year in El Salvador.