Former Hit-Man Gives Powerful Testimony
Wilson’s father was in the Colombian guerrilla. It was common to see him walk around the house with his ammunition belt girded across his chest. When there was gunfire in the neighborhood, his father was usually a part of it. Violence was so much a part of Wilson’s life, that at age 10 he, too, joined the guerrilla.
Throughout his teen years, Wilson roamed with the guerrilla troops, ravaging the countryside, killing innocent women and children. He remembers laughing at their pleas for mercy, before he and his companions gunned them down. At age twenty, he joined the Colombian paramilitary group, originally organized to protect citizens from the guerrilla, but actually becoming more violent than the guerrilla itself. By age 24 he was one of the paramilitary’s top hit-men.
One day he was sent to kill two Christian ministers who had spoken out against the paramilitary’s atrocities. He found them, cornered them, and took careful aim. But before he could pull the trigger, he began to tremble uncontrollably. No matter how he tried, he could not pull the trigger. The next several nights in dreams he saw a group of Christians carrying their Bibles into a church. He thought to himself, “I would gladly lay down my arms for one of those Bibles.”
A few days later while walking down the street, he came across another Christian. The Christian knew who he was and was frightened, yet he spoke to Wilson and said, “Jesus loves you.” That was all he needed to hear! Wilson fell on his knees weeping, surrendering his life to Jesus.
The paramilitary leaders did not want to lose him. They told him to see a psychiatrist, to take a leave of absence and return when he had worked through his problems. Wilson began attending church. Eventually the paramilitary sent hit-men to eliminate him. On two occasions the same thing happened to the hit-men that had happened to Wilson. They stood before him pointing their guns, trembling uncontrollably and unable to pull the trigger. Wilson led both of them to the Lord!
Today Wilson is a Church of God pastor. He told me, with tears in his eyes, how he had been praying for a Bible institute to open so he could be better trained for effective ministry. Once again, we feel our calling to Colombia has been confirmed.
Wayne and Phyllys Wozniak, Missionaries to Colombia, Church of God World Missions
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