Mission Field Now Stories | Ricardo

You’ve heard about Marcelo and Kelly before—how not long ago they became Christians in São Paulo, how they came to understand that following Jesus naturally meant sharing Jesus with others. And when they immigrated to San Diego because of Marcelo’s job transfer, they didn’t see that move as an interruption of their faith, but as an extension of it. They sensed God calling them to open their home and their lives to other Brazilian immigrants—people like them—through prayer, conversation, and the Word.

Today, in this episode of our “Mission Field Now” stories, we want to introduce you to Ricardo*.

Ricardo is connected to Marcelo through work—he is related to Marcelo’s boss—and Marcelo and Kelly first met him in that setting, at his boss’s home. From the beginning, they sensed something deeper. Ricardo seemed to be carrying more than he could manage alone. Something was heavy. Something was missing.

They offered help—not answers, not sermons—but presence. They invited him into their home.

At that time, Ricardo was living alone. He struggled with anxiety attacks that at times left him completely paralyzed. Sleep was difficult. Peace felt distant. Slowly, in the safety of that space, he began to open up. What first caught his attention wasn’t doctrine or church—it was prayer. The simple, honest way Marcelo and Kelly spoke with God.

Ricardo became curious. Then attentive. Then receptive.

He began learning how to pray—not as a technique, but as an act of surrender. Little by little, he started placing things into God’s hands. One moment stands out clearly: before a job interview that had filled him with intense anxiety, Ricardo sent Marcelo a voice message. He said he had prayed—and that God had given him peace. Not certainty about the outcome, but peace. And even joy.

For a season, Ricardo walked closer. Then, as often happens, he drifted. Old patterns called him back. Old habits. Old ways of coping with life. He stepped away.

But Marcelo and Kelly didn’t.

Like Paul in Athens, they kept going back—not with pressure, but with persistence. Inviting him for coffee. Spending time together. Sharing meals. Listening. Showing up. Trusting that the God who creates and sustains life does not abandon His work halfway through.

Eventually, Ricardo returned. This time, in the middle of another deep anxiety crisis, something changed. Instead of running, he knelt—on his knees—and prayed. Not just for relief, but with trust.

Later, Ricardo said something simple and profound:
“Today, I have peace in my heart—regardless of the answer to my prayer.”

Ricardo’s spiritual life is still under construction. There are no shortcuts here, no finished testimonies tied with a bow. But there is real movement. Real trust. Real peace taking root.

Marcelo and Kelly continue walking with him, beginning where Paul began in Athens—with the God who gives life and breath and everything else. With the First Article of the Creed. And with the hope that, in time, this same God will lead Ricardo deeper into the person and work of Jesus.

This is something to pray for.
For patience.
For perseverance.
For the quiet, faithful work of the Spirit—who finishes what He begins.

* Name has been changed.