Seeds Planted Years Ago Are Still Bearing Fruit
The story of Sharon, Roxana, Sendry, and a family God has patiently continued to reach
One of the greatest lessons the Lord continues to teach us in mission work is that His timetable is rarely the same as ours.
Sometimes we faithfully teach God’s Word and see little or no immediate response. Years may pass before we begin to understand what God was doing beneath the surface.
This is one of those stories.
Seeds Sown Many Years Ago
About fifteen years ago, I began studying the Bible with several members of one extended family. Among them were Sendry, her husband Walter, and other relatives. I also studied with Roxana Hernández and with Sharon’s parents, Beto and Raquel.
At the time, there seemed to be very little visible fruit. Sharon’s parents did not respond to the gospel, and the family did not become consistently involved with the congregation. For a long time, it appeared that the studies had produced no lasting results.
But the seed of God’s Word had not disappeared.
A Grandmother Brings Her Granddaughter
Roxana Hernández had previously been baptized and had faith in the Lord. After several years away from regular fellowship, she began bringing her granddaughter Sharon to worship with us.
Sharon studied the gospel and, on July 27, 2025, at thirteen years of age, she confessed her faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized into Him.
We did not treat Sharon’s baptism as the end of the process. It was the beginning. For several weeks afterward, I continued giving her personal Bible studies to help her become rooted in the faith. Her grandmother Roxana was present during those studies.
Sharon is now fourteen years old and has become one of the most active members of our youth group. Together with Tracy, another young woman who recently came to Christ, she invites friends to Sunday morning Bible classes and to other activities organized for the young people.
An Old Seed Begins to Grow Again
Roxana Hernández is Sendry’s aunt. Through the family relationship, Sharon’s baptism, Roxana’s renewed involvement, and the visible changes taking place, Sendry’s spiritual interest began to awaken again.
The Bible studies I had shared with Sendry and her family approximately fifteen years earlier had not been forgotten. In June 2026, Sendry began gathering with us again.
Sendry is a hardworking businesswoman. She operates businesses in and around Heredia, including a nutritional beverage business, beauty and personal-care services, and a bakery. Despite the many demands on her time, she is showing a renewed hunger for the things of God.
Recently, during a sermon about Jesus declaring His followers to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world,” Sendry listened carefully and took detailed notes. She later shared those notes in the Church of Christ in Heredia’s group chat, allowing the entire congregation to see what she had learned.
“Years ago, when you came to my house, I saw you as a bulldog that would not let go. You would not leave us alone—you had to come and give us the Bible study. Now I appreciate it because I am beginning to see the results. I am gathering with the church now, and I wish my husband Walter and my brother Roberto would also respond faithfully.”
— Sendry
Her words deeply encouraged me. They reminded me that faithful teaching is not wasted simply because the results are not immediate.
The Harvest May Take Years
This story did not develop in a straight line. Bible studies were given, but some people did not respond. Years passed. A grandmother eventually brought her granddaughter. The granddaughter was baptized and discipled. She became active among the young people. Then another relative, who had received teaching many years earlier, began seeking the Lord again.
We still pray for Sharon’s parents, for Sendry’s husband Walter, for her brother Roberto, and for the other members of this extended family. Their story is not finished.
Mission work often requires the patience of a farmer. We plant, we water, and sometimes we wait much longer than we expected. Yet God is able to preserve a seed in the heart and bring forth fruit in His own time.
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
1 Corinthians 3:6
Mission Lesson
God’s timetable is often longer than ours, but faithful discipleship is never wasted, and His harvest is always worth the wait.
Please Pray
- For Sharon and Tracy as they continue growing and influencing other young people.
- For Sendry’s renewed faith and spiritual growth.
- For Walter, Roberto, Sharon’s parents, and the other members of this extended family.
- For wisdom and patience as we continue planting, watering, and trusting God for the increase.
Thank you, Bammel Church of Christ, for standing with us through your prayers, encouragement, and faithful financial support.
Your faith, expressed through generous action, enables us to remain present, continue teaching, nurture new believers, and patiently serve families over many years. You share in the fruit of stories like this one.
To God be the glory!
Carlos and Roxana Ulate
Missionaries in Costa Rica
