For countless generations, Navigators have followed Jesus' command in Matthew
28:19, to therefore go and make disciples of all nations. The Navigator mission is
To know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same. So when
longtime staff ministering to the Latin American community, live this out before
Cuban refugees in America, who in turn pass it on to their community and that
community to another, suddenly we see God's Word proven utterly faithful
generation after generation.
My name is Cesar Vega, I was born in Puerto Rico, raised in Brooklyn, cultured
in the south. Moved down in '65 to get involve with The Navigators.
We have this huge population that with over 60% of the population in Miami is
Hispanic. So I saw the handwriting on the wall that the the Hispanic community
needed to be reached, and so I challenged The Navigators to turn me loose let me
do that.
About seven years ago in 2006, my wife and I, and my two daughters were able to
come to the U.S. as a political religious refugees. The Vega's were a
blessing to us because they helped us a lot to make the transition in the
American culture, and also how to be a man of God. Caesar and I would meet with
them on a weekly basis and discuss, we would have our devotionals, share
devotionals, what God was doing, prayer requests, we would also talk about The
Navigator philosophy, we would talk about The Navigator tools.
She has impacted my American family through her example and because she is a
woman of prayer. He's being an example for me what is a man of God could be. I
was also impacted by her knowledge of the world and the passion that she had
for the souls and discipleship. They gave us the vision to make disciples.
Because of a list of family issues that I had and family troubles that I went
through, I ended up not really walking with the Lord through my teen years. I
just felt a deep calling in my heart for a change,
to look for a change for something different. I started to plugging away at
the church and and I got baptized and for me that was a symbol of change
getting into those baptismal waters, and so through a sovereign appointment, if
you will, from God I met Armando Diaz, a Navigator. To see
you now two years after we start meeting one on one for discipleship, and now
he's a full-time pastor leading the discipleship ministry at his church and
also small group cells and also discipling others. I meet with two guys and we go
through Bible studies together, they do ministry with me as well, and you know I
invite them to come and walk alongside of me as I do different things you know
we might get together to just have a barbecue, just go get something to eat,
these are guys that are watching me grow as I help them grow as well. Through this
process of discipling and learning you know, I've seen a lot of changes and and
I owe it to Steve that he, you know was kind enough and open enough to disciple
me. I came to a Bible study that they told me about here at their home and the
first time I came here I felt so welcomed and loved meeting Lisa and
having that first experience with them made me feel safe, and made me feel loved,
and and I knew that this was going to be an environment in which I could do
ministry and and be fruitful.
It was an adventure and exciting to meet with them, nurture them, encourage them,
work with them and now he has a full-blown ministry up in the north part of
Miami. Discipling, training couples, God has blessed them and I think that's our
job and work ourselves out of jobs all the time, we equip people, train them, and God says
turn them loose. That's my passion and, and I think that God is going to continue to use
that to raise up the next generation of Navigators who speak Spanish.