You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Cor. 9:11

We are featuring the Alvidrez family. We encourage you to get to know them by reading this article.

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments
please let us know! email: getinvolved@ManosdeDios.org.

Pastor Alfonso Alvidrez
Templo Peniel, El Diamonte, Sonora, Mexico
Wife: Angelita. Sons: Eli (12) Eliseo (11)
Birthplace: Canana Santa
Married: June 19, 1993
Nationality: Mexican

Ministry: Started 16 years ago in Hermosillo, where he began as a missionary. He moved to Coahuila where he met Angelita.

Both Alfonso and Angelita were raised as traditional Catholics and converted to Christianity when teenagers. Alfonso, at age 18, was studying to be a mechanic in Hermosillo. There was a Bible (Methodista) Institute close to where he was living. Alfonso began to question if all the bibles (Christian, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness) were all the same. He read a lot from each one. While reading the book of Job in the Bible he was convicted about his lifestyle and his drug and alcohol abuse. Alfonso realized that Satan walks on the earth…the same way he does. Alfonso had a desire to see God. For four days he struggled with the concept of God and did not sleep at all. He recalls it as a, “very strong experience.” At the end of the four days he believed in the God of the Bible and repented of his sins. Later, he learned that a 22 year old friend had been fasting and praying for twenty days for Alfonso’s salvation. He emphatically states that February 9th, the day he received JesuCristo into his heart, was a beautiful day! Soon after, he felt God’s call to go into the ministry. He determined in his heart to be a true servant, not a ‘benchwarmer” believer.

They moved around Mexico as missionaries and spent some time in the United States. They moved to El Diamonte, Sonora, Mexico so Alfonso could teach at the Bible Institute there and pastor Templo Peniel church.

Pastor Alfonso feels he has been given the gift of evanglism (and we can attest to that after hearing him preach in the asparagus camp). He has a heart for the families in his small community (1500 people) of El Diamonte and the Indian migrant workers that work in camps (harvesting asparagus, grapes, melons and olives) in the surrounding area. He reports there are eighty camps (harvest fields) in his area without any church. Many camps house more than 1000 residents. Alfonso goes into the migrant camps as often as possible to share God’s Word with the Indian workers and their children. It is a powerful ministry. Many of these workers are reached for Christ during the six months they are working in Sonora. They then take the Gospel message back to their homes (many come from the state of Chiapas). Alfonso preaches in Spanish and often shows the Jesus Film in Spanish. One of the churches from Arizona that provides support for this camp ministry brings cassette tapes with the Gospel message in 300 different indigenous dialects. Each worker can take home God’s Word in his own language!
Pastor Alfonso is praying for the entire country of Mexico…that the Mexican people will be active in their faith. He prays for healings and miracles and has seen them preformed in his ministry.

He requested help with reaching the youth in surrounding communities. In repsonse to this request, Manos de Dios will be sponsoring a Youth Concert September 1, 2007 in El Diamonte.
Angelita, his wife, leads the children’s programs in the church and is an accomplished baker and cook. She often feeds large short term missions teams after camp outreach events. She hopes to open her bakery “Pasteleria Jireh” (God will provide pastery bakery) soon. Manos de Dios is providing a building and kitchen appliances for the bakery, to help this micro business.

                             Woman in asparagus camp              Children in camp

Angelita's bakery banner