Growing up, Navigator Paul Reynoso never felt fully accepted by the majority culture in his small town in Kansas. With parents originally from Mexico, he wasn’t sure how he fit into his community, and he craved belonging.
After high school, Paul was drafted and sent to the war in Vietnam, where he came to know the Lord through his roommate, a Navigator-trained Marine. When the war was over, Paul visited his friend in Texas and was introduced to The Navigators for the first time. Though he had no intention joining staff at first, he began to get involved with the Collegiate ministry in Texas and later continued his training by The Navigators in Alabama.
“There was a training center for The Navigators in Fort Worth, Texas, and as I got to know them, I thought I could really learn from them,” Paul remembers. “They were really accepting and gracious to me.”
In 1973, Paul and his wife, Peggy, got married. Three months later, they moved together to Mexico to pioneer a Navigators Collegiate ministry, where they ministered for 20 years. Paul realized that he felt more accepted in Mexico, and the culture resonated with his Latin heritage. “But even there, I was somewhat of an outsider because of being American,” he recalls.
During the time that the Reynosos were living in Mexico, several U.S. Navigator Latino staff had the burden to reach other Latino communities for Christ, resulting in the birth of The Navigator Hispanic Ministry. Soon after in 1995, Paul and Peggy were asked to return to the United States to serve in this budding ministry.
“I wasn’t too sure about the idea,” Paul explains. “I liked living in Mexico, and all my close amigos were there. But God was clearly leading Peggy and me to make the move. I had the honor of leading the Hispanic Ministry for 12 years and have continued to be part of LaVida as it has evolved since.”
A Place of Belonging
For many Navigators staff and the communities they served, the U.S. Hispanic Ministry became a space of empowerment and innovation, a safe place to be themselves. Using the terminology “familia,” the Hispanic Ministry aimed to foster an environment where Latinos felt seen, heard, and valued for their unique perspectives and experiences. The focus? A sense of belonging.
“In the U.S. Hispanic Ministry, I felt totally at home and understood,” Paul says. “We all felt at home and understood, called to minister among others with similar values and struggles. We came from different backgrounds and life experiences but had so much in common and a heart to make a difference in extending God’s Kingdom among our people.”
The late 1990s and early 2000s brought clarity of vision, unity within diversity, and significant growth in the midst of challenges as the Hispanic Ministry team experienced a “familia” commitment to the Lord and each other. The team was aware of and spurred on by the growing need to reach Latinos as they soon became the largest minority group in the US.
“We were Hispanics and Latinos, Protestants, Catholics, some bilingual, and others of Hispanic origin who didn’t speak Spanish,” Paul recalls. “Our Mission included Latinos of every nationality, each with their own identity and culture from their country of origin. The work was widespread: from New York and New Jersey, to Los Angeles, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Houston, Dallas, and the Caribbean.”
From the Hispanic Ministry to LaVida: Impact Over the Years
As God gave unity and joy in working together, the Hispanic Ministry grew in number and began to grow into a new shape: the LaVida Network.
As the original ministry kicked off, God brought former missionaries back from Latin America to join Hispanic Ministry staff and gave a vision to expand their influence into different areas. From the youth-at-risk ministry in Albuquerque to Catholic ministries in several locations to producing Spanish materials used for ESL programs and Bible study translations — God moved powerfully!
“We continued to see people come into the Kingdom and the Kingdom advance in our communities,” Paul says. “Was it always good or easy? No — but God was at work through this team that loved, stepped out in faith, and paid a cost to advance His Kingdom among Latinos. This group is not so young now, but we remain committed to serving our Lord and are still impacting Latinos through The Navigators and beyond.”
Fast forward to today, and The Navigators Hispanic Ministry is no longer a Mission, but a Navigators Network called LaVida. Though the ministry efforts of LaVida look slightly different today than they did a couple decades ago, the Lord is still faithfully growing a community of Hispanic disciplemakers across the U.S. and world.
“Every individual and ethnic group can bring added value to understanding who God is and what He wants to do in extending His Kingdom,” Paul says. “As Navigators, we are equipped to be lifetime laborers for Christ — in whatever context God puts us in — to carry out His calling.”
While our community of Hispanic disciplemakers has grown, it is still relatively small. Would you join us in praying that God entrusts The Navigators with more gifted and committed Latino and Latina disciplemakers to extend His Kingdom to the ends of the earth?
Discipleship Tip:
Paul’s story shows how embracing our unique cultural heritage can help us advance God’s Kingdom. This week, ask God to show you the special ways you can make disciples in and through your own culture, fostering spaces of belonging where people feel truly at home.
Sharing the Gospel Like the First Church
Paul’s story shows how embracing our unique cultural heritage can help us advance God’s Kingdom. Want more insights into the connections between culture and evangelism? Check out this Bible study to explore how the gospel spread across cultures in the book of Acts.
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