Santa Maria del Valle is almost exactly in the geographic center of the Jalisco Highlands. It is 40 minutes from Atotonilco and has a population of approximately 7000. It is in the municipality of Arandas, and is identified on Arandas' webpage as one of the communities most known for its devotion to Roman Catholicism. According to the census of 2000, this town was one of many in the Highlands with no testimony to Christ. However, with Highland cities of 25 and 30,000 people with no Christian church, Santa Maria seems like an unlikely first-level target.

Except for one key consideration:
Francisco Miranda, born and raised in Santa Maria, is a successful businessman who has been saved for a number of years. Though he lives in the city of Aguascalientes, he has carried a burden for his home town since he came to the Lord. Over the years he has prayed for Santa Maria and on visits there has spoken to many about Christ. He has shared with us his concern for his town on visits Atotonilco, provoking the church here to pray also.

Francisco maintains a ranch in Santa Maria which he loans to Christian groups for conferences. Each year a group from Houston comes down for outreach in the Highlands, showing the "Jesus" film in street meetings in towns around the area. Two years ago, they showed the film in Santa Maria for the first time. Last year they returned with the film. These were the first public proclamations of the Good News in this town.

In September of last year, we held a conference at the ranch, and while there prayed together for Santa Maria. Later we held a leaders meeting there to discuss a training program for the Highlands. At that time, several had opportunity to speak to people about Christ, and one woman, Ivett, was so open to the Bible that we visited her family on two subsecuent occasions. Slowly, the message of Christ was entering Santa Maria del Valle. Nevertheless, for a church to be established in this village, it would probably be necessary that someone move there for that purpose.

Then in February Juan and Pat Guerra settled in Santa Maria with the intent of preaching the Gospel, making disciples and forming those disciples into a church.

They invited Gabe and Brendon Booher for a concert in the downtown plaza.

They hosted a team from Open Air Campaigners.

They invited the youth from La Barca and Atotonilco to preach in the plaza.

They prayed. They witnessed. They passed out literature and made friends. They started evangelistic Bible studies. And they prayed more.

On May 28th, the church in Santa Maria del Valle celebrated their first meeting together. Six believers from the village, along with another six people who have been listening to the Gospel, met to hear the Scripture. Meeting with them were brethren from churches in Arandas and Atotonilco who had come to join in this historic event. The Good News of Jesus Christ has taken root in this community.

The Scripture states that "of the increase of His (Christ's) government and peace there shall be no end." Since the day of His resurrection, His government has been on an unstoppable increase, conquering hearts and bringing them into His covenant of peace. That Kingdom has now reached Santa Maria del Valle and has begun its conquest there. Nothing in the entire universe can hold it back.