Demetrio was a young man who worked in the tin mines in Potosi, Bolivia. When the war broke out between Bolivia and Paraguay, he was immediately drafted into military service. Because Demetrio was a soldier of courage and ability, he was soon made sergeant of his group.
Demetrio had never heard the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, so he did not know the way of salvation. In fact, he was a thoroughly ungodly fellow who spent much of his spare time drinking with his friends. Many times Demetrio was late for duty, but the punishment which resulted never seemed to affect him.
One day Demetrio was shot six times during a fierce battle which ensued when Bolivian troops were ordered to "fix bayonets" and storm a Paraguayan fort. Badly wounded, Demetrio was taken to a field hospital behind the lines where blood transfusions saved his life.
From the field hospital Demetrio was sent to the main hospital in Potosi, the Capital. Thanks to the skill and care of the surgeons who attended him and by the grace of God, he was healed completely of his serious wounds. After a considerable time he was able to walk again.
The doors of the hospital were heavily guarded, but on some nights Demetrio, along with some other wounded soldiers who were weary of confinement, climbed over the walls, bent on a night's pleasure. They passed the hours in the barrooms and other places of wickedness. Then, returning to the hospital drunk, they were severely reprimanded by the doctor, and a stronger guard put on them.
One Wednesday night Demetrio and his friends escaped over the walls again. But this time Demetrio refused to accompany them to the bar. He wanted to be alone, to be quiet and think things over. He realized he was wasting his life and health.
Walking slowly down Junin Street, he was surprised to hear singing, and stopped to listen. He found himself outside a building with a sign over the door, "Local Evangelico" (Gospel Hall). It wasn't the singing that attracted his attention so much as the words he heard; "Busca a Dios," that, "Seek God." Demetrio had never heard such words before nor had he ever read the book called the "Bible." He stepped inside the door to listen. A gentleman suggested he take a seat, but Demetrio refused, preferring to stand at the back.
After the singing a man in the uniform of Chaplain stood up and opened a Book. (Demetrio remembered seeing him on the battlefield. Some of the fellows used to go to his bomb shelter to speak to him, but Demetrio was not interested then.)
The Chaplain began to speak. He spoke of the "Judgment of God," stressing that there was only one way to escape this judgment. That way was by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, who came from heaven and who died on the cross of Calvary to save lost sinners. He went on to say we were all lost sinners, and if we refused to accept Christ as our Savior, we could not escape the judgment of God, but eternal punishment would be our sentence.
The Chaplain said he had seen so many soldiers on the battlefields who were afraid to die because they were sinners and did not know the Savior. He had seen others die who had accepted Christ as their Savior, and they had perfect peace and no fear.
Demetrio thought to himself proudly, "Well I'm not afraid of death! Why be afraid? Have I not been a soldier, a proud fighter-wounded, but still not afraid of death?"
Still, the speaker's words lingered in his mind: "You cannot escape the judgment of God unless you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who took the judgment for you on Calvary's cross."
That night Demetrio went to visit his mother and told her what he had heard. Never before had he done such a thing as that. Then he returned to the hospital. The doctor remarked about his being back so early.
That was on Wednesday night. There was another meeting scheduled for Friday night and Demetrio was present. This time he asked permission of the doctor to go. The doctor was surprised but did not say anything to hinder him.
As he entered the Meeting Room, they were singing "Paz con Dios busque ganarla," that is, "Peace with God I sought to gain." This peace Demetrio knew he did not have, but now he desired it, so after the meeting he went to the speaker and talked with him. The speaker told him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. He has made peace through the blood of His cross on Calvary."
Demetrio suddenly understood that the Lord Jesus had been seeking for him. He got down on his knees with the Chaplain and asked God to save him; and God did save him that very night. "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:1010Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:10)).
The next day all noticed the great change in his behavior. The doctors remarked that if he continued as he was doing, he would soon be well again. They even changed his medication, ordered a new suit for him, and instructed the hospital director to allow Demetrio to attend the Gospel meetings. When the director asked what had happened to him lately, Demetrio answered happily, "Sir, I have Christ now and He is my Savior."
A deep friendship developed between Demetrio and the missionary who had led him to Christ. He still looks up to him as his spiritual father and guide in this earthly pilgrimage.
That was many years ago. Demetrio is a grandfather now and has tried to bring his children up for the Lord. He is a devoted, faithful brother in the little assembly in Potosi, and carries on a nice little work. He has gone on faithfully since that night he got down on his knees and asked God to save him. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [or creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)).