History of John & Wanda Casias, Missionaries to Mexico

Wanda Casias got saved in the fall of 1979, five years after John. It was at this time the Lord began to prick John's heart to surrender to full time ministry. John was reading a book on training new converts and started calling the author of the book, Dr. James Wilkins about 4 times a week, with questions on discipleship.

A short time later, Dr. Wilkins had an invitation to preach in New Mexico and stayed at the Casias home as a guest. John drove Dr. Wilkins to New Mexico where he was preaching and during the invitation, he rushed to the alter. John couldn't hold himself back any longer and surrendered to full-time ministry. On the 100 mile drive home to Amarillo, Wanda Casias was waiting to tell John that she had surrendered her life to the Lord and would go anywhere God should lead him.

The following morning, John gave a 30 day notice to his job and he and Wanda began selling everything they had, including their home. It was May of 1980 and by the next month, they moved to Dallas/Ft.Worth to work with Dr. James Wilkins at the New Testament Ministries, teaching soul-winning and discipleship. After working with his friend and mentor for 2 years, John had the opportunity to go to Mexico with the youth group of his home church, Sherwood Park Baptist. With the aid of a translator in a remote village in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico; John preached and 9 precious souls were saved. However, John could not sleep. He wondered how they would grow and who would come regularly to teach/disciple them. The burden grew so heavy that, on the way back to the United States, John surrendered as a missionary to return and disciple them. Upon arriving home in the wee hours of morning, John told Wanda that he was going to rest for two hours before he had to leave again for a discipleship seminar but they needed to talk first. Unknown to John, the Holy Spirit was also dealing with Wanda during the week he was gone in Mexico. She simply said, "What do we need to take with us and when are we going?"

Eleven months later, John and Wanda Casias arrived in Mexico. 30 years and an abounding number of souls reached later, the burden for the lost is still on the hearts of the ministry.