YEARS AGO two Indian boys came to our school in Yulo. Day after day in the schoolroom both boys listened to the gospel message, and after some time Pancho, the younger of the two, brightly confessed the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour. But, sad to say Pedro, the older boy, went all through school and never was converted.
Years passed and the boys grew to be young men. Then war broke out between Bolivia and Paraguay, and Pedro was drafted into the army. Pancho was deeply concerned for his brother Pedro, for he knew that if he were killed in the war he would go to a lost eternity without Christ. So he prayed to the Lord about it.
Then one day Pancho said to me, “Pedro is already drafted; he is at the big military barracks with 1000 other men, three days journey from here. I feel led of the Lord to go and free Pedro from service. I will take his place.”
“Well, Pancho,” I said, “this is a wonderful thing to do. But you know you are going into the war and may possibly be killed.”
“Dear brother,” he replied, “if I am killed, I’ll go to be with the Lord Jesus. But if Pedro is killed, you know he’ll go to hell without a ray of hope.”
So one day Pancho dressed himself in his Indian garb; he put on his long white pants, his blue shirt, his felt hat and sandals, and with his big red belt around his waist, he started off on foot.
Late at night, at the end of the third day, Pancho arrived at the big military barracks. He sought the guard at the door and requested that he might let him see his brother, Pedro.
“It’s pretty late,” the guard told him, “but since he’s your brother, you may go in. Only don’t stay too long.”
In went Pancho and was not long in finding Pedro. Then in a quiet corner of the building he embraced him and said, “Pedro, you know that you’re lost. You don’t have Christ as your Saviour. You’re going into the war, and in a very few days you could be killed, and go to hell without Christ.
“I tell you what I’ll do, Pedro. I’m going to take your place. You put on my Indian suit, and I’ll put on your uniform. Now do it quickly. If I’m killed in the war, I know I’ll go to heaven.”
Quickly the two brothers changed their clothes, and with one last fond embrace they said good-bye, and parted. Pancho stayed behind in Pedro’s place, while Pedro walked out of the barracks. He saluted the guard, who, thinking he was Pancho, allowed him to pass on his way.
Was that not wonderful love on the part of Pancho? He went through three years of terrible warfare taking his brother’s place. No officer ever discovered his true identity; every one called him Pedro.
God spared Pancho and showed him special kindness for what he had done. Men were cut down all around him, and it is said, that 60,000 boys died during the three years of fighting in those awful battles in the jungle. But Pancho was never wounded. He told me there were times when bullets went through his cap, through his pant legs, under his armpits, yet none of them touched him.
“It seems to me, dear brother,” he said afterward, “that the Lord Jesus had special kindness in picking up those bullets so they wouldn’t touch me.” That was his simple way of telling it.
I was preaching the gospel in that war and one day I said to the general, “General, there’s an Indian soldier in there called Pedro. He’s been three years in this war. Would you do me a favor?”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Would you give an order to have Pedro come out from the trenches and be with me?”
“Very well,” the general said, and he gave an order for Pedro to be brought out. The last three months of the war he was with me behind the lines. No one ever knew, however, that he was really Pancho.
I know your heart will glow when you think of Pancho’s self-sacrificing love for his brother, for he dared to die for Pedro. But does it not glow when you think of One who died for YOU? Pancho returned safe, but Jesus knew He went forth to death for you. And how have you treated Him? He knew you did not love Him, nor even care for your own soul; but He saw you would be lost, so He gave Himself up to suffer and die in your stead.
ML-10/31/1971