The Story of Pan de Vida begins at the shade of a big tree in one of northern Monterrey’s most poverty-stricken communities, formed of roughly 500 families. The “Little Hell” or “Infiernillo” was the name given to this area due to its hard-living conditions, constant criminal activity, and lack of basic needs such as water, food, electricity and most notably, hope.

It was in 2001 that Pastor Gonzalo Guardiola and a team of passionate volunteers began visiting the area, inviting people to join in public gatherings where the gospel was shared for all to hear. The first to join were always children, receiving the gift of the word of God with such joy.  These children eventually brought their families along to hear the word preached.  Gradually, the Holy Spirit brought a fresh breath of life into the community. And before long, the weekly visit from the Mission Team was the thing the community was most looking forward to.

After a few months of ministering to the local families, God put a burden in the hearts of Pastor Guardiola and his team to be the agents of change to break the cycle of brokenness and misery in this community. The burden placed in their hearts gave birth to a vision of being a channel of healing and restoration for the people of “The little hell” by establishing an outreach & mission center in the heart of this community.

The process of making this vision a reality took a couple of years.  However, those years were full of great blessings and kingdom work, involving Pastor Guardiola´s church, the community, and friends from different parts of Nuevo Leon (The state where Monterrey is located) & the U.S.A. These people came together to lead childrens’ programs, health brigades, tent projects, feeding programs & many more social outreach and evangelistic activities.

By the year 2004, God brought over a hundred missionaries and volunteers with passionate hearts for missions under the leadership of SERV MINISTRIES INTL, who joyfully helped to build Pan de Vida, a building that would serve as the church, feeding and outreach center, and missionary discipling school. It was in September of that year that Pan de Vida officially opened its doors, welcoming over 250 kids, feeding them, and sharing with them the hope found in the love of Christ.

In 2012, RIO MINISTRIES, INTL took over the responsibility of funding the ministry work at Pan de Vida.  Still under Pastor Guardiola’s leadership, the ministry has expanded to other communities around Monterrey, (Rio de Vida in Marin), to other parts of the larger Apodaca community (hospital and prison ministries), and even to other countries (Nicaragua and Peru).

The community of believers at Pan de Vida continues to be a crucial part of this larger ministry and many members of that original community have now traveled to other cities around Monterrey, to other Central American countries and even to the US to minister and spread God’s word.

The people of this community have seen God work in such miraculous ways and have experienced God’s presence to such a degree that they themselves started calling their community “La Gloria”(The Glory).   You can now see “La Gloria” on the buses coming in and out of the community, representing the message of hope that emanates from this previously hopeless community.

When we follow God’s vision, he always takes us deeper into his abundant Grace and Love, revealing and sharing with us the desires of His heart. Through the years of ministry in Pan de Vida, many miracles have been experienced.  Doors have been opened, funds to operate the daily mission work have been provided, sick people have been healed, and lives have been saved and changed for eternity.  And the transformation of an entire community from a place of despair and hopelessness to one of where God’s glory resides is nothing short of a miracle. Back in 2002, a police officer who was guarding one of the two entrances to the “Little Hell” told pastor Guardiola:

“You should focus somewhere else where there is at least a chance.  This community will not survive at all. They don´t belong here and will be evacuated because they don´t own anything they have. Their houses are made out of tarps, plastic, and recycled trash.  They have no hope.”

According to men, nothing good could ever come out of “Little Hell”. But for over 15 years, God has been faithful in bringing life to this desert and restoration to the families and has lifted up a generation of youth to reflects His glory. The kids that were in line for the feeding program in 2004 are now teaching his word to younger generations, leading in worship, and following the call of spreading the gospel around the world. The “Little Hell” has now become “La Gloria”, for the glory of God!