By Holly Meriweather

Pastor Bismark Trujillo is one of David Dickson’s “jungle pastors.” He and other pastors in this area of Nicaragua choose to work to plant churches in this difficult-to-access part of the country that, with very few exceptions, is only accessible by horse and cart. 

Pastor Bismark pastors a church in the Wapi region where, according to Brother David, “someone always has something for you to carry to someone else.” It was because of his willingness to carry a package – without knowing its contents – to someone at his destination that the worst happened: Military checkpoint police found drugs in his bag. 

Although the drugs were not his, Bismark refused to defend himself or name the person who asked him to carry the package. He was told that if he gave any information about the individual, his wife and children would be killed. 

A lawyer pastor in Nicaragua helped with Bismark’s defense fees, but his wife eventually had to sell everything they had to pay for his services. However, they were not successful, and he was sentenced to five years in prison. 

He had decided not to let anyone in the prison know that he was a pastor. Even still, when he arrived at the prison, he told fellow prisoners that he would not be in prison for five years. “Why?” they asked. “Because I know someone,” Bismark told them. “So who is it that you know?” his fellow prisoners asked. 

“Jesus,” Bismark answered.  

Normally a new prisoner is stripped, beaten, and humiliated, but for some reason, this did not happen to him, and he gives credit to God for being spared that beating. 

While in prison Pastor Bismark says that he began repeatedly hearing God whisper to him, “Romans 1:16.” Because God continued to whisper the verse, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” he shared his faith with fellow prisoners and 32 men made professions of faith while he was there.

Bro. David recently visited Bismark and says that he is a changed man who loves to plant churches like the other pastors in the Wapi area who choose to live in the jungle instead of cities. His faith has been strengthened, his attitude – Bro. David – says, is completely positive and he’s even more on fire for presenting the gospel to non-believers.His current ministry includes a family that is helping sponsor the work and has given him permission to use their building for a church plant. Please pray for Bismark as he reaches the broken with his own story of brokenness, deliverance, and faith in God to use the worst of circumstances to glorify his name.