A Young Man’s Search for Faith Leads to New Convictions

Irving Ceseña’s journey reflects a personal transformation through Bible study and growing outreach in Guadalajara, Mexico.

July 8, 2025 | Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Irving Ceseña grew up in Magdalena, a small town near Guadalajara, Jalisco, in Mexico, immersed in the Catholic tradition. As a child, he served as an altar boy, assisting priests during Mass, and even spent time in a group called the Seminarians — a weekend program designed to simulate seminary life for young men considering the priesthood.

“I was really drawn to the life of the priesthood,” Irving said. “But after about a year and a half, I made the decision to leave.”

That decision sparked a deeper curiosity about Scripture. “I started reading the Bible and saw that it requires careful instruction and much meditation,” he said.

As his questions grew, clear answers became harder to find. “I really wanted to understand the Bible,” Irving said.

After finishing high school, he moved to Guadalajara to study International Business. During his university years, an unexpected invitation to the Seventh-day Adventist Church came from a distant uncle.

A Turning Point in Understanding Scripture

Upon completing high school, he moved to Guadalajara to pursue a degree in International Business. It was during his university years that a distant uncle unexpectedly invited him to a small Adventist group meeting.

“My uncle invited me and my mother to an Adventist meeting, like a small group,” Irving recalls. “I didn’t even know what Adventism was. At the meeting, everyone had a Bible in their hands, and the preaching was entirely based on Scripture.” He told his mom that he really wanted to return to the group the following week.

Impressed by the Bible study approach and the clarity of the message, Irving’s faith began to deepen. His uncle gave him a Bible, and Irving began attending the Adventist church regularly. “That’s where I learned how to pray. I knew how to recite prayers but didn’t really know how to pray,” he says.

In 2019, Irving traveled to Argentina for an international university student exchange, taking his Bible and study materials with him. There, he started observing the Sabbath and immersing himself in Bible study, even as the COVID-19 pandemic complicated travel plans and life itself.

“During the pandemic, I was in a difficult situation with no flights available to come back hom, but I never felt fear,” Irving shares. “My mother was very worried, but I put everything in God’s hands and trusted that He would care for me.”

A Renewed Commitment

Eventually, he returned to Guadalajara after a brief stint working in Canada, where he resolved to be more consistent in his church attendance and spiritual discipline.

“For the last six months, I decided not to miss church,” Irving says. “I visit my family on Sundays now instead of Saturdays, and I stay here in Guadalajara for Sabbath attending church.” Irving has been attending the Rayon Seventh-day Adventist Church, the central church in Guadalajara, first church organized when the message entered Mexico.

Irving, 26, was baptized on April 5, 2025, after preparing for baptisms for over six months.

He acknowledges that he still has things to better his character but recognizes a significant personal transformation. “Before, I lived with uncertainty, but now I feel joy and, above all, a deep responsibility to God — to live as a Christian, to trust in Him and His salvation, and to be His instrument. I want to serve and share what God has done in my life.”

A Growing Need for the Gospel

According to local church leaders, Irving’s path from a seminarian-in-training to a committed Seventh-day Adventist illustrates a growing interest among young adults in faith experiences grounded in Scripture and personal conviction.

The city of Guadalajara—home to more than 1.3 million people, and over 5.2 million in the greater metropolitan area—is a key focus in the Adventist Church’s evangelism strategy for 2024–2028. With just one Seventh-day Adventist for every 1,259 residents, church leaders are working to expand outreach efforts—particularly among young people and urban communities—by planting churches and opening new mission fields to share the gospel more widely in the coming years.

Irving Ceseña’s story was featured during Hope Channel International Stories of Hope presented on July 8, 2025, during the 62^nd General Conference Session in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.

To watch more about Irving Ceseña’s story, click HERE