Carlos Amaza: Aiming for the Heart

"During my training at the police academy, I was taught to aim for the heart or head when firing my weapon. No exceptions," says Carlos Amaza, choking back tears. "I just can't do that anymore."

For the past 22 years, First Sergeant Carlos Amaza has served as a police officer in the city of Neuquén, Argentina. He has avoided the thin line of corruption that snarls many in his profession. Emotional scars from daily images of brutality and murder led him to seek escape in a bottle and in the arms of numerous women. Amaza was at a point of destroying himself and his family.

Eight years ago, in the middle of this suffering, Carlos' wife, Silvia, found Jesus and began to pray for her family—especially her husband. Carlos' 14 year-old daughter, Gesella, invited her dad to come to church. Because a father has a hard time saying no his daughter, Amaza accepted the invitation. During the service, the congregation began to sing about the price that Jesus paid for us on the cross. Carlos realized he didn't deserve that price to be paid for him. Tears fell as his daughter took his hand.

"Jesus came to me in powerful way. I realized that although I was in a position of authority, my life was a total mess," says Amaza. "Everything changed."

Soon Carlos sensed that his life needed to change. "I could no longer aim for the heart or head. I felt it was my responsibility to first share Jesus with them," he explains. He was about to resign his position as a police officer when he was promoted to a position handling social cases in the community. Now, Carlos works in the Los Tomas neighborhood—the poorest area of Neuquén—with more than 75,000 people living in homes of scrap wood, cardboard, and plastic. Very few of these homes have electricity, water, or bathrooms. He deals with more than 1,000 family violence cases every year.

His job as a police officer now gives him an opportunity for ministry. Wherever he goes in the Los Tomas neighborhood, he tells people about Jesus. He is working for better living conditions by helping provide resources such as roofing materials and by improving the spiritual condition of individuals.

"Just two days ago I shared Jesus with an alcoholic couple and they both accepted the Lord as their Savior. They both have lived hard lives and look twice their actual age," he says. "They have cleaned up their house and they haven't touched a drop of alcohol since."

Currently, Carlos is leading two small groups and planting a new church, but he isn't a pastor. He is a police officer and is now studying theological education by extension.

"Today, I still aim for the heart . . . but I use the word of God as my weapon."

Brian Utter is regional communications coordinator for the South America Region of the Church of the Nazarene.

Holiness Today, January/February 2007

Please note: This article was originally published in 2007. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.