My passion in ministry was birthed about 10 years ago when I began attending RIO Central which at the time was Foothills Church of God. I had been in Church off and on for years but had no relationship with the Lord. I had prayed the “prayer” but didn’t have a change in life that the scripture teaches about. Things began to change when I heard the Word being taught by the power of the Spirit. When I truly began to seek after the Lord and study the word of God, I came alive for the first time in my life.
With this new understanding of God’s word and under true Godly leadership, I began to venture out into the world of ministry. Little did I know at the time where this would lead and the cost that I would have to pay. I was just excited to share the Word, and before long, I was asked to go on my first mission trip out of the country.
With the zeal that I had inside to share the Word, I was very excited. I remember when we landed in the country of Panama, and I was overwhelmed with the need for ministry. Over the next 7 days, we preached so much that when I got back home, I could hardly talk. Since that week in the 2000, I have always looked forward to the day when I would live and serve the Lord’s people in another country.
By the end of 2000, I had made plans to move to New Orleans for evangelism. I had purchased a large crusade tent but never got to put it up. It was stolen just after I brought it home. Now, I was in a new city without a tent and wasn’t sure what I was going to do next. While I was speaking with the manager of the apartment complex which I lived, she told me they used to have a church on the property. Her next question was the door I was looking for. She asked if I would start a new church on the property if she provided the building. So for the next couple of years, we planted the New Orleans Christian Center. It was an amazing experience. Althouth it was very hard, it was also one of the most rewarding times of my life. The experience was simple preparation for what we are called to do now.
Since those days, the Lord has allowed me to lead around 2,500 to Him. So far, people from Ecuador, Panama, the Philippines, and Haiti have heard the Good News of Jesus’ saving grace!
I have learned alot about the grace of God. Many times I have failed him and have made bad choices. I have let Him down in so many areas but, He has never left me alone, not even once. Throughout the last ten years of serving the Lord, I have experienced a lot of pain and rejection. Much of it was from my choices to not compromise His word and calling.
The calling to be a missionary is not easy for friends and family that are not called to understand. We must let our understanding of how God works be from the scriptures and not from our American culture. The American church for the most part is self-centered and self seeking. They have forgotten the Word that teaches about sacrifice and suffering. I don’t think that everything has to be hard, but the Word teaches us through many hardships and sufferings that we will enter into the Kingdom.
I understand that it is hard for family to let go sometimes. Consider how hard it was for the Father in Heaven to let His Son go from a place a security to a place where He would give His life. I’m confident the road ahead will have many hardships and victories, but in all things, Jesus will be lifted up.
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