To Know Your Name. (Easter 2011)

Four years ago I received a phone call, asking me to come to Central America to serve God in missions. God knew in my heart that I was longing for Him and all my heart’s desire is to serve Him. I was scared, very scared, specially to leave my precious daughter and everything I knew, but I trusted God and I said “yes”.

These four years have been the most incredible years of my life. I have experience the love, mercy and compassion of God in my life. I have seen God at work, performing miracles that not only will I remember, but are graffiti in the walls of my heart forever, and certainly I know I have never deserved to be here, to serve God and to see God the way I have, but I am so thankful for He has allowed me to serve and for letting me be a small part of His work.

In the first six month that I was here, serving, God took care of all my worries I left in Dominican Republic, specially with my daughter, and thathelped me realized that He was totally in control, and that is certainly for my eternal benefic, so, I praise Him and thank Him for every minute I have been serving in missions, for they have changed my life to grow closer to Him. Every moment of hard work, fun, uncomfortness, pleasure, tiredness, joy, loneliness, peace, sharing, confusion, humiliation, praise, knowledge, ignorance, shame, forgiveness, adoration, in every moment, God, my God has been there, and that is just sufficient for me. His grace has just been enough.

There have been many projects, many teams and people that have give their time and finances to serve God. Great testimonies that have bless each and everychurch, ministry and brothers and sisters from much more needed areas. I have seen God’s love in the lives of those that have come to help and serve Him, sacrificing many things, but God always gives us back way more than what we gave. I praise God for each and everyone that I have met by the mission work here because they have been examples to me. God has used everyone to help and teach us many things. Praise God for you all.

The experiences are many. God has been with me in long bus rides in the middle of the night, long walks, days long boat rides, little plane rides going up and down with the wind, thousands of miles driven in my green “wonder” truck. God has shown himself in the services at every church in every project, working in the hot sun or rain, He has been every time we meet to make plans for the team, every activity that was done with the teams, and specially the circle, the small circle of prayer we did every day before we started work, every little time we prayed, God was there, His love for us was present and I was able to feel that and changed my life, and today I can say that Godis with us when we call upon His name, He comes closer to us when we draw near to Him. I praise You God for taking care of us. I love you Lord and I want to live my life to honor You.

Yes, it is true that there were many long days of work, sacrifices and many things that I had to do and “suffer” during this time of service, but, as I look back and reflect on this four years, there is a verse that comes to my mind that Jesus said and now I understand it in my heart: “So, you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ” Luke 17:10. I have only done what I was called to do and all the glory and honor goes to my God, the mighty Saviour of my soul, that when I have been lost in sin, He has come to my recue, and deliver me from death, to Him be the glory and honour now and forever, amen.

Now as I face some changes in my life, I fix my eyes upon Jesus and, just as He has done every time before, I know He will be with me, guiding me and loving me, despite my many failures and mistakes, He has been faithful all the time and I trust Him. I know I will serve Him everywhere I go; Here in Central America or back in Dominican Republic with my family. With His strength I will continue to serve Him.

Thank you God for the opportunity to serve you here in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Thank you for so many beautiful people that serve You, that love You. Thank you for their testimony to my life and the life of many others. Thanks you for using the church of the Nazarene to reach those in need, that are blind in sin, but by your light, now they can see. Thank you for your protection in all the trips and work, for not one time I was scared or got sick, that is just another beautiful miracle.

God, today, as I reflect on your sacrifice on the cross, my eyes are filled with tears of joy for the precious gift you have given me, for I am your Son, and servant and you loved me undeserving. I love you Lord, I believe in You forever, here is my life, use it, transform it and take it closer to your presence each day. I offer my life to You today, do what you want.

There is a song by Hillsong named ‘To know Your Name’, and it says:

The precious blood of Jesus Christ redeems

Forgiven I’m alive, restored set free

Your majesty resides inside of me, forever I believe

For every I believe

Arrested by your truth and righteousness,

Your grace has overwhelmed my brokenness

Convicted by Your spirit Led my your word

You love will never fail

I know you gave the world Your only son

For us to know Your name

To live within the Saviour’s love

He took my place

Knowing He’d be crucified

And you loved

You loved a people undeserving.

Amen, Thank you God for your sacrifice for me. Take my life as act of gratitude and be within me forever. Amen.

Thank you God for:

1. Everything you have done in the past four years here in Central America and using this broken man for your glory.

Please pray for:

1. Guidance, strength and peace to continue searching for God’s will for our lives.