Praise God

Hey folks, blessings.

I know exactly what I want to say, I just don´t know how to put it...

When Patria was pregnant, she told often how we needed some sort of vehicle. As we were still thinking about it, Abdiel arrived and with him all the stuff some of you experienced parents never told me:

The bouncing chair, the 20 pounds pack and play, a whole bag with bottles extra diapers bags for the dirty diapers, etc.

Honestly, I thought land was/is more important than vehicle. The struggle started, if we saved money would we buy a car or land first. I prayed and asked God to help me on this. As I kind of a joke I told Patria, you know what? I´m gonna start praying,  but I´ll pray to God to provide for both the land and the car and so I did.

A week later I told a friend of mine, to take me to a Car dealer so I found out how much a car was.     I´ve never owned a car nor I knew anything about them, but started looking around. I also went and started asking for land prices and good locations in San Juan. To start I would need at least Ten thousand dollars (remember the number for future reference).

Remember I shared a while ago how my fund raising account had some issues going on? Well it was sorta solved, and the money some of you guys have been giving was available. I wanted to know how much money there was so I could start doing math and figure out if a bike and a bucket of sand was doable.

Then I get the email: 10057.00 Dollars
Me: No, so and so, please check the number, there must be a mistake.
so and so: So, I´ve checked and yes that is your money.
Me: can you please check who donated that much money?
So and so: Nope we can´t the money was transferred and we really can´t see it.

So, in about three weeks, God responds this prayer. It´s been more than a month now, and I´ve been very slow at looking for a car and land, in the process God has been very gracious.

- I own a car now (very convenient) post coming soon
- I own land now (the beginning of a story yet unknown) that´s another post

Refreshing

Wednesday was probably the hottest day I remember, we had Abdiel naked all they long in front of  a fan. I had Ice cold water at hand to drink and I know I took at least six showers throughout the day. it was just hot.

Spiritually, not very different. 

Some days can be spiritually exhausting. Sometimes it is just life. Ministry can bring you to a point were you just need to be refreshed. Sometimes, like most Dominicans, you just need to yell "it´s hot!!!!"

Last night I met with some friends, all of us going through struggles, in my case I had been going slower and slower in my serving the Lord. The spiritual stamina has been becoming less and less. God brought us together so we could just help one another and encourage one another in those ministries God has called us. 

It´s not like I´m about to give up. It´s more like I need to find some shade, drink some water wipe my forehead, tell a joke and keep on walking. 

I´m glad, very glad, to know I have people praying for me,  holding their shields to pretect me in battle, as I hold my  shield to protect them as well. I´m very glad to know I have friends whose care can be refreshing 

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 

13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 

14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 

15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business 

instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:12-15 NIV

What seminary has done to me

It´s been about six years I started seminary at my local church. It is one of the requirements for someone to become an ordained minister, but it is also very helpful, whether or not one has plans to become a minister. I´ve been in seminary for that long due to my frequent mission trips. In the past, I would have said, erroneously, that ministry has priority over preparation/education, but the opposite isn´t true either. Both are necessary and certain settings make one a priority than the other. Late last year, I register on a intensive seminary (on top of my church´s one). This seminary is quite demanding when it comes to writing papers, research, reading requirements, etc. It demanded a lot of time from me, a lot of effort, energy, and money. At one point, I pondered on the possibility of quitting. So I asked myself what benefit I was receiving from it. After talking about it with Patria, I realized studying in seminary can be both a blessing and a distraction. So far, in my case, it has been a blessing, Hope you don´t mind I share with you, briefly, how seminary has been a blessing to me. 

Diligence

As a youth minister and a missions leader, I have to be constantly teaching from the bible. Sometimes these teachings can be very theoretical, but sometimes they can be very practical. I have learned that I have a responsibility to teach the scriptures (2 Ti 4:2), the Holy Spirit will do the rest. Seminary has demanded from me lots of preparation, intentional study and research, and a greater desire to communicate God´s word with excellence. I have become more diligent in my study of the scripture. And that, by itself, is shaping my character. 

Intimacy

I´ve heard people often say that seminary is a relationship killer. That our love for study murders our intimacy with  God. That in the desire to know about God we forget about knowing God. To be honest, I´ve seen where that can happen. Specially when there´s a paper to hand in at a certain time. I wake up and I first think about finishing that paper rather than taking time to spend it with God. It has happened though, that as I read scripture and have a better understanding of it, I feel more compelled to obey it. A recent assignment was the we had to read the book of Mathew in three different versions or languages. I read it in Spanish, English, and Haitian creole. The more I read, the more I saw God´s love for me, how He has a plan for salvation for people in every nation, and how He´s chosen me to go tell them in their language about the good news. I wish I could let you know how I felt every morning when I had to read my bible in my quiet time in creole!! It was slow, but every verse gave me a heart for that nation. I felt God talking to me every day. I realized it had been very easy to grow numb on God´s word. 

Calling

Why would I study in seminary anyway? The Dominican Republic´s Education system doesn´t recognize religious careers as professional careers. So, to have a M. Div. means pretty much nothing to the Dominican education system. However, I have joined students from different parts of the country, Pastors, missionaries, lay believers with a calling and a desire to serve God in excellence. That has given me assurance in my calling through studying in seminary. 

These are only three, but there have been many, many blessings. Both classes have encourage me to give my best for God, both when I´m preaching and when I´m serving. May His name be praised.