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Preaching From Memory and Other Miracles
March 28 2008 / ShareHim in Dominican Republic A, Mar. 14 - Mar. 29 '08 #266by Jesse Altamirano
Personal Testimony of Jesse Altamirano.
What an experience that the Lord has permitted for me to have! My name is Jesse Altamirano. I am 17 years old and a senior at Thunderbird Adventist Academy. I have enjoyed this mission trip to the fullest, and I would like to share with you some of my experiences.
The first experience that stands out to me was Friday night: the first time I got up and preached a full sermon in front of a Spanish-speaking church. Early that day, my computer was giving me problems in that it would not show the slides on the projector. However, before leaving the hotel, it seemed to be working just fine. When I arrived to my site, my translator and I connected everything. However, the projector was giving me the same problem. In fact, the computer went into hibernate and did not leave hibernate till later, so I ended up having to preach by memory. So, with my bilingual Bible, I walked up to the pulpit very nervously and started to tell my audience about the prophecy in Daniel 2. Let me tell all that I remembered nothing, and that only by the Holy Spirit, was Daniel 2 preached on that pulpit that night. Praise the Lord!
Another experience comes to my mind: a little over a week later, on Saturday afternoon, my translator was not there that night because he became sick. So, I was given the opportunity to preach in Spanish. I thank God because I was not even nervous that night. I prayed and trusted in God that He would be victorious that night, and so He was. A few of the members would, when I got stuck on a certain word, call the word out in Spanish. The message got across for the glory of God.
I would like to write some specific experiences about specific people: there was 12 year old boy, Poche, who would come to the meetings with his sports BMX bike. He was a regular boy. He had short, curly hair. His face sparked with interest as he sat outside on his bike listening intently to the messages being preached every night. He then brought in one friend, and just yesterday, he brought two friends with him, and one stood up for the calling—a calling to choose Christ. Praise the Lord!
Then there is Mercedez, who has chosen to be baptized and who got married just to get baptized. It has just been so awesome to see how God has worked in my life and the lives of others. He has definitely taught me things, like not to trust in my own wisdom and even the endless value of just one soul.
I would really like to personally thank you all in Quiet Hour and ShareHim for your willingness to support us and organize this for all of us. I know that if the Lord would not have provided the money through the Quiet Hour, there would not have been a chance for me to come to such a mission trip. I know that the Lord will continue to bless your ministry as you prosper in proclaiming the Lord’s message in this time when His coming is so near.
The first experience that stands out to me was Friday night: the first time I got up and preached a full sermon in front of a Spanish-speaking church. Early that day, my computer was giving me problems in that it would not show the slides on the projector. However, before leaving the hotel, it seemed to be working just fine. When I arrived to my site, my translator and I connected everything. However, the projector was giving me the same problem. In fact, the computer went into hibernate and did not leave hibernate till later, so I ended up having to preach by memory. So, with my bilingual Bible, I walked up to the pulpit very nervously and started to tell my audience about the prophecy in Daniel 2. Let me tell all that I remembered nothing, and that only by the Holy Spirit, was Daniel 2 preached on that pulpit that night. Praise the Lord!
Another experience comes to my mind: a little over a week later, on Saturday afternoon, my translator was not there that night because he became sick. So, I was given the opportunity to preach in Spanish. I thank God because I was not even nervous that night. I prayed and trusted in God that He would be victorious that night, and so He was. A few of the members would, when I got stuck on a certain word, call the word out in Spanish. The message got across for the glory of God.
I would like to write some specific experiences about specific people: there was 12 year old boy, Poche, who would come to the meetings with his sports BMX bike. He was a regular boy. He had short, curly hair. His face sparked with interest as he sat outside on his bike listening intently to the messages being preached every night. He then brought in one friend, and just yesterday, he brought two friends with him, and one stood up for the calling—a calling to choose Christ. Praise the Lord!
Then there is Mercedez, who has chosen to be baptized and who got married just to get baptized. It has just been so awesome to see how God has worked in my life and the lives of others. He has definitely taught me things, like not to trust in my own wisdom and even the endless value of just one soul.
I would really like to personally thank you all in Quiet Hour and ShareHim for your willingness to support us and organize this for all of us. I know that if the Lord would not have provided the money through the Quiet Hour, there would not have been a chance for me to come to such a mission trip. I know that the Lord will continue to bless your ministry as you prosper in proclaiming the Lord’s message in this time when His coming is so near.