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God's Love Shown in The Dominican Republic
December 31 2008 / ShareHim in Dominican Republic B, Dec. 19 - Jan. 3 '09 #343by Zachary McFadden
Personal Testimony of Zachary McFadden.
My name is Zachary McFadden, and this was my first overseas ShareHim experience. I had never been out of the country before this trip. I have learned a lot being here; the Dominican Republic is a place where the Great Controversy is not hidden at all. I had preached a ShareHim series back in my church back in April-May of this year. I had also preached a five-night series back in November-December of this year. So I went thinking that I had what it took for God to use me. Boy was I ever wrong! From the beginning, God allowed the devil to throw all kinds of problems into this trip. All sorts of things went wrong like being bumped from plane flights, losing luggage, and overheating computers. At every step, I learned that God doesn’t need me to finish this work, but I need to just shut up and trust Him in all things. This trip really has changed my life in an incredible way; I am older than a lot of people who go on these trips. I am 28 years old, and I want to tell you that on this trip, I have fallen in love with Jesus all over again.
For everything on this trip, my Father in heaven had an answer. He solved all our problems (many of them before we ever asked). I have had occasions to visit many of the people in the city where God is preaching through me. The things I have seen here are just so horrible. I have seen people live in abject poverty with people who have serious illnesses. However, I have seen a lot of good in this country as well; Jesus will never abandon the Dominican Republic. My brother in Christ, Phillip, who accompanied me on this trip, was touched by this as well. We have been in the homes of people praying for them and inviting them to the meetings. We have seen hope and pain in their eyes, we have cried with them. We have seen them respond to the love of Christ. I have finally grasped the fact that God will never let me endure something so hard that I can’t escape it. I only wish that I would have learned this at the beginning of this trip instead of toward the end.
Dominican people are very different; they will let you into their homes even if they don’t know you. The love that I have had expressed towards me on this trip is awesome. I have tried to learn more Spanish; if fact, yesterday I communicated only in Spanish with those around me for around two hours. My friends, going on a trip like this will change your life. You will realize just how small and helpless you really are, and when you realize that, then you will realize something else. God has the answers for everything, and when you trust Him with all your heart soul and mind, then and only then, can God use you.
This is my personal testimony of how God can change your own life in a campaign like this. The devil will try to distract you, but let me tell you that our Lord is far stronger than the evil one. I pray that God blesses each and every one of you. If he loves me, a horrible sinner, then I can tell you that he loves you as well. Oh, just a side note, so far it looks like eight people are going to be baptized.
For everything on this trip, my Father in heaven had an answer. He solved all our problems (many of them before we ever asked). I have had occasions to visit many of the people in the city where God is preaching through me. The things I have seen here are just so horrible. I have seen people live in abject poverty with people who have serious illnesses. However, I have seen a lot of good in this country as well; Jesus will never abandon the Dominican Republic. My brother in Christ, Phillip, who accompanied me on this trip, was touched by this as well. We have been in the homes of people praying for them and inviting them to the meetings. We have seen hope and pain in their eyes, we have cried with them. We have seen them respond to the love of Christ. I have finally grasped the fact that God will never let me endure something so hard that I can’t escape it. I only wish that I would have learned this at the beginning of this trip instead of toward the end.
Dominican people are very different; they will let you into their homes even if they don’t know you. The love that I have had expressed towards me on this trip is awesome. I have tried to learn more Spanish; if fact, yesterday I communicated only in Spanish with those around me for around two hours. My friends, going on a trip like this will change your life. You will realize just how small and helpless you really are, and when you realize that, then you will realize something else. God has the answers for everything, and when you trust Him with all your heart soul and mind, then and only then, can God use you.
This is my personal testimony of how God can change your own life in a campaign like this. The devil will try to distract you, but let me tell you that our Lord is far stronger than the evil one. I pray that God blesses each and every one of you. If he loves me, a horrible sinner, then I can tell you that he loves you as well. Oh, just a side note, so far it looks like eight people are going to be baptized.