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My Seatmate
November 27 2011 / ShareHim in Cape Verde, Jul. 8 - Jul. 23 '11 #517by Mariana Gomes De Sousa
Personal Testimony of Mariana Gomes De Sousa.
My heart was pounding; I sat in the first place I found and tried to go unnoticed. It was a pew with only two seats. Next to me was a guy. He looked at me with bulging eyes, and I realized later that he was a visitor who was there for the first time and he was sitting alone. The truth is that my attempt to go unnoticed was in vain because after a few minutes they were calling me up front. I asked my new friend to hold my bag.
A few months before, I had said "yes" to Cape Verde, and suddenly I was in a church where they were looking at me and called me "preacher Mariana." For me, it was strange; after all, I've never preached before and now suddenly going to do a whole series.
When the pastor made the proposal to go, I didn't imagine what was expected and the truth is that contrary to what would be normal, I've lost my typical fear because every night I prayed to God to speak for me and for my knees not to tremble. Thanks to God, and unlike some of the preachers that were with me, the lights never failed, my knees never trembled, my voice and my reasoning never failed, and only God knows how I anxious I get when it happens.
It is true that we went to a blessed place, at least I felt the conference was prepared and led all by God perfectly.
Those people give the best that they have to God, even the clothes that they wore to come into His house (so distinct from the casual clothes), the service, the dedication to others, the desire to be close to the Creator to learn more about Him, singing "as one who is alive."
Carlos, my seatmate from the first day, was sitting more forward over the days, and by the middle of the campaign, he was already in the front pew. During one meeting, I saw him struggling with himself; he put his hands to his head, lowered himself on knees and kept his eyes closed for a moment, like he was praying. Then he looked at the slides with more attention than I had ever seen. The topic was Baptism, and at the end, we made the appeal, and he was the first to rise. Then a handicap girl raised up too, despite some difficulties that she had, with other visitors that were there every day, and it left me with a huge joy and I was so thankful to God.
I pray for that church, for each visitor and the things that really matter.
I realized that sometimes we pretend to be Christians. I realized that the more I learn, when I teach, when I share about Jesus, I'm more passionate for Him, and the more we know the doctrines, the more firmly I want to walk with Him.
This was more than an experience. It is wanting to start over every day, to repeat the experience, to make new plans and consider what really matters in life, because in the end, what counts is if you and I will be in heaven and embrace Jesus.
A few months before, I had said "yes" to Cape Verde, and suddenly I was in a church where they were looking at me and called me "preacher Mariana." For me, it was strange; after all, I've never preached before and now suddenly going to do a whole series.
When the pastor made the proposal to go, I didn't imagine what was expected and the truth is that contrary to what would be normal, I've lost my typical fear because every night I prayed to God to speak for me and for my knees not to tremble. Thanks to God, and unlike some of the preachers that were with me, the lights never failed, my knees never trembled, my voice and my reasoning never failed, and only God knows how I anxious I get when it happens.
It is true that we went to a blessed place, at least I felt the conference was prepared and led all by God perfectly.
Those people give the best that they have to God, even the clothes that they wore to come into His house (so distinct from the casual clothes), the service, the dedication to others, the desire to be close to the Creator to learn more about Him, singing "as one who is alive."
Carlos, my seatmate from the first day, was sitting more forward over the days, and by the middle of the campaign, he was already in the front pew. During one meeting, I saw him struggling with himself; he put his hands to his head, lowered himself on knees and kept his eyes closed for a moment, like he was praying. Then he looked at the slides with more attention than I had ever seen. The topic was Baptism, and at the end, we made the appeal, and he was the first to rise. Then a handicap girl raised up too, despite some difficulties that she had, with other visitors that were there every day, and it left me with a huge joy and I was so thankful to God.
I pray for that church, for each visitor and the things that really matter.
I realized that sometimes we pretend to be Christians. I realized that the more I learn, when I teach, when I share about Jesus, I'm more passionate for Him, and the more we know the doctrines, the more firmly I want to walk with Him.
This was more than an experience. It is wanting to start over every day, to repeat the experience, to make new plans and consider what really matters in life, because in the end, what counts is if you and I will be in heaven and embrace Jesus.