May- June 2023
Dear Fellow Laborer in Christ,
As I take this time to sit down and write this letter, I reflect on our nine months of deputation so far. I am humbled to see how the Lord has worked tremendously in our lives and the ministry of our deputation. We have learned several things about trusting more in God and not leaning on our understanding. I have learned more about God’s provision and that it is at His timing, not mine. This principle is sometimes hard to swallow when you realize you are not in control. He is. It is precious when God answers at His timing because you understand it was the best way it could have gone. I am truly grateful to serve a sovereign and all-knowing God. He is someone I genuinely do not have to understand why He does things, but trust why He does! I find true comfort in understanding that No one else will ever care for me and my family more than Him. He has me/us in His hands! The Lord has blessed us with currently forty percent of our needed support. We have been in sixty - four churches as of this writing. Several churches have notified us about taking us on, and once they do, that will push us close to fifty percent. We are humbled to be here in this short amount of time. I understand that the urge of a missionary is to get done with deputation to get to the field as soon as possible. I also know this is an essential part of the preparation for the field.
My family and I genuinely enjoy meeting new churches, pastors, and servants that have surrendered to full-time ministry. We have seen the burden in some of these servants' eyes and understand that feeling of the calling. I would like to share what I share with those servants, “Don’t let that fire burn out; put more wood on it because you will see the result of it in eternity one day!” As we travel, my heart has been burdened to see more people surrender to full-time service. I truly believe my God is worthy of the best of all of us, but the question do we give Him our all? D.L. Moody has a quote that says, “The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is totally yielded to Him.” Please help me pray for more laborers, and Jesus said, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Have we truly been praying for more laborers and willing ourselves to be used by God?
I would like to share with you a tremendous blessing and fruit that abounds in your account. We had the privilege of attending a church that invited us to help with their VBS. They ask missionaries to help with preaching each night of that VBS. I was able to preach every night with either the teens or children. The last night that I was able to preach, the Lord led me in a total direction than what I was previously prepared for. I talked about the talent in Matthew 25. I used the application of the talents as opportunities the Lord gives us to hear and respond to His salvation. Some people have fewer opportunities to listen to the gospel, and some do not take advantage and reject that opportunity, but they all respond to the Master one day. I applied that to salvation, and we had the privilege of seeing three young people come to the Lord! The Lord is still not done saving souls, so why should we stop looking for the souls? The value of one is so true! We are grateful for your prayers and your faithful service to our Lord!
YOUR PARTNER IN THE LORD,
Gavino Hernandez
