In November my wife had to take our little boy Jackson with her mother to the Dominican Republic. Almost 2 years after I was kidnapped by this evil weaponized system, my mother in law came to the USA to help my wife and my mother with our 5 boys. This way my wife could work, as was my mother at the time also.
Praise be to God and everyone that has supported us financially, she hasn’t had to work the many hours she was during the beginning years that our family was ripped apart. But she still has to work, so at least 1 time a year her mother goes back to the DR to be with my father-in-law and her other 2 children and her mother who is almost 90 years old. So she has to take Jackson with her so my wife can continue to work. I say all of this so you know that when she was down there so many people would come up to her and say: “Do you believe that God is doing something special with Juan (that is what they call me done there)? My wife would say yes and they would repeat, really, do you believe? One lady said I will never forget Juan, she had a brother suffering of a disease, I think it was HIV. He gave me those drops and my brother has never been sick again she said. Most of these people down there are believers in Christ because this is where my dad started the mission in the 1990’s, where many came to know Christ as their Saviour. My wife kept telling me, so many people are praying for you and love you. it was nice to hear.
Also my son Jonny goes to a church (this is where and who I sent the recent Epistle to). They heard my story and have been faithfully praying for our situation. They are a Spanish speaking congregation, hence the Epistle in Spanish. I have noticed that the suffering of a few faithful men or woman of God will bring the Church together. Most of our differences will be set aside for the higher calling of our Almighty God, El Shadday… God will and is being glorified in all who suffer for His name.
On the 14th of December I was requested to preach to the church here in the prison due to the fact that the brother who was scheduled to was and is having health problems. I preached on how we need a Radical Faith in Christ’s Radical Love to have a Radical Obedience to God. Telling the guys that we must question ourselves, we must check ourselves. Is Christ 1st in our lives? Above everything and everyone? Even yourself and your plans? Will we truly pick up our cross and follow Jesus? Or are we just playing games? Some of the guys came to me after and said that they felt convicted in their hearts. I ask you, Is Christ 1st and foremost in your life?
During the dark times I was going through in December. (I wrote a newsletter on it). A brother I had been voicing for, so that he would be allowed to preach, was given his turn. And when he preached, I felt the Holy Spirit liberating me of a heavy burden that I was carrying. This I can say was one of the darkest times in my life, spiritually and mentally that is. And God used another brother to speak directly to my life. This was on the 21st of December. It also was an unexpected call for chapel, it wasn’t planned for that day. God moved to get the message to me. Praise the Holy name of Jesus Christ.
On the first Saturday of January 2025, the worship group did a time of praise to the LORD with a few short messages included. Two guys accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour that day. And when I went to hug them and welcome them to the family of God, I asked them their names. They said, Juan and Juan. I said I am called Juan in the Dominican Republic all my life. So there stood the 3 Juan’s. Praise the LORD.
Another brother, Arturo, had been put off from preaching for months. Some of the elders thought that he wasn’t ready, and maybe he wasn’t at the time. But Arturo sure wanted to and always serves where ever he is called. A very simple and humble man. So, on the 11th of this January 2025. He stood up to preach and he kept it so simple. He preached on the narrow path to eternal life and the wide path to destruction. And how Jesus is the Way, the only Way. But he explained it so simply that everyone understood it. It touched many of the men’s lives. We have to be reminded every so often of the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus our LORD. Amen.
A friend here we call Bossman, and I were talking about some people getting abused or treated wrong in the prison. By other inmates, staff, etc.. So, I had asked him.” Why don’t people try to do me wrong as much as others.” Bossman answered and said: “Jonathan, because no one is like you. You help everyone, you approach everyone that comes in here, you listen to and talk to everyone. You pray for people; you truly show you care.” I was taken back and it brought tears to my eyes. It made me realize that the devil has lied to me and has almost convinced me that I do nothing or very little for the Kingdom of God. But when I look back and see how the LORD has used my life for His glory, I see that I don’t look for the results, I just serve Him. I surrender to His will and the work of the Holy Spirit spills out of my life. When you truly are being used by God to do His work, at times you won’t even notice it, it just becomes natural, as if it should always be like this, as if everyone should be like this. The way God intends us to be. And because I don’t want the glory, I just want to do His will, He is glorified through my life. That is a life that is a living sacrifice for our loving LORD. Take over every day my King, my life is Yours…
I hope you learn something from these posts. A special prayer to the people in California and the rest of the people suffering in this broken world.
May God bless us all.
David
A Pilgrim prisoner
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