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After the Christmas Worship Service last year, I went to Puerto Rico. From the message I learned the meaning of Immanuel (which means God with us ). In addition, that day Elisa’s sister Sarah told me that she wanted to study the Bible more often with me. There have been a few times I taught the bible to her and she commented that she learned a lot. Please pray for me and my wife Elisa to teach her family the Bible. I decided to have Romans 1:17 as my new key verse, because this is my weapon to defend myself and my family against Satan’s temptations throughout the year, especially going to Puerto Rico for one month. It’s easy to forget God’s word and mission when you go out for vacation. We see vacation as a source of having a good time by spending it with family, friends, and having fun. Before leaving Dr. Joseph Anh told me, to think of my trip as a short term missionary to Puerto Rico and to have Christmas Worship service. I was so happy to have visited my home town and get out from the cold weather. When I got to the Puerto Rico airport, I took off my jacket and suit quickly. I started to sweat quickly because it was seventy-five. Moreover, my flight was delayed and there was a chance that I wasn’t going to be able to rent the car I had reserved. The rental car place close by 11 PM and I get there at 10: 45 p.m. I quickly called the company explaining my situation and I asked if they could wait for me. Thank God they waited for me and I was able to rent the car. When I, Elisa, and Elizabeth got to my parents house, my dad and mom was there to welcome us. I was so happy to see my parents. During our time there, we visited many different places in Puerto Rico, visited family and friends, ate a lot of fish and ate a lot of different Puerto Rican dishes. Also, I got to do one of my favorite sports which is going fishing in my father’s boat. I went fishing by myself in the middle of the night. There were strong winds, I had begun to get a little scare, but I said to myself, God is with me, I don’t need to worry or be afraid. Then afterwards I caught 80 pounds of fish, some I brought to Chicago.

Part II: Sunday worship service in Puerto Rico

I delivered the Sunday message twice. The title of my message was Emmanuel which means (God with us). I invited 7 people to come to my Sunday worship service by 11 am. When it was 10: 30 a.m, I began to worry because I thought nobody would come. When it was almost 11 I said in my mind, I need to deliver this massage to someone, someone needs to hear the word of God. I went to my sister’s house to pick up my nephew Carlitos, he was sleeping and I told him Carli remember you said you were coming to hear my massage. He said, “Ok I am coming.” While I was leaving with my nephew, I saw another boy in my way. I asked him, do you want to hear the message of God, he said yes. I was so happy because two people accepted to come. Later during my message, I ask this boy what was his name and he said Emmanuel. I told him, you need to hear this massage because my message title is Emmanuel and the meaning of it, since he didn’t know the meaning of his name. When he heard my message he learned the meaning of his name. Three days later, I saw him and I asked him what the meaning of his name meant, he told me God with us. I was so happy to know this boy learned the meaning of his name; it can be good for his future. Also, I saw and realized that Puerto Rican people need a strong shepherd not physical but spiritual. I saw in churches the majority of the people there were old in age; there is nothing wrong with this. More of the factor was that, there weren’t too many young people. I saw that more young people there needed the word of God. I and my wife decided one day to go as missionaries to Puerto Rico to teach young people the word of God, amen. I learned that if one person doesn’t go with mission to another country, there mission can fail. That’s why I want my family to depend in God in everything we do. In this way, we can have victory in Jesus. This is my wife key verse for this year (James 2:26 “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead”). She wants to give everything to God by honoring and living by faith before him.