Carlos Garcia Interview

I always give thanks to God for His work here in Jorge Basadre. I’m thankful for the lives of my brothers and sisters in the church. The Lord is always giving us strength and He lifts our heads. He revives us and comforts us in our grief. He is always with us. This is the God we love and exalt. We always give Him the honor and the glory.

The political crisis in our country is having an impact on jobs and the economy. As a result, the lives of many of the brothers and sisters in the church are being affected, especially considering that this part of the city is considered to be extremely impoverished. Still, we give thanks to our God because He is faithful to provide. Despite the current conditions, the brothers and sisters can testify to the Lord’s faithfulness, and we praise God for this.

While we live in this world, we will be exposed to many difficult things. These hardships are part of our lives and we take them as trials from our God. I want to ask you to pray for a number of believers in the church who are experiencing trials. Juanita has been diagnosed with colon cancer. Esther, an elderly lady, had to have an eye removed because of a serious infection. It was the only way to prevent it from spreading to the other eye. Jose is very sick and walks with great difficulty because of his arthritis. He has helped us so much through his faithful service to the Lord and his house-to-house evangelism. He has been faithful to visit and encourage members of the church and helped with his own hands in the construction of the church building. He still has the desire to do all that he once did, but he is now coming to grips with the fact that he is no longer physically able. 

But despite these difficulties that our brothers and sisters are experiencing, I am a witness to their steadfastness in the faith of our Savior. They tell me things like, “Pastor, we are prepared for whatever the Lord has for us. We are trusting in His will.” They don’t say that because they have given up hope or have fatalistic outlook, but they say it with a glow in their face of sound confidence. They feel the pain and sadness of fallen humanity, but they hold fast to the strength of the Lord and to the unbreakable hope of what awaits those who are in Christ Jesus. When we go to visit and encourage them, we ourselves receive encouragement and comfort. It is in the most difficult moments when we often see the display of true faith and practice.