Dear Friends,
I am Aldrin A. Guiñares. I was born on May 10, 1988. I’m 19 now, and I lived in the Philippines. I’m glad that I was saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.
I made this testimony because I want to express myself in God. I don’t know when to die, maybe today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. But I am not afraid to die because one of this day, I’m sure that I will go to heaven and will see Jesus Christ in personal, where my real mansions and treasures are in there.
Hope you will meet an encouragement to my testimony and make a new one. This is quite long 🙂
How I got saved:
Let’s start in my childhood life. I have a family of seven, including my parents. I have 2 brothers, 2 sisters, and I am the youngest. My father died when I was 8 years old, which was September 11, 1996. Although they went to a Born Again Religion at a Faith Tabernacle Church and I went with them, still I don’t know who Jesus is. Then after 2 years and few months, my mother died also. I was 10 years old at that time, which was January 26, 1999. I can’t accept it and can’t believe to myself that it was happened. Because on the following morning, will be my mother’s birthday. But she died. All things got fell to me at that time.
After a few weeks and a month, I already accepted what happened to my mother. I thought there soul would go to heaven because they are very good and kind when they are alive. But it’s not. I don’t know if they already accepted Jesus as their Lord and personal Saviour. But still I don’t know who Jesus is at that time and don’t know about Religion background either. I got addicted on gambling, a small degree only. I lied and stole sometimes for the purpose of money. But one day, it thinks of my mind and said “Maybe after 2 years I will stop to this and go to church and know who is God really is”.
In the year 2001, I graduated at my Elementary level. After a few months and weeks my older sister transferred to another house at another place because she had already a family. After few months and weeks my older brother transferred also to another house at another place because he got a new family. So, 3 of us left in the house; my sister, brother and me.
On my third year High School, which was year 2003; I have a classmate. I don’t know his Religion background, I don’t know his saved, and I don’t know his name either.
One Saturday morning, I was playing I’Q puzzle near at the canal. My classmate saw me at that time and approached me. I think he has 2 or 3 church companions. They are visiting at that time. Although both of us don’t know our names and his companions either, they invited me to attend the service on the following day. The church is just a walking distance only, about 100 or 150 meters away from our home.
So I went to church and attended the service. It was young people hour when I attended my first service, which is 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon. I attend for the purposed of foods and thought that there are pretty girls in the church. But one thing it made me happy, the FELLOWSHIP. Still in that time I was not saved yet and don’t know who Jesus is. I attended prayer meetings, Sunday’s services, and other church activities and heard preaching’s about the word of God, still not saved yet. I already understand a little about salvation, but still I didn’t accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Maybe after 4 or 5 Sundays since I attended my first service, I didn’t go to church to attend the morning services. But before the young people hour, my Christian friends went to my house and invite me again to attend the service at the young people time. Then I went to them to church.
THIS IS IT! After preaching time in the young people hour, there is an invitation for those who want to receive and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. But I believed, it’s only for me because they already accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour. The Pastor said to me at that time, “Drin, would you like to receive and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?” And that time I gladly answered YES. That was the time I got saved and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Saviour, which was July 2003. PRAISE GOD for that! It was Pastor Jun who used God to lead me to Christ. At that time he is our youth director, but now he is holding a mission church…
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”
How I got backslide:
After got saved, all things got well in my life. I hunger to the word of God. I long to sought the Lord and know him more. I attended camps, fellowship and other church activities. I enjoyed having fellowship with my Co-Christians. Until one Sunday, our mother church sends 3 missionaries.
At the first Sunday of the first service of the one of the missionaries, they got me as a church worker. And so on, I volunteered myself as a church worker to help the church and the pastor. I also transferred my membership in the mission church where I work, until I lived at my pastor’s house, Pastor Leslie. I enjoyed serving the Lord and helping the church. I become a youth director at a young age, but deep in me I can’t accept it because I am new about it and don’t know how to be an effective leader. But I learned. I looked forward and try my best for the glory of the Lord. I encountered different testimonies at different Christians, pastors and missionaries. I heard testimonies about the blessings of the Lord, how God working in them and even how they got backslide. And one day I said to myself, “Maybe I also will experience backslide as I observed like them”. And so on, for how many weeks and months it can’t get out of my head. And it was so…
I go on and serve the Lord but I struggled on my faith slowly and also got difficult in finding prayers. Slowly I lost hope and the struggled of my faith continued, until I volunteered myself to stop as a youth director and stop to work in the church. I lived back to my real home and continue to my studies. Although I didn’t back to some of the doing of the unbelievers, still I struggled and couldn’t feel the presence of the Lord. I tried to do more prayer, reconciled myself to God and grow back in the fear of the Lord, but I struggled more to seek God.
I ask God why this is happen to me. And so on, I got struggling on my faith and hard to seek God…
Jeremiah 3:22 “Return, ye backsliding children and I will heal your backsliding. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.”
How I got Restored to God:
After few months and weeks, I still looked forward and I tried my best to seek the Lord. But still I struggled more to seek God.
Until one day, I was exploring my friendster site; I found out Mr. George. I wonder who is. He viewed me, so I viewed him also. After wondering, I found out Mr. George sharing about the Gospel and it suddenly got my attention. So I communicated with him and asked some advised what happened to me.
To make the story short, I examined myself, prayed and admitted I backslide; that sin or going sin is the caused of all. And so on, all things got better and better in my life. I’m starting sharing of my faith now and Jesus Christ as possible. Also my church fellowship got better. I believe every Christians will undergo trials in my life to test our faith in God. I mean backslide. As long we admit it and correct it, we will be grown more to be a mature Christians.
And now I have a goal to read the whole Bible in order myself to know more about God and in order myself to be more equip…Now I am 4 years and 6 months of my age of being a Christian…
Psalms 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
I want to thank the following:
-First of all to God, for giving me salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. I thank God for his never ending love and mercy.
-To Pastor Jun, Pastor Leslie, and Co-Christians friends, and other missionaries for a testimony and a blessing to me.
-To Sir George for always there and helping me to draw back near to God.
-To my youtube Christians friends for encouraging one to another.
-And lastly to my family who are very supportive to me.
Thanks for Reading and May God Bless you all… 🙂
Brother in Christ,
Aldrin