HALLELUJAH!!!!

Wow, the Lord has been busy blessing us lately!! He is doing a mighty work in the hearts of JW's, and I believe He isn't done yet. Keep on praying, people! The Lord is truly listening!!

Thank you Father for the miracle You're doing in the lives of people like Daniela and Gina. Please continue to use us in any way to further Your Kingdom, and bring the Gospel to JW's. They love You Lord, they just don't know You. Give us the words to speak Your truths to them, that they may be blessed with a relationship with You, Jesus.
We pray in Your Name, Amen.

God bless,

Mrs. R

Amen indeed!

This is truly wonderful news. May the Lord be blessed and glorified!

I spoke too soon! Daniela's ambivalence about leaving the JWs has reared its head again. She sent this to me a couple days ago:

"I received an unexpected visit that made me feel very happy. About a week ago, I went up to my apartment and there were three foreign girls in my hallway. They began talking to me and it turns out that they're Jehovah's Witnesses. I talked with them and they invited me to the English-speaking meetings in Tulum. I have thought a lot about my relationship with God and I have realized that even though I have decided to serve Christ through another religion like the Church of the Brethren, it's hard to find a church here, I don't think there is one in this part of Mexico and I have always felt attracted by some of the teachings of the Witnesses. So I feel that Jehovah is calling me to not distance myself from Him. Also it is hard to find true friends because almost all of them have a very different mentality than I do. They like partying more than being spiritual, and I really need friends who share my beliefs, with whom I can speak the same language.

"And the interesting thing is that the meetings are on Saturday, my day off, and so I'll be able to attend and meet new people and maybe come to feel like part of a family. I really don't want to stop nourishing myself spiritually, since that is what is sustaining me at this time of my life. So for me it was a great blessing to find these brothers and sisters and I want to have a deep relationship with them."

...The part of this message that frustrates me the most is the one in bold type above. The way I read it, Daniela hasn't yet mentally separated the organization and God, which inevitably will keep sucking her back in with the Witnesses.

I can kind of understand why she's doing this, though...she moved to an unknown area, away from her family for the first time in her life, is working very strenuous hours, and has a minimal social life. From my phone conversation with her in early December, and this recent email, I believe she feels profoundly alone, and the Jehovah's Witnesses in her mind are probably the closest thing to a surrogate family she can get right now.

She expressed an interest before in joining the Church of the Brethren, but I think she's correct that there are no churches of that particular denomination in that part of Mexico. I'm torn between suggesting that she attend a Christian church of another denomination, in which it would take a lot of energy to learn the ropes and feel comfortable, and giving her my blessing for re-joining the Witnesses because it will help fulfill her emotional/social needs, even though in the long run it will poison her spiritually. I think she will probably opt to join the Witnesses no matter what I tell her.

Any ideas?

Jay

First of all I praise the Lord for having come into contact with everyone on this forum. I just had a very productive conversation with Daniela -- and I wouldn't have been able to mention some of the points I mentioned without the things you all have taught me.

I tried to write it all out and deleted it because it sounded awkward. I'll summarize: we talked for over an hour about spiritual things. The Holy Spirit is cutting through some barriers in her mind and exposed some of the entrenched ideas from her upbringing as a JW.

Please say a prayer for Daniela. She loves God so much -- it's a matter of breaking down strongholds (High Towers ) in her mind that are still competing for her soul's allegiance...

Thanks -- you all are the best. Thanks for all the ways you have ministered to my dear friend Daniela.

Jay

Praise Report Time!

I spoke to Daniela this afternoon. She is doing very well, still working as a chef in Cancún. She told me two very exciting things during our conversation!

1) She told me she is working on formally disassociating herself from the Jehovah's Witnesses!

2) She was getting a haircut one day when the hairstylist asked her if she had ever accepted Jesus Christ into her heart as her Savior. The hairstylist took her in another room, laid hands on her and prayed with Daniela to give her life to Christ! It is still sinking in -- I can't even believe what I am typing even though I know it's true! Daniela said when she was praying it was as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. It's amazing what God can do when we put our trust in Him!!...and in a barber shop of all places!

She sounds so much happier than she was a few months ago when I last posted to this thread. She is feeling more content with herself and has a stronger personal relationship with God than before. She still doesn't belong to a church, even though she knows she should find one (which is difficult anyway because of her 70 hrs/week work schedule), but I have always told her -- and continue to believe -- that if you have a relationship with Christ based on the Word of God, that is more important than any religious org you could ever belong to.

Thank you all for helping me minister to Daniela with your prayers for her and for me, and all the things I have learned since coming to this board!

¡Alabado sea nuestro Señor Jesucristo por los siglos de los siglos! (To our Lord Jesus Christ be the praise forever and ever!)

Jay

AMEN !!!!!!!

Hello, everyone!

An update on Daniela is LONG overdue! And it's all good news...

I went to Playa del Carmen in late July/early August to visit her. She was living there with her brother, and both of them work in the booming hotel industry in that area. Due to the swine flu stuff that happened in April, a lot of tourists canceled their summer travel, so she had vacation time to show me around the area while I was there.

It is safe to say that although our relationship formally ended over two years ago, there is "still something there." She is so much more of a strong and focused person than when I last saw her. She had been telling me so over the phone, but this summer I saw it for myself.

She had been doing a lot of thinking about the Witnesses, and had made the decision to do the paperwork to effect a formal disassociation. I talked to her over the weekend and is now officially out of the organization. Thankfully, she is NOT being shunned by her mother or by her close JW friends.

She made the decision to leave Playa del Carmen and went to Xalapa to take over her mother's business of housing foreign students. There was a lot of old JW literature in the house...when I left Playa del Carmen and went to Xalapa to visit my host mother, I couldn't believe all the magazines that were there! So Daniela BURNED THE MAGAZINES and did not feel at all guilty about it!

While I was there, she and I discussed marriage as a hypothetical possibility, but we decided the night before I left that there would be no formal commitment right now. Both she and I have some "loose ends" to tie up before we formalize anything. I heard from a friend about the time-consuming and expensive process of marrying a foreigner, and to be honest I feel intimidated by the prospect of negotiating with the government. But Daniela is worth it...as long as I feel a definite leading from God in that direction.

So I am happy that she is finally, officially, permanently done with the Witnesses, and even happier to see that her spirit is at ease and she is cherishing her personal connection with God.

All glory and praise be to God, and may He continue to "do His thing" in her life and in mine!

Jay

That is wonderful! Rejoice with me also, that my brother and his wife are now free!

Hi Jay, that is good news, Thanks for sharing with us the Good news and we will keep praying for the both of you.

Hi LifeAfter, good to hear from you again how are you all doing over there? what about "Mum" is she doing fine?.


Yes that is good news also, to hear about your brother and his wife are they saved (I ask this so I can pray intelligently for them).

Every Blessing to all.

john

Hi John. 'Mom' is not too bad, she is confirmed with cancer but is holding up well as can be, She is not needing treatments as of yet but maybe in the future.

My brother and his wife are not yet saved, as they are just out and probably facing DF'ing for the stand they have taken. I have shared briefly some aspects of the gospel and they have open hearts so prayerfully I hope it will be soon. Thank you for your prayers.