Truly His: Gabby’s Story

We hope you were left encouraged and challenged after reading our last inter testimony on this blog. We are excited to introduce our new interns, and we hope you will keep each of them in your prayers as they seek to serve and grow in the Lord during their time with us.

The next intern we would like to welcome is Gabby! Gabby came to us from Querétaro, México, and we are so glad to have her for the year. Please join us in rejoicing in God’s work, as you read her story.

“All my life, I claimed to be a ‘Christian baby.’ That was in my resume;  Niece of pastor, obedient and perfect daughter. Sadly, all this was a vile lie. I thought that I was full, happy and complete, but I was deceived. Deep inside me I knew I was not. I was living under the ‘oppressive yoke’ of God, since I had always thought that if disobeyed Him, He would punish me and I would go to hell, as if salvation depended on my good and bad deeds.  One day, I noticed that people around me who said they were ‘Christian,’ including my mom and my dad, were miserable in their way of living, they were battling with sins – specific sins I could see. They did not reflect Christ, and neither did I.   As a 21-year-old girl, the message of the gospel I heard for the first time in October 2012 changed my life. I was looking for sentimental and material things to fill my emptiness; all except Christ. I never understood the purpose for which I was created and the love that Christ has for me. In 2012, after many unfortunate setbacks in my life, Christ rescued me. It was revealed to me in an inexplicable way making me feel uncomfortable for my sin and for the life that I was living, and making me know how empty and needy I was of the love that did not fail – a love that exceed all understanding – that would give me the peace I was looking for my whole life. He made me come to light, acknowledge my sin, cry out for help and salvation. And most importantly, He revealed to me He accepted me as I was, with everything I had done wrong. At the same time, He showed me He didn’t want to leave me being the same empty-sinning person I was, but had every intention of teaching me how to live for His glory.

Now, I can see how God has used all my mistakes throughout my life to knit together every perfect moment and take me to Him. He humbles me day by day under His powerful hand and helps me to recognize my need for Him. I now feel an extreme craving go to church and worship Him, the only thing that makes me feel full and joyful.  I am beyond blessed with what God has given me; from being rejected, I am now accepted, from looking for acceptance with relationships and friendships, I am now complete in Him. My only job now is to keep allowing Him to continue His work in me and lead me in the process of progressive sanctification. At times I do not understand His purposes, but I have learned that He is sovereign and has the control of everything. Most importantly, now as a saved individual I have left behind the effort and anguish to be somebody in life. The only thing important to me now is that I am His daughter; that is my only identity and that it is enough for me.

This past February, I had the blessing on coming to the Biblical Counseling Training Conference at Faith Church with some other members of my church, Horizonte Querétaro. I came to the breakfast VOH was hosting, and God moved my heart for this ministry. I’m so excited and am trusting what God will have for me. I can only say I would love to serve in full-time ministry, and God has shown me every day how young people are hurt and needy of something (Someone) who doesn’t fail. Even though I don’t know what God has for me in the future, I rest on the fact He is going to give me what I need to be more like Him and lead me wherever I need to be for His will.

This past year after the Bible Counseling Training Conference, God gave me the opportunity to start counseling with the young women in my church and community. With this approach, I learned the enormous need the people have of God specifically how to help girls struggling in specific situations. I know and have experienced the power of God to take myself and people I know out of similar struggles. I have the urgent need to learn, understand and share the hope only He gives, and for that I would love to learn how to love people and show them His Glory and reflect His love all the time. My church in Mexico is now growing and, maybe God will use me to introduce these kind of awesome programs in Mexico. I want to learn how to love and instruct in a proper way girls struggling with addictions, eating disorders, unplanned pregnancy and promiscuity.”

Praise the Lord for His awesome work to transform Gabby’s life and bring her to the internship program at Vision of Hope!

If you would like more information about our internship program, please visit our information page at http://www.faithlafayette.org/about/jobs/internship or contact Annie Martin at amartin@faithlafayette.org.

Bethany Dunn
Bethany heard about Vision of Hope while attending Word of Life Bible Institute in Florida. When she began praying about what God wanted her to do after graduating, He kept bringing Vision of Hope to her mind. Knowing that there was an internship available, Bethany applied, was accepted, and began her internship with VOH in July, 2012. Since then she has been amazed at the opportunities God has given her to learn more about His Word and how it applies to everyday life. Bethany now serves on staff at Vision of Hope.