During his senior year of high school, Joseph Marin-Suárez was given the opportunity to visit El Salvador and trust God for a short-term mission trip. The mission: to translate the gospel and minister to those in need. For Marin-Suárez, it was a dream come true.
Due to finances, it didn’t look possible. Yet, God’s provision still had his attention.
“I made it my faith project; I decided to trust God,” shared Marin-Suárez. “From unexpected places and from unexpected people, the Lord began making a way. The necessary amount was $2200. Almost $500 was provided in a matter of just two days.”
However, as the deadline approached, it seemed as if the provision had come to a standstill. One day while Joseph was driving down the highway, he began hearing lies in his head from the devil. He found himself worrying.
With sincerity in his heart, Marin-Suárez asked the Lord once again to provide. “Not even a second later, a road sign appeared overheard that simply read, ‘No Problem,’” recalled Joseph.
Over the following weeks, Marin-Suárez held onto that simple message, even when it seemed like nothing was happening.
Joseph and his parents are members at Eagle Mountain International Church. EMIC Latino Ministries Pastor Jaime Hernandez and his wife, Bildad, prayed with Joseph. They gave him encouraging words that reassured Marin-Suárez he could trust God to provide for him. “The Holy Spirit breathed new life into me through that prayer, and I stood stronger than ever,” Joseph said.
Pastor Jaime encouraged Marin-Suárez to sow a meaningful seed while he was believing for God’s provision. Joseph listened to that advice and asked the Lord to direct him to the right “ground” where he could sow.
Soon after, Marin-Suárez met a Latino missionary from EMIC. God prompted Joseph to give an offering to the ministry at that moment. “That was my first big seed, and I believed that my prayer was answered,” said Joseph.
Time passed until the due date. He still didn’t have the full amount, but was confident he had the provision. He chose to trust God. As the sun went down that day, Joseph was still lacking the money.
However, the following day, much to his surprise, the school administration extended the deadline. “To God be the glory, two days later I received all that was lacking and more than enough!” Joseph was overjoyed.
With the surplus, he was able to buy toys for kids in El Salvador and had extra seed money to sow into the lives of impoverished children. He was also able to sow into other missionaries, whom he met in El Salvador.
Marin-Suárez, right, prays for a child in El Salvador alongside his classmate.
Image credit; Marin-Suárez
Marin-Suárez spent one week in El Salvador, alongside 41 classmates and leaders from his Texas high school. They ministered in villages, schools and churches; and saw 741 salvations!
This mission trip was life-changing for Joseph, and it all began with a resolve to trust God.
“Before this trip, I lived a life of insecurity,” shared Marin-Suárez. “But through this experience, I grew as a spiritual leader. I now know confidently that I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Now a freshman in college, Marin-Suárez is seeking the Lord on the next steps for his future. One thing he knows for sure: He wants to help people, and he wants to tell them about his good Father in heaven. “I want people to know they can trust God.”
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