About the Trip

Hello! I’m Jose but if you are clicking on this link you know me in some capacity.

As you know my faith in Christ has become the most important thing in my life. (Maybe you have even known me before when faith meant nothing to me). This July I will be going on a Mission Trip to Ethiopia to love the community and share the good news of the Gospel! More in detail I will be working with E3 Partners and going with other members at Watermark Community Church. We are staying in Addis Ababa, but during the day going to the rural towns and villages to get to know the community, and share the love of Christ, alongside a translator. The translator is also a Christian who lives/knows the area. After my departure, the people we build relationships with will be followed up and supported by the local (The translator and their church) body there.

My ask is that if you would partner with me in prayer that I would love the members of the community well. Also, the Lord would use me in any capacity that is needed to be there for his children and to let them know of his redemption plan through Jesus.

Lastly will you please consider partnering with me, through financial support to cover the cost of the trip? My ask, if you do partner with me, is that it wouldn’t be out of the feeling of obligation, but out of joy

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” - 2 Corinthians 9:7

Spark Notes of B.C. Jose Garcia

Before I met Jesus my life was marked by several things these are what I would consider the main things:

• From the outside looking in. My life seemed amazing, I had a great job, I had the car I wanted, I had the zip code in the big city, I had the relationship, I had the stock portfolio that was hitting record after record.
• I was a slave to what I thought others thought of me. I would crumble under the weight of my criticism and constantly set a standard that wasn’t achievable.
• I abused drugs and alcohol to numb myself when I had any negative feelings (stress, anger, sadness, anxiety). It was a nasty cycle because when I woke up sober I would be back to square one.
• I had an addiction to pornography ever since I was a pre-teen, and because of the countless hours of feeding it, I grew this view of woman that there were objects for my pleasure.
• I managed the perception loved ones had of me, I came off like an amazing guy but the truth was I was selfish, prideful, and stubborn.

Background of my previous “religious life”

I grew up catholic, my family would go to Church and I would go to catechism. At times I think we only went for the perception of going to Church. I memorized Catholic traditions and prayers, I was taught we had to do good things to go to heaven. I thought If I messed up God was mad at me. I became numb to the idea of “God” and eventually grew up and became an agnostic/atheist. I thought it was foolish to believe in God. Once living in Dallas I would attend “The Porch” (A ministry at Watermark Community Church). I didn’t go for the intention of learning, but to use it as a way to manipulate my ex-girlfriend to do things for me. If I was at “The Porch” I would criticize and fact-check the pastor constantly. My heart was cold to the Church.

What happened? Why follow Jesus?

Well, this all stemmed from a simple question that one of my college buddies asked while visiting me in Dallas. “What is your one-year Goal?”

This question completely stumped me, why? you may ask. Well after sitting on this question for about a week I realized that everything I chased that was supposed to bring life and purpose left me unknowingly empty.

I had everything but it still never came close to fill the void that was in my life.

Jesus Steps In

So here I was aware of the hole I was in. That week I went to The Porch, and I heard a message about “Finding your Identity in Christ”. How fitting right? That day I decided to see if there were meaning and truths in the Bible. I bought my first ever bible and read the book of Matthew and was stunned by who Jesus was his loving/gentle/compassionate nature. Jesus also shared how someone could go to heaven and the standard was so high, it was impossible for man. Then after reading the book of Romans I understood the legal implications of the Gospel. I finally saw the entire picture of God’s redemption story. This is what I learned:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” - Romans 6:23

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing it is the free gift of God so that no one may boast” - Ephesians 2:8-9

It’s a contradiction for a Holy God to be around sinful people. Because of my sin, I deserve death, there is no way I can work my way to a right standing with God. But God, being rich in mercy sent his son to take on the punishment for the sins of those who would have their faith in Christ. Now that justice has been done for my sin, I’m seen as righteous by God not by anything I did, but by the free gift of God. Through Jesus reconciliation has been made and I can have a relationship with Him

Why a mission trip?

Simply to proclaim the goodness of God to others, Jesus completely changed my life. I'm no longer a slave to the sin I was entangled in, I live in freedom and in no condemnation. If God can give me freedom I want others to experience the same joy. I get to live in the freedom of being completely satisfied by what my creator thinks of me. I don’t need drugs to cope with negative feelings because I can rest in the peace beyond understanding that God provides.

"Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done." - Psalm 105:1

Links

My Testimony:

https://www.watermark.org/message/9731-testimony-jose-garcia?q=

Sermon That lead me to consider the Bible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaAPo2HZAx8