Renewing Is Re-Knowing!

Guest Editorial: Lynda Moreno

(Lynda has served the Lord as a missionary in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Presently, Lynda & Raul, her husband, are the very effective and beloved leaders of our Orange County Region. Lynda will be appointed Women’s Ministry Leader by Elena at out monthly Congregational Worship Service on June 6, 2010! KM)

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men [and women] stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:29-31

The Moreno Familia – Raul & Lynda with their children, Felipe and Bella!

God’s Spirit working through the Campus Ministry in the Orange County Region of the City of Angels Church has renewed my passion for God, restored my Biblical convictions about God’s church, and revived my heart for saving souls. Out of high school, I worked as a model as well as attending a small private college in Florida – The Academy of Merchandising and Design. I received a Bachelor of Interior Design in 1997. Shortly thereafter, I first came “to know God” when I was converted at 24 years old, while working at an architectural firm as well as a runway model.

At about six months old spiritually, I had the privilege to be asked to be a missionary in Sao Paulo, Brazil. There, I learned not only the Portuguese language, but more importantly, what true sacrifice is and how to love it. Coming from a modeling background with 100 pairs of shoes and flights to New York City to party on the weekends, living in Brazil was the complete opposite, where my room – shared with another disciple – was the size of a walk-in-closet! I adored the warmth and vivaciousness of the Brazilian people and I was able to study the Bible with many women who became disciples. Before Brazil, I saw myself as an “American;” after Brazil, I loved being a “Latina,” as I embraced my birthplace and heritage in the nation of Colombia!

A year later, my visa expired and I was “forced” to move back to the States. However, God had a bigger plan. (Jeremiah 29:11-14) It was in the Miami Church that I met my future soul-mate, Raul Moreno – a very charismatic (and very handsome) Latino man of God! Soon, God gave me “the desire of my heart” – we started dating! (Psalm 37:4)

The Spirit sent us to Argentina as a dating couple to lead the Campus and Teen Ministry. The Argentines were not as “fun-loving” as the Brazilians, and frankly, were very hardened to the gospel. Yet I believed that even in a difficult field, “the harvest is plentiful.” (Matthew 9:37) I learned how to adapt to a different culture and simply be what the people needed me to be. As Paul shares in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews… I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”

Once I understood many of the felt-needs of the Argentines, it became easier to persevere in “winning” their hearts. Through tearful prayers, I set my heart to love the people, because I knew that God had chosen me to be there and lead these women by example. God not only blessed Raul and me with many baptisms, but He also answered my prayers for a spiritually strong husband, as we were married on October 6, 2001!

Unexpectedly – for that’s how God often works – two weeks after our wedding, the Spirit blew us to Santiago, Chile to help the young people in the church. (John 3:8) A year later, the leaders of the church had to move back to the States, because their daughter was born with severe special needs. Raul and I were asked to lead the Santiago Church “temporarily” for six months. We ended up staying there for nearly seven years! These were the hardest years of my life.

Wayne & Ashley on their wedding day!

While in Chile, the Lord blessed me as I became pregnant with my wonderful son Felipe (5) and my amazing daughter Bella (3). Both were difficult pregnancies that left me bed-ridden for the majority of my terms. During this same span of time, the spirit of the church was fading. Raul and I did not have any discipling, because our movement of churches had collapsed as each congregation embraced autonomy. Abandoned and hurting, my faith was severely wounded. I became bitter and angry, because I felt responsible for the people God entrusted to our care, so why wouldn’t “our leaders” feel the same about us? My heart grew cold towards God’s vision and dream for an evangelized world, because I couldn’t grasp why God would allow such suffering to happen to us, since Raul and I had given up everything for His cause. It was much, much later that I realized that my faith had drifted, becoming more based on the movement, and not in God. So as the movement was dying, so was my faith.

Coming to LA saved my soul! The miracles that our God has done here, especially in Orange County, have rebuilt my faith and reminded me that a movement to evangelize the world is not only possible, but it is God’s passion. (1Timothy 3:3-4) Upon my arrival in Los Angeles, let’s just say I came ready for the spiritual ICU (Intensive Care Unit)! With Raul holding my weak hands in many hours of prayer, and the sisters coming to me – as I had no strength to go to them – to study the Word, God began to heal my hurts and “renew [my spiritual] strength.” Some, sensing my disillusionment and heartache, asked me, “Why didn’t you take a break from the ministry?” And at one point, I strongly considered this thought of “quitting” – at least for a while. Fortunately, with Elena’s gentle encouragement and forthright discipling from the Word, I did what I knew in my heart was right – to strive to love God with “all my heart, soul, mind and strength,” knowing that this is a commitment and not always a feeling. (Mark 12:30) One aspect of loving God my husband helped me not to neglect was studying the Bible with women so they could have a relationship with God. Daily, I began to push myself. (1 Corinthians 9:16-17) I have come to appreciate that evangelism is a necessary facet of the healing that only comes from God.

Lynda and several of the OC campus women disciples!

Due largely to challenging circumstances and my weakened spiritual state, Raul and I got off to a slow and rocky start in building the Campus Ministry in “the OC.” I now realize that having a“partner in the gospel” is such a valuable gift from God, because when you have a partner you rarely feel alone. Going on campus and sharing my faith with Shay Vloet helped both of us to get spiritually stronger. Then after an emotional up and down first year in LA, this last fall the Lord started to move as we began to study the Bible with Zulma, a student at Rancho Santiago College. Once Zulma was baptized, her faith inspired her mother to study the Bible and become a disciple! I could feel my faith getting stronger.

Lisa celebrates with her co-worker – Kandl – after her baptism!

Margie was the next gift from God. She is an awesome woman from Cal State University Fullerton (CSUF) majoring in Chemistry. Her baptism continued to build my faith as I could see the Scriptures in Acts 17:26-28 come alive, “God determines the times set for [Margie] and the exactly places where [ Margie] should live, so that [Margie] would seek Him.” Margie lived in the same complex and down the hall from some of the OC brothers!

Coleen Untalan – who just became a full-time summer intern, leading the women in our new Guam Church – also became a great “partner in the gospel.” That fall, while sharing our faith at Fullerton Junior College (FJC), we met Lisa Araiza. She is an awesome woman majoring in Business, who amazed us when she took a strong stand for the Lord against her whole family. (Matthew 10:34-39) She was baptized and now six months later she has been personally fruitful with a friend she met from work – Kandl! Then came Nadean, a student at FJC majoring in Sociology with a minor in Criminology. She was invited to Bible Talk by a friend who was studying the Bible, but as always God has His plan. Nadean’s friend decided to no longer seek a relationship with the Lord, but it was Nadean who fell in love with God and became a baptized disciple! Then the Lord brought to us Nathalie – a beautiful Indonesian Psychology major at CSUF. She studied the Bible and after seeing the truth plainly, she gave up her sorority and her false doctrine convictions on the Sabbath. Excitingly, she was baptized at this year’s Women’s Day!

Tony and Danny are fired-up after John’s baptism! Lynda and several of the OC campus women disciples!

Also deeply impacted by the Women’s Day was Desiree, the sister of a Vanessa Espiritu. She is majoring in Pharmacy Tech at Cerritos College. It was so faith-building to see Desiree’s baptism as she overcame her past and began to build her life on the Rock, Jesus Christ. Though there have been other women baptized during these last few months, one of the sweetest most serving girls you will ever meet is Jenny. She had such a “Berean heart” that she studied the Scriptures almost every day. (Acts 17:10-12) Now, as a disciple, Jenny loves to share her faith and as with all the other new sisters, we are family and “partners in the gospel.”

Traveling all the way from Canada, Craig & Elizabeth Wademan place membership!

Each one of these miracles – for every baptism is a miracle – has increased my faith. These women “imitate” the good part of my new heart; for when I look at them, I am reminded of the resolute determination needed to be faithful to God. (1 Thessalonians 1:6) God knows what we can handle. In Job 42:5 it says, “My ears have heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.” After everything that God allowed Job to go through, he was brought to a new place spiritually where he could see God more intimately. Like Job, God’s plan for our lives always includes suffering! My hurts from my “stumble and fall” were caused or allowed by our Sovereign God. So today, my “strength is renewed,” because I not only see God, but I have put “my hope [only] in the Lord.” Truly, “renewing is re-knowing!” And may our lives always give glory to our Father by bearing “much fruit – fruit that will last” for eternity! (John 15:8, 16)

Lynda M. Perdigon