Meet Saul
This is Saul Aguinda, he is 21 years old, he grew up in a jungle community, from the Cofan tribe. Spanish is his second language, Cofan being his first, he learned most his Spanish while in classes at Ninawachi. In June, he hopes to intern with Link Year. Link Year is lead by Paul and Lineth Overmoyer, they walk along side and disciple a small group of young adults through this program. They visit multiple Inca Link ministries in Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru, it's a 6 month program, they spend 1.5 months at each ministry location. This gives them opportunity to serve, experience and work in different cultures, develop teamwork, and create space for a deeper relationship with Christ. The program runs from June to December this year.
Something Gideon and I are passionate about is empowering the nationals to dream big when seeking God & serving him. We serve a God with endless resources and dreams bigger than our own, as American's it's easy for us to know this reality, but for someone coming from a small impoverished jungle community, it's not as easy to know. We are thrilled he is being given this opportunity, as it will continue to shape him, he will experience new cultures, new ministries, his world will be opened up to how God works, this is an experience of a lifetime for him. In order for Saul to go, he needs to raise $3,400. He is trusting and depending on God to provide this, he feels God is asking him to go, so he is trusting God will provide that way. Gideon and I sat down with Saul and had him share his testimony, so we could share it with you.
When he was still in his mother's womb, Saul's father & siblings tried to abort him. At a week old, he was given to his mother’s parents & his birth parents left. His grandparents raised him, when he was 11 they told him they were his grandparents and not his real parents. This has been hard for him to forgive, for a long time he wanted revenge. He never felt loved or wanted, he looked for someone to love and support him unconditionally, he felt this was impossible to find. When he was 19 years old, an uncle he was close to was murdered, for his own safety an aunt of his, (who was a previous student & staff member), told him to come to Ninawachi & study. Shortly after his arrival at Ninawachi he accepted Christ, he realized things he thought were impossible to feel, he found here. Saul has faced many difficulties in his life, one verse that he clings to is Matthew 19:26, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” He now understands that he wont ever find the love he longs for from humanity, it is impossible, but God has this love he's wanted and has searched for since childhood. He feels if his parents left him & his father's side tried to harm him, then it was all for a greater purpose. The purpose God has for Saul's life was to move him forward, so he could find God and the love He has for him, & so he can share that love with others.
Link year came as a surprise to Saul, he has been praying about what God would have him do after he graduates at Ninawachi in March, and this came up. He is completely dependent and trusting God in this process. Coming from a small jungle community, raising $3,000 seems like an impossible task, but he is reminded of Matthew 19:26, that all things are possible for God.
If you would like to financially support Saul in any way, please follow the link below and find his name, Saul Aguinda. On behalf of Saul, thank you for your generosity. This will be life changing for him, he will grow and experience things he never dreamed of, and he will see the heart of God in new and refreshing ways.
https://www.incalink.org/donate/donate-interns
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