Mar 31, 2024 3 min read Monthly Update

When God Says Yes

He's pretty amazing!

Do you sometimes feel like God only ever says no?

I needed space. My small apartment was a great gift when I first arrived down here, but it started to become a hindrance as I laid down roots. It was hard to show hospitality in such a small space--the bathroom had numerous issues, and it was dark and hot! In this season, I've been learning the difference between surviving and thriving. I could survive in that little home, but in order to thrive, it was time to search for a new home!

At the same time, one of my good friends, Joel, found out he needed to move out of his apartment, and so we decided we would look for a place together.

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Hi, I'm Joel Caraballo Almonte, also known as Noelviz. I spent my childhood in the mountains of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, specifically in Llano del Higo, with my parents and my older sister. When I was 17 years old, my family received a special gift: my stepbrother, then only 9 months old but now 7 years old.

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From a farming family, I started working with them at the age of 7. Every day I would get up between 3:30 and 4:30 in the morning to help milk cows, make cheese and get ready for school. This routine continued for 11 years, until I finished high school. Determined to expand my opportunities, I began studying English with the goal of pursuing a career in software engineering.

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At 19, I embraced Christianity and moved to Jarabacoa. For three years, I worked as an assistant at Doulos Discovery School. Currently, I work as a radiographer in a dental clinic while I finish my studies, which I intend to complete this year. During my stay at Doulos, I participated in a Bible study group where I met Timothy.

So Joel and I started the search together! And, we found the perfect place. A spacious home for a great price! Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an awesome kitchen, dining room, and living room--perfect for hospitality! As a plus, it's super close to some of our friends who also work at Doulos!

We talked to the landlord, and he seemed excited to have us rent the place. I was so grateful to God for providing this perfect home for us!

Until, well, He didn't. He said no.

The landlord contacted us and said someone with higher priority had claimed the place.

That was hard. We had everything lined up and ready to go, and then suddenly we were back at square one. Walking home from work that day, I prayed hard. I told God I really wanted that place, but if it wasn't His will, so be it. You know best, God. But I also asked Him to change the minds of those other people who had claimed the place, that they could find someplace better for them.

The crazy thing is, well, He said yes.

A couple weeks passed after we got the bad news. Joel and I had been looking and looking for other places, when suddenly I got a call that the other people had backed out. They wanted to make a bunch of additions to the apartment that the landlord wouldn't agree to, so they decided to find another place!

What a roller coaster! God provides in the craziest ways sometimes!

So here I am now, sitting at my table, writing this update in this awesome, spacious apartment that God said yes to.

Our hope is to use this home for His purposes and His glory, because He's the one who gave it to us.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. - 1 John 5:14-15

He's a good, good Father.

My Question for YOU!

What's a time God said yes to something you asked for?

Author(s): Timothy Bemenderfer, Joel Caraballo Almonte (03/30/2024)

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My Question for YOU!

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