Elvia Marina (Age 43, Sonsonate Manmin Church)


When I was a young girl I learned the words of the Bible from my mother. However, I couldn't keep going to church because of my alcoholic father. I always had the desire to go back to church during my teens.

One day, I heard the voice within my heart saying to me, "Your current life is not the life that I prepared for you," and I began going to church again. I had many questions regarding the words of the Bible. When I asked my pastor what it meant by 'being born again by water and the Spirit', he couldn't give me a clear answer. My heart became increasingly thirstier and I earnestly prayed to meet a pastor who would teach the word of God properly.

In February 2014, I was doing house chores with the TV on channel 17 and I stopped working to listen to the sermon. It was toward the end of the message titled 'Faith'. I jotted down the name of the preacher and the contact info. I searched for the preacher, Rev. Jaerock Lee, on the Internet, and I listened to his messages on the Ten Commandments. I was very shocked. My heart increasingly felt like it was going to burst as I listened to more of his sermons.

He was the pastor whom I had been praying to meet so desperately. Since then, I gathered some of my acquaintances to pray and listen to the sermons on the Ten Commandments together with me. His teachings were very closely related to our daily lives. I searched for a branch church of Manmin on the Internet, and I visited Alta Vista Manmin Church.

The pastor of El Salvador Manmin church gave me Rev. Lee's books The Measure of Faith and The Message of the Cross as gifts. I attended the branch church for some time, but it was too far from my house. I opened a prayer house in Sonsonate. Later I opened a branch church in Sonsonate, and there are signs and evidence that God's presence is with us.

In October 2018, there was a flood in the area that destroyed many houses and caused several deaths, but all the church members were protected by God. There was also forecast to have continuing heavy rain with lightning, but when we received the audio file of the Senior Pastor's prayer, it only drizzled next day, Sunday the 21st, and all the weather warnings of heavy rain all over El Salvador were lifted on the 22nd.

The Senior Pastor gave us so much spiritually. Manmin Central Church is a very good example that shows us how we're supposed to love God. I hope to visit Manmin Central Church one day and worship with the members there. Hallelujah!