Living for God's Glory - Christina Jimenez

Today I am excited to introduce you to my sister in Christ Chirstina Jimenez! She is such an amazing women with such a sweet gentle spirit! I love being around her! Her love for Jesus and the Word is evident, she is such a blessing to me and a true woman after God's heart. I hope you are blessed by this interview as much as I was! :)

Introduce yourself like we are having a cup of coffee together :) What kind of coffee or drink would you have?

Hi, I'm Christina Jimenez. Nice to meet you I'd like a cup of Hazelnut something or other (I don't really know the difference between lattes and cappuccinos, lol!)

What does it mean to you to live a life that truly follows Christ?

For me, living a life that truly follows Christ means daily surrender. Surrendering myself to God's way of doing things and His way of thinking about things. Most of the time, His way and my way don't agree. I'm more of an "avoid conflict at all costs, keep your head low, stay safe and comfortable" type of person. God likes me to be a "face conflict head-on, know my worth, trust Him to catch me when He asks me to jump" kind of person. And if I listen carefully, He asks me to jump A LOT. But He always, always, ALWAYS catches me.

When did you start following Christ?

I started following Christ when I was 13 years old at a youth camp. I was at the lowest point in my life. Prior to going to camp I had contemplated how much better it would be if I could just end my life. I was a victim of sexual abuse when I was a little girl and coming into adolescence with that on my heart was more than I could handle. No one else knew about the abuse but me and it had become an unbearable weight that seemed to kill me slowly everyday. The preacher that night spoke about freedom. That word, "freedom" really caught my attention. How desperately I wanted to be FREE. Free from guilt, free from shame, free from my anger. He said that Jesus died on the cross so that we could truly be free. Free to live in relationship with Him, to experience His redeeming love. I never wanted anything else so badly in my life. But I was deathly shy. I never wanted to do anything that made me stand out or have anyone look at me. The preacher gave the invitation and invited anyone who wanted to know this Jesus and the freedom He so freely gives to come forward. I was gripped with fear and glued to my seat. I had a lump in my throat so huge that I couldn't swallow. Tears started running down my face. Something inside me knew that if I didn't get out of that seat and get up there, I probably wouldn't be alive much longer. I pulled myself up. My legs felt like lead but somehow I dragged myself to the front and accepted Christ as my Savior that evening. Glory to God! This was the BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. To say that Christ saved me that night is an understatement. I'm alive today because of my Savior.

How do you integrate sharing the gospel through your college advising?

When I was a teacher, it seemed to be much easier to share the gospel with my students. Every one of my students knew I was a missionary and why I was their teacher: because God called me to be there for that special time just to meet them and tell them about their Father who loves them. God allowed me to see some beautiful things through my time of teaching. Every one of my students knew who Jesus was and knew about having a relationship with Him because they saw that lived out through me. Two years ago I left the teaching profession to pursue something different. Although teaching was an amazing avenue for missions, I never really enjoyed the "work" part of the job. I started working as a College & Career Readiness Coach for O.D. Wyatt High School in the Go Center. This was a major change for me. I went from having my own classroom to not even having a desk, and sharing a room with a group of other adults. I no longer have a captive audience of 4th graders hanging on my every word, lol! This presents a new challenge for me in sharing the gospel but with time, God is showing me how to share my faith through my new position. My coworkers are not believers but I have had conversations with them about Jesus, as God has opened those doors. They know that I am a missionary and what motivates me to go the extra mile for all of our students. Although they know these things, I don't think God is done working through me with them. I know there are more challenges and conversations ahead as our relationships deepen. As for my students, I try to walk through every open door for the gospel that God opens for me. Like I said before, I'm more of the "gripped by fear, shy away from conflict" type of girl but God likes me to be bold for Him. That takes a lot of prayer and believing God's Word. I started a habit at my previous school of prayer walking around my campus weekly. I now do this at O.D. Wyatt and I can feel God breaking my heart for our students like He's done before for people He's called me to minister to. In September of last year, I saw "See You at the Pole," was coming up. Years prior, I had prayed at the flagpole with other staff at the elementary school where I worked. I wanted to do this again at Wyatt but I was fearful I'd be the only one to show up. Since I now work with older kids, I wanted to be able to invite the student body. I asked my principal's permission and he allowed me to make signs advertising the event to hang up in the school. I even put it in the announcements. In the days leading up to the event, believers started coming out of the woodwork and introducing themselves to me, all of them saying that they wanted to be there and how could they help coordinate the event. I was floored! God was really doing something amazing! That morning of "See You at the Pole," 50 staff and students gathered around the flagpole to pray and sing worship songs. It was beautiful. From that day forward, a few staff and I have come together to form a student organization to disciple our student believers to share the gospel with their peers. "Fellowship of Christian Students" meets weekly in the Go Center after school. I have seen our students grow in their faith and I've seen them take bold steps for Christ. I know disciplining these kids to be missionaries in their own school is part of God's strategy to bring Wyatt to Himself. I know there are even more open doors for the gospel in my new position. As a College Adviser, I meet with students at a crossroads in their lives. Many don't know what to do with their lives and they're apprehensive about their future. I encourage them to pray about what might be God's next step in their lives. I also remind them that God has a beautiful plan for their lives and He can be trusted. As the Spirit leads, I sometimes ask them if I can pray with them, specifically those who feel the most anxious about getting into a college or being awarded a particular scholarship. In addition to this, I made a "Prayer Box" with paper and pens inside that allows students to write their prayer needs down and drop it in the box. These prayer needs are prayed for weekly by the FCA team. As I write this, I know there is so much more God wants to do at my school. But it also encourages me to see that He's already done so much in a very short time. O.D. Wyatt has a reputation for being the worst school in our district, but I know in my heart that it's no coincidence that God placed me there. He intends to shine the brightest in one of the darkest places in our city and I get to see it all firsthand :)

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What makes you so passion it about missions?

Ten years ago my roommate decided to go on a mission trip to Calcutta, India. I thought she was crazy but I supported her and helped her fundraise. "Better you than me," was really what I thought. Through the process of helping Karen get ready, God was working on my heart. He had been for quite some time. Two years prior, I had moved in with some friends from seminary who all happened to be former missionaries in 3rd world countries. I got to see firsthand what real life adventurers looked like. I lived with them! A month before Karen was to leave for India, we all watched a movie based on a true story called, "Water." It was about a little Indian girl who had been married off to an old man who died right after being married. In India, widows are a shame to society. Through the course of the movie, the little girl ends up being sex trafficked. As I watched her being taken across the Ganghes by boat to be sold for sex the first time, something inside me broke. That night, I cried out to God to "Do something! Save her and those like her!" I told God He could do anything, why wouldn't He do something to save her? As I wrote in my journal, I came to a heavy realization. God's response to me was, "I will do something. I'm going to send you." This was the first time I realized that God wanted to use me as the answer to my own prayers. With three weeks to the trip I made the decision to go. I was able to raise all my funds in time and three weeks later I was on the other side of the world in Calcutta, India. God did a number on me through that trip. He took me to the Ganghes River and let me see hundreds of people hear the gospel for the first time ever, right next to the very same river that I'd seen this little girl in the movie be boated across to lose whatever dignity was left in her. As I looked out at the crowd that day, I saw lots of little girls and lots of men. They all had smiles on their faces to hear about a Savior who loved them. I thought about how many lives would be saved because of a relationship with Christ was starting that day. How many little girls would never know the horror of sex trafficking because their fathers met Jesus that day. My heart burst with overwhelming joy! I saw my prayers answered that day right before my eyes and God allowed me to be a part of it. I felt completely alive! I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was doing exactly what I was called to do. There's nothing more fulfilling than knowing that you are exactly in the center of God's will and that's where I found myself that day. I'll never forget it. Even though Calcutta is one of the dirtiest places in the world, I didn't want to leave. On the plane ride home, I prayed and asked the Lord how I could feel that way here in the U.S., how could I get to see His glory like that in my everyday working life? He started a new mission in me over the course of that next year. I changed jobs and moved into my old neighborhood where I grew up. I started praying for my neighborhood the way I prayed for India. How could I be the answer to my own prayers right here on my street with my neighbors? Who were the ones hurting that God wanted me to step in and help? Since that day in 2006, I've been back to India 6 times and have led others there. I have lived in my old neighborhood since 2008 and have seen God move through me with my neighbors allowing me to meet every family on my block through prayerwalking. A couple of years back, some of our church members came to help with outreach on my block and had a conversation with one of my neighbors 7 houses down. They said something that really encouraged me. They said, "Ever since Christina moved into the neighborhood, things have started to change around here. We see her walking and we know she's praying for us. Things just feel so much better around here." That is God at work. He is simply amazing and the gospel is the best thing anyone could ever hear. In 2012, I married Luis and he joined me in ministry to our neighborhood. Luis has been an answered prayer in so many ways. He brings joy to my life everyday and I've seen God use him in this neighborhood in ways that I could've never done alone. We both feel very blessed to be called to our neighborhood in Southside Fort Worth and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

What are some verses you cling on too?

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago.They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations."[Isaiah 61:1-4]

What life lessons are you learning in your current season of life?

I'm learning to trust the Lord. Similar lessons as before. I can be very hard-headed so I think the Lord has to remind me again and again that I can trust Him, that He will always come through for me. He recently taught me about doing my part to pursue reconciliation with others before bringing my gift of worship to Him. He's teaching me to humble myself and close my mouth when arguing with my husband (I don't have this one down yet, still a work in progress!) He's teaching me to be disciplined in prayer and in time with Him and yesterday, through a student, He reminded me of the sheer joy of just getting to spend time with Him and to not forget that that's what this relationship with Him is all about. He is to be enjoyed

If you could tell every person reading this blog one thing God has laid on your heart, what would it be?

Take that scary step God is calling you to do. Be an adventurer with Him. You will never regret it