In my first four years of doing ministry through literature evangelism and Bible work, I learned some very valuable lessons. I still have much to learn, but these are life lessons God taught me through this ministry: perception, perseverance and purpose.

Lesson #1: Perception

Do you know what IQ is? What about EQ? EQ is how well you manage your emotions. IQ is how smart you are. Which one is more valuable? Companies don’t look for people with good IQ, but good EQ. Why? Do you think it’s helpful in everyday life? 

My thoughts and what I believe about situations have improved dramatically when doing door-to-door work. Rejection is part of this work; there’s no way around it. At first, rejection really affected me. But it was because of belief of the situation. I’m thinking this person hates me, and rejecting me for who I am, when, in reality, sometimes they’re just not interested. It happens each summer. I often carried discouragement with me throughout the day because of these experiences until I practiced cognitive behavioral therapy and started to change how I think about the work. 

How does this relate to my life now? This work changing my perception is good because belief is very important in the Christian faith. How can we be forgiven by God if we ourselves can’t believe we are forgiven? How can our prayers be answered if we don’t believe they will be? I learned how I can prevent a bad day and make it into a blessing, just by changing what I believed about the situation.

Lesson #2: Perseverance

One day, I let my mind get discouraged and books weren’t selling. Very few books sold in the morning, but not only that, I was starting to believe that no more books were going to sell and began to give up. But during my lunch break, I began to pray, asking God that many books would sell that day. 

I didn’t see an immediate answer to my prayer — but I kept at it and persevered. Then books started to sell. 1 book here. 2 books there.

I soon came to a house that can only be a divine appointment. God led me to this house! When I knocked on the door, a lady answered. First, I showed her Ministry of Healing, and she said, “How did you know I am struggling with health?” Second, I showed her Steps to Christ, and she said, “How did you know I am stressed and worrisome?” Come to find out, she was a backslidden Adventist who just started going back to church. She bought all my books, English and Spanish, and extras to share with her family and friends! 

If I gave up mentally, I would have let Satan win, and this lady would not have the blessing of reading these books to come back to God. But praise God for His promises.

Lesson #3: Purpose

I became Adventist about five years ago, and it was because someone gave me Bible studies. After I gave my life to God, I finally experienced true and lasting love, peace and joy for the first time in my life. After that, I got into ministry only for the sole reason of having others experience the same thing that I’m experiencing. I have so many testimonies of God working miracles.

For example, I am currently giving Bible studies to a couple who, at first, were very different. I witnessed them arguing, and it seemed like they didn’t experience God even though they were Christian. But after having 12 Bible study sessions with them, their demeanor changed, they have more peace in their lives and joy in their hearts looking forward to our weekly studies. They changed right before my very eyes because they started to study the Bible, getting to know and experience God for themselves.

Throughout the years of doing door-to-door ministry, I found my purpose and calling. 

Because God loves us so much, I would do a disservice to Him if I didn’t bring as many of people to the family of God as possible, and I would do a disservice to my fellow men if I didn’t tell them of a God who loves them deeply that He would die for them. 

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From the moment I started doing this work, I haven’t been the same person I was. I’m a harder worker, I’m more mature and I have more trust in God. Doing door-to-door work, or doing ministry in general, not only prepares you for this life but for the life to come.

Through this work, God changed my perception of life, taught me to have perseverance in the Christian walk and He helped me find my purpose in Him.