My Reencounter: A Breakthrough from Darkness into Life

By Roberto Hernandez

Spiritual darkness isn’t always recognizable from the outside, looking in.

But God sees it, and He offers a path out of the darkness and into His light.

Born in El Salvador and raised in New York as a teenager, Roberto Hernandez grew up in religion but became lost in religion and the ways of the world before finding his life again with Jesus. My Reencounter: A Breakthrough from Darkness into Life recounts Roberto’s winding journey to a life of faith, love, and success.

No matter who you are or where you come from, coming to know the Lord is a process. Discover how the practical insight and encouragement of My Reencounter can inspire you to break through the trials and the temptations of this world into a deeper and more sincere relationship with the God of the universe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973648277

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Copyright © 2019 Roberto Hernandez.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Front Cover Image by: Marcellus Walls Photography

Names of some people have been changed in order to protect their privacy.

Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4828-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4827-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018914639

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/27/2018

Contents

Chapter 1 My Childhood

Chapter 2 Toy World

Chapter 3 The U.S.A.

Chapter 4 At the Altar

Chapter 5 Single Life

Chapter 6 My Wedding Day

Chapter 7 My Baptism

Chapter 8 My Retreat

Chapter 9 My Reencounter

End Notes

1

My Childhood

I n 1968 in the United States, the average income per year was $7,850. The average cost of a new house was $14,950, and the average monthly rent was $130. A new car cost, on average, $2,822, and a gallon of gas cost only 34 cents. You could see a movie in the theater for $1.50. ¹

And in the small and beautiful town of El Rosario, La Paz, El Salvador, in April 1968. I was born. It was there in El Rosario that I first learned to walk with God.

My parents were 22 years old and unmarried when they conceived me. My mother was naïve, my dad irresponsible. Years later, she told me that he left her after learning she was pregnant. Mother responded by finding a job and sending me to stay with my grandparents. I hardly saw her after that because she was only able to visit on weekends.

In those first years of my life, I never saw my father at all. I guess he was running away from the major responsibility of raising a child. Like too many young men, he wanted to have fun and sex without considering the consequences. After all, those consequences only come later, once we’ve made a wrong choice or decision. This is part of the reason I tell kids they are only safe and ready for sex after they’re married! Otherwise, they are playing with fire—and risking burning down their lives.

When I was five, my father reappeared. I remember hearing one of my older cousins say, one day, Rob, there is your dad!

He was pointing to a man I didn’t recognize, a man I’d never even seen before. The sight of him didn’t impact me at all. If anything, I felt fear. I didn’t know this man, and I was safe with my grandparents. They gave me all the love and attention I needed, as though they were my real mom and dad.

Scripture is right when it says, "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold