With a pounding heart and a quick rush of fear I frantically searched for a place to hide as my ear quickly captured the sound of a motorcycle coming up the street. Spotting a log laying on the side of the road I ran at full speed trying to reach it before the men on the motorcycle saw me. Leaping behind the log I laid as still as possible hoping the log would hide me, my heart pounded through my chest from fear, my palms became sticky and sweaty. I prayed not knowing who God was but praying that He would keep me safe. That the men on the motorcycle would not spot me and steal what few things I was carrying with me. I heard as the motorcycle came screeching around the corner and breathed a sigh of relief as the passed. I would be able to keep my belongings today, and my life. The robberies had continued getting worse and worse as the economy continued to come crashing down. Today as I got up I prayed a short prayer thanking God for sparing me.
Every year my sisters and I would save our money to buy our mom a cake for her birthday. This year was no different although it was much harder to save than the previous years and money was tight. However, we loved our mother very much and we saved to by her a cake once again. Having a cake for your birthday at this time was a luxury and I had finally saved enough money to get the cake and on the day of my mother’s birthday I started to the store with my friend extremely happy and full of joy to be able to demonstrate my love for my mother even through these rough times.
We had not walked far though when we heard a motorcycle flying up the street behind us. My friend or I did not think much of it until they slowed down and stopped right in front of us. My heart started beating fast and my palms became sweaty as the man in the back of the motorcycle got off and walked toward us. Immediately I knew something was not right. The man pulled out a gun and held it to my head demanding I empty my pockets and give him everything I had. My friend and both of us shaking emptied our pockets and gave him everything.
Sadly, we returned to my house and told my mother what had happened. I felt broken that my mother would not receive a cake this year for her birthday. I also felt so angered that there are people so heartless in this world as to rob innocent people. It had not always been this way. Only in the tight grip of socialism had the economy completely collapsed leaving our money worthless, people destitute and desperate to get food, and the basic necessities of life any way they could. Toilet paper at this point was a luxury item.
I grew up in a poorer area in the city of Caracas Venezuela. We lived on a small house built out of red cinderblock bricks on the side of a hill on the edge of the city. Even though we did not have much I loved growing up there and loved my family. I remember at a young age I would go to the horse racing tracks with my dad where he would by me snacks and a drink. I would watch the horses’ race as he talked to his friends and drank coffee. Not only was it great because I got snacks, I would not normally get at home, but it was a great way to escape going to church with my mom.
When I couldn’t escape going to church my mom would wake us up on Sunday and take us. As I would walk into the church the pews would be full of people noise and commotion. My grandfather was the pastor and I think my grandmother was a pastor as well. Later on, my aunt would become a pastor and what they would call a prophet. Many times, I would sit and watch with confusion as to what was going on. People would stand up and walk around speaking weird in what I learned later was called the tongues of the angels. Many claimed to be prophets and would stand up and give prophesies. Sometimes for specific people in church and other times in general. The pastor would preach for hours and hours. Most the time I would sit wait and hope that it would end soon. Sometimes I would lay down and try to sleep on the pew amidst the confusion. As I grew older, I remember people would slap me on the forehead saying repent, repent. I never knew what I was supposed to repent of or to whom I was supposed to repent. Unfortunately, my entire time in church I never once heard the Gospel or once heard that Jesus came to pay for our sins and that through his blood we are saved. Most the time in church I would hope for it to end and look for every excuse not to go.
Very soon I found the excuse not to go. My mother knowing the area we lived was not a good area and wanting to keep us of the streets and away from the drugs and the crime enrolled us in violin lessons. Soon I became obsessed with learning the violin. All my life I have been a 100% or nothing type person and I threw yself 100% into playing the vioplin. One of the great benefits as well is we had practice every Sunday during church. This gave me a great excuse for not going to church. It wasn’t long until I auditioned for a orchestra and got eccepted. Over the years I continued to grow in the violin playing more and more until I was able to become part of the Venezuelan National Orchestra. The best orchestra in Venezuela. With the orchestra I was able to travel and play in many different places. I played for the orchestra up until I turned 27 and had to leave the country.
When I turned 22, I enrolled and studied at the University of Saint Mary in Caracas Venezuela. I studied there for five years. Once again, I threw everything I had into my studies and graduated with a law degree. I did not have much time for anything else at this time. I studied played the violin and had no time for church or the things of Christ. Later my mom told me she always prayed that I would find God and His will for my life but at this time it was the furthest thing from my mind. I looked for my self worth my happiness in my personal achievments.
After graduating I passed the bar and began working as a lawyer. During this time the country took a steep decline in the economy and security. Our former president Hugo Chavez had died and now his counterpart, Maduro, had been president for 3 years. Under his socialist government and rule the economy was being slowly destroyed leaving many without money, work, or food.
It is amazing the resourcefulness you learn when you have nothing. Every day after work I knew where all the fruit trees were in town. I would go to every single one and pick the fruit to eat. I had lost my job and was working many other jobs just to try and make enough money to barely live. Picking the fruit gave me something to eat many times when I had nothing. It also provided seeds with which I would feed my dog. It was not long though until food became so scarce that my dog ended up dying from starvation. I had no money and no food and no hope of anything getting better.
I remember Many times going to the local pharmacy which would be similar to a CVS or a Walgreens in the United Sates. I would have to go 12 to 25 hours before they opened so that I could get in line. Many people would sleep on the sidewalks waiting for a new delivery of food to arrive just to buy a few items to eat. I remember one night sleeping outside the store waiting all night just to buy a quart of milk. When the store finally opened they told me they had no milk so instead I bought a bag of rice.
At this point I knew I had to do something different. The situation was getting worse and worse with robberies and violence happening every day, No food, no medicine, Nothing. At this point I had to leave the country. There were many different countries that I could have fled too but Colombia was right next door, and I had the opportunity to go so I went. I remember riding the bus 11 hours from Caracas to San Cristobal then 2 Hours to Cucuta, then another 16 hours to Medellin Colombia where I had a friend waiting to help me. I remember the bus was packed with Venezuelans making the 29-hour bus ride leaving the country. Some stopped in Colombia, other to other countries and many to the United States of America.
When I got to the border though I found that it was closed. They were not letting people through due to the politics and the violence in the country. Truck loads of food from the United Nations was being stopped and were not allowed into Venezuela. A few of the trucks ended up catching on fire due to the people protesting and throwing mowtov cocktails. For this reason I had to cross into Colombia in what we called the trench. We would go up the river that marked the border several miles and cross though parts where there were no military or police guarding the border. Since there were no police it was guarded by the cartel and gangs. Many times people would have to pay them to cross and girls would be abused by the gangs and cartel while trying to cross. I had some friends who crossed with me and I know it was the Lords protection that kept anything bad from happening to us.
I moved to a town just south of Medellin Colombia called Caldas. I found work and was working two different jobs making about 1.50 an hour. It was much less than I was used to being a lawyer but it was the only work I could find. I would start my day 4:30 in the morning at a bakery waiting tables and making food. I would work here until 1:00 And then would go to work at another restaurant where I would work until 10:30 pm. I worked seven days a week with only the afternoons on Monday off. Many times, the owner would not pay me the hours that I worked but there was nothing I could do.
I returned from a short break at my second job one day when I saw laying on one of my tables a flyer for free English class. Always looking for a challenge and thinking that if I learned English, it would open more work opportunities I decided to go. I got off early to go to the English classes. When I went I realized it was English classes at a church called Iglesia Bautista Vision or Vision Baptist Church in English. There I met Miguel and Mariangela Sanabria, missionaries who had left the flyer on my table where I worked. I owe my life to them. God used them to completely change my life.
After class one day Miguel asked me if I would like to hear of how Jesus gave his life for us and came to the earth to save us. Although I had been in church before this was the first time anyone shared the gospel with me. As Miguel and Mariangela shared the gospel with me I received something far great than English class. I received Christ as my personal savior. I didn’t know it then, but that decision has changed my life forever.
Although I had been in church before this was the first time anyone shared the gospel with me.
I immediately began studying the bible with Mariangela. In faith I started working less hours at work and started spending my time with her doing discipleship and learning about the Lord. As the Lord started working in my heart and life I soon gave my life to the Lord. I stopped working on Sundays and going to church. I stopped working on wendays and going to church. I started praying and asking the Lord to use me to tell others about Him. I even asked Mariangela if it was possible for me to be a missionary and tell others about Him.
Pretty soon Miguel offered me a job working at the church. I immediately took the offer. I started working as the secretary organizing and helping with all the legal stuff here in Colombia. I also started discipling others. One day while working at the church Miguel showed up with a Gringo named Chestley Howell from the United States. Miguel later told me he was called into missions, studying to be a missionary and praying about coming to Colombia. I did not think anything of it though, as a lot of people come and visit. At this time I was just focused on serving God.
Almost 10 months later He came and visited again. Once again I did not talk much to Him. He did not speak Spanish and I did not speak English at the time. When he left though, He added me on Facebook. Soon we began chatting back and forth on Facebook. It was not long until we were having long conversations, talking about goals and plans and serving God. Then in December of 2021 He moved to Colombia to start learning Spanish. That month he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. About a year later under a waterfall he asked my to be his wife and six months later we were married.
Right now we live in Colombia together serving God. I am so thankful to Mariangela and Miguel for answering the call of God coming to Colombia and giving their lives to share the gospel here. I am so grateful to the people in churches in the United States that give and pray for others like me who they have never met and may never meet until we are in heaven together.
I am so thankful that We have a God that is a God of second chances. No matter how far I was from God He is willing to send someone to the other side of the world to invest in my life, share the gospel and to bring a change, a joy and a purpose in my life. I prayed for a long time that God would use me the same way He used those who give and those who go to the mission field to be a light in the world for Him. He answered my prayer. One step of faith after another He led me until now I am able to serve Him alongside my husband.