I came to the Universal Church at the age of 15; however, I already carried baggage from my past, which was filled with great suffering. My family structure was great, I had wonderful parents, but financial problems and illnesses were always present during my childhood. I was forced to grow up quickly and begin working at the age of 8.

Once I reached my teen years, I wanted to get married and be happy. But, along with my first boyfriend came my first deception. We had an unhealthy relationship and I couldn’t free myself from it. I had an inferiority complex and believed that if I wasn’t with this person, I wouldn’t be with anyone else. The suffering was such that I attempted suicide three times. Though I endured all this, we still got married, and that’s when my life became a living hell, filled with betrayals, lies, struggles, etc. Then one day I received the invitation that would change my life.

When I was invited to go to the Universal Church, like I mentioned, I was 15 years old, already holding a son in my arms and a life story of great pain to share. We reached a point where my son and I had nothing to eat and were almost evicted because we couldn’t afford to pay the rent. I can truly say that the day I walked into the Universal Church was the first time I said, “Oh, what a day!” I left that place with new strength and the will to live. The person I was married to did not accept my new life with Jesus and forced me to choose between him and the Church. I remember my exact words until this day: “I am not going to choose you, or the Church, I choose Jesus because He loves me. He gave his life for me, and in order for me to continue with Him, I must go to Church.” He left me and I continued my journey of faith.

Evangelizing and winning souls was my nourishment, nothing gave me more satisfaction (and by the way, it still is, thank God). My life was transformed; I was baptized with the Holy Spirit, and was soon raised as an assistant. I have always been able to see God in my ministry and personal life. I found the job of my dreams. Without any condition, I obtained the management position, where I earned an excellent salary. For someone that had almost been evicted, I bought my own apartment in one of the best neighborhoods in Sao Paulo. Because of my job, I traveled throughout several countries and saw the greatness of God in everything. If when I arrived at the Universal Church someone told me all this would be happening in my life, I would not believe them.

Though all this happened, there was still an area in my life that had not been resolved, my love life. Even though I was in Church, living in faith, did not sin, it was just not happening. I made a few attempts, but those ships sunk. I even tried to date a pastor, but that did not work either. Over time, this began to hurt me because I knew who God was, I knew what He was able to do and that He wanted me to be complete, but what else was missing for this to happen? Unfortunately, I witnessed many of my Work friends commit the mistake of falling away from Jesus because they were in love. Sadly this happens a lot. You start thinking that no matter how much you try, you will never find the right person, maybe that person works with you, maybe it’s that person who already declared their love for you but is not of God yet, but they could be in the future. He has a wonderful character; he seems to have more character than many that are in Church. Bishop, this is what the devil whispers into the ear of many assistants, but the Holy Spirit also speaks to us, it is up to us to decide which voice to listen to.

The voice of the Holy Spirit is the voice of sacrifice. In other words, it is the long way, the most difficult path. Thank God I decided to listen to His voice. I used my intelligence: Would God give me something incomplete? Would He give me someone who I still had to fight for this person to accept Jesus in their heart, knowing that this is something that not even the Lord Jesus forces anyone to do? How will this person be faithful to me, if they are not faithful to God?

So, God, in His infinite mercy, opened my eyes and I chose the long way. I looked to find in God what I knew only He could give me. Not that I hadn’t already made my vows and sacrifices, but the opportunity to participate of the Israel Challenge came and I did something that even I thought it was crazy. But I needed God to look at me. It was life or death, but I could not risk losing my salvation because of something God had already prepared for me. Not only did I want to get married, but I wanted to be happy and feel complete. I needed someone who had the same commitment with God and had the same desire to win souls as I had.

I remember praying to God during the Therapy of Love meetings, and saying that I didn’t care if this person was all the way in Japan, God had to bring him to me. I believed with all my heart, with all my being and with all my understanding. I prayed as if this person was already in my life and I prayed that if he was in Church, or if he had fallen away, that God give him strength to come back and stop him from committing some silly mistake, like for example, marrying someone else. It was not easy, but I prayed for him as if he were a lost soul. And soon, when I least expected, God answered me. He answered me like a wonderful Father who gives His child a presents and even before I fulfilled my vow, God brought me the person who would be my husband. When I met him, God made me understand why He led me to pray like I did.

Bishop, like it is written that a desire fulfilled is a tree of life, I had this tree inside me. God brought me someone that He had chosen for me, and had surrendered to God like me. He didn’t have a beautiful past, just like I didn’t either. Yet, he had the same desire as me: Serve God and save the lost.