Growing up in Mexico, Talia went to church on occasion, but didn’t have a relationship with God. The works-based faith she heard about led her to be afraid of God. “I gave up and completely lived in the world, away from God. I was a very prideful, hateful and angry person. I experienced loss, trauma, rejection, grief, and began to struggle with anxiety and depression in silence without anyone knowing. I tried to ‘fix myself’ in many different ways, trying to find peace.”
Talia saw living faith for the first time in the way her father-in-law prayed for her and praised God on his deathbed. To honor his memory, she started reading the Bible. Her husband, John, responded differently to his father’s death. He began drinking heavily, struggling with his mental health, and using work as a distraction. “I lost focus of who and what was most important in my life. I continued to ruin my marriage and wanted to be alone more.”
Feeling lost, Talia got on her knees and prayed, “Okay God, if you are real, please help me, I need you, I can’t do this anymore, I am tired.” God was already moving in her heart.
She started watching sermons, understanding the Gospel, and encountered the Holy Spirit for the first time. One day, Talia came across a video of Pastor Paul talking about the Holy Spirit on social media. His words really connected with her, and she realized that Rivers Crossing was less than 10 miles away. “One Sunday morning when I was going through a very difficult time, I heard the Holy Spirit ask me, ‘Why don’t you go to that Church you saw on the internet?’ And I got up and attended Rivers Crossing for the first time.”
She saw everyone lifting their hands and worshiping God freely, and lifted her own hands in worship for the first time. Talia received prayer for the first time that day, and felt the love of Jesus tangibly. John was reluctant and questioned why she had changed so quickly.
“I thought she was going crazy and blamed her for my issues,” said John. “My second time attending, I felt a power that I had never felt before. I remember crying through every song during the worship… I will never forget the time we stayed after the service and asked for prayer for our marriage. The Holy Spirit was coming alive inside me. Shaking and tears followed. I saw the pain I caused and asked God for forgiveness… I started to change, I received the Love of the Lord and was getting a better understanding of what a true Christian is.”
Over the next few months, John’s faith began to grow. His drinking habits decreased, their marriage healed, and after accepting Christ, he was baptized! Since then, John and Talia have experienced miraculous healing in their family, prophetic dreams, and have become bold in praying over people that God brings into their path.
In his own words, “God has given me the opportunity to witness miracles! People cured from sickness and cancer. God has given me the opportunity to witness others accepting Jesus in their life. God has given me the ability to love others, whether it be family, friends, strangers and the less fortunate. God has given me the opportunity to witness the joy of seeing children with the desire to know God’s love. Most important, My heart has been softened, my Faith has grown and now I am walking with Jesus. Our love for God has strengthened our marriage. We needed Jesus in our lives. I owe praise to God, and generously thank my wife, my church, and the leaders and students of the Discipleship School [now known as the Spirit Filled Life class].”
“What a journey my husband and I took with the Lord,” shared Talia, “I am so blessed to have seen the Lord in so many different ways; ways that keep showing me His character and His love, not only for me, but for others. I am amazed in all that He has been doing in my life; I am SO grateful that He reached my hand and pulled me out of my dirt to walk with me. By stepping in faith and going to Rivers Crossing, all I can say is, wow, I had no idea He was going to bless me with a wonderful community and heal my heart and mind in so many ways. It’s amazing to see what one step of obedience can do in someone’s life. Words will never describe the impact that Rivers Crossing has done to strengthen our faith. Discipleship School helped me deepen my relationship with God and taught me how to be led by the Holy Spirit. It’s not like anything I have ever experienced in life, it’s life changing. May the Lord increase the blessings of this ministry.”
“The future is about us all sharing God’s love. I encourage you all. Do not be afraid to go out and change this world.” -John