At this year’s Upper Columbia Conference Hispanic Women’s Retreat, Christ manifested Himself powerfully in the lives of those attending.
Reina Cruz, a Wenatchee, Washington, resident, is a Spirit-directed woman who understands her mission as a disciple of Jesus Christ. At her workplace, she interacts with a group of assistants daily. When she learned of the UCC Hispanic Women’s Retreat, she did not hesitate to extend an invitation to "her girls," as she affectionately calls them.
Cruz's friends and coworkers were very happy when she not only invited them to be her guests but also made the financial arrangements for them to attend.
Cruz's coworkers were thrilled and accepted the invitation. That weekend, their experiences changed the way they conceptualized God. One of them said, "We saw so many women there, but I could see they were very different. Their faces radiated a level of happiness and peace that we wished we had."
After the retreat, Cruz's friends received a second invitation. This time, Cruz invited them to attend the East Wenatchee Hispanic Church. Two of the young women accepted the invitation. Later, two more began attending church.
The group of friends attending church each Sabbath has grown. On Friday nights, Cruz opens her home so they can study the Bible and learn more about Jesus together.
"I arrive home after work and listen to the songs and spiritual reflections that Reina sends us,” said one of the friends. “I play them at high volume; and my husband — who didn't understand me — told me to turn them off because they were bothering him. But those songs and messages bring me peace, so I decided to keep listening despite my husband's protests, and now he also likes to listen and told me the other day, 'One of these days I’m going to go to church with you.'"
Another woman shared, "My husband has noticed that I’ve been calmer and more at peace, and he told me that he also wanted to know Christ." Later, both she and her husband did make the decision to walk with Christ. On Sabbath, June 4, the couple publicly accepted Jesus as their personal Savior through baptism. They now attend church with their children regularly.
Jesus is working on people who need His healing presence in their lives. God wants us to share the love of Christ with individuals at work and in the community, just as Cruz did. There is someone you know who desperately needs to experience the peace, forgiveness and healing love that only Christ can provide! Praise be to Christ for His perfect and eternal plans.
