I grew up in the church, always closely involved alongside my mom. I took classes and got to witness firsthand what a relationship with God looked like. But when I graduated high school and moved to Canada at 17, everything changed. Being alone in a new country, I poured my energy into learning the language and focusing on school. During that season, my relationship with God quietly slipped into the background.

Later, my husband and I got married back in Venezuela with a pastor. Once in Canada, we tried attending a few Catholic churches, but they didn’t feel like home—it wasn’t what I had known growing up.

At the beginning of 2024, I began struggling with intense anxiety. That’s when my mom suggested, “Maybe it’s time to go back to church.” That’s how we ended up at Cornerstone. Since then, I’ve seen Jesus work in every area of my life—reminding me again and again that He is in control. That I don’t have to strive. That I don’t need to earn approval to be loved.

Looking back on the decade I spent distant from Him, I realize He was never distant from me. He was always there. Always present. I’m grateful for my mom, who has always been a steady example of faith and encouraged me to get baptized. I’m also grateful for the small group I joined last year and my husband, kids—for their love and grace, even when I fall short.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
—Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)