Looking back on my childhood, I remember having to move often due to my dad’s job. We moved from Venezuela to Mexico when I was five years old, and ten years later I moved again, to Canada. Moving from country to country, I became good at taking time to get to know people, starting new friendships, and joining a new community.
Yet, I felt like I had to always play the part and get people to like me. I had to fit in. My identity was so defined by others that, by the time I reached my late teens, I had lost myself.
After graduating from high school in Canada, I moved to the US to attend the University of Indianapolis and study graphic design. I had never visited Indy, didn’t know anyone, and had no idea how cold it actually got during winter in the Midwest.
During my freshman and sophomore years, I questioned what I wanted for my life. What did I believe, and what did I want to do with my life? Thanks to my roommate and close friends, I began to attend a non-denominational church on the south side of Indy. I sought Christ in some areas of my life, but somehow, I felt like I was just moving through the motions. I had no idea who he was and how he fit in my life.
During my last two years of college, after a lot of back and forth, I truly came to accept Christ into my life and was baptized. My senior year I accepted a job working at a church. I was hungry for biblical knowledge and wanted to grow in community as much as I could before my work visa came to an end the following year.
When my work visa expired, I had to leave the country and city that had become my home for the last five years. It was one of the toughest hurdles I had ever faced. I had a strong foundation in Christ, but at the same time, I had to leave behind my community of believers. I was consumed with anger, and there was no solution in sight. I blamed myself, God, and the visa system that I was forced to leave this country.
But in God’s perfect timing, I was only gone for a couple of months. I saw hope and a fresh beginning when I moved back to the north side of Indy. I had visited College Park Church during college and had also attended a few THINK conferences. I knew it was a Bible-preaching church, and after attending a couple of times again, I knew I had found my new community.
I jumped right in! I began biblical counseling to work through my fears from a biblical viewpoint. I volunteered in the nursery and poured into the lives of babies and families. Fireside became a consistent part of my week and allowed me to get to know more young adults. It was especially helpful to connect with others who were also searching for direction and purpose in their lives.
Amidst the ups and downs of my young adulthood, the Fireside community has been a refuge—a place where I can bring my brokenness and find solace in the redemptive love of Christ. It has been a place where I have found acceptance, support, love, friendship, and guidance while still going through hardships. Through heartfelt conversations, prayer, and encouragement, I have witnessed how God uses the members of this community as instruments of healing and restoration, bringing hope to the broken areas of our lives.
The people of Fireside have truly been a redemptive community for me—a loving, authentic, and compassionate community. I have found a place where my faith has deepened, my wounds have begun to heal, and my purpose has come alive. It’s a place where I am known, seen, and loved by both God and fellow believers.
To learn more about Fireside, visit yourchurch.com/fireside.
