Brigitte Mejía de Martínez recently moved to Canada from the Dominican Republic with her family. They attend Moncton Citadel Community Church, N.B., where, in just a short time, they have become pillars of the community.

Tell us about your spiritual journey.

I am from Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. I grew up in a Catholic home and visited church frequently, but I didn’t have a real encounter with God until I hit rock bottom at the age of 19. Due to different unpleasant situations in my childhood and adolescence, I became entangled with friends who were a negative influence.

One night, I overdosed on pills after my boyfriend and I ended our relationship, and I threw myself out of a moving vehicle. In the emergency room, doctors tried to revive me, but it seemed hopeless. Eventually they stopped and I was left alone in the room. I was scared because I knew that what was coming was not good. Then two characters appeared and told me it was time to leave.

I resisted, but they were stronger than me, so I closed my eyes and cried out, Jesus, if you exist and love me, help me! The whole room became bright, but even in so much brightness there was a light that shone with even greater intensity. He came toward me and put a hand on my head. I was trembling, but not from fear. I heard a voice say, “I’m giving you another chance to tell people what I’ve done for you.”

That day marked a before and after in my life. It has been 24 years now and I’ve been serving the Lord Jesus ever since.

Who has made an impact on your spiritual life?

After my encounter with Jesus, I began to visit a prayer group at a Protestant Christian church, where the leaders, Reina and Jorge, tutored me in the faith. God also put in my path the man who is now my husband, Pedro Manuel Martínez, who was a key piece in my spiritual growth. In every situation he guided my eyes to the cross of Jesus, teaching me from his Word.

How long have you been in Canada?

We arrived on December 29, 2022, and everything was white from the snow. I couldn’t wait to touch it! At the same time, I thanked God for allowing us to come to this country in search of a better quality of life for our children. I felt that a big door was opening for us after so long.

The first thing we did was to investigate where the nearest Christian church was. In our third week, we visited Moncton Citadel Community Church. What impressed me was to see how the church, without knowing us, welcomed us as a family, opening the doors of their homes and giving us all the support we needed to start our journey as newcomers. The love of Jesus was reflected in the people and the leaders, who always looked for a way to make me feel that I wasn’t in a strange land, despite my limitations with the language.

You and a few other members of your family recently became soldiers. Why did you make that decision?

Scripture tells us to not only listen to the Word, but to do what it says (see James 1:22). My family and I have seen how that Word becomes a reality, blessing others not only with what we preach but also with what we do for them to change their lives. After some time of attending the citadel and seeing how God turned our limitations into strengths, seeing how other Hispanics approached us with physical and spiritual needs, and how pleased the local brothers and sisters were with our presence, we decided to obey the fervent call of service to the Lord’s work and officially commit ourselves to The Salvation Army.

How are you involved at your corps?

As soldiers of The Salvation Army, we go where we are needed. My husband and I pray for people, participate in and support the activities carried out, and minister through singing. My daughter, Abigail, provides help with the children in the church and my son, Pedro Isaac, helps with the audiovisuals and volunteers with community and family services, as well as at Greenfield House, a residential facility for ex-offenders.

What is one place in Canada you’d like to visit?

I would like to visit Niagara Falls in Ontario. People say it’s a great experience and we hope to see it one day.

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