SPEAKER_03 0:00

Hello, hello, and welcome back to Made for Christ. Alyssa here with Pascal.

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hi.

SPEAKER_03 0:07

And our wonderful guest Rosanna. As always, we're gonna start with Hi Low Buffalo, a favorite here on the show. So I'll start with my Hi, and I accepted a position at Compass Affordable Housing this week as the director of Social Enterprise. And as I was sharing with you earlier, Rosanna, like that's never really been on my radar. Doing like a social enterprise kind of thing. But then again, nothing that I've done has ever been on my radar. So I'm excited to step in and start serving people in a way that's gonna help sustain longevity of success and being able to afford a place to live that is going to be safe. And so yeah, it'll be fun. We're starting with housekeeping, which I mean I know how to clean my house, but I don't know how to teach people how to clean houses. So that'll be fun. Um my low is that now I have to go back to work. I've really enjoyed my time with Isla. That's been just so precious that we get to uh spend time together. So it is a little bit of a low that uh is she gonna be depressed when you go back to work? I don't know. Probably not. She's gonna be at Douglas and grandma's, so she loves that. She loves it there. But um, but yeah, I mean, I'm it's so funny because when I was praying through all of this, and I said this in the last podcast, like God knows the desire of my heart even more than I know the desire of my heart. And so while on the surface I didn't ever want to go back to work, I just want to be a stay-at-home mom forever. God knew that that might be something in the interim, but long term, that's not really what my heart is desiring. So because of that and how much he loves us and how intimately he knows us, he says, Okay, I hear your prayer, but this is really what you mean. So he was able to translate. Um, and then my Buffalo. So Christian started uh a new tour this week with fly leaf.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

You could say that publicly.

SPEAKER_03 2:20

Yeah, yeah. Oh my gosh, I love so awesome. So they've had two shows, and I have never, my husband is not an animated person. He's very just stoic. Yes, very stoic. I love that word. Even through his text messages, the excitement that he's had, they've only had two shows, but it's been absolutely incredible. He's been so excited, and you know, this is a such energy in their shows.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

How can you not be excited?

SPEAKER_03 2:48

Well, and this is like this is a band that has a huge reputation. They have been around forever, and there are people who have waited decades to see them live. Like they haven't toured in 15 years. Has it been that long? Wow, it's the 20th year anniversary, and so they haven't toured in 15 years. Do they have original people on their bands? Yes. Oh, see that. Everyone's still there. And so um, it's I mean, it's so cool to be a part of history. Oh, I mean, I'm not, but yeah, through extension. And Lord willing, we meet them out on the road next week or the week after, and then we get to just tour with them for the next few weeks.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

I am so excited. Super cool.

SPEAKER_03 3:30

Yeah, so that that is a fun, interesting thing. And um, I'm just so happy that my husband gets to experience his dream, you know, since he was 15 years old. He's like, Well, my dream was to be a rock star. I was like, Well, this is if you would have practiced more, you probably would have been a rock star, but I could not see him being a I'm sorry. When you're over here saying you didn't have anything to give, that was huge. I'm like, I know, but that's his fun thing, not mine, but my extension, I'll take it. Yeah, that's super cool. What about you, Rosanna?

SPEAKER_02 4:03

So my high for the week would be yesterday I got to spend some really good quality time with some young adults. Uh I'm part of a fellowship of Christian athletes, and so we have a huddle um with young adults, and I actually have been very honored to be walking this walkout with uh majority of them since they were like 13, 14. I was their high school teacher, and now here I am, this old lady in their life, and uh just being able to walk life out. But yesterday was a cool session for us because um they got to share their testimonies, and so just hearing the um the different facets of of their walk um on a different scope, you know, coming from an adult parental person now, you know, amongst them, just hearing what God's been doing in their life has been really impactful. It really, it really filled my cup last night. So yeah, that was pretty beautiful. And then there you they have children now, some of them. And so I get to live on them. And I was like, you guys are like my pre-grandkids. I don't have grandkids yet, but yeah, you guys are like helping me, you know, get get warmed up to it. So that's pretty cool. So I get to live on them and yeah, got to spend the evening. Actually, we stayed we stayed up until like 3 a.m. last night. Yeah, girl. Yeah, yeah. But it's it's just a cool experience to to be with them and break bread with them and pray with them. And yeah, pretty cool. Um, my low was yesterday too. I had uh an amazing meeting at I think it's called Slingshot. It's this new slide place that used to be a uh it used to be a Joanne's fabric, and they opened up this cool slide place, and we had a a meeting there with my bookkeeper and my new administrative assistant and their kids. Um, I didn't have my child there, so I didn't have an excuse to go slide on the slides. So I was pretty bummed about that. Yeah. So I was like, would it look awkward if I don't have my kid here and I'm sliding on the slides? And so I didn't get to experience that. I was really bummed about that. Seriously, I really wanted to go slide. And then so had my meeting there, but um, so that was my low for the week. Oh uh low. Uh our next meeting, we're gonna have it there, and I'm definitely gonna make sure my daughter's there so that I can go slide. So it will be a win. Um, let's see, my buffalo, right? Right. Um, yeah, just being able to start sharing more of the vision and the mission of Kingdom Grace Academy that God's uh been piecing together for the past 12 years of my life. A lot of people didn't know that. That, you know, people thought like, oh, this is just another venture. She's just like just created. And no, it's been in the making for a long time. Um the the part of it that I that people don't know is that, you know, people know me like doing this, that, and all of the above. Um, but this mission um has all of it schlewed into one. And I really, really want to just be able to focus on one ministry, one focus. People probably won't believe that in about me because they're like, there's no way that you're not even built that way. I and I I know that's gonna be a struggle for me to just like do one thing and one thing very well. Right. And so, um, so yeah, I'm like really stoked about Kingdom Grace Academy and putting you know all my eggs in one basket and focusing on what God wants uh to be done in the community through Kingdom Grace Academy. So I'm super excited about it. Yeah, 12 years in the making.

SPEAKER_03 7:39

Wow, I can't wait to hear more. Yeah, for sure. But Pascal, you're not gonna get away with no high hopes. Right Cheerio.

SPEAKER_00 7:47

I know I keep doing that. Hi for the week. You know, I'm I'm really been looking around lately, and um I have a lot that I try and juggle throughout the the week. Um, both my full-time job and the podcast and and some other clients that I worked with for videography work. And in doing all the work, uh I'm starting to realize that um I can't do it all alone. So I look around and I see all the the people that are willing to um work alongside me for for the mission, and I'm just so appreciative of of Gabby, who behind the camera that you can't see, and Rebecca, and like all the the people that work behind the scenes that that make these projects even possible. Yeah um like I've just had that one fuzzy feeling all week, just appreciative that other people are coming alongside me and I don't have to do it all alone. You know, so that's been great. Um as far as something interesting about me You know, um I can't think of anything other than like I just Okay I'm gonna pause for a minute like I'm I don't like to spend too much time thinking about what's going on with me simply because like if I spend too much time dwelling on my own interests, I don't see God moving in the lives of people around me. So I don't know, maybe it is an interesting thing about me is I just love to see what the Holy Spirit is doing in in my community, the the work that's being done at your school through you, um, the work that's being done at Gospel Rescue Mission, the work that's being done at Faith Community Church. Just seeing the the way lives are impacted by different ministries throughout Tucson. Um I know that that warm fuzzy feeling again. It's it's like I find satisfaction in not the things going on in my life, but just seeing how people are moving and growing in Christ. Um Yeah, so I don't know if that was a proper high low buffalo or not.

SPEAKER_03 10:35

Well can you do a low?

SPEAKER_00 10:37

What's that?

SPEAKER_03 10:38

Did you do a low?

SPEAKER_00 10:39

Oh well the the low would be this morning. Um so I got asked to leave three different studios for today's recording. Like this if if you guys noticed, like if you've seen the previous three or four episodes, we've been in the same studio and it wasn't green. No.

SPEAKER_03 11:05

Oh yeah. You didn't have this lovely pink couch? Unfortunately, no.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

I know, I I I'm really loving the couch.

SPEAKER_03 11:13

Yeah, it's pretty popping over here.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

It's great. Uh but uh I was booked out of the studio I usually work at. So I figured, okay, we'll just shoot it in my home office because there's a nice couch arrangement in the the lobby that would have been perfect for this. But I found out that there'll be a lot of noise over there today. So that's not gonna work. So now we're in the alternative, alternative location for today's shoot. So whether we come back here or not, I don't know. This this might be a strange one-off right, uh a pink acoustic that we'll never see before.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

I know, and this is actually my favorite color, so I'm like, sweet, it works. Hey, God made it work.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

But God made it work, yeah. Amen. But um I'm just so appreciative that we even have a place where we can sit down and we can hear your story and learn about what God is doing in your life, in your ministry, regardless of it's uh a white antique couch or a pink floral couch, or anyway, enough of that. Hi, how are you?

SPEAKER_02 12:30

I'm doing good, but you know what? I feel like that's a perfect segue because there's always opposition, and I with Kingdom Grace Academy, there's been I was like it's always been that, like, you know, to the point where I'm like, God, do you even really want this to happen? Like, I don't even know. So, with you just sharing, like you didn't know how or where we were gonna be. But I love the fact that like your demeanor doesn't even reflect that. You're just so like, oh, like just so chill about it. Cause me, I would have been like frantic, perspiring, like you would have seen it etched all over my face, and people would have been like, calm down, take a breather. But you're so like composed, it's crazy. I'm like, wow, what could you go?

SPEAKER_00 13:10

Okay, and I'll throw out this interesting fact about me then. Um, 17 years as a 911 dispatcher.

SPEAKER_02 13:17

Ah, I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

Yes, huh?

SPEAKER_02 13:20

17 years of listening to trauma.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

Yes, wow. So, like, I was the dispatcher that police officers love to have because I I would receive these comments after an emergency of Pascal. I didn't know what was happening. Like there were shots being fired, uh you were calling in all these other resources and yet your voice stayed calm throughout the entire mer emergency. Your voice was so calm, I couldn't tell an emergency was going on until I heard the tone.

SPEAKER_03 13:57

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

So like I got the pat on the back for being just even keeled, regardless of how I felt on the inside. Um but I look at this as hey, we're here for the kingdom. Yeah, amen. And I'm here to show up wherever God leads us at this time. So if God leads it at that location, at this location, if it doesn't happen at all, it's all under God's will.

SPEAKER_02 14:34

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

And when you approach something that way, the chaos just becomes okay, you're just riding in the boat.

SPEAKER_03 14:43

Right. You know just alternate routes and you just turn left here, turn right there, and yeah, because you realize you're not the one in control.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

The Lord is in control. So that kind of takes that that pressure off you.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Or the edge a little, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

At least it does for me.

SPEAKER_02 15:01

Yeah, God's will be done, and that's actually the best, the best route to be able to take, right? Because yeah, when it's under our our control, like we make a mess. I've I can contest to that like 100%. Absolutely, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Okay, so I I didn't mean to speak so much of myself, so sorry about that.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

No, that's that's cool to know that you're coming up with all these things I did not know about you. Yeah. So it's really nice to to know.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

And we want to hear your story. So I don't want to begin with the the struggles of you know, everything that you've gone to open up the doors of Grace Academy. Like I want to get there, yeah. But I want to hear your story. How did you come to the Lord? How did I come to the Lord? Yeah. So tell me about yourself, tell me how you grew up, all of it.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

Yeah, so I've been a believer for about 21 years now. Um, yeah, it's looking back at it, it's been a long time. Um, but yeah, I came from not a Christian background, uh, was raised uh as a Catholic, kind of, right? It was we went to to to church when someone passed away, or baptism or a wedding. That's pretty much as far as it went when it came to church. But um crazy enough, like I felt God's pull when I was like nine years old, and that was when I was going through um some traumatic situations in my life, a lot of sexual abuse and just a lot of a lot of things um going on in my in my childhood. And I remember being um one of those kids that would retreat, and I was was such a book nerd. I would hide away um in my room, reading books, um learning the bones of the body. Like it was really weird. I was just a weird kid, like it was not the typical kid, but it it was I I retreated into like this fantasy world in my books, and so that's kind of how I dealt with my issues. Um, but also I didn't uh deal with it in an appropriate manner, um, being very much bitter and angry with the hand that was given to me um at that time and um did a lot of self-harm, self-self-cutting, um, those kind of situations, very uh bitter adolescent years that I went through.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

Um were there authority figures in your life that that noticed this or tried to find help for you?

SPEAKER_02 17:31

Um I mean, I you know, I didn't have family, but that that that was a lot of where my trauma was coming from. So um, and there was certain places in my family that didn't want to like deal with the situation. So I I was a runaway a lot um in my adolescence, 13, 14, 15 years old. And I actually uh got married when I was 16 years old.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

Yeah, I was super young when I got married, and uh I used that opportunity as a ticket to like run in the direction of of what kind of life I wanted. I always envisioned from the time I was 14 that I would have seven kids, that I'd have this white picket vents, um, be married, like not the normal typical thoughts that a 14-year-old should have, but that's that's what I was really um banking on.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

And so So did you just fall madly in love with a person, or was it like your your escape ticket?

SPEAKER_02 18:28

This was my escape ticket, yeah, and unfortunately, but fortunately, um yeah. So when I was 16, uh met a person, uh the gentleman, my father of my kids, um and uh dated him for about four months and then got married soon after. And uh rapidly, you know, um about a year, almost close to two years later, I had my first son. So I had three, no, two children while I was in high school, graduated. Um, I was very blessed to have the opportunity to graduate at the top of my class. Um, I was part of Youth on their own, um, part of this amazing program called Strategies for Success. And that's where I was actually um appointed some amazing mentors, very polar opposite of who I was and the life that I was living at that time. Um, but I felt like that God appointed them to me um to give me a different perspective. I I had a um a lady that was in the Air Force, a tall African-American lady, um, very like to the point kind of rough, you know, lady that just told me how it was. I had her as a mentor. And then for whatever reason, I was the only kid that had two mentors. Maybe they thought like I really was that kid that needed extra loving, I guess. Rough. Um, and then my other uh mentor, she was uh a white lady that was like a tree hippie, uh tree hugging hippie lady. Um, didn't have anything in common with her as well. So these two polar opposite ladies were were mentoring me. And yeah, they just loved me where I was at. They, you know, spoke life over me, and um that was a game changer for me. Um, and I've always remembered them to this day. And I was like, you know what? Like when I have an opportunity, I want I want to do that for for a kid.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

I've I've got so many comments. Yeah. The first one is, oh my goodness, I'm in such awe of you right now because I'm picturing you at 16 years old, married with kids, and high school is is hard and enough. Yeah, but you managed to still graduate on the top of your class while being a mother. Right, yeah. While being a wife, yeah and still being a child yourself.

SPEAKER_02 20:52

Yeah, definitely was a kid. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

So what what was that like that you the hardships you must have encountered?

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Um, yeah, I mean, there was a lot of things, you know, coming, transitioning from being married, um, there there was a lot of family dynamics that was just, you know, merging his family, my family, and just not there was just so many, so much drama and chaos in that. And I again wanting to escape that life. So um my husband at the time and I just really did retreat to just let's just take care of our little family. I mean, we literally made a pact, like we just don't want that life for our kids and for ourselves. And and so I really um dug in deep and uh started college as soon as I graduated, top of my class with two kids in total. Um, I was pregnant for the third time going into my first freshman year of of college. Um, just gave birth to my third son going in, taking one of my finals. That's that was the life that I was living. But I was very like secure in the fact that it felt safe to me at that point. Um, because I I felt like I'm yeah I'm Not an adult, like legally per se, right? I was emancipated um by being married early. But um but I felt like I had some sense of control in my life. Absolutely. It's something that a lot of yeah, and so that's that's what I thrived in. But that actually masked a lot of things that I didn't deal with. Um I didn't deal with a lot of the trauma that that I went through. Um I was just trying to expedite through that and just grow up really fast so that I can have more control in my life. Um, you know, so uh yeah, had three, four, five children um at a very young age. And uh and actually from uh I at 19 years old, I went ahead and started volunteering um with the Pima County Attorney's Office Community Justice Board. And I literally had, yeah, my my youngest son, um he was in a in a carrier, and I would take him in with me, being the president of one of the the South Side boards. And I that was my goal was to to to advocate for kids that were like me, that were just really struggling, were making poor choices, needed someone to help guide them. And I was 19 years old, was starting to already partake on that with my own children with me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:14

So when as you were talking, that's exactly what I thought of is you went your entire childhood until you were 16 years old with zero advocacy. There was not a single trusted adult in your life that could speak on your behalf or or protect or support you.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:30

So naturally, yeah. I guess not naturally, but but your your pull, your your heart's desire was to be that advocate for people. Yes. And um, and to show your children what that meant as well. That not only would you advocate and protect them, but you also had this calling to do that for other children as well. Yeah. And when you um had those mentors, it was sort of a reflection of what you were looking for your whole life, not even really that's what you were looking for. Yeah. So amazing how you know we talk about how much God loves us and he loves us so much that he puts those pieces together for us. He does. Even when our earthly family or parents fail us, yeah, he still can step in and salvage ourselves. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 24:19

Yeah, God is so good. Yeah, he's he's always been there, that's for sure. And so um, so going back to when I gave my life to to um to the Lord, um, it was in what when did September 11th happen? What years two of 2001? Yeah. Um, yeah, my uh my husband at the time, he actually um went into the service and and uh yeah, like soon it was around yeah, it was let's see, a couple years later, he decided to go into into the military fine to financially support us. Not the best of times because everything was just so active at that time. Um, so that was pretty scary. But um when he left, I I was really adamant about hey, like I need I need support. I'm not gonna be able to find it from my family at the moment. So I decided to go full force into my faith. And I, you know, tried going into my Catholic faith, and I just was hitting hitting wall after wall because just naturally I was just that kid that asked a lot of questions, and it came off as me being defiant, and it wasn't me challenging yeah, and so I I questioned a lot of the Catholicism, and that didn't sit well with the priests. And so um, so I was like, okay, but this isn't it for me, so where do I go? And it really took me to take the yellow pages, guys. Remember the big old fat yellow pages? Yeah, so I literally took the yellow pages. She's like, What is that? I don't even know what that is. Um yeah, I took the yellow pages and I'm like looking and I'm like, all right, God, you're gonna show me where where my family and I are gonna go. And I like closed my eyes, put my finger on it, and it literally was on this advertisement. Um, and it was uh for Southern Baptist Church. I I put my finger on that and I was like, huh, where is this at? And I was like, it looks like a little plantation in mid-middle of Tucson. Like, what's going on here? So uh I called them up and I thought I called the church, but I actually called the school. And so the gentleman answered, and he son is super scary over the phone, and and he was even more scarier in person, but he was the sweetest man ever, Mr. English, and he was the principal for for First Southern Baptist Church. And um, so I connected with them first, like, okay, well, uh it's not church, but maybe it's close enough to church. And so uh I was looking into the school for for my first son, and uh yeah, we we made our way into their preschool and um started in that direction. And and uh and then one day I remember having a conversation with uh uh a mom uh waiting for her kids to come out, and she's like, Oh, what church do you go to? And I was like, I don't go to a church anywhere. And she's just like, Oh, she's like, I thought maybe you're you went to for Southern. And I was like, No, she's like, Well, you should come. So she invited me, and then she invited me to uh a Bible study, and um and I I went to this Bible study and I was the only one that showed up, and that was like super intimidating to me. I was like, was this set up? Like, who set this up? And so she's like, actually, she's like, Um, maybe God did set this up. Um, she's like, maybe God knew that we just needed this intimate time with one another. And I was like, Oh, okay. And so I was super excited because this was my only night out with no children. I hadn't found a babysitter to watch them and and I was there with her, and um, she, you know, asked me a very simple question and she's like, So how long have you been a believer? And I was like, a what? Like a believer, and I was like, what does that even mean? And she's like, Well, when did you give your life to the Lord? And I'm like, what does that mean? I was like, Well, I've gone to church, you know what I mean? Like, does that does that mark the box? And she's like, No, she's like, when did you, you know, say like God is your Lord and Savior, He's your everything? And I was like, I don't I don't think I've ever done that. And she's just like, um, she she looked at me like oh like no, you're just so cute. She's like, she's like, let's pray. And so I gave my life to the Lord. Yeah, and so it was it was pretty amazing. But um, at that time my husband was deployed, yeah. And so I it was just it was just the perfect setup for for what God was doing in my life. Wow, and so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

So was it really a one-on-one Bible study? Was it a planned discipleship thing? Was it No?

SPEAKER_02 28:41

I mean, she had everything set up for for other women to come, and she was even like, Well, I came in, I came early. Believe it or not, I was early at one point. I'm always late to things, I swear. But anyways, I was early that day. Um, and so I came early and I was thinking, oh, well, people are just gonna show up kind of late. And so she just kept getting phone calls like, oh, that they weren't coming. And she's she looked kind of sad, but but she just like turned around and she's just like, Well, I guess it's just you and I. And I was like, Well, I can go home. We can I can come another time. And she's like, No, I think you know, this is just the perfect time. Maybe God did set this up, you know, kind of situation. So um, yeah, I really believe it was a divine appointment from God because he he knew that I probably wouldn't have shared that, you know, if I had other people there. Maybe that wasn't a topic that would have came up, you know, without you know, me being alone with her, but it was perfect. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:35

Did your life change after that moment?

SPEAKER_02 29:37

Yes, it did. Um, it did on so many levels. I yeah, I obviously had so much zeal for the Lord, and I just wanted to know so much more about him. I went to every Bible study um that you could ever imagine. And then I soon after started serving um and became the children's ministry director and um yeah, did amazing things with the Lord in my time at that church. Um, you know, obviously had my children grow up there. We were there for 11 years. Um, but I'll I'll be honest with you, looking back, um, I I feel like yeah, it was a stepping stone in the right direction, but it also seemed a little bit superficial in the sense of like, yeah, I was marking the boxes off. Like I was there for 11 years and was in leadership and never partaked in like openly praying out loud because I was just so like not comfortable praying out loud. I had everybody else pray. Um, you know, I went went up to do their vacation Bible school, and there was multiple children um gave their life to the Lord, which was amazing, you know, through the ministry. But uh it was just numbers for me. Like it was just like this other thing that I could, you know, like a notch on my belt, like, all right, another task done, well done, you know, that kind of situation. But I didn't really have that intimacy with the Lord. Um, and so yeah, it was through a lot of the ups and downs, the valleys, um, my divorce, like all these things that you you wouldn't think to find God in, but God, God showed up every single time. And um, yeah, and it was in the even in the small moments when I was able to like minister to to kids that were like me growing up um in our community and then uh yeah, just uh building building partnerships with other ministries, like God was just showing up in those moments too. Um, but it it takes you to actually sit and reflect where God was at. You know, in the moments it doesn't seem like it. You feel like everything's just falling down or all over the place, uh a mess. And uh, but God has a beautiful way to just put things into place, and and that's how Kingdom Grace Academy, I feel like, has just been these little pieces throughout my story, and God's just like finally making sense of the picture, right?

SPEAKER_03 32:00

So I just want to to pause and say how mature it is to be able to look back and say that yes, I was on leadership, yes, I was participating in this church, but recognizing that you even though you had accepted the Lord, you weren't um you you weren't having that intimate relationship with him. And God was still right there, yeah, begging you for that relationship, but also letting you take things on your time. And um, and I think that that is so important for listeners to hear that um even if you are experiencing this hurriedness still, because that's so much of your trauma and of your childhood and and putting and being hurried in things because if you don't have time to think, you don't have time to hurt, you don't have time to heal. Well, but but I mean yeah, you will you numb yourself in busyness. Yeah. And so instead of pausing and um being still, you you hurried yourself through things um because it was easier than just stopping. And so since then you've stopped and paused and you've been able to enter this relationship with the Lord, but it doesn't take away from from what you experienced um as a leader in the church or or anything like that. And it allows you to recognize that in other people as well. Yeah. If you're being hurried or if you're being busied, what are you trying to avoid? What are you trying to numb? Like sit in the silence here for just a moment and let the Lord work stir in your spirit. Um because I, you know, we were talking about earlier the doing so many things to keep yourself busy and not focusing on one thing, and how are you gonna do that? Because you're you're so used to being busy. Like, I can absolutely recognize that in myself as well. And you too, Pascal. You know, you're a recovering workaholic.

SPEAKER_00 34:08

And no recovery.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

I know. I was like, do we really recover out? We have to recover, we have to be able to be still because in that intimacy, that's where you find that true, true love with the Lord. But in spite of our hurriedness and our busyness, he still works through us. And that was a lot of rambling, but I think that it's really important for listeners to recognize that um it's not all rainbows and gumdrops. Once you accept Christ into your heart, that's really where the work begins, and that's where you start to dig into something that um maybe on the surface it looks like something you'd be um appraised for, right? You're a hard worker. Yeah, you you get you get statistics, you get numbers, but the the deepness of that is that you're you're numbing something or you're hiding something because of of your pain in your past. And so I just think it's really brave to be able to look back retrospectively and say, I wasn't doing my best, but I was doing the best with what I had, and God was able to take that and make it even better.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

Yeah. Yeah, and in the process, he gives you revelation and and even like allows you to oh go through it again. Oh, go through it again. And so you actually get it and you actually hear from him. And so that's why like now it's like I I'm pushing for just the one focal point, um, just because it just makes it easier to have that intimacy with him when you're when you're not so busy and you're like doing all these things, right? Um, but also too, like he he allows I I went through something pretty traumatic where he he sat me out like physically. I couldn't, I couldn't do any ministry, I couldn't do anything. Um and in a lot of the the trauma and the things that I didn't deal with like surfaced up to the top, and I had to actually deal with it at that point.

SPEAKER_00 36:09

You want to talk about that more in detail?

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Um sure. Yeah, so it was um it was shortly after my separation. Um was I've dealt with depression for pretty much my whole entire life and um you know struggled even advocating for that in the church because I didn't want people to judge me or like sit me down or feel bad for me. And so I've I just hid hid that a lot of the time. And uh, and even amongst my own children and and husband, I I just silently dealt with it, but it wasn't silent. Like obviously my reactions to things were just not normally dealt with. And and so yeah, there was a time where it it finally caught up with me, and I I uh chose to take over 700 pills and uh try to end my life. And you know, that wasn't the first time, there was multiple times. Um, but again, God met me in those moments, and yeah, I there was times of solitude where God just really spoke to me. And that's actually where um my first ministry was birthed, which was called It's a Beautiful Life, and it's based off of Ecclesiastes 3.11 that he um, you know, in his timing, everything's beautiful. He he shows us a beauty and even the trauma and the things that we go through. Um he's still there and he he makes all things beautiful. And so um he literally spoke that over me when I was uh fighting for life, my life, um, in the hospital. And uh I was very, very angry uh waking up from thinking I was going to be dead and not want to live anymore. I just didn't. Um when you're in those mindsets, like I I know some people think like that's really selfish. Um in that moment when when you're choosing that direction, you think it's selfless because you don't want, you feel like you're you're creating a burden to other people. Like life, life and um life would be better off without me. Yeah, my children would be better off without me, my family would be better off without me. And in a sense, it you feel like it's more of a selfless act. Um, obviously, those are lies from the enemy, right? But um, but that's that's the mindset that I was in. And I was like, I just don't want to deal with causing anyone any more pain, nor myself. And so that's the choice that I made. But I woke up and I was still alive and I was super angry. I was really ticked off of uh being alive still, and I was like literally under my breath, like um, well, I actually had uh tubes in my mouth, so I but I was like mouthing like God, like why? Like, why am I still here? And I was like, I'm such a screw up, I can't even kill myself, right? Like that's horrible. Like, how dumb is that? And um, yeah, God spoke to me in that moment and was like, like you, you still have you still have time here. And I I I need you to to see past this and I need you to to see my goodness in this, and I I need you to be able to to help people to see me, and even through the ugly parts of their life and through their trials, like you gotta, you gotta help them. Yeah. You you first have to see the beauty in this, then you have to help other people see the beauty in in what I'm doing in their life, despite what what's going on. And so, so yeah, that's where it's a beautiful life. Um, and propelled and and I was like I was just adamant to get to get connected with the body of Christ and and be able to to share the beauty of yeah, it's like my heart is to unify the body of Christ, and that's where God was showing me the beauty of things. And and even when people were ugly and things just weren't working out, God would still show up. And so, um, so yeah, so that's where that part uh part of my life um came through and and he ignited that part of my life, and yeah, it's it's been it's been a journey, but yeah, that was not a fun place to be in my depression and suicide attempts for sure.

SPEAKER_00 40:01

How were you able to to work through it?

SPEAKER_02 40:05

Um so on and off in the sense of obviously I went through counseling and therapy, um, did all that. Uh one of my biggest struggles was the pain that it caused my children. And so having to like I I idolized, to be honest with you, up until just recently, I I recognized how much I idolized being a mom and my children. I I put them before everything else, and yet those were the people that I was hurting the most. And that really like broke me. And um, and I I had to really learn how to um forgive myself in that, and that's still a process that I'm going through. Um, and and and God shows up when when I see other people struggling, like I'm able to give my testimony of like what I struggled with and like what God has shown me through those times. And that's actually been part of my healing is to be able to like share that with others and then hear their story. It's just like this reciprocal means of healing that I've I've been going through, and it's it's I'm still going through it.

SPEAKER_00 41:07

Um, but it in that time how specifically did God show you that changed everything?

SPEAKER_02 41:12

Uh like up until recently or at that moment?

SPEAKER_00 41:17

Let's go with both.

SPEAKER_02 41:18

Oh, okay. Um, yeah. So he for one showed me how much life matters. Yeah, he really did show me how much life mattered. Uh I was actually um sitting in in the CRC, the crisis response center, um, alone with God um after my suicide attempt. And I remember just I was catatonic at that point. Um, I just I couldn't speak. I didn't I didn't want to speak, I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to do anything. And I was literally just sitting in my bed, uh looking out outside. And I was very scared with my surroundings, never been in a place like that, and hearing all the moans and groans and everything around me was pretty scary. But I was looking outside and it was like if time like stopped, and I I saw this family. Um I'm assuming husband, wife, but mom, dad were outside playing with their two kids, um, son and daughter, and they're very little, and and they were flying a kite, and it they were just amongst nobody, they were just by themselves, and and God was just showing me like it's either look at how beautiful that that scene is. Like, life's gonna go with like with or without you. Like, don't you want to be a part of like my beauty that is just out there? And just that that moment really like captivated me and was like, I wanna live. Like, I want to live. I don't, I don't want to be without my kids, I don't want to not experience these beautiful moments. And um, that was a game changer for me. I was like, I I really need to like change my mindset, like my perspective really changed. Um, and even prior to my suicide attempt, which actually my suicide attempt amplified my health conditions. I had a lot of autoimmune um disorders and just everything that you can think of. I oh my god, my body was like falling apart, but even more so after my suicide attempt. And um, it really like put the perspective of like life is so precious, we're not promised tomorrow. And so, you know, in some cases that amplified me, the workaholic in me, like I wanted to do do do do do because I just you just don't know when's your last moment, right? Um, but it also like had me um physically have to stop and like have my Sabbath because my body just wouldn't take couldn't take it. Um, but it also like helped me to have those alone moments with God. So the alone moments with God really, really refines and rechecks me and just yeah, helps me to um to just appreciate what God has put before me. People, circumstances, um, but even if they're bad, like God still shows up. It's all part of my testimony. It's all part of the process. Paul. Um, but really taking the time to to deal with it, I didn't want to deal with a lot of the things that I that I went through. Um because it hurts. And people don't want to go through the hurt. But just like how it expresses it in lamentations, like we we have to grieve. We have to grieve with God. You know, there's something so so beautiful in that process that he does um that shows a humility. It um shows you how to be grateful for the the people and the things around you. Um yeah, it gives you a whole nother view. It's like he gives you the eyes, his eyes to to see and and to have empathy for people around that you wouldn't typically be empathetic for. And so yeah, so that's how he's been working through that with me, even up until today.

SPEAKER_03 44:55

So that's so amazing. Like the simple statement of like, look how beautiful that is. Life's gonna go on with or without you, but don't you want to be here to experience it? Yeah, like that is so powerful. It is, and I and I don't know how you received it or how he spoke to you, but I would imagine it for me, it would need to be something so gentle and just so uh just soft. You know, God's saying, look at that, Alyssa. Don't you want to be a part of that? It's gonna happen with or without you. I want you here, don't you want to be here?

SPEAKER_02 45:30

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 45:31

I just think that that is so intimate, so specific, and so beautiful that you got to experience that in probably your the most darkest time of your life.

SPEAKER_02 45:41

Yeah, and it was very simple scene, right? Like, okay, people people drive by those scenes every day of their life and don't even acknowledge that. And God just like zoomed in on that and was just and he does that for me, which is is is awesome, right? Like when you when you take the time to ha have that map those moments with them, like he just amplifies certain scenes. Yeah, like a bird chirping, you know, um, I don't know, children playing, their laughter. Um in some cases people get annoyed by those things, but like but not not for me in those simple moments. Like God speaks, He really does. Yeah, love that.

SPEAKER_00 46:18

The thing I struggle with in the the busyness is um struggle to get so many things done in a day that you're just checking through the boxes, but you forget what you're actually working for. So it's moments like that where it it brings into perspective of oh, I'm doing this for my family, or I'm working for my family. So the fact that you made that that choice, yes, of course I want to be there for for them. Um anyway, I just thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_03 46:50

Yeah. Yes, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 46:52

And okay, so what was the thing that you learned more recently?

SPEAKER_02 46:56

Um, to still take those things that he shared with me, um, even into this season of my walk was opening up KGA because again, uh I found myself like, oh my gosh, like you know, start date is August 7th, and we have students, and I gotta do hiring and I gotta do all, you know, X, Y, and Z, all these things. And uh God just reminds me, like, you you need to be present, you need to acknowledge me in every moment from the time that you thought you had a location, you didn't have a location, now you have a location, and now you're moving in. Now you have, you know, like, oh my gosh, you don't have furniture for the students, and then all of a sudden you get a connection and and uh a church uh prior school that was closing down um is blessing you with furniture. And then I'm like, how am I gonna move this stuff in such a last minute? And then the young adults that are part of the FCA Bible study, they're like, Well help. And they're over here coming, helping move furniture at the last minute, and and just like just standing by and just like watching like what God is doing. Like He's just piecing everything together. I don't have like what you said, I don't have to have the answers. I don't have to know like how it's gonna happen. He's just gonna make it happen. Like, just chill, Rosanna. Like calm down. Like you're you're gonna miss it. You're gonna miss the mark. And and um yeah, I I just I don't wanna I don't wanna miss it. I don't want to miss anything. I don't want to miss, you know, even um the the the trials that I know we're gonna experience and and the goodness that we're gonna experience. Like I don't they're they're all in in the same. He's there. And so I don't want to miss any of those moments.

SPEAKER_00 48:34

You do a lot. Like we talked about all the work that you do and and the boxes that you check, but we didn't actually mention what those things were. Oh, so you're I don't know if I want to. You're uh company owner.

SPEAKER_02 48:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 48:53

You've got a few different businesses. Businesses, yes. Um your minister, your life coach, yes, you're a teacher, you're a and you're starting a school. Like what else did I miss?

SPEAKER_02 49:07

I I'm uh a hospice chaplain as well. Yeah. Which is like like where did that come from? That was definitely not not something that I was ever would ever think to be a hospice chaplain, like end of life, like yeah, I don't know if I can handle that. Like, but that came out of left field.

SPEAKER_00 49:27

Well, talk about all the different hats that you wear and and what brought you into those roles.

SPEAKER_02 49:33

Yeah. Um, well, it's it's funny to to do any of the roles that I'm doing because I I literally was growing up thinking I wasn't gonna amount to very much of anything, to be honest with you. And so um I I was like, do I go into the medical field? Do I go into law school? Like I I always had high, you know, ambitions and goals. I just didn't know like where I was gonna go with it. And then I got you know, went to to college, finished my first associates, but then life happens. You I'm over here mom of five, and so I had to be able to have the flexibility. Like um, I got offered um through strategy, uh, what is it, the youth on their own strategies for success. They gave me my first internship in a law firm, and I was like, yes, I'm gonna go into to be a lawyer, I'm gonna get it be a paralegal. And I did get my paralegal degree, but raising five kids, I was not gonna pay like work so someone else could watch my kids. I just wasn't gonna do that. So I continued on with my education and and the only career that was flexible enough to accommodate the amount of kids I had was going into education. And so, but that was even far into the down the line because I became a bail agent because when my husband was deployed at the time, I was like, I need something that's flexible and it still kind of is in law. And so I was a bail agent. Not a lot of people know that uh I was a bail agent. Um, I had my own business doing that for on and off for like four years. Um, so I learned a lot from that. And then um, you know, had paid positions in the church as well. So I did that, and then uh went into became a juvenile detention officer. So I was uh juvenile detention officer for a couple years and then uh then went into um becoming an educator, which I would have never thought to, I was that kid that hated school. I struggled retaining information, so there was no way that I thought I would become a teacher. And in in the process of of being a single mom and trying to figure out what I was doing with my life, I went into going to college um to to become a teacher and have the flexibility. And um, but even then was cut off, didn't think I was gonna be able to finish it. And um God showed up very randomly. I got a phone call from a a position at a school, and I was like, I don't remember applying for this position. And at that time, I was juggling just becoming a single parent. I was juggling, working at Victoria's Secret, being a sub and working at Circle K Graveyard Shift. Like I just was like, I need to make money to support my kids. And so I get this phone call for interview. It was a the principal at Desert View High School and um went through the interview. I had a lot of shame going on in my life at the time. And um, you know, he looked at my resume and he's like, wow, he's like, okay, you have a lot of credentials here. That's awesome. And he's like, but why are you applying for it? It was like a like a maintenance janitorial job. And I was like, I just need full coverage insurance and one job. Like, I don't care what it is, I will wash your toilets. They will be the cleanest toilets you ever had. Like, I just need some type of stability in my life. And and so, you know, finished up the interview, and I was like, I sucked at this interview. I'm probably not gonna get nothing. Oh wow, whatever. So I was on my way to hurry up and go to my next job. And he gives me a phone call and he's just like, hey, um, he's like, Do you have a moment? I said, sure, I'm on my way out though. And he's like, okay, he's like, well, really quick, he's like, um, good news or bad news. And I was like, that's weird. I I I don't know, I guess bad news first, or whatever, or whatever one you want to pick, pick. And he's like, okay, well, bad news. He's like, I'm not hiring you for this position. He's like, you're overqualified. Like, there's no way that I could hire you for this just position that you applied for. He's like, good news, he's like, God put it on my heart. Um, that the students here at Desert View High School need someone like you to be here. And he's like, I want to hire you as a teacher. And obviously, I didn't have the cer certifications for that. And I was like, What?

SPEAKER_00 53:44

So he actually said God put it on his heart.

SPEAKER_02 53:48

God put it on his heart to to hire me because he knew that the students there needed me.

SPEAKER_00 53:54

And and just clear, this is not a Christian school.

SPEAKER_02 53:57

This is No, it was a secular public school. And and the thing is he was Catholic, so I'm like, what God are you serving? Like, I came from Catholic catac uh, you know, Catholicism. Like, what? And um, so anyways, yeah, he he said that. And um, he didn't know like where I was at. I was at the the lowest low of my life at that point. And um, and to have someone see see me and hear from God, like that was a big turning point in my life. Um, yeah, I he's like, he's like, so quit all your jobs, put your two weeks in. He's like, school starts in a couple weeks. He's like, I'm gonna help you get back and um back on track and get your certification, but we're gonna pay you as a teacher. You're gonna have summers off, you're gonna have you know the winters off for your kids and like how rare that is doesn't happen. No, it was definitely a God moment. Like it was beautiful. When I hung up that phone, I dropped to my knees and I cried like no other. And I was like, Thank you, God, for seeing me. Thank you for not giving up on me. I'm a mess right now. Like, thank you for like just just believe, like having someone believe in me. And that actually like opened up so many doors. Like, I finished um, I finished up my my first master's um and then started my doctoral program uh a couple years later. Uh like I met my mentor that year, uh, which is uh Richard Lopez from Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He's a um chaplain for the U of A football team. Um, and he's been walking life out with me for the past 13 years. Uh, he he spoke life into me. Um, I I had such a skewed way of thinking. Like um he invited uh Richard and and the principal invited me to a Bible study. And again, I go in and there's like nobody that shows up. I'm like, set up again. Like, what's going on here? Like, and all I remember seeing is this pink, pink, pink uh box, actually is the same color, uh donut box in the middle of the table. And I'm like, what's going on here? We had a Bible study like at 6 a.m. It was crazy. Um, and just God kept pursuing me and like lit a fire in me. I became the National Day of Prayer Youth Rally director that year, um, became the Fellowship of Christian Athletes uh spot uh sponsor, uh, which are great things, right, to put on your resume. But God, but God, it was God. Like God kept showing up. Um, there was things that I was going through, and like God used the students to speak life into me. Like there was uh one I remember one kid, uh I I was going through something again in my life, and I was like, I'm not I'm not doing the FCA this year. And and this random kid comes into my classroom while I'm like bawling in my classroom alone, uh, you know, talking to God, and he comes in and he's like, Are you Ms. G? And I was like, Yeah. And he's like, he's like, uh, is this where Fellowship of Christian Athletes is? And I was like, Yeah, I don't know if I'm gonna do it this year. And he looks at me straight in the face and he's like, You have to do it. The kids need a Bible study here on campus. Like, he's all do you not see what's going on? And and and I'm like, I see what's going on. He's like, Whoa, we need Jesus. This is a kid telling me we need Jesus. Like I look up and I was like, All right, God, I guess we're gonna continue to do FCA and yeah, filling up a classroom, 60 kids, 70 kids. Uh became the track coach and brought FCA through track and like having the whole football or the track field full of kids holding hands, praying to God, like at the flagpole, doing the old school flagpole prayer. Meet me at the pole. Uh yes, like it was awesome. Like, um, we actually even partnered. This is actually something I'm very proud of, and people might have not thought it was a proud moment, but um, we partnered actually with the LGBT club that was on campus, like FCA and LGBT club. Um, the reason why was there was a one of the students was uh struggling with suicide being bullied because of their sexuality, and and so it was put on my heart to talk to the students through FCA, and it's like how like how amazing is it that we could actually like be the hands and feet of Jesus and love this kid through through this this process, like regardless of their sexuality or what they're struggling with. Like, like God, God is love and uh yeah, they showed up and and loved on this kid like crazy. It was such a beautiful like thing that God just kept showing up, right? Um, so yeah, so was an educator um for 13 years, uh gave my heart so much in in reference to these kiddos. And uh it was kind of crazy too because my first year, um, the kids that I had in detention center were some of the kids that were in my classroom, which was not weird, but weird, you know. I I saw them in a cell and now I see them in a classroom, and God allowed me to like walk life out with these kids. So yeah, actually, full circle. Um just recently I came across one of my kids that was in detention center. She's like 31 years old, and I was doing a Bible study with her at 10 o'clock at night. She was here in Tucson, she's actually in Denver, Colorado, and uh sharing her testimony. I'm just like, what in the world? And then um I actually got to baptize one of my kids that was in detention center um two years ago. I got to baptize her, uh came connected again and just living life out together. And she's shared with me uh how I shared God with her in the detention center, and like being able to baptize her was like such an amazing opportunity to see God in her life, and so like these moments, right? Like he just doesn't stop, like he just keeps showing up, even when we least expect it. I'm definitely not qualified, and so um, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 59:52

Well, it sounds like every step of the way was another little qualification, another qualification, and like all of these um credentials that you're racking up are all things that God's using for you to push Kingdom Grace Academy through because you have legitimacy, like it's it's hard to have a dream and not be legitimate in it, yeah. You know, and so you had this dream that was planted 12 years ago, and even before that, starting at nine years old, yeah, God was uh making you legitimate so that when you had to present in front of stakeholders or investors, you had a story and you had statistics and you had certificates that said it's not just a pipe dream, like this is something that I can do and I can do it well and you can be a part of it. You're not asking someone for something, but you're giving them an opportunity to be a part of of what you're doing and changing people's lives. And that's I mean, I can look back in my own life and see how every single piece is doing now. And for the longest time, I thought it was just gospel rescue missions. I thought that everything I was doing was leading me to die at GRM. You know, like I thought that I was going to retire from there, spend the next 30 years there. Wow. And um, but now that I'm stepping into this new role at CAH, everything I learned at GRM for the last eight years has prepared me for this position. And it doesn't stop, it just keeps going back. And that's exactly what he did for you. And I think sorry, Pascal, but as women, we are set behind even just because of of our our sex and our gender. We're we're looked at as um less than. And so God knows that that the society is is um silly. And and he, you know, allowed us, allowed you to to gain credibility, um, in spite of being female. So that's pretty cool too.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:11

Yeah. No, what you mentioned about like, yeah, like the retrospect that he shows like in the process, because like de definitely. So um, what was it about three, three years ago? Yeah, three and a half years ago, um, I had to go through some major surgery. I had to have part of my left kidney removed and uh 10 inches of my intestines removed back to back, like three months apart. And um, I thought I was like at this peak of my career. I was given an opportunity to be a director of schools for SESSI. And it's uh it's a level de placement school for kids that um can't be served in the public school. And so they they send them to our private school and um and like God showed up even in that in that situation. Um, I I met some amazing kids and amazing families and and helped me to put some more tools in my toolbox, like how to minister to families and and the the power of prayer. Um, you know, there's a lot of things uh that happen on on that campus and and really just having uh one particular student, I actually asked her to like pray over the staff and and the students and like how that not only changed the dynamic on that campus, invited the Holy Spirit onto a campus that wouldn't initially have God on that campus, um, but it's transformation in her life. And that gave me like, if if this can happen here, like why aren't we doing more of this? Like, this can definitely not only break generational curses off of these kids, but like these kids that are having to be highly medicated, that are being um tossed aside, that have gone to CRC experience that that's scary, it's traumatic. You know, kids are coming from detention center to this campus, like how God can move in these kids' lives. And I was like, that's what I want to do. Like, that's what I want to do. And and I was, yeah, like how you said, I thought I was gonna die at that job because I was like, I'm making the most money I've ever made. I don't have to worry about my finances, I don't have to worry about nothing. Like, I'm at the top of my game, and then boom, I get hit with having to have these major surgeries, and the the doctor wouldn't sign off on me going back. And he's like, I'm I would be signing a death certificate if I sent you back to work because you have to do therapeutic holds and stuff like that with some of the students. Yeah, yeah. And he's like, There's no way I can't sign off for you go to go back. And I was like, I have to go back. Like there, there was staff that were quitting because they they didn't have my the leadership there and like all these things, right, were happening. And I was like devastated, like, oh my gosh. And I was like, What do I do? I I was like out of my control. I couldn't go back to work, and I was like, I don't know what to do, God. And God brought back up one of my my businesses, which is called Creation Specialized Services, where um yeah, where I do life coaching and all these other things, right? And uh He brought that back to just remembrance of just sitting there and and I was like, Well, I don't know what to do, God, but you're showing me this. Um, you're gonna have to pave the way if that's the direction you're wanting me to go. And at that time, I was like, my daughter was at the point where where do I send her to to high school? And I wasn't gonna send her to a public school. And I tried all the Christian schools and they kept saying, nope, nope, nope. And I was like, Well, I guess I'm gonna homeschool this girl and do my business. And then I was like, this is just a great opportunity to marry building, yeah, start building KGA, like giving me this flexibility to start building. And uh again, there was a lot of fear because I was like, Oh, I don't know how I'm gonna financially survive. Like, how do you go from making this amount to like maybe I might make money? I don't know. Like, and uh and I was like, and hold. Homeschooling my kid, like, I don't know how this is gonna work, God. But again, he he showed up. And and the funny part too, I was like really mad because um I wanted to finish my doctoral program. And when I became a director of schools, they said, Hey, like, we need you to get your principal certification. And I was like, I've been in school long enough. I just want to finish my doctorates and like be done with it already, man. And and so I called GCU up and they're like, Yeah, I'm sorry, we don't have a principal certification in in a doctoral program. Um, you would have to go back and get a master's. And I'm like, I already have a master's. And they're like, Well, you have to get a second master's if that's what they're wanting um for like state, state uh reasons to cover, you know, the school. And so I was like, okay, so I stopped my doctoral program, went back, started my master's program. Well, you know, obviously having to resign from my director's position, I was like, How did you make me go back to get second master's to get my admin? But I knew this was the plan. But I graduated last May with my my master, my second master's in uh administrative leadership, and all for the purposes of KG because I need that to went up to school, like well, somewhat, I guess. But it legitimizes you. So yeah, just like all these pieces that I didn't understand in the moment. Like, why are you letting this happen, God? Like, why? And then now it's like, okay, I see, I see what you're doing, God.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:25

You had a plan all along. Yep. Yep. So when did the stream start for you? Like, walk us through that first inkling.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:34

Yeah, so uh yeah, 12 years ago, 12 years ago when I started um when I started walking into when I was a juvenile detention officer and I was transitioning and moving into be going into education, um, I just saw the importance of mentorship and and that's how I see discipleship is mentorship, right? And so I I I had that thrown in, but I always felt like I'm a single mom, like I can't do that, like that's just too big. And and he gave me this vision of a discipleship school. Um, but I was like, there's no way, there's no way I can fit that in my schedule. There's no way being a single mom, like with a single income, like I don't know, like I'm not qualified, all these things, right? And um, so lo and behold, like he was doing it behind the scenes, putting the pieces together. And here we are 12 years later. Um, and again, through trial and error, mess ups, things that happened, life, right? Um, kids growing up, um, you know, just uh yeah, God was just piecing it all together. And then that's again, two two and a half years ago when I had to resign from my position as a director of schools. Um, you know, he gave me other other ways to to create revenue, but it it also was part of the the toolbox, like it was all part of part of KGA and stuff like that. Because in uh creation specialized services, that's that's my business uh my business name. Um, we became a vendor through ESA, providing support services for kids that are being homeschooled that may have special needs and coming up and helping those families. And and again, it's all part of KGA. So some, you know, we we provide the support services for kids that um may not be serviced in in a faith-based school, um, providing them that support. And so it was just all again part of the part of the plan. I I laugh at it now because like you're funny, God, because in the moment it wasn't funny. I was like, like, what am I doing? I don't know. I'm so lost, I don't know what direction to take. And he's just been kind of guiding the direction and that's flowing into KGA in so many ways. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:53

So tell me about Kingdom Grace Academy. The the the idea behind it, like you've you've given us little hints and pieces. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:02

So Kingdom Grace Academy is a pre-K through 12th grade um Christian Academy. And it's uh it's obviously a faith-based school. Um, our students aren't called students, they're called disciples straight out the gay from pre-K to 12th grade. Um, that is our heart is to disciple them. Um, our core model is servant leadership. What best teacher and you know, CEO that you can work for, other than Jesus, that's Jesus Christ. You know what I mean? And we want to show our students that's that's who we're modeling, that's what we're learning about um the Bible first, academic second, uh, meeting the children where they're at, because that's what Jesus did. He met people where they were at, despite their struggles or how different they were, you know, all those components. Um, and just coming up alongside of uh students that want a smaller classroom setting. Um, so this first year we're gonna start off with three classrooms, um, elementary, middle school, and high school. People are like, what? Can't you just start off with elementary? I'm like, no, go big or go home. That's that's how I roll. Like, if we're gonna do something for God, we're gonna go all the way. And so um, so our elementary will be housing 10 students max, uh, mixed grade and elementary, our second classroom, middle school, 10 students max, mixed grade of uh middle school, same thing for high school, 10 student max, uh mixed grade for for high school, um, having a teacher and a behavioral coach or slash teacher assistant um in each classroom. And so, yeah, so that's that's the flow of of what the school's gonna look like. And so we just recently partnered with uh United Christian Fellowship um to be able to lease uh their building for the school, which is really exciting on so many levels, um, not just because of KGA, but also my heart behind unifying the body of Christ and and just partnering. I mean, their name, come on, United Christian Fellowship, like come on. That was definitely a God-appointed uh way of doing things. And and so, yeah, so we're gonna be housed there. Um, and so God tells us otherwise. If we grow, that's awesome. Um, but again, that's our goal is to have 30 students um to be able to disciple them and to meet their needs academically and you know, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, um, not just with the students, but the families having some core component of classrooms or uh courses and and support for the families as well, knowing that some of our students are gonna come with some challenges um or families as well. Um, some kids coming from foster care, being adopted um in transition, or even just coming from um, you know, a public school and they're wanting a Christian setting, or going from like they thought they could be at a Christian school and maybe that that school just wasn't a right fit for them. We don't want our students feeling like they don't have a place to go. They have a home, they have a place, and that's what KGA is. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:55

So so you're specializing in meeting the needs of the kids that would otherwise slip through the cracks, probably.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:01

Yes, exactly. Those are the kids. Those are the kids that we are definitely um really excited and honored to to walk life out with. And and you know, it also extends out not just from KGA, but like really wanting to partner with um with churches and other organizations beyond um just like making sure that our families have a church home. Like we really want to advocate for our students. Um, that's actually my heart. I've been steadily working on top of opening the school, um, partnering with with churches to be able to come up alongside their other ministries that uh that already exist and provide the education to empower and equip them for existing ministries already, um, for the students that maybe have special needs, um, even young adults or adults that have uh traumatic brain injury, which this is where the hospice component comes through uh as a chaplain. Um, because I I saw a similarity with uh the elders that have dementia and traumatic brain injuries, um, where uh the commonality is that they're not able to be going to church, um, whether they're on hospice because they're at their end of their lifespan or just because they are not able to go into church because people just don't understand like how to work with with people with traumatic brain injuries. And it's kind of the same thing with students, right? And so, but they belong, they need a place to be ministered to, they need to be spiritually fed as well. And so I I just want to advocate for that. And it's not to like shun and say, like, oh, the church is doing a horrible job. No, yeah, we can do better, but these are the ways. Like, why, why uh if God gives us the perspective of a problem, do we just sit there and complain or do we do something about it? You know what I mean? And so I like how you said, like, we come together, like it's beautiful when we can partner together to be able to meet the needs of our people, of God's kids. Like that's that's what we're called to do. And so that's one of the things I'm really like excited about bringing the philosophy, the the heart behind KGA and implement that in churches as well to be able to provide that support ongoing.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:12

And you're currently have open enrollment. Yes. So if anyone wants more information, how do they reach out to you?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:20

Yeah, so they can um directly reach out through uh kingdomgraceacademy at gmail.com or they can go to Kingdom Grace Academy, um, our website uh dot com. And um, or they can give us a call at 520-286-1774.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:36

What about other needs that you might have? Volunteers, financial?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:42

Yeah. Um, we definitely need uh, yeah, again, the hands and feet of Jesus coming together, unifying the body of Christ through KGA, and that would look like, yeah, I mean, we're always open for people to sponsor and donate uh students because again, we do want to meet the needs of of students that typically didn't think that they could go to a private school. Um, you know, it's not just all for families that can financially provide, you know, that means for their student. Because I didn't think as a single mom that any of my kids could go to a private school, and all my kids went to a private school, and I never thought I could, but it's through scholarships, ESA, um funding, state tax credits that these students are able to go. Um, and yes, we would love volunteers. Uh, I am hiring right now teachers and and teacher assistants, so we do need people that are like-minded, like-hearted, that love Jesus and love his kids to be able to work with these families. So yeah, super excited to be partnering with more people in our community in that way.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:43

I just really appreciate you coming in and and sharing how God used this broken little girl at nine years old and throughout your entire life has been preparing you for this moment um for such a time as this. And it's just so beautiful that even in our brokenness or our distance, that God still sees our heart's true desires and that in spite of us, yeah, he makes it happen because it's to glorify him. Yeah. So he wants to be glorified and he's gonna use us to do that. So um thank you for your obedience, thank you for your heart, and um I will keep KGA in my prayers, and I just can't it sounds crazy to have elementary schools all different ages. Yeah, like that that sounds so beyond my scope. So I'm so glad that you have the intelligence to to recognize and see how that's gonna work. Um it sounds really big and really scary. Yeah, but as long as you let go of the wheel, right, and let God see her, it you have nothing to worry about. You're just obedient. So thank you for that. Yeah, I know thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:09

And I love that idea of of discipleship because um when I came to the Lord, I didn't like need a huge church service. I needed someone to come alongside me one-on-one, sit down with me and open the Bible with me and explain things personally. Like someone personally led me to a deeper understanding of the Lord. And when you're talking about education, I feel like that same is gonna be true.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:43

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:44

Because not everyone's gonna learn in the same exact way. Not everyone blossoms in a classroom setting. I didn't blossom in a classroom setting, but I d actually learned best on my own. But how great would it have been to have someone teach me at the level I was at? You know, I I wonder what kind of an impact that would have had on my life. But just to see that, to recognize that not everyone is gonna learn the same way, not everyone needs a classroom, but they are disciples. Yeah. Let's lead them in the Lord first, yeah. And then let's also row them up in their head knowledge so that they can face what the world has for them. I love that model. I I I I hope the Lord blesses them and the more people um find their purpose. You know, uh I I see kids growing in that and the more kids that blossom in that the more of them will not only find their purpose, but other volunteers, other educators will will grab gravitate toward that model and we'll see them also um growing in the Lord through this thing that you're doing. Yeah. I I just think it's it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:11

Yeah, yeah, I'm super excited. Um, you know, selfishly, I'll I'll be honest with you, like I've always been seeking my tribe, right? Like who's who's my tribe? I always felt like I never fit in. Um, either because I was told, like, okay, you do like all these things, you need to just focus on one area. And then I was like, what's wrong with me? Am I broken? Like, why, why does my brain like work this way? There's something has to be wrong with me. And and it was when God spoke over me that like, this is exactly how I made you. I made you and your mother, I knitted you in your mother's womb exactly the way you are, and there's nothing wrong with you. And and that's exactly like I want to speak that over the tribe that I'm gonna be part of, you know what I mean? That God's bringing together that there's nothing wrong with them, they're perfectly made in his image, nothing. And and God just is equipping them just as much as their peers. And even though they feel like they don't have a place, they have a place with God. And I just I just want to like remind them. And in reminding them, it's reminding myself as well. So that's beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:16

Yeah, so thank you for with us.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:18

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:19

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:20

Just sitting through all the chaos, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:23

Fun. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:28

Okay. Anything you want parents to know about King of Grace Academy?

SPEAKER_02 1:21:36

Yeah, I I I just want parents to know that there is a place for for them, not just for their students, but for them as a family, as a whole, whether they're a single, you know, single parent or they're a two-parent home or their foster parents or adopted parents, like God has a place for them as well. Um, and we're not called to walk life out alone. It's not just a school, it's really it's being able to symbolize what God wants us to to what it looks like to be the church, you know what I mean? And it's not it's not a church building, it's not a school building, it's it's really honing in on being the church like God intended it to be. And so that's that's one of the things that I want to encourage families because yeah, that you know, some of these families are gonna be coming from being rejected or being hurt like I was. I was rejected, you know, with my daughter getting kicked out of a preschool, and it was a Christian preschool, and I'm like, where do we go from here? And so I just want to be that encouraging uh person in their life to say like they have a place with us. And yeah, it's not gonna be perfect. There's gonna be things that we have to learn from each other, but that's the beauty of it. So I'm super excited to to meet the families and and who God's gonna be placing at KJA with us.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:51

So yeah, I'm awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:54

Thank you. Yeah, thank you.