“Wow, this place is great! Do you wanna move here?” Geraldo asked me as we drove away from Lowell after meeting my parents in February of 2025.
“No,” I said.
“What!? Why not?” he asked, surprised.
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. He looked at me for more explanation, so I slowly processed my thoughts out loud. “I never wanted to live in America, not permanently, so I’ve never considered living in Lowell as an option before, except as a base to visit family and friends. In Detroit, at least I get to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds. In Lowell, there’s no diversity. I think I’d go crazy.”
Geraldo accepted my explanation with a nod, and over the next few months, he only mentioned in passing what a great area Grand Rapids seemed to be. I could tell he still considered living there a great idea, but I was content in my job in Detroit. Then everything hit.
Then Everything Hit
My dad got diagnosed with cancer. Geraldo and I got engaged. My grandma died. My grandpa had a stroke and was in and out of the hospital with complications. I was in my last semester of my master’s degree. I took an international trip to Greece to meet Geraldo’s parents. Helping refugees amidst a constantly shifting political system was difficult to say the least. Wedding plans also kept fluctuating, driving me almost crazy with the sheer complexity of the variables and nuances.
In the midst of all of that, and more, Geraldo asked me again, in November, “Do you want to move to Grand Rapids?”
This time, I paused to think. With everything my family was going through, and the flood of stress rising in my own life, the appeal of West Michigan called to me. “Yes,” I said, “I would consider moving to Grand Rapids, but what would I do about my job?”
“Let’s start praying and looking around without telling anyone yet, especially your parents, until we see God opening a door for us to move there,” Geraldo said.
I agreed and did an initial Google search to see if any job opportunities existed that might pique my interest. One company stood out, but I couldn’t find enough information on their website; not even a statement of faith. I felt nudged to email a lady named Celeste, someone whose opinion I highly value and who is well-connected in Grand Rapids. I asked for her input. I got an auto-reply that she was out of her office and would get back to me later. No problem. I put it on the back burner and kept my focus on doing the next thing in front of me, keeping my gaze on God amidst the turmoil.
One day at a time.
One assignment at a time.
One conversation at a time.
A week later, God asked me to do something extremely difficult. Actually, the first step of obedience wasn’t too bad, but the second one…
“God, do I really have to?” I asked.
The immediate response was Yes. The Holy Spirit compelled me to do it, though I did it with some fear and trepidation. Afterward, an overwhelming sense of peace flooded me. I had done what God had asked of me, no matter the outcome.
The next morning, during our usual morning call, Geraldo asked me, “What churches would you like to start visiting in Grand Rapids? On the weekends when we visit your parents, we can start checking out various churches around in case God opens the way for us to move there.”
“Great question,” I replied, “I’d have to think about it, but the first one that comes to mind is Calvary Church. It wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice because it’s so big, but it’s a convenient one to visit next time we’re at my parents and I think you’ll like it. After that, I’ll think about what other churches to visit.”
“Sounds great,” he said.
A few hours later, I received a reply to the email I’d sent Celeste almost two weeks before. ‘Coincidentally,’ Celeste works at Calvary Church, except there’s no such thing as coincidences in God’s book. She wasn’t sure if the company I’d asked her about would be a good fit for me. She gave me a few other recommendations and then said, “One more thing to pray about – we can talk on the phone or Zoom if you want sometime. I have at least one position open in the Mercy & Missions area here at Calvary. We haven’t posted them yet because I’m still praying for clarity from the Lord about how he wants to fill this position. But I think this is an amazing place to work, and if God would call you and Geraldo to make Calvary Church your spiritual home, I’d love to share some thoughts with you.”
The timing of her email was not lost on me. I’d taken a difficult step of obedience the day before. I had immediately replied “Calvary Church” to Geraldo’s question that morning about which church to visit first, even though I know many great churches in West Michigan. And, I recently found out, the reason I received an auto-reply from Celeste at first is because she was on a study break, praying over what to do about filling certain needs in her department. God told her to wait, and when she returned to the office, she saw my email.
I asked Celeste if we could schedule a phone call for three weeks later, to give me time to say goodbye to my grandpa before he passed, finish my master’s degree, catch my breath, and pray over everything.
A few days after the email from Celeste, I sat in a small airplane next to my mom. My dad and his friend were flying the plane towards Tennessee to say goodbye to my grandpa in his final days. My mom turned and said, “I’m thinking of asking your brother to move home even if he hasn’t found a job up here yet. I can’t keep up with everything on my own. I need help.”
I looked at her. I saw the burdens she carried. Her mom’s passing and my dad’s cancer had taken their toll. I remembered what Geraldo said about not wanting to raise my parents’ hopes before we knew God was opening a door. The desperation in her comment, though, and Celeste’s email, drove me to tell her that Geraldo and I were already looking into moving to Grand Rapids. The relief I saw on her face told me I’d made the right decision in telling her. She promised to pray with us for God to open the right doors.
Discussion:
How do you see God at work in this story?