The Importance of Faith in the Community
Doña Martha's Story
Doña Martha was born in Veracruz, Mexico and came to the United States with her husband when she was about twenty years old. After coming to the United States they lived in California, later moved to Texas, and finally arrived in Minnesota. At the time of their arrival in Minnesota, Doña Martha was pregnant with her first child. A year after her daughter was born, she was again pregnant with her second child. Two years after that came her third child, and her fourth child was born three years after that.
"I am at a very good place in my life. But at that time, I hated God."
Everything was going well for Doña Martha and her family until her husband lost his job. With that came his alcohol addiction, and with the drinking came the violence. Doña Martha was beaten by her husband in front of her children on a daily basis. She was brought down and treated horribly. Even though she asked for a divorce, her husband did not grant it to her. She recalls how she felt everything in her life was coming down:
"I remember I was at the lowest point of my life. I felt horrible and I blamed God for everything that was going wrong. I blamed him for the pain I was suffering and for my children being in such a horrible environment. I remember after I finally got the courage to tell my family about what was going on, my husband left. Shortly after we filed for divorce and thankfully now I am at a very good place in my life. But at that time, I hated God."
Because of the way she felt at the time, she left the church and did not attend services. She threw away a crucifix that her sister had given her, a crucifix that now hangs in her living room:
"Adrianita, I promise you it was a miracle. I do not know how it came back into my life but I remember I had thrown it away. I was in a horrible place in my life and religion was something I did not feel I needed... I blamed God for my troubles. Instead of pushing myself closer to him for guidance, I let my anger and frustrations move me away. But I know God has forgiven me. He has made me a stronger woman. And that is something I tell my kids now... Never move away from God. Especially in the hard times because that is when we need to be closer to him."
Doña Martha's youngest son is twenty-two years old. Her daughter and her older son are happily married and her younger two children are in college. Doña Martha is now an active member of the church. She sings in the choir, helps out the priests and occasionally serves as an usher. Reflecting on her life now, she thanks God for everything she has become.
Sabrina and Her Family's Story
She has been living in Owatonna for over twenty years with her husband and two daughters. For Sabrina, the church and her faith in God have been of great importance in her life and in that of her family. Sabrina speaks English well enough to carry a conversation, she learned it at the same time that she attended nursing school. She now works from home, as the nurse for her oldest daughter who was born with disabilities.
"The doctors had told us that she was not going to last long. That she would probably live eight or nine years at most. I think the funny thing was that every time something would happen to her, the doctors would always ask us if we had everything ready for her funeral. And it's not fair, you know. That they have no faith in your child. But my little girl has proved them wrong so many times. She's twenty-one years old and even though we do struggle sometimes, the desire she has to live is huge."
At the time of Sabrina's interview, her daughter was in the hospital. She and her husband were taking turns visiting her daily. Sabrina’s daughter had already been hospitalized for three weeks, and she still had a couple more weeks to go. According to Sabrina, her daughter wanted to come back home just so she could go to church:
"She loves being at church. She loves to clap along when the music is playing. It makes her happy. And the church and community love her. I feel so blessed to know how supported we are by everyone here. They all care so much for her and for us. There is a reason why she is still alive, you know. She proved the doctors wrong, but I also feel that it's because everyone has faith in her. My little girl, even though she does not look strong, is a warrior."
"I feel so blessed to know how supported we are by everyone here."
Shortly after the interviews, we were fortunate enough to have had the chance to get to meet her daughter. Even though she had recently had surgery, she was already standing (with the help of her father) and clapping to the rhythm of the music. It was beautiful and tender to see her so happy at church rather than in a hospital bed. As Sabrina said, "she is a blessing in our lives and a reminder of how powerful miracles and believing in God can be.”