When Barbara first walked into The Gathering, she wasn’t sure it was for her.
Quiet by nature, raised in a culturally Catholic but spiritually uncertain home, Barbara wasn’t used to the loud, loving, hug-everyone atmosphere of this small English-speaking church in Puerto Rico. “We’re not huggers in my family,” she said with a smile. “At first, it was really overwhelming.”
But something kept drawing her back.
Born in New York and raised in Florida from age 11, Barbara moved to Puerto Rico at 21 when her mom remarried. Her family’s faith was shaped more by superstition than Scripture—deeply tied to Santería, a spiritual system that worships saints and emphasizes rituals for protection and provision. Over time, Barbara began to feel that these practices offered more illusion than hope.
Then came a turning point.
She started attending church casually with family, but something stirred in her—a curiosity, a hunger. She bought her first Bible and began reading from the Old Testament. “It was scary,” she laughed, “especially when I got to Leviticus.” But right around that time, she attended a revival service. “They gave an altar call and said, ‘If you want to give Jesus a chance, come up.’ I raised my hand. I didn’t know that everyone else had already done that before—I thought, why isn’t everyone running forward?”
What followed was unexpected and powerful. She was baptized in the Holy Spirit that night, went home speaking in tongues, and never looked back. “It felt like a dream. But it was real.”
Barbara’s role at The Gathering has grown in ways she never anticipated. Today, she wears many hats:
- Worship Team Vocalist: Initially terrified, Barbara was nudged into singing by her friend Jessica and encouraged by Miriama. Now, worship is where she feels closest to God. “When I’m up there, I don’t want to stop.”
- Social Media Manager: She designs and posts flyers, recaps services, and is helping build a YouTube presence for the church. “I didn’t even know you could download videos from Facebook until recently,” she laughed.
- Children’s Ministry Leader: After a vivid dream of being chosen to teach, Barbara stepped into this role, preparing activities and Bible lessons—even if there’s just one child. “If we build the container,” she says, “the kids will come.”
Despite all this, Barbara often downplays her contributions. Jessica, her close friend and constant cheerleader, sees it differently. “Barbara has a huge heart,” she said. “She’s the glue in her home, and now she’s becoming the same in our church.”
For Barbara, The Gathering has become a place of transformation. “I asked God for a church family, and I found it here,” she said. “It’s like having a second family, especially with most of my relatives still in Florida.”
Her favorite worship song? “Tú Eres Mi Respirar” (You Are the Air I Breathe). One of the first Christian songs she connected with, it opened her heart to a new kind of worship—and a new life.
To anyone thinking about visiting The Gathering, Barbara has simple advice: “Keep going. At first it might feel overwhelming. But if you let yourself stay, one day you’ll realize you don’t want to leave.”