When you walk into The Gathering, you might see him unlocking the gate, flipping on the lights, powering up the sound system, and getting the coffee ready—all before most of us even arrive. But what you might not see right away is the story behind the faithful young man doing it all with a smile and a servant’s heart.
He first came to The Gathering about three years ago through a connection at his school, Christian Academy of Puerto Rico. Miss Vivian, the school principal, knew he needed an English-speaking church and gave him the number and directions to The Gathering. That introduction marked the beginning of a profound transformation.
When asked what The Gathering means to him, he answered simply: “Family, God, and learning.” And those three words truly define his experience.
“I used to struggle with forgiveness. But I learned that if you can’t forgive someone, the Lord won’t forgive you. That was a big change for me,” he said. Since coming to The Gathering, he has started praying every morning—and sometimes at night too. “I feel closer to God. It’s not about rules anymore. It’s about relationship.”
His description of The Gathering stands out:
“Other churches can feel like a routine. You just sit, listen, and leave. But this church? You feel love. You connect with people. They hug you when you walk in the door. It feels like a family.”
That sense of family is especially meaningful to him. He lost his parents and was separated from his siblings at a young age. Raised by his grandmother, he says, “To me, The Gathering is my family—because I didn’t really have one. But now I do.”
And he gives back in big ways. Without being asked, he started helping—first by cleaning, then managing the sound system, setting up chairs, preparing coffee, and opening the church. “No one told me to do it. It just came from my heart,” he said.
At just 18 years old, he’s already become an integral part of the church behind the scenes. “You could say I’m the guy behind the scenes,” he laughs. But those who know him might call him the unsung hero.
He credits several men in the church—Leonard, Curtis, and Mike, Hector—for helping shape him into who he is today. “They’ve taught me about life—what to do and what not to do. And they’re teaching me about the Bible.”
He’s just bought his first car and is working on getting a job to continue moving forward. “My plan is to work, save, and be responsible.”
As the church dreams about expanding into a Sunday school, he says he might not be directly involved, but adds with a smile, “I’ll probably be the one turning on the lights and getting things ready—by choice, of course.”
And that’s the heart of this young man: faithful, humble, and full of purpose. Not because someone told him what to do—but because God placed it in his heart to serve, to grow, and to love.