At sixteen, I walked into a church by accident, drawn in by a flyer promising, “Know your future.” I expected a palm reading. Instead, I encountered the gospel. That day I learned that Jesus loved me, that we were living at a critical moment in earth’s history (as taught through Nebuchadnezzar’s dream), and that my sins could be forgiven through Jesus, the carpenter, the martyr, and the divine Son who claimed me as His own.

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Night after night I returned to that large European style building called the Ridgewood Seventh-day Adventist Church to hear the distinctive truths.  The Bible was made plain to me but it was the community itself, a beautifully diverse group of about 25 people, all immigrants from Europe and the Caribbean who embraced my brother and I with genuine care. By December 25th of that same year, I was baptized.

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This same little old church community poured time, money and presence into my life. They built me up as a leader. Once a shy and quiet teenager, now a Youth Leader and board member they invited me to preach, share and lead wherever I could.

 

When it was time for college, my only desire was to grow deeper in my understanding of Jesus, so I enrolled at Atlantic Union College in Lancaster, Massachusetts to study social work. During my first semester, I longed with an ache to be more, do more and live my life completely dedicated to the work and service of God. Once sensing the call to ministry I began praying and fasting, asking God to make my path unmistakably clear. That clarity came in an unexpected moment as I stood outside looking toward heaven, silently asking God what He wanted for my life, when a senior theology student stepped out of the dorm, looked directly at me, and proclaimed with a voice of authority, “YOU NEED TO PREACH.”

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The next day I marched straight to records and changed my major to Theology and Religion. I would go on to lead the ministerial club, became the Religious Vice- President, afterwards the Student Association President and then eventually the Associate Chaplain of my alma mater. Ultimately I would go on to struggle with truly believing this was the right choice, but wholeheartedly I can testify that even in those seasons of doubt, God provided the affirmation and reassurance I needed at just the right time. Strangers, leaders and pastors would affirm my call over and over again through financial support, various opportunities and invitations.​

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After marrying and becoming a mother, I chose to devote the next seven years to leading my home. During the end of that time, I began sensing God calling me back into full-time ministry. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that call since I was already launching a children’s ministry at my local church, leading a young adult home church, and assisting in the start of a community food pantry. Still, I spent weeks praying for direction.

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One morning, I felt a clear impression to call the conference Associate Youth Director and share my desire to serve, even as a one-year intern. When I did, he paused and said, “Mrs. Guadalupe, I have been praying for God to provide an intern for this department.” That conversation opened the door to my internship with the Southern New England Conference Youth Department, where I served under the Associate Director for the next year and a half. I organized and led conference-wide events for youth, young adults, and families, later transitioning into an Administrative Assistant role with similar responsibilities. 

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In 2018, Dr. Allan Martin invited me to join the North American Division's collaboration and training with Fuller Seminary’s Growing Young initiative, where I became a certified presenter for the NAD. After presenting across the division and advocating for young adults, my family and I prayerfully accepted a call to serve as Associate Pastor in Lincoln, Nebraska were I served for six years on the campus of Union Adventist University until my next appointment to Stone Mountain SDA Church in Georgia Cumberland Conference in 2024.