Just a dream!
Hello everyone, my name is Liliana Padilla and I am originally from the beautiful city of Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico. I am very excited to have this space to share with you, (if you allow me) how what today I call IMPACTO COMUNITARIO has begun and taken shape.
Impacto, although it started just 2 years ago, was a dream that comes from several years ago. So I want to start at the beginning. I hope this blog will help you to also believe in your dreams.
Well, as I told you at the beginning, I was born and raised in the city of Delicias, Chihuahua. I was born in 1971 (I am 51 years old). My mother, since before I was born, attended El Divino Salvador Methodist Church, which is close to the downtown area. The most vivid memories of my childhood are those we spent in the Church. I remember Pastor Antonia Ramos (Toñita, endearingly) who, let me tell you, had her birthday the same day as me! So, when they celebrated the pastor's birthday, they celebrated me too.
Well, in those years I grew up in a church that experienced "the great revival of the 70s" in the Methodist Church of Northern Mexico, where children prayed in tongues, there were healings, evenings of prayer, and an unprecedented growth in the church.
For me, church was a celebration, a party. I remember worship services in parks, on sports fields, at train and bus stations. I remember handing out leaflets in the streets, I remember prayer retreats. And when I was 7 years old, I prayed asking God to one day make me like my pastor.
I also want to tell you about my family: My mother and grandmother were very generous women, supportive and selfless in giving. My mother would seat at the table whoever came to ask for food at our house. She cured, cleaned and administered medicine, and never passed up the opportunity to give words of comfort and hope to whoever was within her reach.
My father, always thinking of the needy, of prisoners, the children and their mothers. Any occurrence of his became an event to support someone else, a dinner or lunch for someone, and above all, it was always accompanied by laughter, jokes and great humor.
My years went by and when I was in “preparatoria” (High School) the school gave us a homework assignment to do a number of hours of community service. I went and asked to do community work in what they called “La Asegurada.” It was an old building with about 3 floors full of rooms. I went in there and worked with them for about six months.
I started my hours in charge of the attendance list for entry and exit of the workers, and then they sent me into the field.
But let me tell you what "La Asegurada" was like. It was a free school for women who had social security (or anyone), where they had classes for cooking, making pastry, sewing, beauty and cosmetology, basic education for adults, dance, music, etc...
The number of people taking classes was impressive, they had different levels and different schedules. And as expected, there were always people on the waiting list. That's where I got promoted: the director had the idea of opening classes in other places to be able to serve more people in the community. Schools had opened to lend their buildings at night for “La Asegurada” classes. My new job consisted of visiting homes informing people that a “La Asegurada” school would open nearby. And then I could see how the classrooms were filled at night by moms and dads who were interested in learning a new trade or obtaining a certificate that would help them in their economic and social development as well.
I love the way God leads you through life, how God is behind every decision, every step you take, and God uses everything you experience for his purposes.
And how has God led you in your life?
Think about your history and how God has guided you into the future?
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