Valerya was searching for the truth and thought she found it when she explored the world of crystals and witchcraft. But it didn’t help; instead, she grew angry, felt empty, and even more confused. She became mean and let her pain justify her actions. The enemy was relentless and transformed her into a person she didn’t recognize. Valerya allowed her pain to excuse her behavior.

The turning point came when she asked herself, “What am I doing? This isn’t who I am.”

As a young girl, Valerya accompanied her mother to Mass. Her mother was deeply devoted to her Catholic faith, so she attended primarily to please her mother.

Her father, though, held an anti-religious stance, which made growing up in a household with such conflicting viewpoints a challenging experience. While growing up Valerya didn’t take religion seriously or develop any connection with God. However, Valerya's hard-working parents raised her with a strong foundation and instilled in her respect and healthy morals. They also encouraged self-reliance and independence, which likely made her open to seeking the truth. But for a while, she mistakenly sought truth in the wrong places.

She believes her first spiritual awakening came when she met Carmen Reyes in high school. They became fast friends. Valerya lived about 30 miles from school, so, at times, she would hang out at Carmen’s while waiting for a ride home. When she was there, the Reyes family made her feel welcome.

Carmen’s parents, Katy and Eddie, saw how much of a hassle it was for her to get rides to and from school. So, without knowing much about her, they opened their hearts and invited a high school sophomore into their home. They just said, “Come on and live with us!”

Valerya is not entirely sure if she initiated the conversation or if they were the ones to invite her first, because it all happened so naturally. The Reyes family became a huge part of Valerya’s life. She lived with them for three years until she graduated from High School. They became very instrumental in helping her overcome challenges as they shared the love of God with her.

While living with the Reyes’ she would often join Carmen and her siblings for church events, such as the youth group. Jesus was shared frequently during youth group meetings.  The more she listened, the more she realized she didn’t know much about who Jesus truly was! She learned about God from the Catholic Church, but she didn’t know the importance of Jesus’ role. It was all new to her. 

The first time Carmen invited her to a church service, she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, and told Carmen she didn’t feel comfortable going dressed that way. But Carmen wasn’t at all concerned and said, “It’s okay; you’ll be fine.” She was freaking out because, at the Catholic Church, you need to follow a specific dress code.

When she stepped into a Sunday Service at Crossroads, she saw a stark contrast to the eerie silence she experienced at the Catholic Church. She was blown away by the joyful singing and praising of God and experienced Jesus's love that day. Unfortunately, at that point, she wasn’t prepared to make a change in her life.

After high school, she chose a career in sales. It was at her workplace where she met a co-worker named Miles. God graciously continued pursuing Val by bringing Miles into her life. They became friends and during their many talks, she saw something different about him. Miles was open and joyful about his devotion to God.

Miles eventually invited Valerya to his church, but she had been living in sin for a long time, so the thought of going back to church frightened her. Her fear was; “What if God doesn’t want me back because of all the time I spent around crystals and witchcraft.”

But a growing sense of unease had begun to seep into Valerya’s life just before her encounter with Miles. The more she spent time with him, witnessing his unwavering devotion to God, the more she began to doubt her own beliefs.

Valerya eventually found the courage to attend Miles’ church. On that day, the pastor preached from the Book of Revelation, which in itself was scary. She remembers vividly, even to this day, every word he said: “Maybe God hasn’t fulfilled the prophecies because He is waiting for you to come back. When she heard those words, it felt like an out-of-body experience. The Holy Spirit filled her body, and she immediately realized she must return to God for the truth. He had opened her eyes, and she understood, “This is the truth; nothing feels this way.”

God met her when she needed Him the most. When her eyes were opened, all she wanted was to glorify and praise Jesus, so it became easy to leave crystals and witchcraft behind.

God has blessed her life with a fantastic group of people. The Reyes family is among that very special group. They love unconditionally and have been a wonderful part of her life. Whenever she has questions or needs support, she can always rely on them to be there for her.

In February 2025, Valerya had a fantastic baptism experience at Crossroads. It was a truly special day for her! Since her baptism, her parents, along with other family members, have attended church. It has been a major joy for her to have them at church.

Valerya has fallen in love with living her life for God and sharing His love with everyone. Discovering the truth about Jesus Christ has profoundly transformed her life, and her relationship with God continues to grow. There have been some struggles along the way, especially when she realized many of the beliefs she held were untrue. As Valerya aptly puts it, “It would be nice if life were a constant stream of sunshine and rainbows, but it’s not. However, God provided incredible people who have supported me during challenging times. I am relatively new to the club, but I’m learning and growing as a person”.

Recently, someone asked Valerya, “If you could ask God one question, what would it be?” Her immediate response was, “Are you proud of me?” Valerya's greatest desire is for the light of Jesus to shine brightly through her.

Valerya's story is a pure gift from God. She joyfully shares it, hoping to bring transformation and hope into the lives of others.