Pastor Graciela (Gracie) Tijerina
By Adriana Celis for Menoticias
Sometimes we can hear the audible voice of God, but what about those times when the voice of God is hidden? Or the alternative when God’s voice is perceived in the most unconventional way?
Deep search for God
In 2019, Pastor Graciela (Gracie) Tijerina made the important decision to accept the challenge of pastoring Iglesia Menonita Casa Betania (Bethany House Mennonite Church), in Newton, Kansas. For the pastor, accepting this call from God has been a challenge but, at the same time, a step of obedience. In addition, she said that the process to reach this decision was based on a deep search for God through the study of the Word, prayer and fasting. There, in that search, Tijerina said she found the answers to all her questions, and realized that, in these modern days when we only want God to speak to us audibly, our modern minds do not understand that God also manifests himself, on many occasions, in less conventional ways.
In this manner, God spoke into her life in two very special ways: the first, through the biblical text of Exodus 33:14, “Yahweh replied, ‘My presence will go with you.’ Let this set your mind at ease.” (Inclusive Bible), which brought her peace and conviction to continue with the growth of God work here on earth; and the second way, through an acrostic, in which the word “process” represented the transformation that God would begin to work in her life and in the lives of the people she would impact with the message of the good news.
Aware of the risk of contracting the coronavirus
During the year of the pandemic, 2020, one of the greatest challenges for Tijerina was keeping the church’s congregants motivated. Despite the difficulties of not being able to meet in person and in the church building, they met through digital platforms so that their faith would continue to grow.
To conclude, Tijerina commented that she has begun the work of visiting in homes of the people who attend Iglesia Menonita Casa Betania.