April 1, 2025 • 86 mins
Originally from Cali, Colombia, Juan Manuel Cabezas Torres is a husband and father who loves God and believes that everyone can contribute to God’s kingdom uniquely. He graduated from Colegio Americano, a school founded by the Cumberland Presbyterian Mission in Colombia. Then, he earned his degree as Dentist from University Santiago de Cali. Juan and his wife later made Memphis, Tennessee their home. Juan has been an active member of Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church for years, sharing his musical talents as a drummer in the worship praise band. His journey of faith led him to pursue ministry, earning his Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary in 2024. In early 2025, he officially joined Faith Church as Associate Pastor, working in a supportive role alongside Pastor Rev. Dr. Andy McClung. With a heart for service, connection, and spiritual growth, Juan is committed to boosting his congregation and supporting our community meaningfully.
Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue.
Source: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blue
Comments: http://freemusicarchive.org/
Additional comments: modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.
Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
T.J. (00:03):
You are listening to the Cumberland Road, and I'm your
host, TJ Malinoski. Thefollowing is a faith
conversation with Juan ManuelTorres. He is the associate
minister at the Faith CumberlandPresbyterian Church in Memphis,
(00:24):
Tennessee. And he is a recentgraduate of Memphis Theological
Seminary. Juan is one of thenicest people I have ever met.
His humility and kindness iscontagious. The world needs more
people like Juan, and I am gladto be able to call him a friend.
(00:51):
Enjoy this faith conversationwith Juan Torres.
Let's go to the beginning. Tellme about your childhood.
Juan (01:07):
Well, I was born in Cali, Colombia. My parents, Jose
Guillermo and Vilma. I was bornin 1989 in a conflictive
Colombia. We live in a city,pretty big that Colombian
(01:28):
context. So it was a good time.
From a medium class family withsome privileges. But it's been
Do
T.J. (01:44):
you have siblings? Where were you in the My
Juan (01:46):
little brother. Okay. We are two years apart.
T.J. (01:49):
Okay.
Juan (01:50):
And he's like my best friend and the best thing that
our parents could give eachother. I'm very proud of him.
Does being here take you apartfrom your family, but my brother
is the actual, the only one thatI almost talk to every single
(02:11):
day.
T.J. (02:12):
Okay, and he's in Columbia?
Juan (02:14):
He is still in Columbia.
T.J. (02:16):
When you were growing up, what were things that you and
your brother did for fun?
Juan (02:22):
Several things. I just, every memory that I have of any
fun thing, any, you know, thingthat causes joy is just related
to my brother. We did everythingthat we did was together and
everything starts since the verybeginning when I started school
(02:48):
and I, you know, we wearuniforms. And even though he is
still at home, he also haduniforms and take me to the bus
stop. And then from that he justget back to eat his lunch and
kind of school experience.
But yeah, he's been very closeto all the experiences that I
(03:11):
was taking in, so.
T.J. (03:13):
When you were growing up, were you an inside kid or were
you outside all the time?
Juan (03:20):
Outside. Our childhood is marked by being outside, so
usually after school we comefrom Collegium Americano about
1PM in the afternoon. We havelunch, do some homework
sometimes, and then just go outand scream for our friends to
(03:42):
come out to and play with us. Itis definitely kind of old school
childhood. And we have plentymemories of things that we did,
the games, friends from the samestreet that we used to live.
T.J. (03:57):
So you played football? Soccer.
Juan (04:01):
Yeah.
T.J. (04:01):
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, usually
Juan (04:03):
Yeah.
T.J. (04:04):
From Columbia, it'll be, no, it's football, not soccer.
So you're already assimilatedinto the into the English
language of soccer.
Juan (04:15):
Yeah, we call it football. Yeah. But here it's very clear
the difference between footballand soccer.
T.J. (04:21):
Right, right, right.
Juan (04:22):
So yeah, soccer is the actually very dominant sport in
Colombia, so we usually play alot of soccer. Plus other
sports, basketball, somevolleyball. We were exposed to
several sports, but soccer isthe one that dominates the
(04:43):
Colombian culture.
T.J. (04:45):
Well, because you can play it in the street, you can play
it in the alley, you can play itin the park. I mean, it's one of
those things that you can, it'svery mobile sport, you know?
Juan (04:56):
Yeah, like a lot of people, you you just take your
ball to anywhere you go. So Iremember taking my soccer ball
to my school if we went touncle's or aunt's houses or
something. It was just bringingour ball with us. We are almost
as passionate about soccer asBrazilians are.
T.J. (05:23):
So tell me about your parents.
Juan (05:26):
My father, Jose Guillermo, he's a CPA. He has a
specialization with taxsomething that I don't recall
right now. So he's a hardworker. He has worked his entire
life. He retired recently and isstill working.
(05:48):
Anytime that I call him, he'sworking. So, he's an unstoppable
man. High values, discipline,respect, and honesty are his
court's values. So, he's beengreat. He has given us so much.
(06:09):
Even though he wasn't able toreceive much, he has made a
great effort and sacrifice togive us a lot of things that
make us feel privileged.
T.J. (06:23):
And your mother?
Juan (06:26):
My mom. She's also great. She's Vilma. She's a manager.
Her degree is, yeah, just kindto management.
Mhmm. It's just hard to come upwith a actual title from Spanish
(06:51):
into English. But yeah, she'slike administrative, you know,
she's able to manage. Yeah. Shedid some semesters of School of
Laws, but she didn't finish, butalso she's been very sacrificed.
(07:13):
She has worked a lot. She dideverything for us. Our parents
divorced about February or '2,'2 thousand and '1, and she
truly worked hard for us. Wecould witness the way and how
(07:36):
she has done everything for us.So, the same thing, I think she
has given us the capacity tolove and to express love and
that comes from her.
She's very lovely. Though shealso didn't experience the, you
(08:00):
know, our parents' generation,they didn't experience all the
love expression from ourgrandparents. So she just being
great. I have no words todescribe how she's been so
influential in our lives, bothmy brother and I. And not only
(08:22):
in our personal aspect but alsoin our spiritual aspect.
T.J. (08:26):
Yeah. Both of your parents were or are professionals, and
that's hard to do during theeighties and nineties in the
transition for Columbia as a asa country. So talk a little bit
about that as you're growing upwhen Colombia is shifting more
(08:49):
towards an internationalcountry, democratic country, and
the nation is kind of clampingdown on cartels and providing
even more educationalopportunities for its people.
Did you, as a child and even asa teenager, you feel those
(09:15):
changes and were you aware ofhow life was twenty, thirty,
forty years earlier in thecountry?
Juan (09:26):
I think that that's what made our life different, that in
the midst of violence and lackof several things, our parents
did everything possible for usto don't experience that. So
even though we were hittingabout kids that they couldn't go
(09:50):
to school for the conflict, Itwas more rural, but also poverty
has been part of our system. Sowe never got to experience that.
So that's where that magic comesfrom, all the sacrifices and
everything they do. I thanks Godbecause we never experience
(10:16):
hunger or lack of anything bothmaterial or emotional.
They have done great. Still,they are still being great
parents and great grandparents.So that's where I find
privilege. That in the midst ofseveral situations, other kids'
(10:41):
struggles, we never got toexperience that. And that made
and marked our lives in adifferent way, positive, more
positive way.
And I think that was the waythat we could shape our spirits
and our character different.
T.J. (10:59):
Yeah. When you were a child, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
Juan (11:05):
I was very close always to biology and becoming a doctor, a
physician. But then at the endof our high school we had the
opportunity to explore anydifferent from what we thought.
So I went a little bit close toit with dentistry and I ended up
(11:32):
in dental school some yearslater. But yeah, I almost feel
that either medicine ordentistry was the thing that I
would love to do as an adult anda professional.
T.J. (11:48):
What was it about biology and medicine that drew you as a
youth?
Juan (11:55):
I think that I was surrounded by some doctors in
our family. And the way that weadmire that job and the fact to
serve people. I think that rightnow I found out that I like to
serve people. I like to be inrelationship with people. So
(12:21):
medicine or any health relatedcareer, just you have to be in
contact with other human beingsand usually your job is based on
serving others with yourknowledge.
So I think that either of thoseprofessions could work out in my
(12:42):
life.
T.J. (12:44):
Where do you think that desire to serve others comes
from?
Juan (12:49):
I think it's somehow natural but that's part of our,
I would say the way we wereraised by our parents. They,
mainly my mom, just loves toserve. Not in the sense that she
(13:10):
can give up on her own desiresor her own things just to help
or do something else for someoneelse. So I think that we were
taught way she could give upmany things for us and for other
(13:31):
people just to help.
T.J. (13:34):
There's something special of observing another person who
gives of themselves their time,attention, food, whatever it may
be in terms of sacrifice, and todo it with joy. You know, some
people, you know, they justradiate that joy of giving of
(13:58):
themselves.
Juan (14:00):
Mainly in our lives, I'm speaking of my brother and I,
apart from my parents, we haveour uncle, Manuel. And I think
he's been our third parent, isgreat. He's been very close to
us our whole life. And severalalso of our values that we have
(14:27):
got those from Him. I think theyall three have complemented each
other to teach us very profoundand deep lessons in our life
that actually most of mycharacter to I hope and I feel
it comes from values andactions, mainly actions that our
(14:50):
uncle did for us.
T.J. (14:55):
It is special to be able to have adults in our lives as
we are growing up to spend timewith us, model, share their
character, share their wisdom,because we've met people who may
not have had those good peopleto be able to help raise us.
Juan (15:21):
Yeah, I think that is definitely very influential how
at some point where we werekids, we just admire and we want
to become like our uncle andparents because we have received
(15:42):
so much love from them. From myparents and my uncle. We have
received, apart from love, alsogenerosity and several other
things that I think change ourlife in the sense that we are
able to understand some thingsearlier than most of older kids.
T.J. (16:09):
We were talking off mic about your faith and religion in
the household. Let's go back tothat since we weren't recording
the last time we were together.So what was the faith like
religious experiences in thehouse as you were growing up? Or
(16:35):
was there any at all?
Juan (16:37):
By tradition, several families in Colombia are
Catholic. Even though we don'tpractice it much or we don't
attend Mass very often, thedefault religion in Colombia is
Catholicism. So we were borninto a Catholic family. We were
(17:00):
baptized and we did the firstcommunion, even though we didn't
we're very close to our localchurch. And then even though we
didn't attend much to theCatholic Masses on a regular
(17:20):
basis, We got enrolled in theCollegium Americano, founded by
the Cumberland ProhibitionChurch Mission in Colombia.
At that time, we had no idea ofthe denomination and the
background of it. The decisionwas made just based on I was
(17:42):
enrolled in the school rightnext to the Collegium Americano.
For any reason they didn'taccept my brother. So my dad
just crossed the street andasked if he could have both kids
enrolled. And they say yes, so Iwas moved.
I did pre K, kinder, and firstgrade in that school. When it
(18:07):
was my brother's time to start,they didn't allow him. So we
both were moved to theAmericano.
T.J. (18:14):
Okay,
Juan (18:15):
so He started pre K and I continued with second grade in
the Americano and we did all ourschool life at the Colegio
Americano.
T.J. (18:25):
So early on you lived across the street from the
school?
Juan (18:31):
Did No, The school that I did pre K and kinder and first
grade, it was just across thestreet of the Collegio
Americano. When my dad tries toenroll my brother, they didn't
accept him for age things likehe was born in January, so by
(18:52):
that time they have to wait forone year more.
T.J. (18:55):
Okay, I understand.
Juan (18:56):
Was the reason. So then he just crossed the street and
asked if he could have bothkids, I mean, my brother and I,
enrolled in the same school.That's what they were expecting.
And they said yes, so we weremoved to Tecolico Americano. I
bring up this just to mentionthat then we kind of have like
(19:18):
two spiritual lives, one in ourhome where it wasn't much, so we
didn't experience like prayer asa spiritual discipline, as
family, not reading of Scriptureor something like that.
But on the other side, inschool, we were getting daily
devotional worship service oncea week and that influential part
(19:45):
in our lives of God, Jesus, andScripture. So, without I think
my parents, they didn't realizethat Colegio Morricana had
really good reputation in itsacademic performance. So, it was
famous for good students. Butthey didn't realize also that we
(20:08):
were immersed in also a new kindof religions influence in life.
T.J. (20:17):
Yeah. It's desirable in Columbia as well as other parts
of the world to be able toattend, you know, essentially a
private school because you paytuition. But it opens the doors
for the children, for the youth,for the students, for careers
and things like that. So notonly did you get a good
(20:38):
education, but you got exposedmore in-depth to the Christian
faith.
Juan (20:44):
Mhmm.
T.J. (20:46):
How did that translate or did that translate over into the
household? Because you'relearning more of the Scriptures,
you're learning more about arelationship with God in a
household that it wasn't a dailypractice.
Juan (21:04):
Yeah, I think that's something that you feel you are
not bringing to home. It'ssomething that you, as a kid, I
think you don't adopt that partas your identity yet. You know
you have it but sometimes youcan even be ashamed of
(21:24):
recognizing it. So I don'tremember bringing those
spiritual disciplines into ourhouse like asking our parents to
pray or something. I think thatwe didn't do that, but we were
exposed to it while we were inthe Colle Americano.
Sometimes I guess we don't evenwant it to be in the devotional
(21:47):
or we didn't pay full attentionto it. Same with the worship
service that we had onWednesdays. But at some point
you realize that you are gettingthe songs, that you are
memorizing the verses, that youare familiar with Scripture, and
the Bible, and its composition,and books of the Bible, and even
(22:13):
you can memorize some verses. SoI think that without knowing,
you were in that transitioning.
T.J. (22:20):
Yeah. Even if you didn't want to do it,
Juan (22:24):
you were
T.J. (22:25):
doing Yeah,
Juan (22:25):
I mean, it was just part of the school dynamic. So you
get immersed even if you don'twant to. And at some point when
you are growing up and you arein your youth years, then I feel
most of kids are ashamed toexpress their faith even though
(22:50):
they are happy for it or theywould like to explore more about
it. When you are among friends,I think that was sometimes hard
for a young guy or girl torecognize it.
T.J. (23:08):
How about for you, Juan? You're a teenager. You're in
high school or in school and youare learning more about the
faith. It's changing you. It'simpacting you, but you're still
also growing.
So that level of embarrassment.Was there an embarrassment or
(23:29):
ashamed, I think is a word youused to be able to maybe talk
more deeply about faith or maybewhat was discussed in class or
in devotion earlier? Did youkind of pack it in and sort of
hide it? Or did you have openconversations?
Juan (23:46):
I think that, at least from my experience, most of my
classmates, they didn't have anychurch background. They were the
same as I was. So they come fromprobably a non practitioner
Catholic family. They come to aschool that they do mainly
(24:07):
evangelism.
T.J. (24:08):
Yeah,
Juan (24:08):
yeah. So, I think in our childhood, like elementary
school, it was very I haveseveral memories or whole class
singing, you know, the praisemusic, you know, with our hearts
and screaming. And then when wego to high school then you feel
(24:32):
kind of embarrassed to expressyour faith but still I think
that we were packaging thosemessages and that Scripture and
that knowledge about God andJesus and the Holy Spirit in our
hearts. And I think that itprospered in several former
classmates, and I see now theiradult life, it looks like, it
(24:56):
seems like, that they have growntheir faith.
T.J. (25:02):
Well, how about for you? Because let's talk about your
transition and more of an activelife as a disciple. Was there a
pivotal moment and change foryou where you were just kind of
a nominal, you know, go to thego to church, go to worship,
(25:25):
like in high season, sometimesfor mass to where it was an
actual relationship with God?
Juan (25:32):
Yeah, I think our transition was, I was like about
14 or 15 years old and then mymom started attending an
evangelical church.
T.J. (25:45):
Okay.
Juan (25:46):
So I think that was the time where we transitioned from,
you know, Catholicism,officially Catholicism, to the
evangelical church, which inColumbus is called Christian
church.
T.J. (26:01):
So let me interrupt you for a minute. In your household,
did you and your brother have togo with your mother? Or was it
an option? Could you have slept
Juan (26:11):
in on It was an option. My mom started attending this
church. It was called MisionCharismatic Almundo. I think it
was non denominational. But mymom started attending that
church and then some day Iattend with her and I was caught
(26:37):
up by the music.
They had a really good drummerand a very nice praise band. So
we had music influence in ourhouse. My dad, he had a salsa
band. Really? So they used tohave rehearsal every single
(26:58):
Saturday and my dad had all theequipment, sound equipment and
all the instruments.
I was exposed to some of thepercussion, Latin percussion in
our house. So I like music atthat time. I have taken guitar
lessons, piano lessons, butnever got to learn anything. We
(27:19):
also were in guitar lessons inthe Collegium Americana but
never learned a bit of it. Butthen when I started paying
attention to the drum set andthis drummer in this new church,
that was my hook.
So I used to attend the firstsection of, you know, the
(27:41):
singing part, the praise band,and then when the pastor start,
I just left. Because at thatmoment it was kind of pastors
didn't have good reputation. So,in the sense that for the
Catholicism, anyone that leftthe Catholic church to join a
(28:03):
Christian church, which inreality was an evangelical
church, we all were Christian,but it was conflicted. Even
though inside our family my momreceived a lot of criticism from
her family because she wasleaving the real faith of
Catholicism to join a sect. Sothat was somehow conflicted.
(28:27):
So I think that I had some ofit, that's why I was kind of
rejecting someone else, youknow, trying to give me a
sermon.
T.J. (28:39):
Yeah.
Juan (28:40):
But at some point my mom connected with a young guy that
used to sing in the praise bandand he come up and we introduce
ourselves and we start buildingthat relationship. Then we start
the kind of discipleship withhim and I got closer to the
(29:03):
praise band. I started learninghow to play drums and then I
just got fully immersed in thechurch and had really good
experience. At some point then Ijoined the praise band after
several years being inrehearsals and learning and
studying at home. And I playedthe drums with the praise band
(29:27):
for about four or five years.
And then when I was in a time ofdental school that things become
very busy and that I wasn't ableto attend rehearsals and my
study conflict with the praiseband, rehearsals, and other
activities, then I have to quit.
T.J. (29:48):
I find it interesting that, you know, it was the
drums, the percussion, therhythm that drew you in. And,
you know, credit to, you know,14, 15 year old Juan of you were
there for the music first, butthen you stay a little bit
longer, little bit longer.
Juan (30:09):
Mhmm.
T.J. (30:09):
And were able to get some discipleship with one on one,
but also through the preachingas well. So at that time, Juan,
did you had any idea that youmay end up being in ministry of
some sort?
Juan (30:25):
No, that's what's funny. Anytime that we feel we're doing
a step forward we just look toour back and we see that every
single step had like a good planin our life. So now it's just
amazing to connect. You know,for us it was just a good
(30:48):
coincidence that we got acceptedin the Collegium Americano and
now ordained and working withthat denomination that founded
the school where I spent almosteleven years of my childhood and
young years there. So it's beenjust great to connect all those
dots and in my life and just getto the point that God has
(31:16):
surprised us in so many ways andthis one is one of them.
T.J. (31:21):
Yeah, It's a surprise and I know we're jumping ahead but
it's a surprise, it's unfolding,you know, in the moment.
Juan (31:29):
Yeah, perhaps to me it's a surprise but when I talk to my
brother and he say, But why areyou surprised if you have been
involved since you were young?Like when I was part of Praise
Band, I didn't imagine myself inthe front of the pulpit speaking
to a crowd. But at some point Ithink that I just was made to be
(31:57):
there and to serve. That's themain thing that I think my heart
have been driven by, just toserve in any capacity or any
skill that I'm able. So at somepoint also I was some semesters
ahead in dental school and weused to do like health campaigns
(32:21):
where I also started doing someservice in a dental mobile unit
with discharge.
So I think that any opportunityof serving that I have been able
to be part of, I have embracedit.
T.J. (32:34):
Yeah, that's interesting because the percussions, the
drums, they're usually in theback. They're usually, even
sometimes, kind of likecontained sort of like in or
some sort of box. There's acomfort level to that, know,
being you're sort of, you're notin the front, you're not the one
(32:55):
leading the singing, you're justproviding the rhythm, the beat.
And then to see, oh, you know,over a relatively short period
of time the transition of movingfrom the back to the front.
Juan (33:08):
Well, I have never thought of it. It just describes my
personality. It's just amazingthat description too. I love to
serve. I love to, you know, beof help.
Be able to provide anything thatneeds to be done and that it's
necessary to complete a goal inministry, in church. I'm not fan
(33:33):
to be in the spotlight, but Idefinitely love to work behind
curtains just to do anythingnecessary to serve. And I think
that describes my personality.
T.J. (33:47):
And going back, you're in training to become a dentist. So
you're in dentistry school. Andthis is your career path as you
understand it. How long does ittake to go through dentistry
school?
Juan (34:04):
Five years.
T.J. (34:05):
So it's a five year. Are you guaranteed a job when you're
done? How do you set up apractice?
Juan (34:13):
No, that's the hard part in our country that even though
several people like me spend alot of time, a lot of effort,
and our families spend a lot ofresources in our education. We
(34:33):
go to the graduation, which isnot easy, but then when we start
looking for job opportunities iswhen it becomes very hard to
find a fair job option that canhelp you thrive in your life.
T.J. (34:52):
When you were going through the school, what was
your dream at the time? Did youwanted to remain in Cali? Were
you open to moving to anothercity?
Juan (35:01):
I think at that moment I just wanted to complete my
degree and be able to have myown office, my own dental
office. I think that you neverconsider to work in the health
system in Colombia because it'sreally hard to get into it. It's
(35:23):
sometimes well paid but it'sreally hard. There are very few
spots and so many people that itis hard to fight for one of
those. You actually, you startthinking always about have your
own dental practice, privatedental practice, which also is
(35:45):
very competitive.
T.J. (35:47):
I mean you spend five years in school, that costs
money and then to have thecapital to have the money to
open up your own practice,private practice, as opposed to
joining, you know, maybe a groupof dentists. What a challenge.
Juan (36:08):
Yeah, definitely a huge challenge and to me that was the
hardest part when I got mydegree and find out that
opportunities weren't as easy asyou would love to be. And also
it crossed paths with mysentimental life. So I was
(36:35):
finishing my career and Igraduate in May. And a few
months later I also crossedpaths with, who is my wife now,
Lady, on 2013.
T.J. (36:49):
Yeah, talk about how the two of you met.
Juan (36:53):
The last year of my career I started taking free scuba
diving lessons and training inorder to get certified. So for
one year I trained and, youknow, it was a hobby too. So it
(37:14):
was kind of a nice thing too. Ineeded to do some exercise at
that time and I found out thiscould be a good way to do it.
So, I did train and I got inlove with, you know, scuba
diving.
And we went to San AndresIsland, beautiful island in the
(37:35):
Caribbean. I was there, I didall my week was, you know, of
hard work getting mycertification with my professors
from the Escuba diving school.And then the last day I met with
a lady. She was coming fromanother city and she was with
(37:58):
her family celebrating thepregnancy of her sister.
T.J. (38:02):
Okay.
Juan (38:03):
We crossed paths, we exchanged phone numbers, and we
just kept in touch. She was inBogota, I was in Cali, so our
first month of getting to knoweach other was through Skype.
T.J. (38:18):
Okay.
Juan (38:18):
So we spent a lot of time just talking and sharing from
one another through Skype.
T.J. (38:30):
So you're getting ready to go home and you bump into this
young woman, you're a young man,and you just hit it off, you
just knew that this was someoneyou wanted to know more deeply?
Juan (38:46):
That was funny because we were in a nightclub. Were very,
our mindset for this week,usually people take a lot, you
know, this destination as avacation destination, so there
are a lot of nightclubs and alot of things to have fun, but
our focus in this trip wastraining. So we wake up six a.
(39:12):
M. To run a mile and we did alot of swimming and exercising
and we went to bed very earlythe whole week.
The last day that we got ourcertification and we got our
diploma and all the stuff, wewent to celebrate in a
nightclub. So we crossed paths,we were dancing, I invite her to
(39:35):
dance and she asked, What do youdo? And I said, I'm a dentist,
what about you? And she startedlaughing. Then I realized she
was a dentist too.
T.J. (39:44):
Okay.
Juan (39:45):
So, I think what caught our attention was that, you
know, we were on the same field.Of course she was ahead of me.
She had some master's degreealready and she was specialized
in teaching. She was professorin some universities in Bogota.
(40:09):
Wow.
She just, by the time that Ifinished my dental school, she
finished her master's degree inbioethics. Wow. So we met, I
think we found out we wereinteresting for each other.
Yeah. And we just start talkingand connecting.
(40:29):
That's funny, that night, thatwas my last night, and I was
leaving the next morning. Andshe was like half her trip. When
I got to the airport, I thinksomeone had an emergency so the
airline asked, We need twovolunteers that stay. We're
(40:51):
gonna pay for hotel and flightsand the cab, you know, going
back to the hotel plus meals,but we need you to give up on
your seat and we're gonnareschedule you for, it was a
Sunday, so they say they wouldschedule the two volunteers for
(41:12):
So I took the decision to stayand Or I took that opportunity
and made the decision to stay.And then I surprised her.
You know, was kind of a sad timewhen we have to say bye to each
other and then I got thesurprise that I was back with my
(41:33):
luggage and equipment to thehotel. And we spent those two or
three days together having fun,kind of enjoying with a
stranger, but
T.J. (41:46):
Yeah, getting to know each other.
Juan (41:48):
Uh-huh, so that was really good time and good memories.
That's how it all started. Andthen each one flowed to their
cities, back to their life androutine and then we use Skype a
lot. I'm glad that it was forfree at that time.
T.J. (42:08):
Were you on there for hours?
Juan (42:11):
Hours, yeah. And at night because she was a professor in
three different universities, soshe was very busy. I also had to
start my dental practice, so weworked all day long and then at
night we used to spend a lot ofhours just sharing and talking
(42:36):
through Skype.
T.J. (42:38):
How long did the two of you date?
Juan (42:42):
We dated from October and then I moved to Bogota. I moved
with her in February. Okay.
T.J. (42:54):
So he's
Juan (42:56):
pretty Yeah, yeah. Didn't spend that period of time
together. It was just throughSkype. We moved, I moved to
Bogota to be closer, to be So wespent from about February, I
(43:17):
think, 2014. And then in July, Istarted looking for a job.
I got a job there. It wasn'tvery fair. At that point we
realized that we had theopportunity to come. We had no
plans. We had no anything in ourminds.
(43:42):
We just come here in August fortourism. Okay. But then we found
out that is a good Englishschool as us, English as a
Second Language school in theUniversity of Memphis. We went,
we investigate, we end upconnecting and we stay.
T.J. (44:04):
That's amazing. So you meet in the fall of one year,
you move from Cali to Bogota inFebruary. And then by August of
the same year, the two of youcome to The United States just
as tourists, just to see what
Juan (44:24):
To explore. Yeah. Yeah, and yeah. It was pretty quick.
So I think it was impacting toour families.
T.J. (44:34):
Yeah. What is Juan doing? Where is he going?
Juan (44:40):
Yeah, just to take it easy, go slower, blah blah blah.
But, you know, we just did this.It could end up terrible, but
thanks God it's been great time.She's my life's partner and I'm
just so happy to have crossedpaths and now to have built the
(45:06):
family that we have right nowand our two daughters are the
most special things in our livesand I think just that fruit of
our relationship.
T.J. (45:19):
Let's talk more about the ability, the adventure side of
just kind of exploring becausemost people would be very
reluctant to make such a bigchange of like coming to The
United States just to explore,just to see what options are out
(45:43):
there. Most people have a plan,But there's something to be said
about being open to what theworld has to offer and just to
see, you know, because planschange, you know, or they fall
through, But there's a level ofopenness that I've that I admire
(46:06):
in those who just kind of letthe world come to them. And so
what is that like? Because I'veseen I know we don't know each
other very well. You're both.
You're a planner and you alsohave this openness of what the
day will bring.
Juan (46:25):
I think that's a mix of things. At that moment, we
didn't, I mean I didn't feellike I'm an explorer, am I going
to find opportunities, but Ithink part of it was to find
different opportunities becausewhat I was mentioning at the
beginning is even though wespend a lot of time, resources,
(46:50):
effort getting our professionaldegrees, it is hard to
experience progress in our livesin Colombia if we don't get a
truly good job that you canafford to at least have an
apartment and a car. So it isreally hard for move on with
(47:16):
those salaries and those joboffers. I think to me that was
the first thing that pushed meout to find two different
scenarios. We came with noplans, with no idea of what
would happen.
T.J. (47:38):
Was this your first time to The United States?
Juan (47:42):
No. Okay. No, I have came in the past just for visiting my
uncle who lives here.
T.J. (47:48):
Okay.
Juan (47:48):
My grandparents and uncle, but it was just for vacation few
But I have never planned to livehere, but then when we come and
we were young, we didn't havesomething really that we could
(48:10):
stay in Columbia for because,you know, we had nothing at that
moment.
T.J. (48:17):
You're both young, you're both done with school and you're
just kind of open for newopportunities professionally and
Juan (48:28):
At this time I think we were just planning on a stay for
studying English. It was ourfirst goal to get enrolled in II
at the University of Memphis andwe thought that that would be
all. And then we could find anyother place, but at least we had
(48:54):
English as a second language.Our first intention was to learn
English and we saw theopportunity, we took it, we
start studying intensive Englishfor international programs. So
we had a really good experience.
I think it was the first timethat we were exposed to other
(49:18):
cultures, other people withdifferent beliefs and ways of
thinking. So it was a greatexperience.
T.J. (49:28):
Last time you and I were together you were sharing the
story of some of your classmatesand how you would communicate.
Would you share that again? Ifind that amazing.
Juan (49:38):
Yeah, we had no English when we come, no English at all
apart from English in school. Sowe come up to a class where you
are put intentionally in a classgroup where there is no
classmate that speak your samelanguage. You are in a class
(49:59):
with people with, you know, fromdifferent countries and
languages. So the only thing wehad in common was the
willingness to learn English.When we had break times, it was
funny because we didn't have thelanguage.
So we used a lot of bodylanguage and at some point it
(50:19):
looks like we were playingPictionary, just mimicking what
we were trying to say or drawingor looking in the cell phone for
translation because it was verydifficult but also an
opportunity and that was theexposure that we got to a new
(50:40):
context. And I think that waswhat created in us the need of
learning English. Yeah. Andthings went pretty well by some
weeks later, at least we wereable to communicate better.
Yeah.
I think if I hear or see anyvideo or audio record from that
(51:04):
moment, I just would feelembarrassment of that very
broken English. But it is theexperience what push you to
learn more and to learnefficiently. So it was great but
also we had a lot of fun. Wemade really good friends. And we
(51:25):
got to know also from differentreligions, beliefs, practices,
several things that open ourminds to be more, to embrace
people instead of nationalities,languages, cultures.
So we had that opportunity toexperience all of that in just
(51:49):
one place and we met very, verygood people that some of them
are still old friends
T.J. (51:56):
Nice.
Juan (51:57):
By this time.
T.J. (51:59):
How did you get connected to the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church? We talked about at theschool. So the school falls
under the umbrella of theCumberland Presbyterian Church.
However, I mean, the mainpurpose of the school is for
education. Mhmm.
So when you're here in TheUnited States, how did you get
(52:21):
connected to the church here inThe United States?
Juan (52:24):
Well, in my high school, junior and senior years, we had
a professor, ethics professor,Johan Dasa. Oh, So when we moved
here looking for opportunities,we found out Johan has got
(52:45):
married, had a family, and wasin Memphis, Tennessee.
T.J. (52:50):
Oh, okay.
Juan (52:50):
That great conscience. The last time that I have seen Johan
was on our graduation ceremonyin the Colle Americano in
02/2007. So, almost seven, sixyears later, we re encountered
here in Memphis, we reconnected,and he introduced me to also
(53:16):
Milton Ortiz and Diane White.Okay. They were our first
friends here.
And we then joined Faith
T.J. (53:28):
Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Juan (53:29):
Yeah, Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church as our
church. So it was a really goodopportunity for Lady and for me
as a way to explore ourspirituality. That's something
that you never think about whenyou are in a relationship. You
(53:51):
make sure that you have the sametastes with food, with where to
go to vacation or severalthings, but you never got to
discuss spirituality. And bythat time, I think we haven't
talked about it and faithCumberland just was or great
(54:16):
opportunity to start exploringthat since the tradition of our
denomination is more to theconservative side of evangelism.
So we found out a really nicemiddle point between lady's
(54:37):
background and mine. So I wascoming from a evangelical
charismatic church, you know,where jumping and singing out
loud and
T.J. (54:46):
Playing the drums.
Juan (54:47):
Playing the drums. Yeah, it's normal. That's my normal.
Prayer out loud and expressingmy faith is just normal. And she
comes from the Catholicism whereyou just pray in silence or you
T.J. (55:07):
It's quiet.
Juan (55:08):
You are solemn. So, I know that if I would try to bring her
into my whole reality that wouldfail in her spirituality, I
wasn't able to be back. Once Itried this experience of faith,
I wasn't able to rejoinCatholicism. And then there is
(55:33):
where our denomination plays ahuge role right in the middle
where we can have the praiseband but also the Lord's Prayer
and the Apostle's Creed and adifferent way of approach or
faith. So I think we got fromdifferent extremes to the
(55:55):
center.
T.J. (55:56):
Yeah, it's like a happy medium between the Yeah,
Juan (56:00):
really good. So I like the opportunity of, or I love the
opportunity that we startexploring our spirituality as a
couple, not as an individual. Iremember a lady doing some
prayers with the
T.J. (56:18):
Rosary.
Juan (56:19):
The rosary and things like that. I didn't get to join her.
She never got to pray with me.But then when we joined our
denomination it was just thegreat opportunity to start
growing in our faith as acouple. And it's been just
great.
T.J. (56:37):
And that happened here in The United States. Yes. Okay. So
to go back just a little bit. Soyou, the two of you, found these
commonalities in terms of yourprofession, vacation spots.
I mean, all these, you know,food that you mentioned and all
these different things. But itwasn't until much later in your
(56:59):
relationship that the two of youactually had a conversation
about faith, spirituality, whatit looks like individually, what
that looks like together. That'spretty neat and not unusual. Not
unusual. I would say thathappens more often now than
maybe two, three, fourgenerations ago.
Juan (57:24):
Yeah, for us it's been a blessing and I'm so proud of how
we can, we have experienced thatgrowth both in our personal
lives, in our life as amarriage, as a couple, and also
now the influence that me and mywife can do on our children. And
(57:54):
I just love the idea of see mywife putting our kids to bed and
praying and expressing now herfaith and explaining several
things to them. I know thatperhaps if we could have the
(58:15):
opportunity to be parentsseveral years ago and we
couldn't go through this path,it might not be possible for us
to explore our spirituality andalso to teach our kids about God
and what we believe.
T.J. (58:33):
Well, it's a pretty big leap from going, from just
attending worship and andplaying in the band, and then a
call to the ministry of word andthe sacraments. So kinda walk me
through that, Juan. How did youunderstand your calling into,
(58:54):
well, this profession, thisvocation.
Juan (58:58):
Well, that is when Johan, Milton, and Diane have been
crucial.
T.J. (59:05):
They have been my mentors. Let's pause here.
Juan (59:07):
Uh-huh.
T.J. (59:08):
Just for those listening. So Joe Hondaza, Reverend Joe
Hondaza, was a school teacher,an ethics teacher at the school,
which is pretty interestingbecause he must have been a
young professor
Juan (59:24):
Very young.
T.J. (59:25):
To school at the time. And then Johann has been a guest on
Cumberland Road. And and thenMilton Ortiz, Reverend Doctor
Milton Ortiz, also has been aprevious guest on Cumberland
Road. And I'm kind of talkingfor you. So you interrupt me and
just kind of talk about how yourrelationship with these three
(59:47):
individuals have impacted yourfaith.
Juan (59:51):
Johan was a great teacher. As you mentioned, he was very
young. So in the CollegiumAmericano we were young, you
know, junior and senior highschool. So come up a guy almost
our age, he was just four orfive years older than us. And I
(01:00:14):
think he impacted our lives inthe Colegimaricano.
He made a great job because wehave had, this is not a formal
complaint, but usually theteachers that we had were, you
know, very mature. He
T.J. (01:00:33):
must have been relatable because of his
Juan (01:00:35):
age. Ordained.
T.J. (01:00:36):
Yeah.
Juan (01:00:36):
I guess they were ordained as active pastors in different
churches in Colombia that cometo teach ethics and religion in
the Colle Americano. And wenever had the experience to
connect with them. We had, youknow, they were just teachers
and it was another class. Butwhen Johan came, he just changed
(01:00:59):
the dynamic of ethics andreligion in the Collegium
Americano And he truly connectedwith all these kids, you know,
looking for answers, severalquestions we had about several
things and he just connected andhe made these two last years of
(01:01:22):
Colegio Americano great in ourspiritual lives. And I still
remember the last message thathe gave in our graduation
ceremony.
T.J. (01:01:33):
You still remember it.
Juan (01:01:34):
Yeah. Wow. Yeah, it is. I mean, not the whole thing but
the idea of our boats and Jesusin our boat. Impacted not only
our lives as students but alsoour families.
My mom and my dad, they loveJohan. And it's funny because
(01:01:56):
they also say that they stillremembering the message. Wow. So
yeah, got to be of impact in ourlives. A huge blessing for all
the students.
I guess that's my feeling. And Ihave got to know from other
(01:02:16):
classmates at that moment thatthey also think as I did and I
do right now too. He connect mewith Milton. He say, Oh, I have
to introduce you. Milton, he'sfrom Cali too.
So we got to know Milton andFrancia. They have been also
(01:02:40):
crucial in our journey here.They became close friends very
quickly. They have helped us.They have taught us.
They have guide us. They havebeen really good friends and we
love them also so much. AndDiane. Diane White and John,
(01:03:00):
they are also people that justlove to serve. They were the
they and Tommy and CatherineCraig, they were the first
people that we met with in thefaith, Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, and they embraced us.
They offered us, you know,community sense of friendship,
(01:03:23):
of belonging. They opened theirhouses for us to come and to
share and to get immersed alsoin that culture, in that
American culture.
T.J. (01:03:35):
Because it can be easy to be isolated the transition a
different country.
Juan (01:03:41):
Easy. And I think that
T.J. (01:03:43):
And language. Yes. Can make it even more isolating.
Juan (01:03:48):
It's very difficult. It's very difficult when you leave
your culture, your language,your food, your streets. I was
mentioning even the smell.That's funny, but yeah, you just
get out of your world and youget into, you become a stranger
(01:04:08):
in a new world of everything,food, language, culture, You
have to go from school to homeand still using the GPS for
several months until you getused to the city and until you
can call your home or your placehome.
T.J. (01:04:31):
Yeah. It must be so stressful and just overwhelming.
I would imagine that if I was torelocate, I would I think my
greatest worry would be to sayor do the wrong thing, like out
of ignorance, but it not beacceptable, you know, like, I
(01:04:54):
don't know, I can't think of agood example at the moment. But
like, you know, it's understoodin that culture, that city or
that town that no one does orsays this, and I unknowingly
would do or say that thing. Ithink that would be my greatest
fear.
Juan (01:05:11):
No, it is a fear but at the end it becomes one of the
good memories. We have done thata lot. We have said very
inappropriate things both inEnglish and in Spanish. That's
funny, most of our friends, ourbest friends are also from
(01:05:32):
Mexico. We have Spanish as thesame language but we have
different usage of some words.
So it just been great, you know,that experience of failing in
both languages. And we havelearned, we have experienced and
now I think we have a goodMexican Spanish and a good
(01:05:54):
broken English. But yeah, it'sjust part of the of learning
another language, being inanother culture.
T.J. (01:06:05):
Alright, let's talk more about this vocation into
ministry. So your background isin dentistry, know, your passion
is biology and medicine. What'sthe connection between that and
ministry?
Juan (01:06:23):
I think that's where Johan Milton and Diane were crucial as
my brother did explaining to methat I like to serve, that I
like to because my fear wasalways I don't see myself as a
pastor preaching in the front.First because English is not my
(01:06:47):
first language and I don't liketo be a public speaker. I think
that I don't do very well withspeeches and all kind of public
speaking thing. So I think thatwas my fear. Still one of the
(01:07:08):
pressures that I experiencedwhen I have to get to the front
and use the microphone.
T.J. (01:07:14):
So do you feel anxious even in your preparation as you
get ready to preach? What'sgoing through your mind?
Juan (01:07:24):
I think I'm okay with my preparation, with my ideas and
what I believe God want me totransfer. I'm just a male guy.
But my concern is still beingclear enough that my language,
my capacity to express, to talk,is clear enough for the people
(01:07:48):
to gather the whole message thatI believe God is saying to our
church. So I think that's theonly thing that I have pressure
on to use my language in thebest way that I'm able to. Other
than that, you know, being inthe front and just yesterday was
(01:08:13):
funny while we had sound issuesand just several things going
on.
But at the end we could come upwith a good experience. And I
feel some peace when peoplecome. I don't preach very often.
So, any time that I preach it'sbeen a while. So, I got to
(01:08:35):
experience the anxiety of thefirst time
T.J. (01:08:38):
So,
Juan (01:08:40):
when people come with good feedback and when people come
saying that, you know, that theygot the message, then it kind of
gives me peace in the sense thatI was able to say it in a way
that my English could beunderstood and the message could
(01:09:01):
be transferred.
T.J. (01:09:02):
Yeah. So, having conversations with Johann and
Milton and Diane and othersincluding your brother, how did
those go?
Juan (01:09:16):
We started building Bible study within our community and
friends. So we call it El Grupoand we started doing it in
different houses. It was led byinitially Johan and Milton. And
(01:09:40):
I was always involved, as Isaid, not leading but behind
doing things facilitatingthings. I like the word
facilitator.
If there is anything that Icould do in order to accomplish
something for God's kingdom,I'll be there. Not at the front,
(01:10:01):
not leading sometimes, but Ijust want to help and that's why
they helped me to see that I hadthat call that even though I
didn't know it, I was inministry serving, doing things.
And I think that was a realitythat I didn't want to accept
(01:10:25):
because my understanding waslike, you know, of holiness, you
know, the person that preaches.And I feel I'm very broken and
I'm very I fail a lot and I docertain things that I thought
wouldn't allow me to be used byGod. So, when I come to that
(01:10:47):
conclusion, it's justreaffirming that if I can be
used, anyone can be used by God.
Foreign English is not my secondlanguage. I didn't have any
Bible or background that allowsme to go to seminary. Still, I
(01:11:07):
made it, I went throughseminary, I learned a lot. I'm
still learning. I'm so gratefulfor this opportunity of seminary
that our denomination gave me.
And also I'm still, I feel kindof in a student mode with our
pastor Andy. He's been great inteaching me the manners of a
(01:11:29):
pastor.
T.J. (01:11:31):
Yeah, you're in a place of advantage. You're serving as an
associate minister at FaithCumberland Presbyterian Church,
and and you have thisopportunity to where you don't
have to preach every Sunday.
Juan (01:11:46):
No. Once in a quarter.
T.J. (01:11:48):
Yeah. And that gives you an opportunity to participate
yet observe at the same time andkind of grow into grow into the
the role and what that vocationmay look like for you. Let's
talk about the CumberlandPresbyterian Church. If you were
(01:12:10):
to encounter somebody who hasnever heard of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, how wouldyou describe this denomination,
this group of people thatconsider themselves family?
Juan (01:12:24):
Well, I would say our denomination is able to offer
people a truly tangible churchfamily. I know our self
perception is very humble in thesense that we consider ourselves
(01:12:46):
small. Our characteristic isthat we have several churches
but small congregations. Butwhat I see is that the fact that
that's our identity. We arecapable to offer local people a
(01:13:07):
family that care for itsmembers, that call its members,
that check on its members, thatwe take care of each other, that
we love each other, that weencourage each other.
So that was our experience andthat was part of our, I would
say, success connecting with theculture. You know, I know
(01:13:32):
several people that they come,they don't have a community and
they left because it's reallyhard to be by yourself to that
feeling of loneliness, that youare alone, that you have no one
that cares for you. That is veryimpacting in someone's life and
that's why a lot of people, theyjust they can't take it. What
(01:13:54):
made our experience way moreeasy was that we had a part of
my uncle. We found this churchand they embraced us.
That's the word that I like touse. They embraced us even
though we could communicate atthat time, even though we were
(01:14:15):
from an art context, an artculture. They just show us love,
help, guidance. So I'm so proudof that because we experience
our denomination, capacity andskills firsthand. And we are, or
(01:14:38):
I feel that I'm proud of it.
I didn't grow up CP. I never gotto, you know, being in the
family, in the CP family. Eventhough I was in the Collegium
Americano, I never consideredmyself being CP. Just until we
moved here and we joined Fate.Actually, I was checking our
(01:15:01):
file and OrClaire let me knowthat I became a member along
with Lady in February 1535.
So it's been ten years plus thefirst months that we were
attending that we have been infaith and they just have been
that part of our life that hasencouraged us in ministry too.
(01:15:25):
So when I had that sense of callit was reaffirmed by several
people among our congregation. Ihad a lot of support. People
checking, Hey, how are you doingwith seminary? How are you doing
with this and that?
Do you need any help? Do youneed something? So that
(01:15:48):
encouragement just, I think,pushed me through.
T.J. (01:15:51):
And you were balancing work and school and then one
child and then two children.
Juan (01:16:00):
Yes.
T.J. (01:16:02):
What was that experience like?
Juan (01:16:05):
Well, sometimes there is nothing to think about it. Just
get things done.
T.J. (01:16:10):
Just go.
Juan (01:16:11):
Yeah, just go do your best. Sometimes you are just
functioning. Sometimes you aredoing your best. You know, you
have ups and downs, But in thispart, Lady has been crucial. If
it will be possible, I wouldlove to have her name on my
(01:16:31):
diploma.
She's been just supporting me,sustaining me. She has, you
know, she's been the person thathas been their inner intimacy,
you know, just don't she havelet me down. Sometimes I have
(01:16:53):
been, you know, down because ofjust exhaustive. I'm just
exhaustive of several things atthe same time, out of energy.
Still she has been there, sothat's why I think that I need
to talk to the MTS to put her onmy diploma.
(01:17:17):
And Sophie also, she attended alot of classes when I was
picking her up on my arms whileattending classes at seminary.
So, yeah, it's been a greatexperience but that's where I
believe God has sustained us. Wehave been going through several
(01:17:40):
things, occupations,commitments, things to do, but
at the same time God has gave usthe energy, the resources,
everything that we have neededto accomplish everything and to
do it well.
T.J. (01:17:59):
You've been recently ordained. So describe maybe some
of the greatest challenges ofbeing newly ordained but yet
some of the greatest gifts asbeing a new minister.
Juan (01:18:16):
Well, to me I was scared to be ordained and I think that
was part of our conversationswith Lady to say, Hey, Lady,
from now I need to be better. Ineed to look better. But then it
just, you know, I was kind ofanxious about the ordination and
(01:18:41):
I thought that it would be like,Oh, moment. But no, it's just
the way our denominationfunctions but still we all
ordain or not, we are able toserve. We are able to be used by
God to help others, to serveothers, to love our neighbors.
(01:19:04):
So, as new minister in ourdenomination, I feel the
commitment to contribute in anycapacity, any skill that I'm
able to make this wonderfuldenomination to grow, to expand,
(01:19:28):
to reach others as Iexperienced. So I feel my call
is not only to serve thatchurch, my church, which I'm
very happy to be serving, thechurch that gave me so much.
It's not paying back, it'sreturning that love, that
(01:19:52):
service, and use thatencouragement to allow others,
newcomers, to experience thesame thing that I experienced.
So I feel that's my role, to beable to serve God, God's
kingdom, our church, and ourdenomination in the best
(01:20:14):
capacity that I can.
T.J. (01:20:18):
What are you reading now? You're no longer in graduate
school, but we still have toread, we still have to study.
What are you reading or have youtaken a break?
Juan (01:20:31):
I have to be honest. I finished seminary in October
when I was ordained and Ihaven't touched a book that is
not child's book.
T.J. (01:20:46):
Got it. We have
Juan (01:20:47):
taken a lot of books to read to my kids. Still, I use a
lot of Book of Common Worship orexegesis, say it.
T.J. (01:21:06):
Exegesis?
Juan (01:21:06):
Exegesis, sorry. I could never pronounce this word.
Exegesis, so I used those kindof academic books this time
associate pastor and working onsome ceremonies or liturgy for
our worship service, but so farI haven't touched. I have some
(01:21:29):
books pile up. Yeah.
One from PDMT that I haven'ttouched and I still, that's my
first. Milton has some booksalso from Paul and others that I
don't recall his titles, butalso I got them on the same path
(01:21:50):
so I hope to start doing it.Yeah, being out of seminary has
allowed me to be more with mykids and get more rest this past
month since October. But yeah,we need to get to our routine of
reading.
T.J. (01:22:10):
So last question. Your children are small right now,
but one day in the future, theymay find this podcast and listen
to their dad. So you have anopportunity to speak to your
children in the future. Whatwould you say to them? What
(01:22:32):
words of wisdom or advice?
Juan (01:22:36):
Let me catch my ear. Sofia and Emma, they just changed our
lives. Becoming a parent, it'sbeen just the most fantastic
(01:22:58):
thing for Lady and I. That's ourfirst ministry. Family is our
top ministry and we work hardfor providing a home full of
love and faith.
We want them to experience faithfirsthand and they walk with
(01:23:20):
God. I want them to know thatour God is who sustain us
through lives. I'm so proud thatSophie, at three years old, she
invited us to pray before ourmeals and she is supported by
(01:23:49):
her sister. So, I just would sayto my other Sophie and Emma that
we love them, that we have doneeverything to fulfill their
lives in the sense that they canexperience actual real love from
(01:24:15):
their parents, we can feel anyemotional necessity. And that
also we have sown in theirhearts to love others, to
respect others, to serve others,and to love themselves too.
(01:24:38):
That they need to know that theyworth a lot to God, to their
family, to us, and that they arejust able to serve wherever they
are with any skill they learn.Whatever they choose to do, they
(01:24:59):
just can serve God, servepeople, and just I pray for them
to be great women of faith thatare able to pass down our faith
also to our next generation andto make sure that we walk all
(01:25:20):
our lives with God.
T.J. (01:25:22):
Well said. Juan, thank you for walking me through your
journey and bringing me intoyour life and being able to hear
it. And I received a blessingand being being able to hear
your your faith and hear yourwalk. Thank you, Juan.
Juan (01:25:43):
Thank you so much, TJ, for this opportunity.
T.J. (01:25:48):
Thank you for listening to this episode of Cumberland Road.
In closing, I believe thisthought on serving others from
Booker T. Washington adequatelydescribes my guest, Juan Manuel.
"Those who are happiest arethose who do the most for
others." Thanks for listening.
You are listening to the Cumberland Road, and I'm your
host, TJ Malinoski. Thefollowing is a faith
conversation with Juan ManuelTorres. He is the associate
minister at the Faith CumberlandPresbyterian Church in Memphis,
(00:24):
Tennessee. And he is a recentgraduate of Memphis Theological
Seminary. Juan is one of thenicest people I have ever met.
His humility and kindness iscontagious. The world needs more
people like Juan, and I am gladto be able to call him a friend.
(00:51):
Enjoy this faith conversationwith Juan Torres.
Let's go to the beginning. Tellme about your childhood.
Juan (01:07):
Well, I was born in Cali, Colombia. My parents, Jose
Guillermo and Vilma. I was bornin 1989 in a conflictive
Colombia. We live in a city,pretty big that Colombian
(01:28):
context. So it was a good time.
From a medium class family withsome privileges. But it's been
Do
T.J. (01:44):
you have siblings? Where were you in the My
Juan (01:46):
little brother. Okay. We are two years apart.
T.J. (01:49):
Okay.
Juan (01:50):
And he's like my best friend and the best thing that
our parents could give eachother. I'm very proud of him.
Does being here take you apartfrom your family, but my brother
is the actual, the only one thatI almost talk to every single
(02:11):
day.
T.J. (02:12):
Okay, and he's in Columbia?
Juan (02:14):
He is still in Columbia.
T.J. (02:16):
When you were growing up, what were things that you and
your brother did for fun?
Juan (02:22):
Several things. I just, every memory that I have of any
fun thing, any, you know, thingthat causes joy is just related
to my brother. We did everythingthat we did was together and
everything starts since the verybeginning when I started school
(02:48):
and I, you know, we wearuniforms. And even though he is
still at home, he also haduniforms and take me to the bus
stop. And then from that he justget back to eat his lunch and
kind of school experience.
But yeah, he's been very closeto all the experiences that I
(03:11):
was taking in, so.
T.J. (03:13):
When you were growing up, were you an inside kid or were
you outside all the time?
Juan (03:20):
Outside. Our childhood is marked by being outside, so
usually after school we comefrom Collegium Americano about
1PM in the afternoon. We havelunch, do some homework
sometimes, and then just go outand scream for our friends to
(03:42):
come out to and play with us. Itis definitely kind of old school
childhood. And we have plentymemories of things that we did,
the games, friends from the samestreet that we used to live.
T.J. (03:57):
So you played football? Soccer.
Juan (04:01):
Yeah.
T.J. (04:01):
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, usually
Juan (04:03):
Yeah.
T.J. (04:04):
From Columbia, it'll be, no, it's football, not soccer.
So you're already assimilatedinto the into the English
language of soccer.
Juan (04:15):
Yeah, we call it football. Yeah. But here it's very clear
the difference between footballand soccer.
T.J. (04:21):
Right, right, right.
Juan (04:22):
So yeah, soccer is the actually very dominant sport in
Colombia, so we usually play alot of soccer. Plus other
sports, basketball, somevolleyball. We were exposed to
several sports, but soccer isthe one that dominates the
(04:43):
Colombian culture.
T.J. (04:45):
Well, because you can play it in the street, you can play
it in the alley, you can play itin the park. I mean, it's one of
those things that you can, it'svery mobile sport, you know?
Juan (04:56):
Yeah, like a lot of people, you you just take your
ball to anywhere you go. So Iremember taking my soccer ball
to my school if we went touncle's or aunt's houses or
something. It was just bringingour ball with us. We are almost
as passionate about soccer asBrazilians are.
T.J. (05:23):
So tell me about your parents.
Juan (05:26):
My father, Jose Guillermo, he's a CPA. He has a
specialization with taxsomething that I don't recall
right now. So he's a hardworker. He has worked his entire
life. He retired recently and isstill working.
(05:48):
Anytime that I call him, he'sworking. So, he's an unstoppable
man. High values, discipline,respect, and honesty are his
court's values. So, he's beengreat. He has given us so much.
(06:09):
Even though he wasn't able toreceive much, he has made a
great effort and sacrifice togive us a lot of things that
make us feel privileged.
T.J. (06:23):
And your mother?
Juan (06:26):
My mom. She's also great. She's Vilma. She's a manager.
Her degree is, yeah, just kindto management.
Mhmm. It's just hard to come upwith a actual title from Spanish
(06:51):
into English. But yeah, she'slike administrative, you know,
she's able to manage. Yeah. Shedid some semesters of School of
Laws, but she didn't finish, butalso she's been very sacrificed.
(07:13):
She has worked a lot. She dideverything for us. Our parents
divorced about February or '2,'2 thousand and '1, and she
truly worked hard for us. Wecould witness the way and how
(07:36):
she has done everything for us.So, the same thing, I think she
has given us the capacity tolove and to express love and
that comes from her.
She's very lovely. Though shealso didn't experience the, you
(08:00):
know, our parents' generation,they didn't experience all the
love expression from ourgrandparents. So she just being
great. I have no words todescribe how she's been so
influential in our lives, bothmy brother and I. And not only
(08:22):
in our personal aspect but alsoin our spiritual aspect.
T.J. (08:26):
Yeah. Both of your parents were or are professionals, and
that's hard to do during theeighties and nineties in the
transition for Columbia as a asa country. So talk a little bit
about that as you're growing upwhen Colombia is shifting more
(08:49):
towards an internationalcountry, democratic country, and
the nation is kind of clampingdown on cartels and providing
even more educationalopportunities for its people.
Did you, as a child and even asa teenager, you feel those
(09:15):
changes and were you aware ofhow life was twenty, thirty,
forty years earlier in thecountry?
Juan (09:26):
I think that that's what made our life different, that in
the midst of violence and lackof several things, our parents
did everything possible for usto don't experience that. So
even though we were hittingabout kids that they couldn't go
(09:50):
to school for the conflict, Itwas more rural, but also poverty
has been part of our system. Sowe never got to experience that.
So that's where that magic comesfrom, all the sacrifices and
everything they do. I thanks Godbecause we never experience
(10:16):
hunger or lack of anything bothmaterial or emotional.
They have done great. Still,they are still being great
parents and great grandparents.So that's where I find
privilege. That in the midst ofseveral situations, other kids'
(10:41):
struggles, we never got toexperience that. And that made
and marked our lives in adifferent way, positive, more
positive way.
And I think that was the waythat we could shape our spirits
and our character different.
T.J. (10:59):
Yeah. When you were a child, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
Juan (11:05):
I was very close always to biology and becoming a doctor, a
physician. But then at the endof our high school we had the
opportunity to explore anydifferent from what we thought.
So I went a little bit close toit with dentistry and I ended up
(11:32):
in dental school some yearslater. But yeah, I almost feel
that either medicine ordentistry was the thing that I
would love to do as an adult anda professional.
T.J. (11:48):
What was it about biology and medicine that drew you as a
youth?
Juan (11:55):
I think that I was surrounded by some doctors in
our family. And the way that weadmire that job and the fact to
serve people. I think that rightnow I found out that I like to
serve people. I like to be inrelationship with people. So
(12:21):
medicine or any health relatedcareer, just you have to be in
contact with other human beingsand usually your job is based on
serving others with yourknowledge.
So I think that either of thoseprofessions could work out in my
(12:42):
life.
T.J. (12:44):
Where do you think that desire to serve others comes
from?
Juan (12:49):
I think it's somehow natural but that's part of our,
I would say the way we wereraised by our parents. They,
mainly my mom, just loves toserve. Not in the sense that she
(13:10):
can give up on her own desiresor her own things just to help
or do something else for someoneelse. So I think that we were
taught way she could give upmany things for us and for other
(13:31):
people just to help.
T.J. (13:34):
There's something special of observing another person who
gives of themselves their time,attention, food, whatever it may
be in terms of sacrifice, and todo it with joy. You know, some
people, you know, they justradiate that joy of giving of
(13:58):
themselves.
Juan (14:00):
Mainly in our lives, I'm speaking of my brother and I,
apart from my parents, we haveour uncle, Manuel. And I think
he's been our third parent, isgreat. He's been very close to
us our whole life. And severalalso of our values that we have
(14:27):
got those from Him. I think theyall three have complemented each
other to teach us very profoundand deep lessons in our life
that actually most of mycharacter to I hope and I feel
it comes from values andactions, mainly actions that our
(14:50):
uncle did for us.
T.J. (14:55):
It is special to be able to have adults in our lives as
we are growing up to spend timewith us, model, share their
character, share their wisdom,because we've met people who may
not have had those good peopleto be able to help raise us.
Juan (15:21):
Yeah, I think that is definitely very influential how
at some point where we werekids, we just admire and we want
to become like our uncle andparents because we have received
(15:42):
so much love from them. From myparents and my uncle. We have
received, apart from love, alsogenerosity and several other
things that I think change ourlife in the sense that we are
able to understand some thingsearlier than most of older kids.
T.J. (16:09):
We were talking off mic about your faith and religion in
the household. Let's go back tothat since we weren't recording
the last time we were together.So what was the faith like
religious experiences in thehouse as you were growing up? Or
(16:35):
was there any at all?
Juan (16:37):
By tradition, several families in Colombia are
Catholic. Even though we don'tpractice it much or we don't
attend Mass very often, thedefault religion in Colombia is
Catholicism. So we were borninto a Catholic family. We were
(17:00):
baptized and we did the firstcommunion, even though we didn't
we're very close to our localchurch. And then even though we
didn't attend much to theCatholic Masses on a regular
(17:20):
basis, We got enrolled in theCollegium Americano, founded by
the Cumberland ProhibitionChurch Mission in Colombia.
At that time, we had no idea ofthe denomination and the
background of it. The decisionwas made just based on I was
(17:42):
enrolled in the school rightnext to the Collegium Americano.
For any reason they didn'taccept my brother. So my dad
just crossed the street andasked if he could have both kids
enrolled. And they say yes, so Iwas moved.
I did pre K, kinder, and firstgrade in that school. When it
(18:07):
was my brother's time to start,they didn't allow him. So we
both were moved to theAmericano.
T.J. (18:14):
Okay,
Juan (18:15):
so He started pre K and I continued with second grade in
the Americano and we did all ourschool life at the Colegio
Americano.
T.J. (18:25):
So early on you lived across the street from the
school?
Juan (18:31):
Did No, The school that I did pre K and kinder and first
grade, it was just across thestreet of the Collegio
Americano. When my dad tries toenroll my brother, they didn't
accept him for age things likehe was born in January, so by
(18:52):
that time they have to wait forone year more.
T.J. (18:55):
Okay, I understand.
Juan (18:56):
Was the reason. So then he just crossed the street and
asked if he could have bothkids, I mean, my brother and I,
enrolled in the same school.That's what they were expecting.
And they said yes, so we weremoved to Tecolico Americano. I
bring up this just to mentionthat then we kind of have like
(19:18):
two spiritual lives, one in ourhome where it wasn't much, so we
didn't experience like prayer asa spiritual discipline, as
family, not reading of Scriptureor something like that.
But on the other side, inschool, we were getting daily
devotional worship service oncea week and that influential part
(19:45):
in our lives of God, Jesus, andScripture. So, without I think
my parents, they didn't realizethat Colegio Morricana had
really good reputation in itsacademic performance. So, it was
famous for good students. Butthey didn't realize also that we
(20:08):
were immersed in also a new kindof religions influence in life.
T.J. (20:17):
Yeah. It's desirable in Columbia as well as other parts
of the world to be able toattend, you know, essentially a
private school because you paytuition. But it opens the doors
for the children, for the youth,for the students, for careers
and things like that. So notonly did you get a good
(20:38):
education, but you got exposedmore in-depth to the Christian
faith.
Juan (20:44):
Mhmm.
T.J. (20:46):
How did that translate or did that translate over into the
household? Because you'relearning more of the Scriptures,
you're learning more about arelationship with God in a
household that it wasn't a dailypractice.
Juan (21:04):
Yeah, I think that's something that you feel you are
not bringing to home. It'ssomething that you, as a kid, I
think you don't adopt that partas your identity yet. You know
you have it but sometimes youcan even be ashamed of
(21:24):
recognizing it. So I don'tremember bringing those
spiritual disciplines into ourhouse like asking our parents to
pray or something. I think thatwe didn't do that, but we were
exposed to it while we were inthe Colle Americano.
Sometimes I guess we don't evenwant it to be in the devotional
(21:47):
or we didn't pay full attentionto it. Same with the worship
service that we had onWednesdays. But at some point
you realize that you are gettingthe songs, that you are
memorizing the verses, that youare familiar with Scripture, and
the Bible, and its composition,and books of the Bible, and even
(22:13):
you can memorize some verses. SoI think that without knowing,
you were in that transitioning.
T.J. (22:20):
Yeah. Even if you didn't want to do it,
Juan (22:24):
you were
T.J. (22:25):
doing Yeah,
Juan (22:25):
I mean, it was just part of the school dynamic. So you
get immersed even if you don'twant to. And at some point when
you are growing up and you arein your youth years, then I feel
most of kids are ashamed toexpress their faith even though
(22:50):
they are happy for it or theywould like to explore more about
it. When you are among friends,I think that was sometimes hard
for a young guy or girl torecognize it.
T.J. (23:08):
How about for you, Juan? You're a teenager. You're in
high school or in school and youare learning more about the
faith. It's changing you. It'simpacting you, but you're still
also growing.
So that level of embarrassment.Was there an embarrassment or
(23:29):
ashamed, I think is a word youused to be able to maybe talk
more deeply about faith or maybewhat was discussed in class or
in devotion earlier? Did youkind of pack it in and sort of
hide it? Or did you have openconversations?
Juan (23:46):
I think that, at least from my experience, most of my
classmates, they didn't have anychurch background. They were the
same as I was. So they come fromprobably a non practitioner
Catholic family. They come to aschool that they do mainly
(24:07):
evangelism.
T.J. (24:08):
Yeah,
Juan (24:08):
yeah. So, I think in our childhood, like elementary
school, it was very I haveseveral memories or whole class
singing, you know, the praisemusic, you know, with our hearts
and screaming. And then when wego to high school then you feel
(24:32):
kind of embarrassed to expressyour faith but still I think
that we were packaging thosemessages and that Scripture and
that knowledge about God andJesus and the Holy Spirit in our
hearts. And I think that itprospered in several former
classmates, and I see now theiradult life, it looks like, it
(24:56):
seems like, that they have growntheir faith.
T.J. (25:02):
Well, how about for you? Because let's talk about your
transition and more of an activelife as a disciple. Was there a
pivotal moment and change foryou where you were just kind of
a nominal, you know, go to thego to church, go to worship,
(25:25):
like in high season, sometimesfor mass to where it was an
actual relationship with God?
Juan (25:32):
Yeah, I think our transition was, I was like about
14 or 15 years old and then mymom started attending an
evangelical church.
T.J. (25:45):
Okay.
Juan (25:46):
So I think that was the time where we transitioned from,
you know, Catholicism,officially Catholicism, to the
evangelical church, which inColumbus is called Christian
church.
T.J. (26:01):
So let me interrupt you for a minute. In your household,
did you and your brother have togo with your mother? Or was it
an option? Could you have slept
Juan (26:11):
in on It was an option. My mom started attending this
church. It was called MisionCharismatic Almundo. I think it
was non denominational. But mymom started attending that
church and then some day Iattend with her and I was caught
(26:37):
up by the music.
They had a really good drummerand a very nice praise band. So
we had music influence in ourhouse. My dad, he had a salsa
band. Really? So they used tohave rehearsal every single
(26:58):
Saturday and my dad had all theequipment, sound equipment and
all the instruments.
I was exposed to some of thepercussion, Latin percussion in
our house. So I like music atthat time. I have taken guitar
lessons, piano lessons, butnever got to learn anything. We
(27:19):
also were in guitar lessons inthe Collegium Americana but
never learned a bit of it. Butthen when I started paying
attention to the drum set andthis drummer in this new church,
that was my hook.
So I used to attend the firstsection of, you know, the
(27:41):
singing part, the praise band,and then when the pastor start,
I just left. Because at thatmoment it was kind of pastors
didn't have good reputation. So,in the sense that for the
Catholicism, anyone that leftthe Catholic church to join a
(28:03):
Christian church, which inreality was an evangelical
church, we all were Christian,but it was conflicted. Even
though inside our family my momreceived a lot of criticism from
her family because she wasleaving the real faith of
Catholicism to join a sect. Sothat was somehow conflicted.
(28:27):
So I think that I had some ofit, that's why I was kind of
rejecting someone else, youknow, trying to give me a
sermon.
T.J. (28:39):
Yeah.
Juan (28:40):
But at some point my mom connected with a young guy that
used to sing in the praise bandand he come up and we introduce
ourselves and we start buildingthat relationship. Then we start
the kind of discipleship withhim and I got closer to the
(29:03):
praise band. I started learninghow to play drums and then I
just got fully immersed in thechurch and had really good
experience. At some point then Ijoined the praise band after
several years being inrehearsals and learning and
studying at home. And I playedthe drums with the praise band
(29:27):
for about four or five years.
And then when I was in a time ofdental school that things become
very busy and that I wasn't ableto attend rehearsals and my
study conflict with the praiseband, rehearsals, and other
activities, then I have to quit.
T.J. (29:48):
I find it interesting that, you know, it was the
drums, the percussion, therhythm that drew you in. And,
you know, credit to, you know,14, 15 year old Juan of you were
there for the music first, butthen you stay a little bit
longer, little bit longer.
Juan (30:09):
Mhmm.
T.J. (30:09):
And were able to get some discipleship with one on one,
but also through the preachingas well. So at that time, Juan,
did you had any idea that youmay end up being in ministry of
some sort?
Juan (30:25):
No, that's what's funny. Anytime that we feel we're doing
a step forward we just look toour back and we see that every
single step had like a good planin our life. So now it's just
amazing to connect. You know,for us it was just a good
(30:48):
coincidence that we got acceptedin the Collegium Americano and
now ordained and working withthat denomination that founded
the school where I spent almosteleven years of my childhood and
young years there. So it's beenjust great to connect all those
dots and in my life and just getto the point that God has
(31:16):
surprised us in so many ways andthis one is one of them.
T.J. (31:21):
Yeah, It's a surprise and I know we're jumping ahead but
it's a surprise, it's unfolding,you know, in the moment.
Juan (31:29):
Yeah, perhaps to me it's a surprise but when I talk to my
brother and he say, But why areyou surprised if you have been
involved since you were young?Like when I was part of Praise
Band, I didn't imagine myself inthe front of the pulpit speaking
to a crowd. But at some point Ithink that I just was made to be
(31:57):
there and to serve. That's themain thing that I think my heart
have been driven by, just toserve in any capacity or any
skill that I'm able. So at somepoint also I was some semesters
ahead in dental school and weused to do like health campaigns
(32:21):
where I also started doing someservice in a dental mobile unit
with discharge.
So I think that any opportunityof serving that I have been able
to be part of, I have embracedit.
T.J. (32:34):
Yeah, that's interesting because the percussions, the
drums, they're usually in theback. They're usually, even
sometimes, kind of likecontained sort of like in or
some sort of box. There's acomfort level to that, know,
being you're sort of, you're notin the front, you're not the one
(32:55):
leading the singing, you're justproviding the rhythm, the beat.
And then to see, oh, you know,over a relatively short period
of time the transition of movingfrom the back to the front.
Juan (33:08):
Well, I have never thought of it. It just describes my
personality. It's just amazingthat description too. I love to
serve. I love to, you know, beof help.
Be able to provide anything thatneeds to be done and that it's
necessary to complete a goal inministry, in church. I'm not fan
(33:33):
to be in the spotlight, but Idefinitely love to work behind
curtains just to do anythingnecessary to serve. And I think
that describes my personality.
T.J. (33:47):
And going back, you're in training to become a dentist. So
you're in dentistry school. Andthis is your career path as you
understand it. How long does ittake to go through dentistry
school?
Juan (34:04):
Five years.
T.J. (34:05):
So it's a five year. Are you guaranteed a job when you're
done? How do you set up apractice?
Juan (34:13):
No, that's the hard part in our country that even though
several people like me spend alot of time, a lot of effort,
and our families spend a lot ofresources in our education. We
(34:33):
go to the graduation, which isnot easy, but then when we start
looking for job opportunities iswhen it becomes very hard to
find a fair job option that canhelp you thrive in your life.
T.J. (34:52):
When you were going through the school, what was
your dream at the time? Did youwanted to remain in Cali? Were
you open to moving to anothercity?
Juan (35:01):
I think at that moment I just wanted to complete my
degree and be able to have myown office, my own dental
office. I think that you neverconsider to work in the health
system in Colombia because it'sreally hard to get into it. It's
(35:23):
sometimes well paid but it'sreally hard. There are very few
spots and so many people that itis hard to fight for one of
those. You actually, you startthinking always about have your
own dental practice, privatedental practice, which also is
(35:45):
very competitive.
T.J. (35:47):
I mean you spend five years in school, that costs
money and then to have thecapital to have the money to
open up your own practice,private practice, as opposed to
joining, you know, maybe a groupof dentists. What a challenge.
Juan (36:08):
Yeah, definitely a huge challenge and to me that was the
hardest part when I got mydegree and find out that
opportunities weren't as easy asyou would love to be. And also
it crossed paths with mysentimental life. So I was
(36:35):
finishing my career and Igraduate in May. And a few
months later I also crossedpaths with, who is my wife now,
Lady, on 2013.
T.J. (36:49):
Yeah, talk about how the two of you met.
Juan (36:53):
The last year of my career I started taking free scuba
diving lessons and training inorder to get certified. So for
one year I trained and, youknow, it was a hobby too. So it
(37:14):
was kind of a nice thing too. Ineeded to do some exercise at
that time and I found out thiscould be a good way to do it.
So, I did train and I got inlove with, you know, scuba
diving.
And we went to San AndresIsland, beautiful island in the
(37:35):
Caribbean. I was there, I didall my week was, you know, of
hard work getting mycertification with my professors
from the Escuba diving school.And then the last day I met with
a lady. She was coming fromanother city and she was with
(37:58):
her family celebrating thepregnancy of her sister.
T.J. (38:02):
Okay.
Juan (38:03):
We crossed paths, we exchanged phone numbers, and we
just kept in touch. She was inBogota, I was in Cali, so our
first month of getting to knoweach other was through Skype.
T.J. (38:18):
Okay.
Juan (38:18):
So we spent a lot of time just talking and sharing from
one another through Skype.
T.J. (38:30):
So you're getting ready to go home and you bump into this
young woman, you're a young man,and you just hit it off, you
just knew that this was someoneyou wanted to know more deeply?
Juan (38:46):
That was funny because we were in a nightclub. Were very,
our mindset for this week,usually people take a lot, you
know, this destination as avacation destination, so there
are a lot of nightclubs and alot of things to have fun, but
our focus in this trip wastraining. So we wake up six a.
(39:12):
M. To run a mile and we did alot of swimming and exercising
and we went to bed very earlythe whole week.
The last day that we got ourcertification and we got our
diploma and all the stuff, wewent to celebrate in a
nightclub. So we crossed paths,we were dancing, I invite her to
(39:35):
dance and she asked, What do youdo? And I said, I'm a dentist,
what about you? And she startedlaughing. Then I realized she
was a dentist too.
T.J. (39:44):
Okay.
Juan (39:45):
So, I think what caught our attention was that, you
know, we were on the same field.Of course she was ahead of me.
She had some master's degreealready and she was specialized
in teaching. She was professorin some universities in Bogota.
(40:09):
Wow.
She just, by the time that Ifinished my dental school, she
finished her master's degree inbioethics. Wow. So we met, I
think we found out we wereinteresting for each other.
Yeah. And we just start talkingand connecting.
(40:29):
That's funny, that night, thatwas my last night, and I was
leaving the next morning. Andshe was like half her trip. When
I got to the airport, I thinksomeone had an emergency so the
airline asked, We need twovolunteers that stay. We're
(40:51):
gonna pay for hotel and flightsand the cab, you know, going
back to the hotel plus meals,but we need you to give up on
your seat and we're gonnareschedule you for, it was a
Sunday, so they say they wouldschedule the two volunteers for
(41:12):
So I took the decision to stayand Or I took that opportunity
and made the decision to stay.And then I surprised her.
You know, was kind of a sad timewhen we have to say bye to each
other and then I got thesurprise that I was back with my
(41:33):
luggage and equipment to thehotel. And we spent those two or
three days together having fun,kind of enjoying with a
stranger, but
T.J. (41:46):
Yeah, getting to know each other.
Juan (41:48):
Uh-huh, so that was really good time and good memories.
That's how it all started. Andthen each one flowed to their
cities, back to their life androutine and then we use Skype a
lot. I'm glad that it was forfree at that time.
T.J. (42:08):
Were you on there for hours?
Juan (42:11):
Hours, yeah. And at night because she was a professor in
three different universities, soshe was very busy. I also had to
start my dental practice, so weworked all day long and then at
night we used to spend a lot ofhours just sharing and talking
(42:36):
through Skype.
T.J. (42:38):
How long did the two of you date?
Juan (42:42):
We dated from October and then I moved to Bogota. I moved
with her in February. Okay.
T.J. (42:54):
So he's
Juan (42:56):
pretty Yeah, yeah. Didn't spend that period of time
together. It was just throughSkype. We moved, I moved to
Bogota to be closer, to be So wespent from about February, I
(43:17):
think, 2014. And then in July, Istarted looking for a job.
I got a job there. It wasn'tvery fair. At that point we
realized that we had theopportunity to come. We had no
plans. We had no anything in ourminds.
(43:42):
We just come here in August fortourism. Okay. But then we found
out that is a good Englishschool as us, English as a
Second Language school in theUniversity of Memphis. We went,
we investigate, we end upconnecting and we stay.
T.J. (44:04):
That's amazing. So you meet in the fall of one year,
you move from Cali to Bogota inFebruary. And then by August of
the same year, the two of youcome to The United States just
as tourists, just to see what
Juan (44:24):
To explore. Yeah. Yeah, and yeah. It was pretty quick.
So I think it was impacting toour families.
T.J. (44:34):
Yeah. What is Juan doing? Where is he going?
Juan (44:40):
Yeah, just to take it easy, go slower, blah blah blah.
But, you know, we just did this.It could end up terrible, but
thanks God it's been great time.She's my life's partner and I'm
just so happy to have crossedpaths and now to have built the
(45:06):
family that we have right nowand our two daughters are the
most special things in our livesand I think just that fruit of
our relationship.
T.J. (45:19):
Let's talk more about the ability, the adventure side of
just kind of exploring becausemost people would be very
reluctant to make such a bigchange of like coming to The
United States just to explore,just to see what options are out
(45:43):
there. Most people have a plan,But there's something to be said
about being open to what theworld has to offer and just to
see, you know, because planschange, you know, or they fall
through, But there's a level ofopenness that I've that I admire
(46:06):
in those who just kind of letthe world come to them. And so
what is that like? Because I'veseen I know we don't know each
other very well. You're both.
You're a planner and you alsohave this openness of what the
day will bring.
Juan (46:25):
I think that's a mix of things. At that moment, we
didn't, I mean I didn't feellike I'm an explorer, am I going
to find opportunities, but Ithink part of it was to find
different opportunities becausewhat I was mentioning at the
beginning is even though wespend a lot of time, resources,
(46:50):
effort getting our professionaldegrees, it is hard to
experience progress in our livesin Colombia if we don't get a
truly good job that you canafford to at least have an
apartment and a car. So it isreally hard for move on with
(47:16):
those salaries and those joboffers. I think to me that was
the first thing that pushed meout to find two different
scenarios. We came with noplans, with no idea of what
would happen.
T.J. (47:38):
Was this your first time to The United States?
Juan (47:42):
No. Okay. No, I have came in the past just for visiting my
uncle who lives here.
T.J. (47:48):
Okay.
Juan (47:48):
My grandparents and uncle, but it was just for vacation few
But I have never planned to livehere, but then when we come and
we were young, we didn't havesomething really that we could
(48:10):
stay in Columbia for because,you know, we had nothing at that
moment.
T.J. (48:17):
You're both young, you're both done with school and you're
just kind of open for newopportunities professionally and
Juan (48:28):
At this time I think we were just planning on a stay for
studying English. It was ourfirst goal to get enrolled in II
at the University of Memphis andwe thought that that would be
all. And then we could find anyother place, but at least we had
(48:54):
English as a second language.Our first intention was to learn
English and we saw theopportunity, we took it, we
start studying intensive Englishfor international programs. So
we had a really good experience.
I think it was the first timethat we were exposed to other
(49:18):
cultures, other people withdifferent beliefs and ways of
thinking. So it was a greatexperience.
T.J. (49:28):
Last time you and I were together you were sharing the
story of some of your classmatesand how you would communicate.
Would you share that again? Ifind that amazing.
Juan (49:38):
Yeah, we had no English when we come, no English at all
apart from English in school. Sowe come up to a class where you
are put intentionally in a classgroup where there is no
classmate that speak your samelanguage. You are in a class
(49:59):
with people with, you know, fromdifferent countries and
languages. So the only thing wehad in common was the
willingness to learn English.When we had break times, it was
funny because we didn't have thelanguage.
So we used a lot of bodylanguage and at some point it
(50:19):
looks like we were playingPictionary, just mimicking what
we were trying to say or drawingor looking in the cell phone for
translation because it was verydifficult but also an
opportunity and that was theexposure that we got to a new
(50:40):
context. And I think that waswhat created in us the need of
learning English. Yeah. Andthings went pretty well by some
weeks later, at least we wereable to communicate better.
Yeah.
I think if I hear or see anyvideo or audio record from that
(51:04):
moment, I just would feelembarrassment of that very
broken English. But it is theexperience what push you to
learn more and to learnefficiently. So it was great but
also we had a lot of fun. Wemade really good friends. And we
(51:25):
got to know also from differentreligions, beliefs, practices,
several things that open ourminds to be more, to embrace
people instead of nationalities,languages, cultures.
So we had that opportunity toexperience all of that in just
(51:49):
one place and we met very, verygood people that some of them
are still old friends
T.J. (51:56):
Nice.
Juan (51:57):
By this time.
T.J. (51:59):
How did you get connected to the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church? We talked about at theschool. So the school falls
under the umbrella of theCumberland Presbyterian Church.
However, I mean, the mainpurpose of the school is for
education. Mhmm.
So when you're here in TheUnited States, how did you get
(52:21):
connected to the church here inThe United States?
Juan (52:24):
Well, in my high school, junior and senior years, we had
a professor, ethics professor,Johan Dasa. Oh, So when we moved
here looking for opportunities,we found out Johan has got
(52:45):
married, had a family, and wasin Memphis, Tennessee.
T.J. (52:50):
Oh, okay.
Juan (52:50):
That great conscience. The last time that I have seen Johan
was on our graduation ceremonyin the Colle Americano in
02/2007. So, almost seven, sixyears later, we re encountered
here in Memphis, we reconnected,and he introduced me to also
(53:16):
Milton Ortiz and Diane White.Okay. They were our first
friends here.
And we then joined Faith
T.J. (53:28):
Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Juan (53:29):
Yeah, Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church as our
church. So it was a really goodopportunity for Lady and for me
as a way to explore ourspirituality. That's something
that you never think about whenyou are in a relationship. You
(53:51):
make sure that you have the sametastes with food, with where to
go to vacation or severalthings, but you never got to
discuss spirituality. And bythat time, I think we haven't
talked about it and faithCumberland just was or great
(54:16):
opportunity to start exploringthat since the tradition of our
denomination is more to theconservative side of evangelism.
So we found out a really nicemiddle point between lady's
(54:37):
background and mine. So I wascoming from a evangelical
charismatic church, you know,where jumping and singing out
loud and
T.J. (54:46):
Playing the drums.
Juan (54:47):
Playing the drums. Yeah, it's normal. That's my normal.
Prayer out loud and expressingmy faith is just normal. And she
comes from the Catholicism whereyou just pray in silence or you
T.J. (55:07):
It's quiet.
Juan (55:08):
You are solemn. So, I know that if I would try to bring her
into my whole reality that wouldfail in her spirituality, I
wasn't able to be back. Once Itried this experience of faith,
I wasn't able to rejoinCatholicism. And then there is
(55:33):
where our denomination plays ahuge role right in the middle
where we can have the praiseband but also the Lord's Prayer
and the Apostle's Creed and adifferent way of approach or
faith. So I think we got fromdifferent extremes to the
(55:55):
center.
T.J. (55:56):
Yeah, it's like a happy medium between the Yeah,
Juan (56:00):
really good. So I like the opportunity of, or I love the
opportunity that we startexploring our spirituality as a
couple, not as an individual. Iremember a lady doing some
prayers with the
T.J. (56:18):
Rosary.
Juan (56:19):
The rosary and things like that. I didn't get to join her.
She never got to pray with me.But then when we joined our
denomination it was just thegreat opportunity to start
growing in our faith as acouple. And it's been just
great.
T.J. (56:37):
And that happened here in The United States. Yes. Okay. So
to go back just a little bit. Soyou, the two of you, found these
commonalities in terms of yourprofession, vacation spots.
I mean, all these, you know,food that you mentioned and all
these different things. But itwasn't until much later in your
(56:59):
relationship that the two of youactually had a conversation
about faith, spirituality, whatit looks like individually, what
that looks like together. That'spretty neat and not unusual. Not
unusual. I would say thathappens more often now than
maybe two, three, fourgenerations ago.
Juan (57:24):
Yeah, for us it's been a blessing and I'm so proud of how
we can, we have experienced thatgrowth both in our personal
lives, in our life as amarriage, as a couple, and also
now the influence that me and mywife can do on our children. And
(57:54):
I just love the idea of see mywife putting our kids to bed and
praying and expressing now herfaith and explaining several
things to them. I know thatperhaps if we could have the
(58:15):
opportunity to be parentsseveral years ago and we
couldn't go through this path,it might not be possible for us
to explore our spirituality andalso to teach our kids about God
and what we believe.
T.J. (58:33):
Well, it's a pretty big leap from going, from just
attending worship and andplaying in the band, and then a
call to the ministry of word andthe sacraments. So kinda walk me
through that, Juan. How did youunderstand your calling into,
(58:54):
well, this profession, thisvocation.
Juan (58:58):
Well, that is when Johan, Milton, and Diane have been
crucial.
T.J. (59:05):
They have been my mentors. Let's pause here.
Juan (59:07):
Uh-huh.
T.J. (59:08):
Just for those listening. So Joe Hondaza, Reverend Joe
Hondaza, was a school teacher,an ethics teacher at the school,
which is pretty interestingbecause he must have been a
young professor
Juan (59:24):
Very young.
T.J. (59:25):
To school at the time. And then Johann has been a guest on
Cumberland Road. And and thenMilton Ortiz, Reverend Doctor
Milton Ortiz, also has been aprevious guest on Cumberland
Road. And I'm kind of talkingfor you. So you interrupt me and
just kind of talk about how yourrelationship with these three
(59:47):
individuals have impacted yourfaith.
Juan (59:51):
Johan was a great teacher. As you mentioned, he was very
young. So in the CollegiumAmericano we were young, you
know, junior and senior highschool. So come up a guy almost
our age, he was just four orfive years older than us. And I
(01:00:14):
think he impacted our lives inthe Colegimaricano.
He made a great job because wehave had, this is not a formal
complaint, but usually theteachers that we had were, you
know, very mature. He
T.J. (01:00:33):
must have been relatable because of his
Juan (01:00:35):
age. Ordained.
T.J. (01:00:36):
Yeah.
Juan (01:00:36):
I guess they were ordained as active pastors in different
churches in Colombia that cometo teach ethics and religion in
the Colle Americano. And wenever had the experience to
connect with them. We had, youknow, they were just teachers
and it was another class. Butwhen Johan came, he just changed
(01:00:59):
the dynamic of ethics andreligion in the Collegium
Americano And he truly connectedwith all these kids, you know,
looking for answers, severalquestions we had about several
things and he just connected andhe made these two last years of
(01:01:22):
Colegio Americano great in ourspiritual lives. And I still
remember the last message thathe gave in our graduation
ceremony.
T.J. (01:01:33):
You still remember it.
Juan (01:01:34):
Yeah. Wow. Yeah, it is. I mean, not the whole thing but
the idea of our boats and Jesusin our boat. Impacted not only
our lives as students but alsoour families.
My mom and my dad, they loveJohan. And it's funny because
(01:01:56):
they also say that they stillremembering the message. Wow. So
yeah, got to be of impact in ourlives. A huge blessing for all
the students.
I guess that's my feeling. And Ihave got to know from other
(01:02:16):
classmates at that moment thatthey also think as I did and I
do right now too. He connect mewith Milton. He say, Oh, I have
to introduce you. Milton, he'sfrom Cali too.
So we got to know Milton andFrancia. They have been also
(01:02:40):
crucial in our journey here.They became close friends very
quickly. They have helped us.They have taught us.
They have guide us. They havebeen really good friends and we
love them also so much. AndDiane. Diane White and John,
(01:03:00):
they are also people that justlove to serve. They were the
they and Tommy and CatherineCraig, they were the first
people that we met with in thefaith, Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, and they embraced us.
They offered us, you know,community sense of friendship,
(01:03:23):
of belonging. They opened theirhouses for us to come and to
share and to get immersed alsoin that culture, in that
American culture.
T.J. (01:03:35):
Because it can be easy to be isolated the transition a
different country.
Juan (01:03:41):
Easy. And I think that
T.J. (01:03:43):
And language. Yes. Can make it even more isolating.
Juan (01:03:48):
It's very difficult. It's very difficult when you leave
your culture, your language,your food, your streets. I was
mentioning even the smell.That's funny, but yeah, you just
get out of your world and youget into, you become a stranger
(01:04:08):
in a new world of everything,food, language, culture, You
have to go from school to homeand still using the GPS for
several months until you getused to the city and until you
can call your home or your placehome.
T.J. (01:04:31):
Yeah. It must be so stressful and just overwhelming.
I would imagine that if I was torelocate, I would I think my
greatest worry would be to sayor do the wrong thing, like out
of ignorance, but it not beacceptable, you know, like, I
(01:04:54):
don't know, I can't think of agood example at the moment. But
like, you know, it's understoodin that culture, that city or
that town that no one does orsays this, and I unknowingly
would do or say that thing. Ithink that would be my greatest
fear.
Juan (01:05:11):
No, it is a fear but at the end it becomes one of the
good memories. We have done thata lot. We have said very
inappropriate things both inEnglish and in Spanish. That's
funny, most of our friends, ourbest friends are also from
(01:05:32):
Mexico. We have Spanish as thesame language but we have
different usage of some words.
So it just been great, you know,that experience of failing in
both languages. And we havelearned, we have experienced and
now I think we have a goodMexican Spanish and a good
(01:05:54):
broken English. But yeah, it'sjust part of the of learning
another language, being inanother culture.
T.J. (01:06:05):
Alright, let's talk more about this vocation into
ministry. So your background isin dentistry, know, your passion
is biology and medicine. What'sthe connection between that and
ministry?
Juan (01:06:23):
I think that's where Johan Milton and Diane were crucial as
my brother did explaining to methat I like to serve, that I
like to because my fear wasalways I don't see myself as a
pastor preaching in the front.First because English is not my
(01:06:47):
first language and I don't liketo be a public speaker. I think
that I don't do very well withspeeches and all kind of public
speaking thing. So I think thatwas my fear. Still one of the
(01:07:08):
pressures that I experiencedwhen I have to get to the front
and use the microphone.
T.J. (01:07:14):
So do you feel anxious even in your preparation as you
get ready to preach? What'sgoing through your mind?
Juan (01:07:24):
I think I'm okay with my preparation, with my ideas and
what I believe God want me totransfer. I'm just a male guy.
But my concern is still beingclear enough that my language,
my capacity to express, to talk,is clear enough for the people
(01:07:48):
to gather the whole message thatI believe God is saying to our
church. So I think that's theonly thing that I have pressure
on to use my language in thebest way that I'm able to. Other
than that, you know, being inthe front and just yesterday was
(01:08:13):
funny while we had sound issuesand just several things going
on.
But at the end we could come upwith a good experience. And I
feel some peace when peoplecome. I don't preach very often.
So, any time that I preach it'sbeen a while. So, I got to
(01:08:35):
experience the anxiety of thefirst time
T.J. (01:08:38):
So,
Juan (01:08:40):
when people come with good feedback and when people come
saying that, you know, that theygot the message, then it kind of
gives me peace in the sense thatI was able to say it in a way
that my English could beunderstood and the message could
(01:09:01):
be transferred.
T.J. (01:09:02):
Yeah. So, having conversations with Johann and
Milton and Diane and othersincluding your brother, how did
those go?
Juan (01:09:16):
We started building Bible study within our community and
friends. So we call it El Grupoand we started doing it in
different houses. It was led byinitially Johan and Milton. And
(01:09:40):
I was always involved, as Isaid, not leading but behind
doing things facilitatingthings. I like the word
facilitator.
If there is anything that Icould do in order to accomplish
something for God's kingdom,I'll be there. Not at the front,
(01:10:01):
not leading sometimes, but Ijust want to help and that's why
they helped me to see that I hadthat call that even though I
didn't know it, I was inministry serving, doing things.
And I think that was a realitythat I didn't want to accept
(01:10:25):
because my understanding waslike, you know, of holiness, you
know, the person that preaches.And I feel I'm very broken and
I'm very I fail a lot and I docertain things that I thought
wouldn't allow me to be used byGod. So, when I come to that
(01:10:47):
conclusion, it's justreaffirming that if I can be
used, anyone can be used by God.
Foreign English is not my secondlanguage. I didn't have any
Bible or background that allowsme to go to seminary. Still, I
(01:11:07):
made it, I went throughseminary, I learned a lot. I'm
still learning. I'm so gratefulfor this opportunity of seminary
that our denomination gave me.
And also I'm still, I feel kindof in a student mode with our
pastor Andy. He's been great inteaching me the manners of a
(01:11:29):
pastor.
T.J. (01:11:31):
Yeah, you're in a place of advantage. You're serving as an
associate minister at FaithCumberland Presbyterian Church,
and and you have thisopportunity to where you don't
have to preach every Sunday.
Juan (01:11:46):
No. Once in a quarter.
T.J. (01:11:48):
Yeah. And that gives you an opportunity to participate
yet observe at the same time andkind of grow into grow into the
the role and what that vocationmay look like for you. Let's
talk about the CumberlandPresbyterian Church. If you were
(01:12:10):
to encounter somebody who hasnever heard of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, how wouldyou describe this denomination,
this group of people thatconsider themselves family?
Juan (01:12:24):
Well, I would say our denomination is able to offer
people a truly tangible churchfamily. I know our self
perception is very humble in thesense that we consider ourselves
(01:12:46):
small. Our characteristic isthat we have several churches
but small congregations. Butwhat I see is that the fact that
that's our identity. We arecapable to offer local people a
(01:13:07):
family that care for itsmembers, that call its members,
that check on its members, thatwe take care of each other, that
we love each other, that weencourage each other.
So that was our experience andthat was part of our, I would
say, success connecting with theculture. You know, I know
(01:13:32):
several people that they come,they don't have a community and
they left because it's reallyhard to be by yourself to that
feeling of loneliness, that youare alone, that you have no one
that cares for you. That is veryimpacting in someone's life and
that's why a lot of people, theyjust they can't take it. What
(01:13:54):
made our experience way moreeasy was that we had a part of
my uncle. We found this churchand they embraced us.
That's the word that I like touse. They embraced us even
though we could communicate atthat time, even though we were
(01:14:15):
from an art context, an artculture. They just show us love,
help, guidance. So I'm so proudof that because we experience
our denomination, capacity andskills firsthand. And we are, or
(01:14:38):
I feel that I'm proud of it.
I didn't grow up CP. I never gotto, you know, being in the
family, in the CP family. Eventhough I was in the Collegium
Americano, I never consideredmyself being CP. Just until we
moved here and we joined Fate.Actually, I was checking our
(01:15:01):
file and OrClaire let me knowthat I became a member along
with Lady in February 1535.
So it's been ten years plus thefirst months that we were
attending that we have been infaith and they just have been
that part of our life that hasencouraged us in ministry too.
(01:15:25):
So when I had that sense of callit was reaffirmed by several
people among our congregation. Ihad a lot of support. People
checking, Hey, how are you doingwith seminary? How are you doing
with this and that?
Do you need any help? Do youneed something? So that
(01:15:48):
encouragement just, I think,pushed me through.
T.J. (01:15:51):
And you were balancing work and school and then one
child and then two children.
Juan (01:16:00):
Yes.
T.J. (01:16:02):
What was that experience like?
Juan (01:16:05):
Well, sometimes there is nothing to think about it. Just
get things done.
T.J. (01:16:10):
Just go.
Juan (01:16:11):
Yeah, just go do your best. Sometimes you are just
functioning. Sometimes you aredoing your best. You know, you
have ups and downs, But in thispart, Lady has been crucial. If
it will be possible, I wouldlove to have her name on my
(01:16:31):
diploma.
She's been just supporting me,sustaining me. She has, you
know, she's been the person thathas been their inner intimacy,
you know, just don't she havelet me down. Sometimes I have
(01:16:53):
been, you know, down because ofjust exhaustive. I'm just
exhaustive of several things atthe same time, out of energy.
Still she has been there, sothat's why I think that I need
to talk to the MTS to put her onmy diploma.
(01:17:17):
And Sophie also, she attended alot of classes when I was
picking her up on my arms whileattending classes at seminary.
So, yeah, it's been a greatexperience but that's where I
believe God has sustained us. Wehave been going through several
(01:17:40):
things, occupations,commitments, things to do, but
at the same time God has gave usthe energy, the resources,
everything that we have neededto accomplish everything and to
do it well.
T.J. (01:17:59):
You've been recently ordained. So describe maybe some
of the greatest challenges ofbeing newly ordained but yet
some of the greatest gifts asbeing a new minister.
Juan (01:18:16):
Well, to me I was scared to be ordained and I think that
was part of our conversationswith Lady to say, Hey, Lady,
from now I need to be better. Ineed to look better. But then it
just, you know, I was kind ofanxious about the ordination and
(01:18:41):
I thought that it would be like,Oh, moment. But no, it's just
the way our denominationfunctions but still we all
ordain or not, we are able toserve. We are able to be used by
God to help others, to serveothers, to love our neighbors.
(01:19:04):
So, as new minister in ourdenomination, I feel the
commitment to contribute in anycapacity, any skill that I'm
able to make this wonderfuldenomination to grow, to expand,
(01:19:28):
to reach others as Iexperienced. So I feel my call
is not only to serve thatchurch, my church, which I'm
very happy to be serving, thechurch that gave me so much.
It's not paying back, it'sreturning that love, that
(01:19:52):
service, and use thatencouragement to allow others,
newcomers, to experience thesame thing that I experienced.
So I feel that's my role, to beable to serve God, God's
kingdom, our church, and ourdenomination in the best
(01:20:14):
capacity that I can.
T.J. (01:20:18):
What are you reading now? You're no longer in graduate
school, but we still have toread, we still have to study.
What are you reading or have youtaken a break?
Juan (01:20:31):
I have to be honest. I finished seminary in October
when I was ordained and Ihaven't touched a book that is
not child's book.
T.J. (01:20:46):
Got it. We have
Juan (01:20:47):
taken a lot of books to read to my kids. Still, I use a
lot of Book of Common Worship orexegesis, say it.
T.J. (01:21:06):
Exegesis?
Juan (01:21:06):
Exegesis, sorry. I could never pronounce this word.
Exegesis, so I used those kindof academic books this time
associate pastor and working onsome ceremonies or liturgy for
our worship service, but so farI haven't touched. I have some
(01:21:29):
books pile up. Yeah.
One from PDMT that I haven'ttouched and I still, that's my
first. Milton has some booksalso from Paul and others that I
don't recall his titles, butalso I got them on the same path
(01:21:50):
so I hope to start doing it.Yeah, being out of seminary has
allowed me to be more with mykids and get more rest this past
month since October. But yeah,we need to get to our routine of
reading.
T.J. (01:22:10):
So last question. Your children are small right now,
but one day in the future, theymay find this podcast and listen
to their dad. So you have anopportunity to speak to your
children in the future. Whatwould you say to them? What
(01:22:32):
words of wisdom or advice?
Juan (01:22:36):
Let me catch my ear. Sofia and Emma, they just changed our
lives. Becoming a parent, it'sbeen just the most fantastic
(01:22:58):
thing for Lady and I. That's ourfirst ministry. Family is our
top ministry and we work hardfor providing a home full of
love and faith.
We want them to experience faithfirsthand and they walk with
(01:23:20):
God. I want them to know thatour God is who sustain us
through lives. I'm so proud thatSophie, at three years old, she
invited us to pray before ourmeals and she is supported by
(01:23:49):
her sister. So, I just would sayto my other Sophie and Emma that
we love them, that we have doneeverything to fulfill their
lives in the sense that they canexperience actual real love from
(01:24:15):
their parents, we can feel anyemotional necessity. And that
also we have sown in theirhearts to love others, to
respect others, to serve others,and to love themselves too.
(01:24:38):
That they need to know that theyworth a lot to God, to their
family, to us, and that they arejust able to serve wherever they
are with any skill they learn.Whatever they choose to do, they
(01:24:59):
just can serve God, servepeople, and just I pray for them
to be great women of faith thatare able to pass down our faith
also to our next generation andto make sure that we walk all
(01:25:20):
our lives with God.
T.J. (01:25:22):
Well said. Juan, thank you for walking me through your
journey and bringing me intoyour life and being able to hear
it. And I received a blessingand being being able to hear
your your faith and hear yourwalk. Thank you, Juan.
Juan (01:25:43):
Thank you so much, TJ, for this opportunity.
T.J. (01:25:48):
Thank you for listening to this episode of Cumberland Road.
In closing, I believe thisthought on serving others from
Booker T. Washington adequatelydescribes my guest, Juan Manuel.
"Those who are happiest arethose who do the most for
others." Thanks for listening.
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