‘I could feel security, comfort and the presence of God’ – Marcela’s Story

Marcela shares her story of life and faith.

Hi Marcela, can you start by telling us about your parents and childhood?

I was born in the countryside in the south of Brazil in September 1981. My dad was a farmer and my mum a lawyer. We lived at the farm till I was 14 and then we moved to the nearby city.

I have one sister who is younger than me, and we were raised in the Catholic Church even though my parents were non practising. I went with my Grandma and got confirmed there. When I was 16, one of my aunts was very ill with cancer, and I really prayed for her to be healed, but she died aged 39, so I turned away from God. I left home at 17 to study law at university.

When did you become a Christian?

I had always had a desire to seek and meet God. After university I worked in an office as a lawyer and a colleague invited me to go to dinner. Arriving there, I discovered that it was a meeting where a man was sharing his testimony about Jesus. At the end he asked who would like to accept Jesus as their Saviour, and I said yes and had prayer from the front. When I got home I slept, and could feel security, comfort and the presence of God embracing me. It was the best night's sleep I'd ever had. It reminded me of being a child with my parents, who cared for and protected me. God reminded me about a passage in the Bible in Psalm 131:2:

‘But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.’

I decided straight away to go to the Baptist Church every week.

When did you get baptised and where?

I got baptised at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Porto Alegre in 2007.

What paid jobs have you had during your life?

I’ve had four jobs before moving to England: as a trainee lawyer and then lawyer.

Tell us about your marriage to Gustavo and your family.

After becoming a Christian, I wanted and prayed to marry a man of God.

I met Gustavo in the Philadelphia Baptist Church, but immediately he left for Ireland to learn English and then ended up in England, serving at a Brazilian Church in London. Within three months of Gustavo's return to Brazil we got engaged, and in the same year we married in December 2009.

Three years later Davi was born, and also Gustavo's desire grew to leave his job and serve God in ministry. When Davi was two years old in 2014, we did a missionary training course.  We left Brazil in 2016 and arrived in a very cold January in Bishop's Stortford.

How long have you been at BSBC?

We have been at Bishop’s Stortford Baptist Church since January 2016 and since then our family has grown. Isabella was born in 2019 and Blue our French bulldog was born in 2022.

What does your ministry look like being married to Gustavo?

We are jointly together in our mission to serve God in all that we have and all that we are. At the moment I am supporting my husband and children by providing their care and being physically and emotionally available for them.

What are your favourite things or things that excite you?

I love nature and animals because I was raised on a farm. I love to ride a horse and I have rediscovered my passion for playing Padel. If you want to know more please ask me!

How can we pray for you?

Please pray for wisdom and vision for me, our family and our ministry.