If there's one thing I know for sure... it's that God hears our prayers and he always answers them. So when Cynthia Hernandez showed up, we weren't surprised. Our ministry team is constantly praying for great men and women of God to show up as we always need volunteers. We met Cynthia through Patty Kalaye who is on our leadership team. I still remember when Patty told me about Cynthia. She said "You will love her. She's passionate and gets things done." Thank you GOD!
Since joining our leadership team, Cynthia has stepped up big time. She co-leads our Wednesday Women's Bible Study with Patty and she also co-leads our Friday morning Military Married Women's LIFE Group. And if that isn't enough, her husband Jose is now part of our team and leads our Wednesday Military Married Men's LIFE group. Talk about a power couple!
When I first saw Cynthia and Jose together, I could tell they had a great marriage. Their relationship started at a young age... Jose was 17 and Cynthia was 19. "He just got out of boot camp when we met at a dance club in Chicago. We danced the night away and 5 months later, he swept me off my feet and married me," said Cynthia. So what was the first thing Jose noticed about Cynthia? "I noticed her eyes and smile. I was dancing by myself and she made a point to make sure I noticed her by dancing in front of me and making eye contact. IT WORKED!" said Jose with a smile.
Jose has served in the Navy for 15 years and he's a Chief Petty Officer. The couple have 3 beautiful girls, Chloe 12, Naomi 10 and Abby 6. Like all military families, they've moved around a lot. So far, the Navy has moved them around to 4 different states and they love being part of the military community. For Jose, he especially enjoys taking on leadership roles. "I enjoy the opportunity to mentor and lead young Sailors throughout their career." As for Cindy, she says this lifestyle is constantly bringing them new experiences. "The thing I enjoy most about the Military life is being able to travel and meet new people."
Of course, there are challenges to this lifestyle. "The hardest thing about being a military family are the long deployments that never become easier. By far, the deployments and having to say goodbye to Daddy are without a question the hardest part about being a military family," said Cynthia. But when you have God in your life, anything is possible and suddenly, the challenges that looked impossible aren't all that scary. "God has given me a confidence and courage to do things that without Him, I could've never done by myself. Not only did He give me those attributes but He also taught me to understand what a Godly FATHER, a LEADER and a MAN is and should be. I am still learning how to live up to His standards and as long as I stay connected to His son Jesus, I come closer to becoming what He created me for," said Jose.
"The relationship I have with the Lord grows stronger every day and the closer I draw towards the Lord, the closer He draws near to me and makes Himself known in my life. As a married couple, the hardest life lesson we had to learn was that we couldn't make our marriage work without Jesus at the center of our lives. Praying together daily and reading the word together are the weapons every married couple needs to grow stronger," said Cynthia.
So what advice does Cynthia and Jose have for young military couples? "Start your marriage off right by putting Christ in your lives, always praying together, reading the word together, and looking at what you need to change within you instead of what your spouse needs to change and let God handle the rest. Always remember to let God be the center of your lives. He is the Author and the finisher and he designed us for His glory. Live every day for the Lord glorifying Him in your marriage and loving your spouse as unto Christ." Ephesians 5:22-33 (emphasis on verse 33)
The Military Ministry is so thankful that God brought Cynthia and Jose into our lives. Thank you for your faithfulness and for answering the call to encourage and uplift other military families with the help of Jesus Christ!
