Who am I?

Hello, my name is Veronica Ortiz Raya, I am currently 44 years old, I am a daughter of God.  I am a married woman and mother of two children. And together with my husband we shepherd a Church.

In 1982 to 1988 my home was the Orfanatorio “Home El Sauzal”, located in the village of San Antonio de las Minas, in Ensenada, Baja California. I grew up there with my brothers Juan José, he was 7 years old when I came in, Martin was six years old, Jesus was three years old, Susana 11 months old, and Luis Miguel came next year at three months old. At that time, there were about 120 of us living there.  We all grew up as brothers, with a special love.

Experiences in la Casa Hogar

There were different stages that I lived in the home, when I arrived I was 5 years old, and I learned to live with more girls, and learn to love each other as sisters, I grew up, and being educated, disciplined by our papas, Ramon and Magdalena Espinoza.

It was the best time of my childhood, and of my adolescence in the home, and to this day I continue to dream, with that magical place, where I lived beautiful experiences.

I remember that when it was Christmas time, we were all together sharing a scrumptious dinner, enjoying some delicious buñuelos (a dessert made from fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar), and opening gifts, there we learned the meaning of true Christmas, and thanks to all the Sponsors, who sent us those gifts that made us very happy.

I remember I liked doing the cleaning, as well as helping in laundry, and cooking. They were important teachings, which helped us prepare for our adult lives.

I also remember that I liked to help Mama Magdalena and her daughter Damaris, when the blessings sent by the missionaries came.  I helped them separate the clothes by sizes and fold them for all kids. The truth is we were very blessed.

As little girls our dream was to be relocated to the teenager’s Dorm, that day long awaited me. We all waited in anticipation of that day to be moved to the older Girls Dorm.  I was 10 years old, when I was moved to the older girls Dorm, I felt, very happy.

My Parents

My parents, Ramon and Magdalena Espinoza, they are my greatest inspiration and respect, they live in my heart, and they are an example to follow, and I feel privileged and loved to be their daughter, they taught us respect and values and to love God, believe in Him, and have Faith that He would always be with us, that we could talk to Him, like talking to a friend, that He was our best friend.

It says in The Word of God, Instruct the child in his way, and even when he is old he will not turn away from him.

I remember Papa Ramon as a man full of faith, a man of God, who loves Him with all his heart, and his example also taught us.   When I was 10 years old, I remember Dad teaching us to pray. I remember a very special opportunity to feel the Holy Spirit. We were in a circle in my room with my orphanage sisters. We were all the same age, and Dad said, “Let us all close our eyes and begin to pray, and that some of us would speak in another language,” that were the tongues of the Holy Spirit, which He was going to give us, and he we all began to pray, and we began to speak in other languages.

I was baptized in the Holy Spirit with the gift of tongues, I never forgot what I felt that special day, I also remember the truth of being very close to my papas in my childhood, in fact Alejandra Guízar, and I were very close.  She lived with Papa Ramon and Mama Magdalena. Frequently I would stay to sleep with Alejandra in my parents’ house, outside the orphanage.

I remember when we went out with Dad to bring the gospel, he preached in Valle de Guadalupe, Necua, Zapata, those are places that Dad visited.  I remember that at mealtime, he taught us to thank God, and we read a biblical quote, and then ate.

I remember Dad moving in the deliverance, and he had a lot of authority to cast out the demons. I’d like to talk more about my experiences with him, and the miracles I saw him doing, and everything I saw.

Missionaries

I remember something special that I was chosen to go stay with some of the missionary groups, who shared their time with us, and we thank God for their lives.

We loved and waited for the summer holidays, because, at that time, they visited us and shared with us summer school, and they taught us biblical stories, such as Daniel, Joseph, David, Solomon, and of course our Lord and Savior Jesus, and also of the apostles, and it was beautiful to learn all these biblical stories, and we also made crafts, and that was very etched in my spirit.

And they also shared very funny games, dramas, and puppets, but you know what? Most importantly, you shared smiles and hugs with all of us, and that filled my heart, and you were part of manifesting Jesus’ love in our hearts, you. They are part of who we are today, for their teachings and love.

The music and dramas, made us very happy, and they are deeply recorded in our hearts.

Roy

Dear Roy, I thank God for his fidelity to God, and to the orphanage, beloved Roy, I remember myself on the day of kings, who arrived with our gifts. All happy, we knew that day, they would arrive with stuffed dolls and new pajamas.

Thank you for the travels to America, I still remember Placentia, and my Sponsors who lived in Long Beach, who made my life very happy, and shared their home with me in vacation time. God bless the life of each of you. And do not tire of doing good, which has its due time, will be rewarded, that is God’s promise to their lives.

I personally remember those rides to Disney, to the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and when they took me shopping, shoes, clothes, and they made me very happy, I thank them for all the gifts they shared with me

Roy, I remember his big, beautiful Church that was etched in my heart, I also remember being taken to the beach, and we went to see a Base Ball game, it was a lot of fun, I also remember my Sponsors visiting me very often, we started watching a Snoopy movie, and I loved spending that time with them.

Thank you for every Christmas I spent at the orphanage, and those gifts my Sponsors sent and made me very happy. I don’t know if they imagine how happy they made us, I know they shared part of their time, and their finances.  It was the best investment of your lives, and thank you very much again, to each of you. And that seed that they sowed, bore fruit in my life.

My life out of Orphanage

When my biological mom decided to take us out of the orphanage, I suffered a lot, I didn’t want to leave my parents and sisters, it was like ripping off a part of me. I had a hard time adjusting to change with my mom, because they lived by other customs and teachings, and I loved and missed my home, I was happy in it.

With my biological family it was not easy to live, I always felt empty inside me, but I never forgot to pray, and read my bible, which I brought from my orphanage home. I kept talking to God, just as my Papa Ramon taught me, and I always had all his words and teachings in mind.

A lot of times I wanted to go back, but I was no longer able to, because my mother didn’t want me to go back to the orphanage, so I learned, in my new home, because everything was new. And in the beginning we did not understand each other, because we had two cultures, and different teachings, were two clashes of kingdom. Because my family was not converted to Jesus, they had another way of living, and I began to live together in their world, but I never stopped thinking about who I really was, and what I was taught and educated about.

My family

I remember my teenage years when I prayed to God, for my future husband, that when he found God, He would fall in love with Him with all his heart.  When I got married, I was 21 and he was 31.  We had a two-year-old courtship.

For about the first three years of our marriage we were not walking with our Lord.  God arranged for me to reconcile with Jesus in the year 2001.  My husband and I worked very late one day.  Sofia, who is a Christian, was taking care of our children in our home.  They were small at that time.  Sofia asked us for permission to take our children to her church, because she did not want to miss the service.  We agreed to her request, and after work went to the church to pick them up, and then came home.  We did not stay at the service.

Sometime later, as I gathered our children at Sofia’s church, I saw a married couple worshiping and praising the Lord.  Seeing them touched my heart, and I remembered my childhood at the Home, the precious memories of how God had entered my heart, and I stayed for the full service.  That day I reconciled with God.  

There was so much joy in my heart again, and coming home I told my husband let’s go to the next service together, he accepted, and from that moment he fell in love with the Lord. And my God fulfilled my prayer as a teenager, and my children grew up in the gospel as believers as well.

And I repeat again The Word of God: Instruct the child in his way, and even when he is old he will not turn away from him.

My prayer was answered as he fell in love with Jesus when he met him, and continues to love him to this day.  God has been faithful, I am married to my husband, Enrique Gutierrez Frías.  We have been married for 23 years, and have two children. Our first child is William Henry 22 years old, and Daniela 21 years old.  I love and adore my children.

Ministry

Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some to be apostles, to other prophets, to other evangelists, to other pastors and teachers,

Ephesians 4:12 to train the Saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ;

There is no doubt that the seed that was sown in me while I lived at the orphanage has given fruit, since today my husband and I are shepherds, of a congregation for 7 years located in Ensenada.  Our churches name is “C.R.A. Tierra Firme”.

Previously we served 13 years in a congregation, where we went out, with the blessing of God, to shepherd, serve, and teach and being joined by the pastors of our church.

And we grew up, preparing more in His Word, taking classes at a theological school, and while serving in the church in different ways, as ushers, cleaning the church building, carrying and bringing the brothers of the congregation to and from services, we served as youth leaders, and I was a leader of the women of the Church, then they anointed us as co-pastors, and after two years of serving as co-pastors we went out to shepherd, we currently have seven years as pastors.

In this time of serving the Lord as shepherds, God has allowed us to have beautiful experiences, being able to help people in need of Christ by presenting Christ as his Savior, as his healer, as his supplier, as his liberator, and of the multiform grace he is.

2 Timothy 3:15 and that since childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which can give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and useful to teach, to rebuke, to correct, to instruct in righteousness,

2 Timothy 3:17 that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for all good deeds.