DESIREE – ACROSS A CONTINENT

 with NASTYA ANDREYOVNA

IT HAS COME.

AT LAST, our first featured woman for our “INFLUENCE” column!

FOR OUR DEBUT article, I had the privilege of interviewing a young woman by the name of Desiree. I have known Desiree for quite some time, but just recently have I been able to get to know her on a more personal level. She is a wonderful, outgoing, confident, and powerful person, and it was a great privilege to work with her during this interview. Thank you for allowing us to feature you, Dez!

NASTYA: Hello, Desiree! To start out with, tell us a little bit about yourself.

DESIREE: Well, I’m a twenty one year old college student on my way to becoming a teacher (hopefully). I currently do not have a job, but I’m working on becoming an efficient homemaker. I’m newly married and am very much in love with my husband! I love sweet tea (brew it myself) and just about any kind of sweets there are. Oh, and I like to read. Alot.

NASTYA: Tell us how you found Christ. What caused you to accept Him as your Savior?

DESIREE: Ever since I was born, I was raised in the Church of God. My parents were both (and still are) saved and reared their children up in a Christian environment. While I had long known the difference between good and evil, I didn’t get saved until I was 14 years old. I still remember that summer Sunday morning. A conviction fell upon me so fierce that it brought tears to my eyes. I am ever so grateful that I made that decision. I have no doubt that it has saved me from many, many sorrows.

NASTYA: You’re originally from Florida. You’ve just recently moved to California – tell us a little about why you moved.

DESIREE: In the fall of 2007, I attended a fellowship meeting held by the Carmichael Church of God in California. Whilst being there, I happened to meet a paticularily handsome guy, Darren, that sparked my interest and made me laugh. To hear him tell it now, the feeling was mutual. Nonetheless, after the meeting I flew back to Florida and not much communication was made, although he remained very much on my brain! One Summer night in 2008, it was passed along that Darren was trying to reach me. The next day I called him back and thus started our process of falling in love with each other.

We consistently called each other and flew between Florida and California to see each other and our respective families. I wondered at the “flow” there was between us and the natural ease I felt in his presence. Of course, as with all issues in my life, I took this new found relationship before God. I wanted to make sure that this was God’s will for my life and that I wasn’t making a huge mistake. Everything started to fall into place and God made it clear that this was the man for me. On December 27th of 2008 Darren asked me to marry him, and I accepted with full confidence. On June 20, 2009 we were married in the church I had attended all my life and with all the special family and friends that had had an impact on my life. It was beautiful!

NASTYA: What sort of future plans for a family do the two of you have?

DESIREE: Seeing that we’re newlyweds, we’re quite content just to have our 3 year old lab, Jetta – who acts just like a child, mind you. , we’ve talked about having a nice little brood of children (3…4…5?) in the years to come (and if the Lord wills it) and hope to add a vizsla to mix as well.

NASTYA: Tell us a little bit about your family. Do you have any siblings?

DESIREE: I’ve always been labeled a “Daddy’s Girl” and will gladly bear that title any day. My father has a big heart and is a humble man with a great sense of humor. My mother moved to the states from Cuba and she plays the part very well. She’s a people person, terribly protective of her children, and is very beautiful! I have two brothers – one older, one younger.

NASTYA: Leaving all your family and friends behind in Florida must have been really hard. Has it been difficult to adjust? Do you miss your family terribly?

DESIREE: Adjusting to California hasn’t been that difficult, simply because I love it here! I do miss my family a ton, though. Sometimes I wish I could sit down and talk with my dad or show my mother how I’m decorating our new house or ask her to cook a big dinner with me in our kitchen (she loves to cook). I selfishly wish I could’ve dragged them out here with me. However, Darren and his family have done a wonderful job of taking me in and making me feel loved.

NASTYA: Since you do not work and are new to the area, what do you do with your free time?

DESIREE: I’m taking some college classes right now and when I’m not busy trying to retain all that knowledge or working out those formulas, I’m usually busy doing errands and simply just feeling my way through this new phase in life. Being a wife is great and there’s alot of joy to be found in it, but it also entails you to responsible and wise.

NASTYA: Could you tell us about something hard that you’ve had to go though in your life, and how you’ve gone through it successfully?

DESIREE: There was a situation in my life that required me to do the right thing when the right thing wasn’t necessarily the popular thing with someone close to me. It was one of those things that felt like a “gray area”. I knew what I had to do and even though it wasn’t easy, God taught me in that moment what it was to stand up for my own soul and to stay steadfast against the attacks of the Devil. I clung to the promises of my Savior and did what I had to, and I’m so thankful that I did. It matured me spiritually and I was immensely blessed because of it.

NASTYA: In what ways are you currently working for God/trying to help others in your daily life?

DESIREE: Since I’ve just moved, I’m in the process of establishing myself in my new congregation. At the moment I’m doing my best to prove my testimony and be an example to those around me (which is something I’m always doing). I also attend rest home services where my husband teaches a service there weekly. Back in Florida, I sang in the youth choir, was a part of several various youth programs, and tried to maintain an active role in church.

NASTYA: Final question. If there was one thing you could tell all the young women of today, what would it be?

DESIREE: I would tell them not to sell themselves short and settle for anything less than they deserve. Usually this is said when referring to relationships, but I’m talking about all matters of life. Too many girls never receive what they truly deserve, because  they feel like it’s above them – or that it’s simply unattainable. Thus the reason why they dress the way they do, why they don’t finish school, why they end up pregnant, why they go through life depressed. God intended for something much better for his children! True – it involves a sacrifice on our part, but it’s worth it! Don’t settle for less than you deserve! God’s will is so much better for your life than you could imagine. Please, don’t sell yourself short of that miracle.