When two become one
At the end of October, Nardia Perez and a team from Jamaica will be travelling to Cuba to join her husband Julio and his local church for the couple’s first missionary outreach together.
The love that binds a husband and wife as one is a precious gift from God. How and when He causes hearts to connect and remain knitted for a lifetime is a mystery.
It had been over 10 years since Julio had last seen Nardia. He had travelled from Cuba to Jamaica to study at the Jamaica Theological Seminary, where she was also enrolled. There had been nothing special between them. As he had done with the other students, he had interacted with her, bade everyone farewell at the end of the journey, and returned to his homeland with no further contact.
So, what had triggered a nostalgic vision of the seminary in his mind that day as he sat in a quiet place? And with it, Nardia? Turning to Facebook Messenger for help, he could not tell.
But his sudden desire to reconnect with his old classmate was greatly dampened when he discovered a list of Nardia Wilsons! Which one was she?
Nardia relayed that Julio told her that as he was looking at the many duplicates of her name, he heard a voice say, “There she is,” and so it was that they had supernaturally reconnected. It was during this first conversation they had that out of the blues, Julio found himself blurting, “Sister Nardia, I have a prophecy for you! When I see you, I am going to marry you!”
And even after she eventually agreed, it was two years of loss of close family members on Julio’s side, severe illness on Nardia’s, embargo on travel due to COVID-19, and other tempestuous circumstances that tested the strength of their growing love for each other and faith in God, before the righteous decree would come to pass.
THE CEREMONY WAS ALL SPANISH
“But He did bring us through and orchestrate everything for me to travel to Cuba to marry Julio,” Nardia said. “Little did I know though the extent to which Julio’s challenges had slowly and persistently attacked his faith, eating it away until he could hardly pray anymore and had no interest in reading the Word. This I found out the morning after I first arrived in Cuba. I was having devotion when I looked up and saw him staring at me. The more I smiled, the sadder his face became…”
Julio told Nardia that as he was gazing at her, the love of God, so rich and pure, was just too much for him to contain. So suddenly had his script been flipped that he was wondering why would God, Whom he had practically abandoned, now bless him with a bride-to-be who had agreed to walk with him, completely by faith, for the rest of her life. He felt undeserving because He knew it had been a long time since He had communed, as Nardia was now doing, with the Lord.
His confession, copious tears…it was like a dam had burst, soaking her blouse while she held him and prayed.
Above the tumult, Nardia said she could hear the LORD telling her that He was preparing her for evangelism in Cuba, and she was to start with His son Julio.
It was a few days later that the two became one in an exchange of vows in his pastor’s office.
“It was a small gathering attended by hosts of angels,” Nardia described “The entire ceremony was in Spanish, and I didn’t object. I had already decided that I was trusting God in everything, so when the pastor turned to me, called my name, spoke some more, and then stopped, I just said ‘I do,’” she laughed. “I figured I was doing well because Julio’s smiles were getting wider and wider!”
TRIPLE-SEVEN FAST
Nardia returned to Jamaica shortly after to start, what remains two years later, a long-distance marriage, still trusting that the God Who had brought them together would keep them faithful until they were able to settle into their marital home.
It was weeks later at a tent crusade, when the Apostle asked everyone to form a circle around the inside of the tent that Nardia again got the word that she was being prepared to go to Cuba as a missionary, and was to do three days absolute fast, read the book of Esther, and intercede for Cuba, her marriage, and the ministry.
She obeyed and not long after travelled to see Julio, eager to tell him about the word she had received. Though he listened attentively, she could see that he wasn’t excited, but they prayed.
“Prayer became my weapon,” the seasoned street minister declared. “The last instruction I was given was to do a “triple-seven” fast. This time, I was to pray for my husband, who was an ordained pastor, that his passion for ministry would return and that he would come in alignment with his calling.
“Triple seven was twenty-one days of fasting, but the Lord didn’t say twenty-one days; He said, a triple-seven fast. So, I did just that: three seven-day fasts from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., interceding for my husband to find back his place with the Lord.
“Julio had been very active in missions before, hosting several missionaries from all over the world, even ministering in Jamaica when he was a student,” she explained. “But his Job experiences had left him disillusioned, really hanging on only by a thread.”
A THREE-STRAND CORD IS NOT EASILY BROKEN
“The drought broke during the last week of the fast,” Nardia disclosed. “Julio messaged that we needed to talk, and after saying that he loved and missed me, he rapidly began speaking, ‘Nardia, I want you to put together a Missions team to come to Cuba! Promise me, Nardia. Promise me that you will put a team together to come to Cuba.’
“And that was how Cuba Missions 2024 was conceived,” she shared.
THE MISSIONS TEAM
Having no prior knowledge of planning an overseas missions trip, it was to one member of a group of her co-workers that prayed at noon every day, that the LORD directed Nardia to seek assistance. The young lady had just started working at the organization and was excited. She had travelled on missions before and would be happy to be on the team.
The Perez’ ministry, Helpers For Christ International, was duly registered, missionaries were recruited, and sponsorship secured – all by the grace of God.
Nardia is grateful: “The Lord supernaturally put a ministry together that is bigger than my husband and myself. We appreciate all our sponsors, intercessors, executiveteam members, my daughter, church family, and friends who have supported us.
“Cuba has been experiencing severe food shortages, and scarcity in medication and toiletries. We are taking these items for the people, as well as share the Good News with them. We would be more than appreciative if you would pray for the Mission, and ask the Lord how you can tangibly help by way of donations,” she said.
“Dios te bendiga y gracias,” she ended with a smile. “Si, si. I’ve been taking Spanish classes! That’s God bless you and thank you!”
Helpers For Christ International can be contacted at operationfeedcuba@gmail.com, 876-798-4404