After receiving the sacrament of marriage, Catholic couple Priscila and Gustavo faced illness, tribulations and many challenges. But their faith kept them strong and today they testify that it is worth waiting and trusting in God's plans.
In a moving video summarizing some of their story, Priscila says, “I never imagined that 24 hours after our biggest dream, after 10 years together and, finally, uniting in [this] sacrament, I would be at the feet of Christ crying out for his life."
Gustavo suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and needed emergency head surgery, which changed their lives forever.
“I never imagined that my husband, who was so active and independent, would now have to relearn how to walk, support himself, and do basic human movements," she said.
“We never stopped believing that his healing would come,” Priscila emphasized. “We were persevering, strong, and found our support in God,” she explains in an excerpt from the video in which the couple appears to have become extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist.
“We receive countless blessings every day. The certainty to face each new challenge, without imagining that the greatest blessing of all was yet to come,” Priscila says, referring to the fact that they would be parents for the first time.
Check out the video:
Tribulations After Saying "I Do"
“I often say that our story would make a book (...) some people don't even believe that we went through all of this, others are still looking for answers to everything we experienced and here we are, in the middle of this storm,” Priscila said.
“The last few years before we received our sacrament were years of decision, of surrender, and of establishing our foundation in Jesus (...). Like the prudent man, we chose to build our family on solid rock. The winds came, the storm came strong, those endless days and just twenty-four hours after our yes, with the same suitcase that I had arrived to live in our house, I returned to my parents’ house.”
“On the worst night of my life,” Priscila said, “I cried out to God in the midst of inconsolable tears, asking Him to give us the chance to live our family, to live our marriage, because in twenty-four hours we didn’t even enjoy our home.”
“I whispered in your ear,” she said to Gustavo, “every day: ‘Come back to me. Come back to our home. We’ll have our children, our travels, the world to dream about. I need you,’ and you came back.”
“God heard us and when you opened your eyes, I knew that time would be our best friend. We would have everything we dreamed and planned. We would have a new life. We prepared ourselves to be here. Our love has strong and firm roots.”
“The end of 2022 was a year of learning, of rediscovering life and yourself. Of a lot of effort, of results and also of frustrations, (...) 2023 was the year of establishing ourselves; countless falls, it was difficult at many times, but of many victories and growth. We are both a fortress. We owe everything to God who has carried us in his arms until now and who always has great care for us”.
God's Promises
On Christmas of 2023, Priscila and Gustavo discovered they were pregnant and were being called to give new meaning to their lives and to start a new era.
“Time to remove these turbulent nights from the main page of our lives; time to make room for another person to arrive, and she arrived (...) another heart beating with the strength to carry on with faith and hope,” Priscila said.
“This small and strong baby came to change everything and to change us forever. What I always whispered to God and in your ear in that ICU came true: you will be the most incredible father in this world (...) you will be their pride, and they will learn from an early age to thank God for our lives and for your life.”
“A new year, a new life. We will never be prepared, but the certainty that together we are stronger is what moves us (...) and now with an even greater purpose.”
Priscila and Gustavo welcomed little Anna, who was born on July 17, 2024.
“Our lives have changed completely and I never imagined that such a strong love would exist,” Priscila said on social media.
