My name is Diana Salsman and when I became the Women of Grace Regional Coordinator for Texas, I was humbled and yet eager to help all women in Texas discern the specific mission entrusted to them by Our Loving Father. As I meet many of the women during their time of learning, as well as at their Going Forth Celebrations, I am edified at the beautiful ways Our Lady and her spouse, the Holy Spirit, guide them.  I recently attended a Spanish Women of Grace Going Forth ceremony. I was blessed to be among such beautiful Women of Grace, and witness deep transformations and conversions of faith. I wish to now introduce you to a couple of these women as they share their personal stories of transformation through the Women of Grace study program.

“My name is SIlvia Lashway, I am Mexican and I was educated in the Catholic Faith. In 2006 I changed my residence to the United States and in 2009 I began to attend a Christian Church, where my interest in the Virgin Mary began to decline and my religion was not well defined. However, during the last three years, I have remained strong in the Catholic Faith, where I was continually taken courses and prayer workshops. These courses help me grow stronger in my faith and my relationship with God. I learned that God is and should be the center of my life, however, the respect and admiration to the Virgin Mary and the Saints were no longer in my heart. Women of Grace study has inspired me in several ways and I now, know, that I have certain duties or obligations.

My obligation to God. Thanks to God, I, as did the Virgin Mary, have the ability to bring both human and spiritual life into this world. I also have a duty to evangelize, because that is why women were created. We need to be instruments of God and to help humanity not to degenerate.

My obligation to my family. Just like the Virgin Mary was loyal and loving to her Son and husband, through prayer, silence and total acceptance of God’s will. That is the way of life I should follow with my own family.

My obligation to my neighbor. I have learned we have been given so many beautiful gifts and blessings and we have to use them with those people we encounter during our every day life. I have also learned of so many things that we, as humans, cannot do and how we constantly fall into sin; nevertheless, thanks to prayer, love and forgiveness of God, I have the opportunity to forgive and be forgiven.

My acceptance of the Virgin Mary. I understood why the Virgin Mary has a very special place with God, in the Bible, and most important for all the descendants of humanity, especially those of Catholic Faith. Because of Virgin Mary willingness to say Yes, to God’s call, we had the opportunity for Jesus to come into our lives. Both Jesus and Mary, the Mother of God, are the living examples of how to reach and get close to God our Father.

My acceptance of the Saints. Thanks to all the beautiful stories of the Saints, I have learned that as humans, we sin and suffer, but at the end, the love of God is bigger and brighter and lets us know we are at the right place and God is with us. Just as the Saints, I also can help be a light of God.

Women of Grace Study has helped me reach a new level of faith, love and acceptance to the will and providence of God in my life.”

Spanish Translation:
“Mi nombre es Silvia Lashway soy Mexicana y fui educada en la Religión Catolica. En el año 2006, cambie mi residencia a los Estados Unidos, en el 2009 empece a acudir a una Iglesia Cristiana donde mi perspectiva e interes hacia la Virgen Maria empezó a decaer y mi religión no estaba bien definida. En los últimos tres años me he mantenido firme en la Religión Católica, donde continuamente he tomado varios cursos y talleres de oración, los cuales me ayudaron a que mi fe y mi relación con Dios fueran creciendo, aprendí que Dios es y debe ser el centro de mi vida, pero el respeto y admiración a la Virgen Maria y a los Santos seguian fuera de mi corazón, gracias al estudio de Mujeres Llenas de Gracia ha despertado en mi varios compromisos.

Mi compormiso hacia Dios. Que gracias a El, al igual que la Virgen Maria tengo el don de dar vida humana y vida espiritual, y el compromiso de evangelizar, porque para eso fuimos creadas las mujeres, para ser un instrumento de Dios para que el mundo no degenere.

Mi compromiso hacia mi familia. Asi como la Virgen Maria que siempre fue fiel y amorosa hacia su Hijo y esposo, a traves de la oración, del silencio y de la aceptación total a los planes de Dios. Es el ejemplo vivo que tengo que seguir con mi familia.

Mi compromiso hacia mi prójimo. Aprendí tantas cosas bellas por las que hemos sido dotadas y las cuales hay que aplicarlas con todas las personas que pasan por nuestra vida diaria, tambien tantas cosas que como humanos no debemos hacer y que constantemente caemos en el pecado, pero gracias a la oración, al amor y al perdón de Dios tengo la oportunidad de perdonar y ser perdonada.

Mi aceptación a la Virgen Maria. Comprendi el porque la Virgen Maria tiene un lugar muy especial en Dios, en la Bilbia y sobre todo para todos los descendientes de la humanidad, especialmente para los Católicos. Gracias a Ella, al decir Si al llamado de Dios, tuvimos la oportunidad que Jesús llegara a nuestras vidas, para que ambos sean el camino y el ejemplo vivo para llegar a nuestro Amado Padre Dios.

Mi aceptación hacia los Santos. Gracias a todas las bellas historias de los Santos, aprendí que como humanos, pecamos y sufrimos, pero al final, el amor de Dios sale grande y brillante para decirnos aquí tenías que llegar y aqui estoy. Así como los Santos yo tambien puedo ayudar a ser una luz de Dios.

Gracias al estudio de Mujeres Llenas de Gracia que me ha ayudado a dar un paso más en mi nivel de fe, amor y aceptación a Dios y a los planes de Dios.”

“My name is Ana. I was diagnosed with Lupus 6 years ago, and so I decided to join Bible classes in my Parish. But, in the beginning of 2014, I was invited to be a part of a group of women and follow what sounded like a beautiful study, called Women of Grace. Even tough it sounded like a great idea, I tried running from it, but at the end it was God’s will that I stayed and so I did.

At the beginning i thought it would be the same as other courses i had taken before in which i grew in knowledge, but not in faith. I prayed for God’s mercy and asked His help in finishing it, because with my illnesses I had bad day and worse ones.
Little by little I started trusting in God more and more leaving everything in His hands. As the time passed on I saw myself grow in the study of Women of Grace and I could feel my illness move away from me. My mother would ask me do not call it “my illness” and so I started to back away from the certainty of being sick forever.

I abandoned my self, my body and my illness to God and the Holy Virgin Mary. I firmly believe that the study of Women of Grace gave me the wisdom to be brave and stand firm against my anguish and pain, and completely embrace God and let my self be His.

I started to have faith that my illness would part from me one day, even when my Doctor assured me that was not even possible and that this illness would be part of me forever. Today I can say that the Study of Women of Grace has guided me to physical and spiritual wellness, I have recuperated at a 95% and have not taken any medicine that was only weakening my body. I feel healthy because God promised it to me and I know He will carry on with His promise. Thank you God.”

Spanish Translation:
“Me llamo Ana, me diagnosticaron Lupus hace casi 6 años y me acerque a grupos de Biblia en mi parroquia hace algunos años. A principios de 2014 me invitaron a un estudio muy hermoso que aunque trate de escaparme al final dije que sí. Pensaba que era otro más de tantos que he tomado en la vida y que me habian dado conocimiento, más no crecer en fe. Al iniciar el estudio de Llenas de Gracia soñé con que Dios al fin tuviera misericordia de mi y me ayudara a terminarlo, con la enfermedad tenía días malos y otros peores, pero poco a poco fui dejando todo en manos de Dios y con el tiempo y el estudio de Llenas de Gracia que avanzaba también veía avanzar lejos de mi esa terrible enfermedad.

Mi madre me repetía que no dijera “mi enfermedad” y así poco a poco mi mente fue apartando la idea de tenerla por siempre. Le deje a Dios y a mi Santísima Virgen esa enfermedad. Ahora creo firmemente que el estudio de LLenas de Gracia me dio la sabiduría para enfrentar mi angustia, el dolor y abandonarme completamente a Dios. Tuve fe en que la enfermedad un día se disiparía de mi, aún cuando mi médico me aseguró que me acompañaría toda la vida, yo tuve fe en que no tendría que ser así. Al día de hoy se que el estudio de Mujeres llenas de gracia me guió hacia la salud física y espiritual. Estoy recuperada en un 95%, he dejado todos los medicamentos que sólo transtornaban mi cuerpo y me siento sana porque Dios me lo prometio y se que lo va a cumplir pronto. Gracias Dios.”

For more information on how you can bring Women of Grace to your area in English or Spanish, please email us at info@womenofgrace.com or call 1-800-558-5452.