Meet the Church feat. Rachel Cotto | Having a 'Heart of the House.'

So what's up? Sing your post.

Welcome to the first episode of Meet the Church and I'm here

with Miss Rachel Cotto, AKA Miss Twinkle Toes, as I just learned

this week, which we'll get into that a little later, but this

episode is entitled Heart of the House.

You know, So the the back story for that, for those who may not

know, is I remember a couple years ago when Pastor Ricky and

the team were out in India at the the little liquidation

store, you know, when we were with city posters meeting there.

And I happened to watch a video afterwards, I believe.

I think it was something I like you to.

I was like, hey, that's Miss Rachel.

And correct me if I'm mistaken, but that was the title of what

you're teaching was, was part of the House.

Yes, it was my heart for this House.

Right. So that was just something that

really stood out to me, like, and seeing one like the pleasant

surprise of seeing you leave the church and then how well you

did. Like I was really, really

surprised that I've always seen you as a little reserved, you

know. So to get there and to to be in

the spotlight. No, no pun intended.

But but yeah, it was just something really, really

awesome. And it's something I really

wanted to spotlight in our conversation today.

So that's my introduction. You know, I'm Hector and I'm

here with Miss Twinkle Toes, AKA Rachel, AKA The Heart of the

House, AKA City Post first Lady. Shout out Gavino.

Oh my God. Well, yeah.

So that's my introduction. If you had to to kind of put you

on the spot right now, how would you introduce yourself?

Yes. Well, thank you, Hector, for

having me on the show. You're welcome.

And thank you for your encouraging words that you just

said about me. If everybody doesn't know, you

pretty much have a part time job here at Saint Post Church and we

don't pay you. So thank you for your service to

the Lord and your service to us, not just in this podcast, but in

everything that you do to help get God's message out, not just

to our church, but to the city and to the world.

Anyone with the Internet but an introduction of myself?

Here please. So my name is Rachel Elaine

Gobert Ocado and I was born on April 22nd, 1983 in Tyler, TX.

Shout out nine O 3 the area code for East Texas and I was born to

Brenda and Jerry Gobert. I think I have the most

wonderful parents in the world and that has that right there

has really shaped who I am today.

So your, your mom and dad, you said they shaped you.

You know, I saw something in like your notes, your, your big

little brother. You know, I, I happen to have

one of those two. His name's Jared.

I called him my my little Big Brother AKA my brother's son.

So what? What's that dynamic been like?

I know you said you your parents shaped you, but how has it been

being a big? Well, as the first born and as a

big sister, of course I think I'm the boss.

You think I'm always right. So everyone needs to feel sorry

for my little very tall brother David.

With a deep, deep voice that I still think I know best.

I'm sweetly will still tell him what to do.

But growing up with David was so much fun.

He would play Barbies with me and I would play Soldiers with

him. And it wasn't until I moved off

to college, my junior year of college and came to UT

Arlington. It wasn't until then that we

actually became friends, really. But you know, before then we had

a good time as siblings. But you know, you just, you feel

like, oh, this is my sibling. Then when I moved away then we

probably started missing each other and actually became

friends. That's awesome.

So you mentioned playing like Barbies and shout out your

brother David for playing Barbies with you and shout out

you for playing soldiers with him.

So that that gives us a little bit of insight of younger Rachel

and like what she likes to do for fun.

What about Miss Rachel? Now what do you like to do for

fun? What I like to do for fun is

hang out with playing out with friends, hang out with family.

That is where I get my happiness and my fulfillment is being with

other people. So like game night or my very

favorite is to go dancing. I've loved dancing since I was

in the 1st grade. I took jazz and ballet and then

did ballet. I still do ballet now, but that

was Ricky and his friends that introduced me to salsa.

I mean, but shot them. So anytime that I can get out

there and dance and do those things, it is so fun and free.

Oh, that's awesome. And that was the information

that I got a couple of days ago via text.

And where her nickname that I'm never going to let her live down

came from Miss Twinkle Toes. I like that.

Yeah, for sure. For.

So for our viewers or listeners later, can you give them a

little breakdown of what you did before coming to this podcast

today and where that nickname came from?

Yes, I told Hector I would need to meet with him a little later

tonight because I'd be coming from Leap of Faith Dance and

Pantego having a private Nutcracker lesson for one of the

characters in The Nutcracker through our studio.

So this is a studio that I've danced with since 2004 when I

was at UTA as a say, I was a senior in college when I joined

them. And again, ballet is something

that I have done since first grade.

So now my girls are in dance, but for the studio, they are

newly doing The Nutcracker. It's a production they hadn't

done the force that they're five years, five years into doing it.

And I just so happened to be crazy about The Nutcracker

Ballet. And you can play, play me 5

seconds of any part of The Nutcracker Ballet and I will

know which dance that is. So it's been fun coming in and

as far as the studio is concerned, I'm their expert

Nutcracker person and I've gotten to teach the older girls

their solos and I am actually the granny in The Nutcracker.

I'm a little older now, so I am I can be Miss Twinkle Twinkle

Toes, but it is difficult for me to get all the way up on my toes

in my point shoes these days because I haven't done it in a

while. So I will be cast as the granny

so y'all can come see me the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Oh, that's awesome and you're being a little modest and I

learned this today, you know, as we're kind of hanging out me or

with before the but who did you play in The Nutcracker

previously before this role of granny?

OK, well, if you go all the way back to the my junior year in

high school when I'm, what, 16, I did get to be Clara, the main

star, which was super special. Right.

And then what Ricky was saying is since he's met you pretty

much I've seen The Nutcracker every year, yes.

So that's become a pretty cool Christmas tradition.

So they're lucky to have you at your dance studio because I

don't know who else knows The Nutcracker, that bite here in

five seconds, They know exactly what the song is.

I've never even seen it. So I'm like, that's pretty cool

to me. But you also mentioned the

girls, the girls getting into ballet.

What has that been like for you like as a mom to see them engage

in something you're so passionate about?

It's, it's been really fun. Now they've taught me that they

are not necessarily going to be in love with it as I am and that

they, they of course have their own interests and their own own

talents. So what they really grasp onto

at the dance studio is actually piano, the piano teacher that

comes to the dance studio twice a week.

And so it's real convenient because you can take your piano

lesson and you can jump over to your dance lesson.

The so the the week after week, driving out to Pantego dance

classes can be draining on the girls.

But come the day of the recital, they put on their costume and

get out there on the stage and they really enjoy it.

No, that's awesome. So on that topic of girls and

you, you gave us a little bit of an insight, but in your own

words, how would you define this?

Like being a grandma, say. That one.

More like, what's it like being a grandma?

Yes, a grandma. I almost thought you said

grandma and how we were talking about Granny and The Nutcracker.

We ain't in that character yet. We'll get to granny ages like,

yeah in the future, yeah. OK, being wonderful.

I highly recommend it. Now it's it's pretty simple and

easy right now. I realize that it's going to get

difficult as they become teenagers and have more sass and

more attitude and think that they know everything and that

their parents don't. But it's just been wonderful and

special to get to be a girl mom and then to see Ricky be a girl

dad because he is such a boy. You know, I'll be this such a

boy. I mean go.

Ahead please, please. Like a middle school telling his

jokes, you know, making all kinds of sounds at the dinner

table. And so he's teaching these girls

how to do middle school boys also.

But he so I think that that part will come out in him.

But at the same time, if you, if a boy, a little boy comes over

to play, he doesn't know what to do with them, thinks they're too

wild and loud and won't settle down because he's used to the

girls. Yeah, shout out Pastor Ricky for

sure being a a girl dad. So on that topic of the girls

being 10 and seven, I'll get a little bit of back story of this

question. So I remember a few years ago

when Jared was going into middle school, I remember seeing a post

just pop up on social media a lot, especially on my timeline.

And it was like a photo from a Ted talk.

And I forget who the guy was, but this image just always

really stood out to me of him standing on the stage and in

like the screen behind him. It said be who you needed when

you were younger. Yeah.

So that's just something that really stuck to me.

And this is as Jared is going into arguably the most, like,

developmental time of his life and going into middle school.

And he was going to the middle school that I went to.

And I got into some trouble at, like, I just wanted to be more

of a presence in his life. So that's where this next

question comes from is like, with that perspective in mind.

So let's think back to Rachel when she was 10 or 7, or in that

age group. What is something you would want

to share with little Rachel? That's a good question.

First of all, I love that quote. I haven't heard that before.

Be who you needed to be when you were younger.

That is a challenge, a good challenge for all of us to take

on. Appreciate that.

Yeah, I know it's a it's a little bit of a thinker, so.

That is a thinker. It's something something I wish

I would have known or what I would tell myself when I was

younger. So how would you describe, you

know, Rachel, between the ages of seven and 10?

Let's see. So those were my elementary

school years, which I remember very well.

And elementary school, I was, like you mentioned earlier, that

I was reserved, which I'm not. But in elementary school I was

very shy and quiet. I didn't necessarily feel like I

was, but I remember that being said about me and I remember

that I wasn't a very vocal person, but even though I was

shying quiet, I would say I was still confident.

And that's, I think that's crucial, whatever age we are, is

to know it, to know who we are and to feel good about ourselves

and confident about ourselves. So.

So that wasn't the issue related with the quietness or the

shyness? I'm kind of stumped on this one.

Yeah, I'm sorry. That's that's that was one that

was one question I prepped you on and it kind of just came up

in conversation is me and Rick were talking before you came and

just kind of sparked this train of thought.

Yes, I can think about. If I think about myself as far

as middle school and my school, then I do have.

OK, please. More than I'm absolutely than

myself because elementary school things were easy.

I was thankfully very sheltered and you know, thought that

everybody had what I had. Everybody had it good like I did

in what in White House, Texas. But come middle school and high

school, I would want to even though I was in church and knew

the Lord I became a Christian with when I was in the 5th

grade. Even though I was being poured

into and learning, learning, learning every Sunday, every

Sunday night with the with the youth group.

For me to just have to have a stronger faith and better

understand who the Lord is and have that be my guide and

everything I do, especially as I got into boyfriend relationships

and in middle school and high school to to have waited for a

boyfriend girlfriend relationship.

I tell my girls now that they can't get married until they go

to college 2 times after they get their master's degree and

they're not asking for boyfriends yet.

That answer will be they can have a boyfriend in college.

But to not get distracted with that because that didn't, that

didn't align with my faith and what and what I know.

And it it wasn't necessary. And I remember even in the

eighth grade being heartbroken after my boyfriend broke up with

me. And I remember my dad consoling

me and talking with me about it and probably rolling his eyes

and praising the Lord that their relationship had ended.

In Jesus name, Amen. But like, so that that's what I

would have told myself, Look, look at me now, look what I got.

So it's just not necessary. It's distracting and causes

heartache that you don't need. Man, I love that.

I appreciate you sharing that sentiment and look at God

because it literally rolls right into my next question.

So all right, we need your perspective of how you and Rick

met because we've I've heard multiple times Ricky's

perspective, as you mentioned it.

Let let's hear the truth. I was with y'all met.

Thank you Hector for asking from my perspective because that is

the right perspective. So I I love telling the story.

It was the spring of 2004 when I first noticed Ricky, and it's

important to know that we met at the Baptist Unit Ministry and

UTA. And let's see, we were both,

yeah, both of us were juniors in college at the time, and we met

at the BSM leadership retreat. So each year the BSM has, at the

time, it was about 30-40 college students that serve as leaders

at the BSM. So mostly Bible study leaders,

like small group leaders. I think I was a community group

leader, which is pretty cool. Each small group Bible study has

a Bible study leader to teach the text and has a community

leader to do the icebreaker and to do the communication in

between getting together. So your job is to build

community within the small group.

So we were at a church in Arlington having a leadership

retreat to make plans for the spring semester to get equipped

with what we needed to know to do our jobs.

And I remember us first talking over a cooler, ice and drinks.

And I'm sure the pizza was on the table.

And Ricky remembers me telling him that I had a boyfriend and

it was my high school sweetheart and we were still dating, you

know, four years later and he's at A&M.

Whoop that to Diana. And so Ricky remembers me

telling him that I don't remember that, but I'm sure that

I did then. So we, you know, we become

friends through the BSM. Then the Fast forward a year,

it's me and my friends, him and his friends.

We all start hanging out and it's all BSM friends.

We have Bible study on Tuesday nights and we always go out to

dinner. And Ricky was kind of, Ricky was

in the group of brown guys and they were super popular.

Everybody wanted to hang out with them.

This is Ernesto, this is Mario, Jonathan and Ricky.

So Spring 2004 were having my birthday party at my house.

Me and four girls rented a house in Arlington while we were at

UTA. So Ricky comes over and he

brings a girl to this birthday party.

And that was my first feeling toward him, is that I didn't

like that he brought a girl to my birthday party.

I love Pastor Ricky, man play a play.

I love it. I wasn't until dating my high

school sweetheart. He was at A&M.

I'd still he, I didn't like that.

So that's when I knew, oh, I'm interested in this guy.

Then Fast forward two months later, summer of 2005, and like

I said, Ricky helped introduce me to salsa dancing.

So the white girls and the brown guys from the BSM, we went to

Babalu's in Dallas and Ricky now danced there because I love

dancing. He loves dancing.

So sometimes it's just me and him are the first ones out there

because we're comfortable with it.

And that was that was the moment that I knew I really like this

guy. I didn't want to leave.

I just wanted to stay and for us to to keep dancing.

But it was time to go home. So then from that, that kicked

off the relationship. It was never, he never has said,

will you be my girlfriend? There was.

We didn't have to define the relationship.

We just both knew that we kept calling each other and talking

to each other and visiting each other.

And so by the end of that summer, I dumped the heart and

took on Ricky. I seriously was looking forward

to being single. Like I didn't.

I wasn't. I knew I was going to break up

with my high school sweetheart and I was looking forward to

being single. You know, I'm in, I'm in

college, just about to graduate with my bachelor's.

This was a great time that just be single and have fun.

But Ricky came along and and ruined those plans.

Man, look at God, you know, he said.

We, we make plans. God lapsed, you know what I

mean? So I don't know if that's how

Ricky told this story, and I probably gave you so many more

details than he did, which we. But pretty sure.

OK, yeah. So so you said that kind of

sparked the genesis of y'all dating or like the dating years

like. Oh, they were great, the all the

butterflies, all the excitement. So we dated from the summer of

O5. Then he proposed in O7 and we

got married in O 8. So we're engaged for a year

before we got married. I really think about those

dates. He, he was at UTA when we met

and then he ended up at UNT. So that was a lot of driving for

us to visit each other. That's where Arlington.

And then but it's it's like you don't mind because you're so

excited to see that person. So those those years were so fun

and so enjoyable just falling in love knowing that this is the

person you want to spend the rest of your life with, being so

excited about them, all the butterflies, everything is about

them and when you get to see them next and planning things

for each other. Ricky would leave me cards in my

mailbox and he's super charming and romantic.

He's the first Hispanic guy that I ever dated.

So I assume all of them are like that and which is why I won the

Brown is Better award the BSN in 2006 because.

Me starting to date Ricky there was just a trend after that that

the white girls was and so several of my friends are are in

these interracial marriages and again to brown is better.

I highly recommend it. Yeah.

I love that that perspective because it's definitely not one

I've heard from Rick for sure. So that's definitely been it

makes me makes my heart smile especially like just seeing even

like the little twinkle in your eyes.

You talking about my pastor company?

You know what I mean? So yeah, I love that for both of

y'all. So now the big question, like as

we're wrapping up that segment of, you know, the relationship,

how did he propose? So we were going, it was a

Friday night and we were going to a birthday dinner for his

friend and it was a friend I didn't know very well, a friend

of his from from college. And so we he came and picked me

up at my apartment in Arlington. Then we go to downtown Fort

Worth for the birthday party. And then we come, it's just like

a regular night. All I knew is that we're going

to go to his friend's birthday party.

He didn't act any different. The only thing that I learned

afterwards is his mom was wondering why he needed his cuff

links. So Ricky when we dated Ricky

always wore jeans and a button down shirt and so his mom got

suspicious. His dad knew the proposal was

going to happen that night but his mom didn't but she got

suspicious because he really wanted his couplinks for his

button down shirt but she did find.

So I come back to my apartment and hanging out in my living

room and he just pops the question the ring he didn't have

it in AI mean I'm sure it was in a box at some point but I think

it was just in his pocket. Pulled it out and asked me and I

was shocked and super excited and of course quickly said yes

and hugged him. So that was in I think it was

November of O 7. Oh wow.

Yes. Oh man, that's awesome.

I love hearing that because again, that's that's not a

conversation that has been had with Ricky and yes, yeah, for

sure. So.

So what I appreciate about it is it was it was a complete

surprise. And I also appreciate that he

picked out the ring on his own. A lot of women these days are

like, I need to pick out the ring.

I need. This is what I want.

Some women even take it to the store and get a different 1.

So no, but I think he should pick it out and this should

completely be his plans, which is what that's what he showed me

as we as we were dating, that he would make those decisions for

for me and for us. Yes, that you would.

Lead. Oh, man, that's awesome.

So now we've gotten into like that engagement piece.

Let's Fast forward a little bit to like the marriage and

ultimately to this question. How did it feel when Rick told

you he wanted to be a pastor? OK, so we'll start back with

getting married when the moment we got married.

So when we got married, Ricky and I were serving in the youth

group at a church here in Fort Worth.

And I knew that he was great with with kids.

Like I said, he can be a middle school boy.

So he relates very well with youth.

He is just he's perfect with them and leading them and then

teaching them. And then he ended up going to

seminary, and at seminary he got his master's in education with a

specialty in youth ministry. So at the point we're getting

married, I have no idea that God's going to call him to be a

pastor. I can definitely see youth

minister, youth director, whether that's his job or that's

what he does to volunteer, see that all over him and enjoy

doing that ministry with him. So a couple years later, he did

a lot of youth ministry in our church.

And then even outside our church, he would help with

disciple nails. I had different churches and he

felt God call him to be a pastor.

So when he told me, the first thing I thought is I thought you

were going to be a youth minister.

OK, when I hear new information, it takes me a minute like what

about this? Let me process this like help me

move from here to here. I don't I'm AI need a lot of

help when it comes to change. That's real.

And the and then I also thought, there's a lot of churches

already, maybe we should just join one that that already

exists and help them out. But I quickly learned that the

more churches, the better. The more types of churches, the

the better. The more types of pastors, the

better than. So the more churches we have,

the more people that we can reach.

Then seeing him in action and planting the church and

preaching every Sunday, it's like, Oh yeah, Ricky is supposed

to be doing. Yeah, I love that.

So with, you know, City Post ultimately being planted and

you're observing Ricky and, you know, live out his calling.

What a What went through your mind?

Like when did it register? Like, well, I'm the first lady?

You know, First Lady is really fancy, so I never consider

myself that, but thank you, I will take that title.

Shout out Gavino, and I wonder what does it mean for you now

presently to be the first lady of City close, OK.

OK, well I I still can't believe it.

This planning a church has been an adventure and has been a

blessing. I, like I said, it takes me a

while to process change and I can't believe we're already at

the point where we're at. And it's it's wonderful and it's

beautiful. So as a pastor's wife, the first

thing I am is just is honored to be Ricky's wife.

So proud of him. I mean, I know, I know him.

I know the real him. So to see him and hear him on

Sunday mornings preaching, I'm like, that is the Holy Spirit.

I mean, Ricky Ricky's a great guy.

Ricky's a smart guy, but I can walk away from every ServiceNow

like, Oh my gosh, the Holy Spirit is working through him.

Then the other thing it means for me to be the pastor's wife

is to do my part in helping Rick, Ricky shepherd the church.

I mean, he is absolutely the leader in that, but it it's very

natural for me to care for people and build them up and

encourage them. That is that's one of my

spiritual gifts. That's something that I love to

do. So for that to be like my job

and for me to have full permission and authority to

officially care for people is super cool.

It's not something I have to a role.

I have to ask, can I do this or where people might be wondering

why? Why am I caring for them and

checking on them so much? Oh, that's the pastor's I'm.

Oh, is she supposed to do that? OK, great.

Boy. It's it makes it much more more

natural. That's awesome.

So you spoke a little bit of, you know, checking on people and

I was going to come out and ask the question, what all do you

do? Because I, I, I feel like I have

a little bit of an idea like of your role here, but I, I imagine

that it's so much deeper. So for myself personally and

anyone who may not know what, what are your roles here like?

What all do you do at City Post? Well, I think we can say that

about a lot of us here at the church.

So, Hector, I don't even know what all you do.

So thank you for everything that you do.

And we can, you know, we can say the same, same thing about

Ricky, about Mr. Robert, on and on and on and on.

It takes all of us working together.

And like Ricky has said before, we sure don't work in silos.

We, we work as teams, we help each other out.

And it's not about us. It's about the mission of our

church, the mission of God moving forward and Jesus getting

all the glory. But as the pastor's I just, I do

whatever's needed. The one thing you don't want me

to do is you don't want me to cook.

I'll set up the plates and the cups.

I'll get the drinks ready, but that's that'll be the last thing

that I do. Other than that, I can be a good

host. But when when I think about what

I do here, that the two main things are to create the visitor

experience. So the welcome, the initial

impression that people get when they come to City Post.

So helping create that. So from Joanne helps with the

welcome back, Allison helps build them.

I've got Michael and Annie and Allison and Joanne and Cynthia

as greeters. So having greeters at the doors

and then the follow up with visitors, texting them, emailing

them to thank them for coming and and to create a connection

with them so that they whether it's at our church or any other

church that they are going to church somewhere where they can

worship and where they can serve.

Then the other thing that I really enjoy doing is leading

the ladies Bible study. So I think most pastors wives

are expected to be a leader over the ladies.

I came from working with youth ministry.

I started in youth ministry my freshman year of college.

So at first it felt like, am I good enough?

Am I old enough to be doing this?

But these, the ladies here have been so graceful and so sweet.

It's now that I've taught the ladies Bible study and I do also

teach the youth Bible study. It's almost, it's a little bit

harder to get back into the youth group and remembering how

young they are. And then they don't know as much

now that I've been meeting the ladies and they're they're more

knowledgeable of the Bible so far.

So those are the main thing, main two things I do.

And then, you know, of course I'm excited about the birthdays

every month when I don't mess them up.

Birthdays are important to me anyway.

Men want everybody to know how special that they are.

That's awesome. And you know a little tidbit

about the the women's Bible study.

I got the opportunity to overhear and it partake a little

bit. I remember we had dinner when we

were setting up the, the cameras, you know, to, to add

the, the 2nd and the second and third angle and we all had

dinner together in like the, the welcome room.

And then just hearing y'all cut up afterwards, like I love,

love, love, love how much fun y'all were having and for it to

be at a Bible study in the church.

And then I don't know, I'll be, I'll be staying pretty late

sometimes like just hanging out. So I love that for the women of

our church in the community aspect and for you like to have

that time with, you know, the sisters of the church.

So yeah, just want to encourage you in that because I've never

like actually sat in, but from what I've heard, y'all have a

good time. We have a very good time.

So like on that teaching point, what was going through your head

the first time you like LED us under?

OK, so that was never part of the plan was for me to preach or

teach from the pulpit and never had done that in my life.

And I assume it started with Ricky not being able to find

anyone else to take his place, which is pretty much what I told

him. I'll be your last resort.

There is no other outside pastor that can come in and and teach.

But I've gotten to do it twice now and it is very nerve

wracking. First of all, for me, writing a

sermon was like writing a research paper.

It's so different than leading Bible study because with leading

Bible study you're got the students to discover the

information for themselves whereas A sermon you are telling

them the information, plus some finding a gangster movie

reference that can go along with what you're saying.

City post because it ain't a city post Starting without a

good reference. Exactly.

Which is a little hard for me person.

But you do a great job, you know, you got a, you got a great

guide, Yes. Exactly.

So it was a matter of when, and I kind of had an idea of the

topic. I mean, Ricky said.

Talk about your heart for the church.

But that can be all over the place.

And I do better if you'll tell me, talk about this paragraph in

the Bible and then we can go through line by line and dissect

that. So I mean, that's what I ended

up doing is choosing scripture to go through and you just you

open a Word document on your laptop and you read through the

text several times, then you start breaking it down.

I'm going to talk about this, then this, then this, and then

how am I going to break up the verses?

And then filling in, OK, what, what extra information can I add

here? What analogy can I put here?

So I know that both Sundays we added an extra worship song so I

didn't have to speak as long as Ricky does.

So I'm thankful for that. Shut out our worship team and

you for thinking may as later I can always add one more so you

know I got a little little more more breathing room, you know

because. I don't think I can talk as long

as Ricky does. I don't know how he does them.

I mean, I, I hear that, but I think you're also not giving

yourself the credit of the vessel you are for the Holy

Spirit too, you know, because. Well, thank you for that.

Yeah. For sure, because we're 40

minutes into now and you were kind of like nervous before

this. But look how like just genuinely

being you, you know, like this is flowing really well.

And I think this is going to be encouraging for everyone in our

church. You know, that's the Holy Spirit

speaking through to well. Thank you.

For sure and and kind of like on that topic of, you know, that

first time, the heart of the house, the heart of the church,

your heart for the church and you said it can kind of be a lot

of things. Where's your heart like for the

house right now That. That's a good question by heart

for our church. I mean, it will always be to

fall more in love with Jesus and to look more like Jesus.

So that's that's a goal for myself and that that's a goal

for everyone I know, but especially the people of our

church. And then one of my passions is

the family, one of my passion. Like as you noticed that ACH,

one of my my passions is for children to have a proper

upbringing with a family that loves Jesus and have everything

be healthy and appropriate as God has designed it.

So just because I do have a passion for that and know the

importance of the family unit being ideal as God has designed

it, I'll, that is also my heart for this church is for our

families to be good and to be healthy and for all of our kids

to have everything, everything that they need emotionally,

emotionally, physically. That's so awesome.

And it's, it's so evident in how the Holy Spirit is how God has

been moving and children of this church, like how many kids have

brought their parents to this church, you know, like then and

then again, something me and Rick were talking about before,

but we started recording. But like how much the kids enjoy

going to their class, like shout out Miss Eileen and Estevan and

Connie. Like the Lord is building a

great team for our ministry. And we got a little ones running

around here like, which is so fun to see, like them having fun

and the House of the Lord playing and the House of the

Lord and like knowing that they're being taught under

really, really strong biblical truth, you know, So that's a

that's a great sentiment. If where your heart is for the

house and like family specifically, I like to shift

gears a little bit like staying on that topic of heart of the

house in the families of our church.

How would you describe the women of City Coast?

These women are some of the strongest women I've ever met.

And it's been really special. The women that have come to the

Bible study, getting to know them.

Like you said, we are really good at cutting it up.

We're also really good at sharing very personal

information as we should. So hearing their stories of what

they have gone through and are and are even still going through

and seeing their strong faith. And then for some of them,

seeing them come to faith and be at City Post.

So we all watch out because these women are awesome.

And I can remember specifically when Gabino got baptized, he

said because Diana had gotten baptized 1st.

And Gabino said, I need to match my wife's energy.

Come on. And I'm like, Oh yes, So they,

these women have set a standard for all of us to rise to.

And so I'm so I'm so thankful for their example.

They they're awesome. Amen.

So with that sentiment of, you know, saying how awesome the

ladies of our church are, would you like to take a moment to

share an encouraging word for any of them that may be watching

or listening or just anyone in our church like any encouraging

word, but I would prefer for it to be the women.

Well, I appreciate that and. It's Ladies Day.

Absolutely. So to the women at our church, I

love you. You are special, you are

amazing. You are created by God and he

defines who you are. He defines what you are to think

about yourself. And my encouragement to you is

thank you for you ladies that have been able to join us at the

Bible study. If anyone is not in the ladies

Bible study yet, let's see, we're, I guess we're aged.

We also have the the young adults Bible study.

So I would like to speak to those ladies too.

But so for all the women in our church, young adults and older,

if you're not already plugged into a Bible study, be plugged

in because that is how we get to know the Bible better, get to

know the Lord better and get to know each other better.

It is just so good and so rich and it's just two hours out of

your week. Now it can be 4 hours out of

your week if you choose to stay for dessert and coffee and

chitchat, but we are from 7:00 to 9:00 normally and want to

encourage you to stay strong in your faith.

I know that a lot of you are carrying a lot of burdens,

carrying a lot of duties and responsibilities.

So seek the Lord, spend time with Him.

Take care of yourself. Like Eileen always says, we, we

give from the overflow. So if there's not, if there's

too many withdrawals and not enough deposits, you're going to

be be running on empty and then lean on each other and know that

I am here for you. Anything that you need.

It is my my joy to help take care of you.

Oh, that's awesome. And it demonstrates your heart

for this house, which I love because it's definitely like the

topic of this conversation. And one last question.

Who is someone like specifically your ladies group?

Who's someone that this podcast in this church needs to hear

their story? So we get to choose the next, we

get to invite them and it gets to be a lady.

That's really hard to choose. So the answer is all of them,

but I will give you who should be next.

You can get in like 3 to 5 if that helps dial it down OK.

Monica begs Annie. Yes, which I didn't know until

like a month ago that that's Monica's mom.

Oh my gosh, Hector. Bro Annie looks great, Monica

looks great too but like they they look genuinely thought they

were sisters. Oh, Annie's going to love you.

I told her this and she looked at 1 feels like see sorry I

interrupted. Love that.

And I mean, we'll keep going down the line.

Then next would be Lauren because there's there we have

Annie, Monica, Lauren. We have 3 generations in our

church, which is awesome. It's special for us.

And it's super special for them to be at church together because

not very many people can say they're at their church with

their mother and their daughter and then Diana and Connie.

Yeah, yeah, I love that. So I mean, you, you can have all

of them. They've they have all got not at

the same time because that would be overwhelming conversation,

but. I'm thinking like, as you say

that I was like, this is going to be like the yapping

Chronicles of this podcast for sure.

But sorry, continue. No but but.

Good yapping. Absolutely.

Absolutely. They, they, they have a lot of

insight and a lot to share and they and they're awesome.

Well, that's all I got. Would you like to share any

other closing words or would you like to close in prayer?

Yes, let's go close and pray. That sounds perfect.

All right, y'all pray with us. Heavenly Father, we love you.

This is all for you. I thank you for this time with

Hector. It is.

I'm just honored and humbled that he would want to hear

anything I have to say because it's just me.

And Lord, I know that any hope and any joy that I have, all the

characteristics that I have are from you.

So I thank you for that, and I give you the credit for anything

that I am. And Lord, we want to lift up our

church to you. Would you meet their needs?

Would you take care of them? Would you show them more of who

you are? Would you keep them strong and

steady in their faith? Would you keep us unified and

keep us having the strong community, community that we do

have? And would you continue to grow

us just for the sake of other people also knowing you, knowing

the gospel, knowing your salvation.

And it's in Jesus name that I bring Amen.

Amen. Well this has been the first

episode. I forgot what you called it.

Meet the Church of Meet the church with Miss Twinkle Toes

AKA Miss Rachel Carlo AKA the Heart of the house.

See you post. We love y'all.

Hopefully we see y'all at Trunk or Treat.

If not, we'll see you Sunday. We like y'all.

We out.