The Strings of My Heart: My Life's Story

Copyright © 2012 Beatrice Garcia

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-5465-5 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5464-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5466-2 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012909575

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/02/2012

Contents

So I Will Write

Part One

Jesus swept across these broken strings

and now I sing again.

Chapter 1    The Rio Grande Valley

Chapter 2    Patent Leather Shoes

Chapter 3    My New Family

Chapter 4    Equipped For Speaking

Chapter 5    The Comforting Spirit

Chapter 6    Peace in the Storm

Part Two

He knew exactly how to tune that string

so that it made sweet music.

Chapter 7    Courtship and Married Life

Chapter 8    Proved By Fire

Chapter 9    Our Ministry in Texas

Chapter 10    God’s Provision

Chapter 11    Continue to Witness

Chapter 12    Celebrating Healings and Blessings

Epilogue

To my beloved family and friends

And to all those

Who will get to know me

Through the reading of this book

Foreword

How This Book Came to Be

When the idea for this project first came up, it seemed like a simple matter. It would be fun to gather all of Mom’s interesting stories that she had already written and put them together in some type of chronological order. There were just a few which needed to be translated from Spanish into English, and then they could all be put into one document. I knew that if I added to her stories she would make sure the result was absolutely factual, thanks to her clarity of mind and amazing memory at age ninety-five. At one point, after asking Mom questions regarding each story, it was clear that there was still more that needed to be added and more new stories that needed to be written.

My sister, Alice and I decided to work together on this project and we started filling in the gaps. It was like putting together a big puzzle and each piece was making this memoir a more beautiful and complete representation of a precious life. As we wove each new story into those she had already written, we could see the significant threads that ran from beginning to end. Together these stories created a unique tapestry, a splendid weaving with a unifying theme. It recorded the irrefutable and undeniable fact that an invisible presence had directed every step, every trial, and every triumph of her life.

As we are approaching the final draft of Mother’s book, I think about all the different directions her life may have taken had her aspirations been different. She had many opportunities and options. For example, had her goal been wealth and security, she might have at age fifteen married Ezzel and become part owner of a canning factory. If she had coveted an inheritance, she might have told the attorney that her deceased father had provided child support for her when he was alive, and walked away with thousands of dollars during a time of economic depression. Had she chosen to repay grief for grief, she might have chosen to sue the young man that accidentally killed her two precious sons. What if she had demanded that her boss leave her part of the business when he retired as he had promised? The What ifs are endless and their outcomes unpredictable, but her choices were consistent with a woman of virtue. She was not living in this world to gain earthly riches. She was living here to make others rich in faith and in Christ’s love.

In bringing all these stories together, we were able to see the threads that run through her life joining all the events together and revealing the wonderful way that a sovereign Lord chooses and predestinates and calls. Mother heard the call. As a young child, she heard about Jesus through songs and the messages of a dear aunt and grandmother who were faithful to proclaim and live the message of a risen Savior; the message that tells a young fatherless girl that there is a heavenly Father that loves her with an unfailing, everlasting love. Mother believed in that love at a young age; she craved it, she sought it, she pursued it, she embraced it, and she gained it! She left many things behind to go wherever the Lord led her. She believes that whatever promises the heavenly Father has given us in His Word, He will fulfill.

While the task of putting this book together has been a much greater endeavor than we had envisioned, it has nevertheless, been a great privilege and pleasure. Mother has chosen to pursue the greatest reward – to live a life without offense toward God or man. She looks forward to a glorious promise given not only to her but also to everyone who loves the Lord and is waiting for the appearing of Him in His Kingdom.

Elizabeth Martin (Daughter of Beatrice Garcia)

Preface

The journey of my life has been interesting and I pray that this book will inspire the reader to trust in Christ, no matter what circumstances life may bring them. It has been said that I am a member of The Greatest Generation and that may be so. I have lived through World War I, The Spanish Flu, The Great Depression and World War II. But I believe The Greatest Generation is the one that hears God’s voice and obeys. I pray that the readers of this book may listen for that calling in their life and fulfill their destiny.

I thank God for this wonderful life, and I hope that my descendants and you will enjoy this book of memories. May the Lord Jesus bless my humble writing.

So I Will Write

By Beatrice Garcia

I write to tell my history,

Removing any mystery.

Nine decades have flown by,

The adage doesn’t lie.

The stories I love so well,

I feel the need to tell.

So I must start to write,

My children to delight.

They will know my life,

My sadness, trials and strife.

My youth and happy marriage,

How I wheeled their baby carriage.

Yes, I taught them how to pray

And read the Bible every day.

This gift I gave them from the start,

To love the Lord with all their heart.

Life moves too fast a pace today,

Families don’t talk; live far away.

Computers replacing conversations,

About the beauty of God’s creation.

There’s not much left for me to fix,

Now I’m approaching ninety-six.

Thank God, my mind, is nice and clear,

So please sit down, my story to hear.

Acknowledgments

I want to express my gratitude to those who helped me write my life story. First I want to acknowledge my late husband, Patricio Garcia who took me to journalism classes at the Montebello Senior Center when I was in my early seventies. My husband and I were inseparable throughout our long marriage, so his story is included in mine. It was at the Senior Center that I first started writing my autobiographical memories. I want to acknowledge my son, Ruben who encouraged me to continue writing. I appreciate the labor of my daughters, Elizabeth Martin and Alice Landeros, who compiled and organized my stories and gathered the pictures that give more life to these pages. I continued to tell them events of my life to help fill in the gaps that I can still remember clearly at ninety-six years of age. They labored tirelessly to make this book attractive, and an accurate account of my life; they are my co-authors.

A dear friend and neighbor heard about our project and early on volunteered to proofread the manuscript as we developed it. Stephanie Leon, an English major, teacher and writer, willingly and freely rendered her services. She provided us with excellent feedback and recommendations. She encouraged us to continue adding all the stories that I could still remember, and so my book grew to be larger than originally planned. With her help and that of other final reviewers, we were able to make it what it has become – a polished well-written story. In addition I want to thank my friend Pat Reeve who prayed with me that the Lord would help me complete this project – which He did. We thank you dear friends for your labor and prayers.

Beatrice Garcia

Part One

Jesus swept across these broken strings

and now I sing again.

Chapter 1

The Rio Grande Valley

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.

Jeremiah 1:5

It was the 1900s and the turn of a new century. My grandparents, Benjamin Cantu and Severa Rodriguez Cantu, were raising their children in the small town of Los Aldamas, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. My grandmother, Mama Severita, as we lovingly called her, wanted all her children to receive a formal education since she had not. During that period, most girls stayed at home to help with the domestic duties and did not go to school. It was a time of revolution in Mexico, and schools were often shut down. In spite of this, God answered my grandmother’s wish. A Methodist minister named Florencio Toscano opened a private Christian school near their home in Los Aldamas. Señor Toscano instructed her children in reading, writing, and arithmetic. He also began to teach them the Word of God. This was a real blessing. In that town, very few knew how to read, and most did not own a Bible. The Bible was read in the Catholic Church, but only in Latin, a language the people did not understand.

The civil unrest in Mexico was frightful. Mother told me stories of how Grandmother would take the children out to sleep in the cornfield if they heard the rebels were in town. The rebels were abusive, often forcing the young men to join them and frequently taking advantage of the women. Thank God that neither my mother’s family nor their home was ever raided. The Mexican Revolution helped my grandparents make the decision to pack everyone up and migrate to the United States to a region known as The Rio Grande Valley.

Once in the United States, my grandparents came to a small town in southern Texas named Chapin, which was just beginning to grow. The name of the town was later changed to Edinburg. Here, my grandparents and some of the older children found jobs clearing the land for the city in preparation for the construction of new buildings. The family cut down trees, cleared the fields, and set up temporary living quarters in tents while they worked the land. After earning enough money, my grandparents packed up and moved to Mission, just