5 minute read
What More Can We Do?
WHO WE ARE | FAITH IN ACTION
Lieutenants Guilbaldo De La Cruz and Yesenia Hernandez, pastors at the Salvation Army’s church in Passaic, N.J., have let the community know that, no matter when they are needed, they are on call to serve. Their untiring efforts are inspired by their commitment to God and the many volunteers who give their precious time to support the ministry.
“This is the example we try to set for our family and our volunteers,” says Lieutenant Hernandez. “Just because there are certain times we serve lunch, it does not mean that we tell a hungry person at our door, ‘It’s not time for you to eat.’ If we do not feed that person now, he or she may go days without any food.”
“We cannot go to our homes at night, look at the roof over our heads, and not think about people in our community who do not have the same,” says Lieutenant De La Cruz. “As officers, we are driven by asking ourselves, ‘What more can we do for them?’”
Papers and Uniforms
Originally from New Brunswick, N.J., Guilbaldo and Yesenia attended a church that was forced to close when its leaders could no longer afford the facility. Fortunately, the Salvation Army’s New Brunswick Corps officers had lent their church space to
others in the past. Many members of Guilbaldo and Yesenia’s congregation also saw The Salvation Army as a church. They received a warm welcome when they started going to the New Brunswick Corps for the first time.
“We were fascinated to learn the mission of the Army, their call to service, and the reason they wore those beautiful uniforms,” remembers Yesenia.
Guilbaldo says, “I wanted to look and be like the officers at the corps. I thought to myself, What can I do to wear those elegant uniforms too?”
The couple took soldier classes and became members of the New Brunswick Corps. But it would be a decade before they would get a chance to enroll as cadets in the Salvation Army’s College for Officer Training (CFOT). Guilbaldo was undocumented, and Yesenia, who had already received her residency, was working with Guibaldo to get his residency too.
— Lieutenant Hernandez
“I wanted the work that I do to reflect my need to serve God, and I knew that the way to do that was by becoming a legal resident,” says Guilbaldo. “It was frustrating; I prayed to God often. I said to Him, ‘I do not want to be here breaking a law.’”
When Guilbaldo was finally able to get his residency papers, they both found employment with The Salvation Army. This income made it possible to pay the immigration lawyers who had helped Guilbaldo obtain his residency status.
“We were able to pay off all the bills from Guilbaldo’s case within six months,” says Yesenia. “From there, we finally enrolled at the CFOT in 2017.”
“We hadn’t been in a school environment like this for many years,” says Guibaldo. “Adhering to a schedule and studying books for hours was all very hard.”
Yesenia said, “An officer said to us, ‘If you’re not going to give your 100 percent here, don’t even bother.’ The words seemed very aggressive and direct. I was shocked at her bluntness. But that was what I told my family when we went to the CFOT. ‘We are all going to give it 100 percent, even if it is difficult or if it cuts into our personal time.’ We learned so much by giving it our all.”
The first assignment
As a full–time volunteer in the New Brunswick Corps, Lieutenant Hernandez saw many officers come and go to new appointments and learned from all of them. But in their first assignment, the couple saw that running the Passaic Corps would be different than what had been expected of them in New Brunswick or even at the CFOT.
“New Brunswick taught me how to organize my day according to the corps’ needs. It was crucial for being able to get anything done. The CFOT prepares you for what might happen as an officer, but when you start your appointment, you may immediately be in charge of a building in a community that looks to you for help right away,” says Hernandez.
“New Brunswick had seven employees to help the officers. Here, there are no employees; it’s just us. But we are blessed to have so many devoted volunteers who put in their time every day to help the corps.”
Many of the volunteers were surprised to learn that the building displaying the Salvation Army’s shield was actually a church. Initially, they only saw its workers as people who wanted to help by feeding the homeless community.
“I’m inspired when someone asks, ‘What can I do to help you with your mission?’ That makes us want to work harder ourselves,” says Lieutenant De La Cruz.
Cautious, but not afraid
Hernandez knew that the COVID–19 pandemic would have an effect on the couple’s first assignment. She remembers driving down to a Walmart in New Brunswick after their CFOT graduation because she heard that masks and disinfectants were still in stock.
“In dealing with the pandemic, we are cautious, but not afraid. We have faith in God to keep us safe and keep the building open,” says Hernandez. “Fortunately, we have received help from city hall and the Army. They provided supplies to serve others who are trying to stay healthy.”
“Some people say that telling someone ‘No’ is easy. For me, it would be the hardest thing in the world to say that to someone who comes looking for food or a place to stay warm,” says De La Cruz. “We follow the recommendations of the city and health officials because, above everything, we must be able to keep the corps open and running.”
God’s hand
The officers have more than earned the privilege to wear those uniforms they admired from afar in New Brunswick. Today, they say that there is more for them to do for the Army. Their next goal is to establish a new way to feed the community.
“We are talking to the city and drafting a proposal to have a day–long food program for Passaic,” says De La Cruz. “We’re going to see what we would need to serve at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
“Everything that has happened to us only becomes fruitful when we let God do His work,” says De La Cruz. “I see His hand in the funds and food donations that come, but the most valuable of all is seeing His presence through the time that volunteers give to the Passaic Corps.”
“Sometimes I look at our volunteers and ask myself, Who puts that deep love of helping others into their hearts? The answer is always, God Himself,” says Lieutenant Hernandez.
