SLIGO WELCOMES NEW SENIOR PASTOR

Family photo with wife CUC alumna, Jill Walker Gonzalez, son Ian, and daughter Ella Naria

Left to right - Karla Rivera, Paulette Jumalon, Rachel Hyman, Javier Gonzalez, Alessandra Sorace, Rudy Micelli

Around the same time, Gonzalez had also been working from the North American Division, which at the time was housed at the General Conference. He was a part of a non-profit organization called Hope for Humanity, which allocated funds for projects inside and outside of the US. It was a unique experience for him to see what the church did firsthand, outside of pastoral ministry. Then, after meeting and marrying his wife, Jill Walker Gonzalez, they both made the difficult decision to move to the West Coast in New Mexico to work on their graduate degrees. There, they both attended the University of New Mexico (UNM), Gonzalez working on a Master’s in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting.

As a recipient of the UNM vocal assistantship award, Gonzalez was required to teach a certain amount of voice students over the course of every semester. Over time, he learned to appreciate and share his experience and knowledge with his students. “Teaching was never one of those things I had envisioned for myself, but I’ve come to be very good at it,” Gonzalez said. “I see it as part of the service I give back because going out and performing and seeing the reactions of the people--that to me is awesome the impact you have on their life--the same impact and the reward I saw in my students’ lives, what they are accomplishing now.” After graduating from the UNM, he accepted a vocal faculty position at La Sierra University and moved to California.

In 2015, the Gonzalezs founded a non-profit ministry called Live for One. Live for One’s mission is to help refugees who are being persecuted for their faith in the Middle East. Partnering with organizations that are directly involved in saving refugees, Live for One travels nationally and internationally to set up concert events with the intention of spreading awareness and raising funds that go towards relocating families and providing and giving access to resources like food and medical care. Though setting up events and traveling to continue their ministry through music has become more difficult due to the pandemic, they are continuing to help families in Jordan and those grievously affected by the ongoing Syrian War. If you would like to support the Live for One mission, please visit livefor1.com for more information.

Now, Gonzalez lives with his family in New Mexico, continuing to teach voice at La Sierra University online due to COVID-19 restrictions while balancing performing and working for the mission of Live for One. For the students currently enrolled at Washington Adventist University, he encourages them to maintain their faith throughout every trial and achievement. “Don’t forget where you’ve come from. And when I say that, I don’t just mean it as people would understand it, meaning your neighborhood, your family--that’s important. But the basis for life has to do with your faith because, in the end, nothing and no one can save you except your faith in Christ. We cannot rationalize by compromising our faith and what it is that God wants us to do. Because if we are willing to compromise on certain matters for our career or for our future, then what we are saying is that we are willing to compromise for our salvation as well. Always keep that as the main component of how you do your education, what you plan to do with that education when you are finished.”