John and Flora Cruz sat down with Pastor Walton this week to discuss growing up on Guam, coming to know Christ, and spiritual growth within the local church.
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Episode Transcript
Chris Harper: Welcome to Harvest Time. My name is Chris Harper, and our host on this program is pastor Gary Walton, the lead pastor at Harvest Baptist Church. Every week, we spend these twenty five minutes together telling you the stories of our church, interviewing our members and other friends of the ministry. We’d like to invite you to join us at Harvest Baptist Church this week. We have two services on Sunday, 08:45AM and 10:45AM.
Be a great week to join us because we’re having our Christmas celebration at both services this week. We hope you can join us then, 08:45AM, 10:45AM. Let’s begin today’s Harvest Time by welcoming Pastor Gary Walton. Hi, Pastor.
Gary Walton: Hafa adai, Chris. Christmas, time, the Christmas season is such a special time for everybody. Of course, we know it’s filled with family and, celebrations and, you know, everybody has, you know, work, parties and all of those things. One of the best things for me about Christmas, and I know a lot of people around here too, is that we just love being together with our church family. So there’s a lot of sort of special Christmas celebrations that we’re able to participate in together.
This Sunday, there’s actually two things I want to invite you to. One is our Christmas celebration, and that’s in the morning services. And we’re gonna do, there’ll be a lot of extra singing specials, congregational singing. We’ve got some reading that’s gonna be a part of it. It really will just be a sweet time of remembering the birth of Jesus.
And then in the evening, we’ve done this you know, annually for a few years now, we call it a sunset communion service. We’ll actually have an outside 06:00, just time out kind of in our car line area. All the Christmas lights on campus will be lit. We’ll do a little bit of a candlelight during that evening. It’s just a sweet time together.
And so if you’d like to join us at that time as well, we’d certainly like to invite you. Well, we’re really glad to have with us a couple that’s been around Guam for a long time, and God’s brought them to Harvest recently, and I’m so thankful for that. But welcome to John and Flora Cruz. Thank you guys for being with us.
John Cruz: Thank you.
Gary Walton: God has brought John and Flora to Harvest in this past year and it’s really been sweet. We love how you guys have connected with a lot of different people. And excited to get to know you a little bit more to the rest of the church family here. You guys both grew up here in Guam, is that right?
John Cruz: Yes.
Gary Walton: Okay. Tell me a little bit about that. What’s it like growing up? What village did you grow up in? John, let me start with you.
John Cruz: John I grew up in Maina, and I went to Agana Heights Baptist Church growing up. So I was around the fundamentals of knowing Jesus is love and having having moved at 10 years old, it kind of let me see what what I was missing going to different groups and churches. So being home is nice.
Gary Walton: Yeah, yeah, it’s great. Flora, where did you grow up?
Flora Cruz: I grew up in Yigo.
Gary Walton: Tell me a little bit about your family growing up.
Flora Cruz: Growing up, I was raised by my auntie at the age of 12. My parents passed away when I was very young. They would pass away when I was 12 years old, so my auntie raised us from then on.
Gary Walton: That was I I don’t know that we’ve talked about that before.
Flora Cruz: I don’t really share it because it’s still, like, it still gets me.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Well, it’s such an important critical time of life. Both your parents passed away around the same time. Yeah. I’m so sorry.
And your auntie then really came along and became family for you, took care of you during that time. As you look back on that, are you, do you able to see kinda God’s presence walking with you? What did you think about spiritually, you know, during that time, or is it hard to remember?
Flora Cruz: Honestly, at that time, I didn’t understand. Like, I felt angry, like, because I needed my parents and I was really young.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
Flora Cruz: And I just had a lot of anger.
Gary Walton: Do you have siblings? Any brothers or
Flora Cruz: seven siblings.
Gary Walton: Okay.
Flora Cruz: I have four sisters and two brothers.
Gary Walton: Where are you in the
Flora Cruz: I am right in the middle.
Gary Walton: Right in the middle. Yeah. Yeah. So that’s pretty traumatic for the whole family. Right?
And so you’re trying to deal with your own grief and loneliness and, you know, older siblings. And it’s not that unusual to to feel angry about it. I wonder why that happened. As you got older, how did you how did you kind of process that?
Flora Cruz: I think I just put it out of my mind because I didn’t really wanna deal with it. Mhmm. Like, I didn’t wanna feel it. I didn’t understand it. I questioned a lot.
Like, I questioned why something like this would happen.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
Flora Cruz: Like, think at that point in my life, I was really lost.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Let me I’m going to ask John a little bit about a story and then if it’s okay I’d like to come back to you on kind of on that question. Like so where was the point in time where you felt like you could kind of find your way again? Maybe I can ask you that in a minute. John, pick up your story.
So grew up in this area. Tell me about your relationship with God.
John Cruz: My relationship with God was very, I wanna say typical. Like, I wake up because my parents say, get up. It’s time to go to church. Get up. We gotta go to church.
It’s Awana. It’s Vacation Bible School. We gotta go. And so I grew up learning the stories and knowing that Jesus died for my sins to save me. And as I got older, I was like, they keep drinking they keep drinking the grape juice and eating the bread.
I want that. I’m hungry. You know? And so when we moved to California
Gary Walton: How old were you when you moved there?
John Cruz: We moved in ‘ninety six. I was 10.
Gary Walton: Ten. Okay. That’s what you’re saying earlier, yeah.
John Cruz: Yeah. So I got baptized at Alameda Baptist Church, and it was then when I was like, If I die, I don’t wanna not know what’s happening. I wanna go to heaven. I want to be like Jesus. And so I gave myself as much as I thought I could to Jesus.
And with life as it happens, I backslided. Mhmm. And I was like, you know what? People that don’t believe, they have it a lot easier. So I kinda was like, I wanna be part of the world, but I still wanna love Jesus.
Mhmm. Like, that’s why I’m saying that foundation, I’m glad I had it because I need Jesus every day. And knowing that I have him, no matter how far I feel like I might get pushed, I know that I need to hold that rope and say, took my yoke, but He still has my lifeline. So I pull back and I want to be closer to Jesus. I want to be surrounded by people that love the Lord.
It keeps me more focused.
Gary Walton: It’s easy to get distracted in life. Very. And particularly when we’ve made commitments, actually I love how you said that, as much as I knew how, I really did kind of give my life Jesus, which is what each of us, God calls all of us to that, will you be a follower of me? And we have to say yes or no. Right?
Everybody has to do that. But then it’s easy to become distracted along the way. There’s lots of other things competing for our attention.
John Cruz: Very much.
Gary Walton: Tell me when, you know, is there a point later on in life where it felt like, Yeah, I’ve got to reconnect again? Tell me about that.
John Cruz: Yeah. So we had a pastor come to Agana Heights Baptist Church. We lost our pastor and so we were in like, I think it was like over five years of searching for a pastor. He came and he was like, I’m focusing on bringing in new, right? So I’m focusing on the young.
And he was growing us and everything, and I thought he was great. But a lot of the older folks were like, You know, I’m still here. Focus on the old people too. And he’s like, The old people know already, so I’m focusing on the young because they need to know where to go. And so that separated our church.
We lost a kids program and everything. The kids come with us to church and they don’t focus. And so I was like, I feel like I need more. I was getting pushed away, more like losing motivation. But I always like, God has everything planned.
I always tell my wife, put my hands like this and go, Jesus got the whole world in his hands. Everything’s happening. He knows it’s here. It’s right here. We gotta trust him.
And so I was like, I don’t know what to do. I don’t wanna go to church right now. And then my cousin Kathy called me up. She’s like, Hey, why don’t you come to Harvest and check it out? I was like, I love that idea.
I always knew about Harvest. I just never thought about leaving Agana Heights because it’s family. And so the first day we came to Harvest, I was like, I love everybody. Jesus showed us love. We should show love, too.
Gary Walton: Well, John, you and I have talked about this a couple of different times. I’m always encouraged by, you and Flora both. Just your desire for your children and for your family, you know, really burdened that you’d be growing spiritually. I know you’re burdened to lead your family well. And I’m excited about that.
Just watching your kids and you guys grow in your faith and God continuing to stretch you. I’m really thankful for that and thankful for God’s leading for you. Thank you. Flora, you talked about that kind of feeling lost. How did how did you feel like maybe that So
Flora Cruz: when John and I started dating, he would say, let’s go to church. He would take me to church and then, like, I would just sit there, you know, listen to the sermon that was being taught. And then I started to, like, really listen and hear and understand. And then there was one speaker, he was like he did like an activity where he’s like, everyone just close your eyes. If you know you’re going to heaven, raise your hand.
I didn’t raise my hand because I didn’t know. Mhmm. And so, like, me constantly going and listening and hearing, I understood. And then I talked with pastor Al before we got married. And then, you know, I
Gary Walton: You’re doing great. And
Flora Cruz: so I talked to pastor Al, our old pastor at Agana Heights Baptist Church. And on that day, I accepted Jesus as my savior.
Gary Walton: Amen.
Flora Cruz: And, yeah, there was a point where we stepped away from the church, but I’m glad that we’re back now and we’re with a community that, you know, encourages our growth with the Lord.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Amen. You guys, you have children. Right? How old are your kids? What’s their
Flora Cruz: John is 10 years old and then Hermenia is seven.
John Cruz: Okay.
Flora Cruz: Sorry.
Gary Walton: No. It’s great.
Flora Cruz: Had to think about that one.
Gary Walton: Yeah. It’s it’s so great seeing your kids, you know, just desiring to follow the Lord and, you know, you guys lead them. That’s, yeah, that’s that’s really cool. John, you were talking about this. So, you know, you became a Christian, ten, eleven.
When did you guys move back or when did you move back to Guam?
John Cruz: We moved back in 2005. Okay.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Yeah. And you were how old at that time? 18. Okay.
So you kind of finished high school in The States. Came back. You guys met sometime around there?
John Cruz: 2007.
Gary Walton: Okay. Yeah. Alright. How did you sense kind of some of those challenges of the high school years? Did you feel like was it a struggle for you to try to follow the Lord?
How about those years?
John Cruz: So I talked with Pastor Wade about it once, right? And I was like, It’s hard to sit on the fence. You can’t be both sides
Gary Walton: Yeah.
John Cruz: Because one person’s pulling you this way, the other person’s pulling you that way. I said, I didn’t want that because I didn’t wanna fall over and not be on the fence anymore.
Gary Walton: Right.
John Cruz: So that’s what kinda always pulls me back. Like, I need Jesus, right? And so in high school I had friends, you know, we go and do stuff and get in trouble. But then on Sundays, Wednesday nights, I wake up, I go to church, and then I feel I feel fresh. And then Monday I go back to school and it’s like, Let’s get in trouble.
And so that’s why I was in high school. Was back and forth.
Gary Walton: Yeah. And you end up feeling uncertain about a lot of things, right? I mean Jesus said no man can serve two masters because you either hate the one and love the other or you hold the one and despise the other. So yeah, it’s very easy for that to happen. We really do feel torn in that time.
To be able to be a fully committed follower of Jesus is really what discipleship means for us. Flora, what about you? So you made that decision to be a follower of Jesus. Was it all easy after that?
Flora Cruz: No. I mean, I’m human. I make mistakes. There are still times where my I don’t like, my actions don’t reflect. You know?
Like, I do make mistakes. I get angry. I do petty things. You know? But I still, you know, I pray and I ask the Lord to forgive me and just to help me be a better person the next day, you know, and to constantly remind myself to live in His word, the way that He would want us to.
Gary Walton: We talked about this before, you know, a number of months back. But what is the significance of fellowship for you, you know, community, other believers? Why is that a big deal, you know, to you guys in your walk with Lord?
Flora Cruz: For me, I feel like it encourages my walk with the Lord. Like it brings me closer. Like, there are times where I’m like or also, like, if we during, like, community group, like, there if we go over stories and they’re like they explain it, I’m like, oh, I never saw it like that. You know, it’s like fresh eyes. And then somebody else would, like, share their opinion, which is which gives you a different look or a different, you know, a different view.
John Cruz: Community, like, as far as having other believers encourage you and, you know, they give you that support and that love, It lets you know, like, even though even though times are rough, just call on me, you know? I’ll be there to help you out. I need help too. So you can be there to help me out.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
John Cruz: And it’s like, it is that brother. It’s that brother bond. And Luke was Luke was actually the first person that invited me to community group when we started coming here. I fell in love with Luke and Hannah and pastor Jake and everybody. Mhmm.
And just seeing how they how they carry themselves. It’s so like, you wouldn’t think Luke is shy, but he’s shy. And having that encouragement like, Luke’s shy but he came up to me. And a lot of people are like, Oh, you’re a scary guy. I don’t want to go up to you because you’re big.
I’m like, What does big have to do with being scary?
Gary Walton: I don’t think you’re scary.
John Cruz: Come and say hi to me.
Gary Walton: John, you’ve got one of the friendliest faces of anybody that I know. It’s always smiling, always welcoming. So I’ve never heard anybody say you’re scary.
John Cruz: That’s because Jesus loves me.
Gary Walton: That’s right. Yeah.
John Cruz: And I love Jesus. I love everybody.
Gary Walton: Well, I mean I see that in both of you guys. Actually, you have been really a welcoming part of our Harvest family because you are warm. You can just see that together and you care about people and want people to feel as welcome as you did when you came. That’s so important. Yeah, that community part, Hebrews 10 talks about this idea of as part of the body of Christ, church isn’t just some place that we come and attend.
And a lot of people feel that. It’s something we belong to. And the significance of that is that we need each other. The Bible talks about the body in terms of body parts, the hand and the eye and the heart and the kneecap. Every single part is And important that we need each that Hebrews 10 passage calls us to exhort one another and encourage one another, meet together regularly, because we live in a difficult time.
So we talk about the fact that our world is changing, but regardless of the very specific time that we live in, we live in a world and in a season where it’s just hard to live for God. And if we don’t have that continuous encouragement of others who are walking beside us, like you were talking about, John, us, exhorting us, sometimes challenging us in some areas. It’s so hard to live the spiritual life by your own, on your own. So at this season of your life, what would you guys say is the big focus of God’s plan for your life? What is he teaching you? How are you growing?
John Cruz: So in the beginning I was focused on I need my kids to learn. I want them to be saved. But bringing them here and watching my son read his action bible, and he finished it. And he started telling me all these stories, and I’m like, I forgot about that story. You know, watching him grow, and he’s like, Jesus died for us.
Jesus died for us. That’s crazy. And I’m like, he did. And that’s what I wanted you to learn. It’s like, the more that you understand Jesus is love, and the more that you can put that out and lead that example, but I wasn’t teaching him.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
John Cruz: I was more focused on you need to learn it.
Gary Walton: Yeah.
John Cruz: And then when you learn it, then we’ll be together. But I wasn’t being that teacher.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
John Cruz: And that’s what I’m learning now that I’m here at Harvest. I’m learning that even though he’s here going to school and he’s learning about Jesus, I still have to put in that footwork. I have to guide him. And I’m learning a lot as far as where I need to go.
Gary Walton: Love that, John.
John Cruz: Yeah. So my focus when I first got here was for my kids, but it’s for me.
Gary Walton: Wow. Very powerful. Yeah. Yeah. Flora, what about you?
What do you think is the big thing God’s teaching you at this part of your life?
Flora Cruz: I think it’s the same as John. Like, it’s just teaching me to constantly, like, think and then grow also and live in his word and just, like, just be in it.
Gary Walton: Mhmm. Yeah. Well, it’s pretty cool for me to think about and see, you know, even in this, you know, this short period of time, really. I’m watching you guys grow spiritually. I mean I can see it in your faces.
I can see it in responses. And I love that. And even just the comments that you made right here are such indications of God’s work in your life, growing you, and then that will be an outflow to your children, to your family, and I think to a lot of other people. I love this picture that we’re talking about here of the church walking together, right? It’s a path.
It’s a journey. Linking arms, helping, encouraging each other along the path. Fishing. Fishing?
John Cruz: We’re fishers of men.
Gary Walton: Yeah, yeah, you’re right. And to be able to share that together with the church family is really great. So glad that God has brought you guys here, praying for his blessing on you and your family. Thank you for being willing to share parts of your life here with us today. Thank you.
Chris Harper: And thank you for listening to Harvest Time. Of course, at this point in the program, we always wanna personally invite you again to Harvest Baptist Church. Two services on Sunday, 08:45AM, 10:45AM. We’re having our Christmas celebration. We really hope you can join us for that this Sunday, and thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.