“I Let Myself Go Because I Was Depressed”

Read Nelly Reyes Inspiring Story

Always, I was bullied because I was chubby since I was little. All my life, I struggled with that. I was little, about 7 or 8, but I still remember how it affected me—I couldn’t even go to sleep.

I had boyfriends when I was in middle school, and that made me very insecure. I met my first husband when I was 15 and got pregnant. And I became even more insecure after I had my first baby because I got even bigger. I let myself go because I was depressed.

I was always jealous, but I never said anything. I couldn’t say anything to him because he was very aggressive. I was afraid of what he would say to me, and I didn’t want to cause problems for my babies by having them witness a big scene. So I stood quiet and kept it all to myself. As time passed by, the insecurity inside of me grew more.

My first baby was diagnosed with hearing impairment. When she was three years old, I noticed a different behavior in her. At first, the pediatricians used to tell me it was probably autism.

That is when someone told me about The Universal Church. I was trying to fight for my daughter’s health. I did my Chain of Prayer using my faith putting into practice what I learned there from the Word of God.

I started seeing changes in my daughter’s hearing; she started improving. After some time, all of a sudden, the word of the pastor from the pulpit was like God Himself was talking to me. I don’t know how to explain it, but something inside me “clicked,” and I decided I needed to change my life.

My life changed from that point on in many ways. My daughters noticed that change. They said, “Mom, when we were growing up, you used to be screaming in the house. Always you used to be mad and screaming bad words at us. What happened to you? You are just so calm, and everything is so different. You are eating healthy. Mom, you are just different.”

I got married to a wonderful man. He comes to church and has the Holy Spirit as I do, and our marriage is completely different.

Regardless of how much we try with our strength, it will not work. It is important we understand that God wants us to surrender to Him completely.

—Nelly Reyes