If you had told me a few years ago that an ordinary high school in north Oviedo would be where the embers of this Brazilian’s faith would suddenly blaze into a deeper, steadier fire, I wouldn’t have believed you. Yet there I stood, weeping during worship as people I didn’t know encouraged me with the Word of God on Palm Sunday, April 2022.
My name is Tatiana. For the past three years, Antioch has been the place I call my church home. How I got here took a lot of patience, prayer, and love from a dear friend of mine, Lauren. We met eight years ago in a small house church. We got close quickly, the kind of friendship where you can hang out and talk about anything, including faith, life, fears, and dreams. I was even one of her bridesmaids. She has always been that steady, loyal friend God sent with a purpose that changed my life. She was supposed to move out of state, but God revealed His plan for her to stay local. She started attending Antioch, and every time we talked, she told me about what God was doing in her life there. But honestly, it wasn’t her stories that convinced me, it was her heart. I watched her grow deeper in love with Jesus and Scripture. I watched her share the Gospel with a boldness and compassion I hadn’t seen before. I watched her love people in a way that felt fuller.
A few months later, she gently invited me to visit, knowing I was searching for a new church after our house church dissolved during COVID. I went twice before 2022 and decided it wasn’t for me. The truth? I was fearful. Afraid of starting over, of opening my heart again, of doing the vulnerable work of building new friendships. It felt easier to say no than to risk being known. But the deep hunger I felt to be in a local biblical church that followed Jesus always came up, and I pleaded with the Lord for help. Everything shifted at Lauren’s wedding in February 2022. I surrendered that fear right there on the dance floor, surrounded by people from Antioch who didn’t know me yet. Their warmth was genuine. Their love for Jesus was evident. That evening, as I watched Lauren and Caio celebrate surrounded by loved ones, I heard God clearly: give it another try. So I finally did, two months after their wedding day.
The first thing I noticed that warm Sunday morning wasn’t the building or the faces of the greeters. It was the peace of God. A gentle and humble presence that enveloped me as soon as I sat down in the auditorium where the service takes place. Now, three years later, I look back and see how God used this community to shape me in ways I would never have imagined. My journey didn’t start loudly. It began in small, steady ways. People who asked how I was doing and actually stayed long enough to hear the answer. Life Group was more than just a group of people meeting on a weeknight. We were family who sharpened one another. They walked with me through seasons of painful trials.
I desperately wanted to go on international mission trips but couldn’t because of my complex immigration process, and that disappointment felt heavy. But instead of letting it turn into discouragement, my Life Group helped me see that obedience isn’t tied to geography. God had work for me right here in this city, too. God placed me in local outreaches where I learned what it looks like to love people without expecting anything in return. He put Boys Town on my path, where tutoring became less about homework and more about showing consistency in a world where instability is normal for these kids. He opened doors for me to serve the homeless, giving them resources and the priceless gift of the Gospel. He gave me space to grow creatively, letting me use video and storytelling on the creative team to capture moments of God transforming lives. And in kids ministry, I get to teach a classroom of little ones and tell them about a God who sees them, knows them, and delights in them. Their simple faith taught mine how to be childlike again.
Seasons of beauty. Seasons of stretching. All of them were necessary for my walk with Christ. What I find at Antioch isn’t a perfect church but a consistent one where the Word of God is preached with boldness and lived out with love. It’s hard to stay unchanged when you’re surrounded by that kind of transformation. God has used this church to keep reminding me of the one thing that matters: Himself. Jesus knows exactly where to place us so He can do His mighty work and get all the glory.
I’m grateful.
Grateful for what He’s done.
Grateful for what He’s still doing.
And grateful that in this community, the Cross is not just preached.
It’s lived.
I ❤️ Antioch Orlando 