Ligia: I was born into a Seventh-day Adventist family in Venezuela and grew up exposed to teachings and experiences about God. But when I was 22, I left the church and entered the world of show business and fashion. For years, I modeled in beauty pageants such as Miss Venezuela, Miss Hawaiian Tropic, and Miss Hispano. I worked on television, in movies, and in theater. I appeared in magazines and fashion catalogs. I owned businesses. My life looked perfect on the outside, but I felt empty inside.

Albert: I was raised in a small city about 75 miles (120 km) from Barcelona, Spain. My  family had a certain religious background, but because faith wasn’t a central part of daily life, I grew up in a more agnostic environment. I always had deep questions about life and death. I searched for answers in various world religions, but I never imagined that the truth I longed for could be found in the Bible.

I loved architecture, culture, traveling, discovering the world, and history. But my life was full of parties and meaningless relationships that left me unsatisfied.

Ligia: I traveled the world, too. Even though I was far from God, deep down in my heart, I felt like I didn’t belong in the world of show business. I knew God was protecting me, but I thought that going back to Him was impossible. My weekends were filled with events, and my lifestyle was far from what God wanted for me.

After many failed relationships, including one that was particularly painful, I made a radical decision. I left my career. I dropped everything, including my businesses. My identity had been rooted in show business, and now I had no idea who I was. I was living in Spain at the time. I became very sad and started looking for answers in self-help books. During the process, I made a list of non-negotiables for my future husband. The first item on the list was that he had to believe in God.

Albert: I hit rock bottom after years of partying and looking for answers in the wrong places. I felt like my life needed a new meaning. I became deeply sad. My heart was ready for something new. And that’s when our paths crossed.

When we met, our connection was immediate. To our surprise, our conversations naturally began to revolve around faith.

Ligia: On our second date, I shared music by a well-known Seventh-day Adventist singer in Spain. I had never done that with anyone. Albert was shocked and surprised at first, but he didn’t say anything about it.

Our conversations grew deeper and deeper. Albert began discovering God, and I began rediscovering God from experience rather than tradition.

Albert: We spent nights crying, talking, and laughing—trying to understand how God had guided us to that point. For Ligia, it was like returning home. For me, it was the beginning of a new reality I never thought possible. Discovering the God of the Bible seemed crazy. But it turned out to be the most beautiful truth I had ever found.

Ligia: We realized that our relationship wasn’t just between the two of us. It was between three: Albert, me, and God. From the beginning, God was at the center, guiding every step. When we realized that He had a purpose for us, we decided to get engaged.

Albert: We got baptized, and then we got married. We realized that everything we had experienced up to that point hadn’t happened by chance.

Everything from our past had left us feeling empty, but now God was filling us with His love. He showed us that worldly success, parties, and shallow relationships could never fill the void that only He can.

Ligia: God rescued us from a world of superficiality. Now, we’ve dedicated our lives to working for Him, helping others find the same transforming love we found in God.

Albert: Today, we walk together in the belief that God is going before us and guiding us. Our mission is to share this message with people who, like us, are searching for the meaning of life.

Ligia: That’s our story: from the world, straight into the arms of God.

Narrator: Today, Albert is studying for a master’s degree in faith and science at Sagunto Adventist College in Spain, so he and Ligia can more effectively share God with secular people. Seventh-day Adventists from around the world have helped make Albert’s studies possible. Part of a previous Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, also known as the Quarterly Mission Project Offering, helped expand the theology department where he is studying.

Thank you for your offering this quarter, which will support more projects that will spread the gospel in the largely secular countries of the Inter-European Division, including Spain.