Stories From the Pews of Faith
Members of Faith share personal experiences that highlight God's love, mercy and guidance.
Graciela with her son, Jimmy (L) and husband, Jon (R).
Graciela Bredehoeft
Graciela Bredehoeft is a storyteller, and what a story she has to tell! Graciela and her husband Jon live in Wheaton, and transferred to Faith in November, 2022 from Trinity Lutheran Church, Roselle, where they had been members for years. She’s a native Honduran, coming to the U.S. in her mid-20’s. She’s been a specialty nurse—oncology—for about 10 years. She is fluent in five languages, and is an avid reader of non-fiction. (One of her recent favorites: The Blood of Abraham, President Jimmy Carter’s personal reflections of the history of conflict in the Middle East.) Those who first meet Graciela experience her as a quiet person, but those who know her well think of her as introverted but also funny. They count on her helpfulness and honesty. Those close friends also know her as a good mother, a good friend and a good person.
In her growing-up years, Honduras was a turbulent, even dangerous place to live. The original “Banana Republic”, this nation had endured many decades of political and economic unrest, much of it the result of interference from other countries and multinational corporations. Military coups, armed revolts, dictators, rampant corruption— all played a part in the country’s slow lurching toward stability—something still not completely realized. In first grade, Graciela remembers hearing the teachers talking about what she thought sounded like “Tia Nina”—a term denoting a close family member. When she asked her father about this matter, he told her that they were referring to tyranny, and then explained that term’s meaning. She recalls the difficult question that so many people in Honduras still face: “Are we going to get out of this, or get farther down?”
As a naturalized citizen—and grateful voter—Graciela cherishes her U.S. citizenship and sees familiar warning signs from Honduras’s history in our country’s deteriorating national spirit. “The last four years I’ve seen the changes in this country. Those born here may not notice anything. But I wonder, ‘Are you aware or concerned? Do you realize how close we are…?’”
As a young girl in Honduras, Graciela thought she might become a designer—fashion or home, it didn’t make a difference. “I would come to the New York School of Design, and learn how to do this.” That possibility eventually seemed out of the question. When Graciela was 12 years old, a series of family tragedies required her—as the oldest daughter—to become the primary caregiver for her younger siblings. "I had to be the adult in the house, and I had to help out. My father didn’t realize he was putting too much onto a small child.” Taking on this role, she learned to be caring, but also strongly independent. She summarizes that part of her life: “I raised myself.”
Her fiercely independent spirit showed itself in her Catholic elementary school, when she took on a persistent bully and bested him physically—she broke his nose! She was expelled from the school and banned from all other Catholic schools in Tegucigalpa. Her subsequent education—in an evangelical high school—increased her spiritual curiosity. It also strengthened her resolve to remain true to her convictions, her sense of justice, doing what’s right in spite of possible consequences. Not bending to social pressures—imagined shame—or culturally conventional gender roles.
Another telling story about Graciela’s strong spiritual identity: When she was 24, she managed to secure an audience with Pope John Paul. “I wanted to meet him as a human being,” she recalls. She was respectful but honest, telling him, “I’m not a Catholic, so I won’t kiss your ring. But you are an icon; you seem like a peaceful person.” She remembers his response with appreciation, “If you believe, you are still a child of God.”
When she came to the U.S., Graciela realized her need for a profession that offered flexible hours and a comfortable salary. Nursing fit those requirements, and also tapped into a deeper motivation that continues to this day. “When the interview panel asked me why I wanted to be a nurse, I realized I didn’t have any heart-warming stories like other applicants. Instead, I told them that I had seen the suffering of humanity, that I wanted to do something for humanity, to keep others from suffering.” That unique perspective helped her get accepted into COD’s nursing program. She finished her schooling at Benedictine University in Lisle. Over the years, she moved among specialties—emergency, ICU, pediatric and adult oncology. Her present niche: She brings home-infusion treatments to mostly neurologically and immune-compromised children and adults.
From an early age, Graciela wanted to be a writer—likely motivated by her father’s authoring a history of Honduran soccer. Pursued determinedly over the years, that desire has resulted in her publishing four romance novels. She thinks of this genre as an entryway for her readers to explore other emotions, desires or identities. She believes that these works, although fictional, help readers better understand themselves and their actual relationships. “There are some people for whom these novels may be their only form of entertainment,” she adds. That’s why writing romance novels continues to give her satisfaction. She hopes to find a publisher for everything else she wants to write. She’s direct about this matter: “I have to honor the gift of writing,”
Her spiritual maturation has continued because of people around her. Graciela’s father remains at the top of her list of personal heroes. “My dad raised me to be independent and patient,” she observes. “He used to say, ‘Everything in God’s time!’ and ‘God lives in eternity!’” Another admired and cherished example of faithful living: Her mother-in-law, now living in a memory care unit. “She’s probably the one person that you would definitely know was a Christian! Non-judgmental, open, kind. Gentle.”
Although the hurts inflicted by the Catholic church of her childhood remain strong memories, she has remained spiritually curious. Because of her high school education, she’s appreciative of evangelical churches and their institutions. “There was a huge gap in my life, refusing to go back to the Catholic Church or, for that matter, any other church,” she remembers. Presently, our congregation is helping her fill some of those previously empty spaces. “Faith’s Bible class has been an eye-opener,” she says. “I’m glad to find in the Bible what I knew was the right thing to do.” Our church’s welcoming spirit has been a Godsend, as has Pastor Shelly. “I don’t know where Pastor Shelly has been my whole life!”
Graciela is very aware of what God might be accomplishing through her. When asked that question, she responds immediately: “Helping others have hope. Nursing is not a job; it’s a calling.” She thinks of her present vocation as a surrender, too. “We surrender to what the Lord wants us to do. If he’s putting you in a specific place, that’s where he needs you.”
Graciela finds fulfillment is watching her airline pilot son succeed in life. “That’s one of my greatest joys, giving him my values and seeing him become the person I envisioned he could be. He knows that hard work and perseverance will get him what he wants. I always put him in God’s hands.” Another deep joy: Having a loving family around her—both her blended family here in the United States and her extended family still living in Honduras.
Through all of the extraordinary experiences in her life, Graciela has insisted that her life is not her own. Her spiritual journey is built on the bedrock belief that she’s carried with her since childhood: “I’ve always believed that God was looking out for me.”
So it may be said about each of us!
Graciela Bredehoeft is a storyteller, and what a story she has to tell! Graciela and her husband Jon live in Wheaton, and transferred to Faith in November, 2022 from Trinity Lutheran Church, Roselle, where they had been members for years. She’s a native Honduran, coming to the U.S. in her mid-20’s. She’s been a specialty nurse—oncology—for about 10 years. She is fluent in five languages, and is an avid reader of non-fiction. (One of her recent favorites: The Blood of Abraham, President Jimmy Carter’s personal reflections of the history of conflict in the Middle East.) Those who first meet Graciela experience her as a quiet person, but those who know her well think of her as introverted but also funny. They count on her helpfulness and honesty. Those close friends also know her as a good mother, a good friend and a good person.
In her growing-up years, Honduras was a turbulent, even dangerous place to live. The original “Banana Republic”, this nation had endured many decades of political and economic unrest, much of it the result of interference from other countries and multinational corporations. Military coups, armed revolts, dictators, rampant corruption— all played a part in the country’s slow lurching toward stability—something still not completely realized. In first grade, Graciela remembers hearing the teachers talking about what she thought sounded like “Tia Nina”—a term denoting a close family member. When she asked her father about this matter, he told her that they were referring to tyranny, and then explained that term’s meaning. She recalls the difficult question that so many people in Honduras still face: “Are we going to get out of this, or get farther down?”
As a naturalized citizen—and grateful voter—Graciela cherishes her U.S. citizenship and sees familiar warning signs from Honduras’s history in our country’s deteriorating national spirit. “The last four years I’ve seen the changes in this country. Those born here may not notice anything. But I wonder, ‘Are you aware or concerned? Do you realize how close we are…?’”
As a young girl in Honduras, Graciela thought she might become a designer—fashion or home, it didn’t make a difference. “I would come to the New York School of Design, and learn how to do this.” That possibility eventually seemed out of the question. When Graciela was 12 years old, a series of family tragedies required her—as the oldest daughter—to become the primary caregiver for her younger siblings. "I had to be the adult in the house, and I had to help out. My father didn’t realize he was putting too much onto a small child.” Taking on this role, she learned to be caring, but also strongly independent. She summarizes that part of her life: “I raised myself.”
Her fiercely independent spirit showed itself in her Catholic elementary school, when she took on a persistent bully and bested him physically—she broke his nose! She was expelled from the school and banned from all other Catholic schools in Tegucigalpa. Her subsequent education—in an evangelical high school—increased her spiritual curiosity. It also strengthened her resolve to remain true to her convictions, her sense of justice, doing what’s right in spite of possible consequences. Not bending to social pressures—imagined shame—or culturally conventional gender roles.
Another telling story about Graciela’s strong spiritual identity: When she was 24, she managed to secure an audience with Pope John Paul. “I wanted to meet him as a human being,” she recalls. She was respectful but honest, telling him, “I’m not a Catholic, so I won’t kiss your ring. But you are an icon; you seem like a peaceful person.” She remembers his response with appreciation, “If you believe, you are still a child of God.”
When she came to the U.S., Graciela realized her need for a profession that offered flexible hours and a comfortable salary. Nursing fit those requirements, and also tapped into a deeper motivation that continues to this day. “When the interview panel asked me why I wanted to be a nurse, I realized I didn’t have any heart-warming stories like other applicants. Instead, I told them that I had seen the suffering of humanity, that I wanted to do something for humanity, to keep others from suffering.” That unique perspective helped her get accepted into COD’s nursing program. She finished her schooling at Benedictine University in Lisle. Over the years, she moved among specialties—emergency, ICU, pediatric and adult oncology. Her present niche: She brings home-infusion treatments to mostly neurologically and immune-compromised children and adults.
From an early age, Graciela wanted to be a writer—likely motivated by her father’s authoring a history of Honduran soccer. Pursued determinedly over the years, that desire has resulted in her publishing four romance novels. She thinks of this genre as an entryway for her readers to explore other emotions, desires or identities. She believes that these works, although fictional, help readers better understand themselves and their actual relationships. “There are some people for whom these novels may be their only form of entertainment,” she adds. That’s why writing romance novels continues to give her satisfaction. She hopes to find a publisher for everything else she wants to write. She’s direct about this matter: “I have to honor the gift of writing,”
Her spiritual maturation has continued because of people around her. Graciela’s father remains at the top of her list of personal heroes. “My dad raised me to be independent and patient,” she observes. “He used to say, ‘Everything in God’s time!’ and ‘God lives in eternity!’” Another admired and cherished example of faithful living: Her mother-in-law, now living in a memory care unit. “She’s probably the one person that you would definitely know was a Christian! Non-judgmental, open, kind. Gentle.”
Although the hurts inflicted by the Catholic church of her childhood remain strong memories, she has remained spiritually curious. Because of her high school education, she’s appreciative of evangelical churches and their institutions. “There was a huge gap in my life, refusing to go back to the Catholic Church or, for that matter, any other church,” she remembers. Presently, our congregation is helping her fill some of those previously empty spaces. “Faith’s Bible class has been an eye-opener,” she says. “I’m glad to find in the Bible what I knew was the right thing to do.” Our church’s welcoming spirit has been a Godsend, as has Pastor Shelly. “I don’t know where Pastor Shelly has been my whole life!”
Graciela is very aware of what God might be accomplishing through her. When asked that question, she responds immediately: “Helping others have hope. Nursing is not a job; it’s a calling.” She thinks of her present vocation as a surrender, too. “We surrender to what the Lord wants us to do. If he’s putting you in a specific place, that’s where he needs you.”
Graciela finds fulfillment is watching her airline pilot son succeed in life. “That’s one of my greatest joys, giving him my values and seeing him become the person I envisioned he could be. He knows that hard work and perseverance will get him what he wants. I always put him in God’s hands.” Another deep joy: Having a loving family around her—both her blended family here in the United States and her extended family still living in Honduras.
Through all of the extraordinary experiences in her life, Graciela has insisted that her life is not her own. Her spiritual journey is built on the bedrock belief that she’s carried with her since childhood: “I’ve always believed that God was looking out for me.”
So it may be said about each of us!
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Joe Malm
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