A Tapestry of Faith and Knowledge: Lauren Gomez’s Inspiring Story

Lauren Gomez, a beacon of faith and intellect, gracefully combines the roles of an executive, a devoted wife and mother, and a passionate scholar. Originally hailing from Columbia, Lauren now resides in the historic and vibrant city of London with her husband and young son. Her life’s journey is a tapestry of diverse experiences woven from her extensive travels across the globe and her current academic pursuits at Oxford University.

 A woman of profound faith, Lauren embodies the power of belief and resilience. Her personal narrative is a testament to the miraculous healing power of God, a story that continues to inspire and uplift those around her. As a lifelong learner, she constantly seeks new knowledge and perspectives, enriching both her professional and personal life.

In her podcast, Lauren shares her unique insights, drawing from her rich cultural background, her academic endeavors, and her deep spiritual convictions. Her conversations are a blend of thoughtful reflections on life and faith. Lauren’s voice is a source of inspiration and wisdom, resonating with listeners who seek a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it.

Thank you for listening! We hope you feel inspired and encouraged by our conversation today. If you did, be sure to share this episode with others.

Let’s stay in touch:

• Follow us on Instagram @crossroadsapologetics
• Email us at info@crossroadsapologetics.org
• Visit our website www.crossroadsapologetics.org

See you in the next episode! Be blessed!

Full Transcript

Lauren Gomez:
Does she know? How many cops do I have? 

Jeff Johnson:
How many do you have? Are you kidding? 

Lauren Gomez:
No, no. 

Jeff Johnson:
But you don’t have them from the United States. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, some of them. And I discovered because I made my husband drive through estates to find a Starbucks, I found out that exists some estates without the mop. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow. 

Lauren Gomez:
Just to get my husband to drive and to find everything. And when we landed. No, we don’t have it. Delaware. They don’t have it. 

Jeff Johnson:
Really? 

Lauren Gomez:
In that moment, four years, I discovered. So they have enrolled island. And they don’t have the ira. Made my husband to drive across the coast to find a Starbucks. Mocks. 

Jeff Johnson:
Okay. Do you need me to send you an Iowa Starbucks? 

Lauren Gomez:
Hi. Jeff and I will be crying a river in that moment, and we’re doing a. I really appreciate that. 

Jeff Johnson:
Okay, I’ll do 180 is fantastic. We’ve got not 180. We’ve got 20 or 30. So we’re just babies. We’re just getting started. 

Lauren Gomez:
Baby, I am a pro. 

Jeff Johnson:
What’s the. What’s the longest. What’s the. That’s the rarest. Like Antarctica or something like that. 

Lauren Gomez:
Now, it’s nice because the manager, the managing director that I met in Hong Kong, he said, like, I need to give you something special. And I said, like, I. And. And he brought me to Hong Kong. One from Wuhan, the place in China where the COVID started. 

Jeff Johnson:
You have a Starbucks mug from Wuhan. Okay, so you got the Wuhan mug. 

Lauren Gomez:
Wow. I have Hong Kong. Maau is interesting China, but the China special edition is only golden and red because they are the colors. Yes, that’s a special one. 

Jeff Johnson:
Do you know how many Starbucks mugs there are out there? 

Lauren Gomez:
No, but I will try to check. 

Jeff Johnson:
If you have 180. Do you have. Does that include, like, duplicates and stuff? 

Lauren Gomez:
I only have two duplicated. One is Paris, the new edition. Because I have two editions of Parties, the previous one and the new one. And I think that my delete. I only have two duplicates. So we can exchange if you want. 

Jeff Johnson:
You’re fantastic. Okay, so now we found out about the Starbucks mug. So I want to know a little bit more about you, and I want to thank you. I’m late thanking you. Being on the courageous podcast, I so enjoyed our time together in Oxford. And I remember talking to you in the lunch hall and you shared just. You’d shared with several of the other classmates, but you shared with me a little bit of your story, and it absolutely blew me away. So I’m, I don’t know if that’s going to be the topic of the most courageous thing you’ve ever done, but I can’t wait to get to it. But before we do that, Lauren, would you tell the listeners a little bit more about your family, where you’re from, where you’re at right now, what you do that. 

Lauren Gomez:
Absolutely. That is the most important. I’m from Barranquilla, Colombia. Nor easy to pronounce that word in Spanish, but I am from Barranquilla, an amazing city in the north of Colombia just in front of the Atlantic Ocean. So, yes, I’m from. 

Jeff Johnson:
Say the name of the city one more time. 

Lauren Gomez:
Baran. 

Jeff Johnson:
That is amazing. Barran. Do you know there’s no, there are no towns in Iowa that you have to roll your Rs. I’m from Sheran and I. Maybe she. Okay, it doesn’t work. 

Lauren Gomez:
So Barranquilla, if you pronounce correctly, Barranquilla, you can learn Spanish. So don’t worry. 

Jeff Johnson:
Okay. Please continue. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, From Barranquilla, Colombia. My family is only my single mom and myself. She’s a doctor. She’s already retired. But this is an important context for the rest of my story and to understand my story because we have been always just the two of us. Of course I meet my dad, but my family is only my mom and myself. I grew up in Barranquilla. I met my husband there. I’ve been married for more than 13 years. And now I have a son. He’s 11, almost 12 years old. And thanks God we are now, I don’t want to spoil the rest of the story, but now we are living in London since two years ago and we are finally creating our new home. And our new home. Feeling here. 

Jeff Johnson:
Beautiful. And you said two years. You’ve been living in London for years. Two years. 

Lauren Gomez:
Only two years. 

Jeff Johnson:
So this is relatively new. And what’s your. And, and what do you do for a career? 

Lauren Gomez:
For career? I am a business administrator, but I’ve been working in HR for the last 17 years. My degree is in business, but I’ve been working always in hr. So right now I am the global vice president of in person of human resources for a business unit that is English language learning, which I know is not a joke. It’s not a marketing campaign, but yes, it’s English language learning. Even I just learned English 40 years ago. But because I know that it sounds funny, but it’s true. 

Jeff Johnson:
Now, wait a minute. I didn’t know this about you. Lauren, so you only learned English four years ago? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
You speak it very well. I don’t know any other language. Was it difficult to learn English? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. Even more at this age is not the same. It’s not the same. But to be honest, first is because it was always my dream. My dream was always to learn English. And I was always telling my mom, please to study English. But in Colombia, unfortunately, it’s still a privilege. And he never had the opportunity to afford for those classes. So that is why I could. It was my dream. And even at this age, I could never learn English. And then when thanks for to other situation and skills and thanks to God, I was in this opportunity, in this moment, in my career, even I didn’t need English in that moment. You said, I already have the position that I want. I don’t need to learn. But I said, it’s never late. I want to learn. 

Lauren Gomez:
And when I was learning by myself, thanks to Netflix in English and subtitles in English, subscription in Harvard Business Review, downloading podcasts. That is why I love podcasts in English. Even I didn’t understand. I just kept listening BBC to learn the British accent and just reading books in English. That is the way that I start to learn. And after all, one year and a half or two years that I was like, really having an advanced level in English is when I used to work in Experian, that is a British company. They offer me to transfer to London. And I was like, are you serious? I mean, I’ve been just speaking English two years ago. And that is the moment when I received that offer for moving from Colombia to London two years ago. 

Jeff Johnson:
Does your husband speak English? 

Lauren Gomez:
Little bit, because he used to live in Dallas, but now he’s practicing more. But when we move, my son didn’t speak English, not even one word. So he moved here and he joined the school without speaking English. 

Jeff Johnson:
And how’s he doing with his English now? 

Lauren Gomez:
Now he’s amazing. He’s like an exponent. He said, mom, don’t worry, I already speak English. And it’s like, perfect. It’s my dream come true. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow. Wow. Is the. I want to ask you, what’s the most difficult language to pick up? Do you speak other languages or is it just English and Spanish? 

Lauren Gomez:
I used to study 20 years ago French. But I think that for me, that moment was easier than English, to be honest. But I stopped it. I couldn’t continue. And I fully understand Portuguese because I used to work with Brazil. Honestly, I understand perfectly Portuguese, but I don’t speak Portuguese. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow. Well, one of the. Maybe I’ll interview myself one time on this podcast and say tongue in cheek. The most courageous thing I ever did was dropped my Italian class when I was in college 30 years ago. I just couldn’t for some reason. The foreign languages are just hard for me to pick up. So I have such admiration for people that can do that. Lauren. So now you’re even more impressive to me. Wow. 

Lauren Gomez:
It’s a life changing, to be honest. Change your perspective. And thanks to God, first, I am offering to my son a better future than the life that I had. That it was really hard. I am changing his life, his future, and thanks to that. That is why I was, I don’t know, last week working in Hong Kong, because it’s a reality. You need English. So it opened a different perspective, mindset, opportunities, and experience that if I didn’t take the risk at this age to learn by myself, I wouldn’t be here. So I was more motivated about what can I achieve than any other situation. I said I have to do it. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow, that’s amazing. Okay, so we’ve covered where you’re from, where you’re living now, your family, your work to calibrate. Before we get into the main question, which is what is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? I want to hear a little bit about how you define courage. Maybe say first, is there somebody that you look up to? Is there somebody that you either in your family or a historical figure that you view as particularly courageous that inspires you with courage? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, my mom definitely. Oh, absolutely for me. I mean, she has been my only reference and the most important reference because definitely she has been, oh, my God, facing a lot of huge challenges that now as a mother and now I understand that it was not so easy and it was definitely because of love. And I think that is the most important is the courage is coming from love. You can do whatever. And she only. Not only love for me, I mean, it’s also love for other people. She used to be a doctor in a really poor hospital in Colombia. And I see that even she had to pay for the medicine from her own wallet. She did it. 

Lauren Gomez:
So it’s not only the love that you feel for your own or daughter that is more natural is how you also love other people, that they are not even relative. And I think that is more challenging than loving your family. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow. So you view courage as being rooted in love. 

Lauren Gomez:
That is my personally. That is the foundation for me. 

Jeff Johnson:
That’s wonderful. 

Lauren Gomez:
Makes me stronger at least. 

Jeff Johnson:
Do you think everybody has courage? 

Lauren Gomez:
Not everybody. Everybody has the potential to do it. Not everybody. Face it. 

Jeff Johnson:
The potential for acting courageously. 

Lauren Gomez:
Is in any human being. Absolutely. Every. Everybody. If you use it or you don’t use it’s your accountability. You have the potential. Are you really using that in a daily basis? Not everybody. 

Jeff Johnson:
I totally agree. What is. What’s the thing that you think would hold people short of doing a courageous thing? Stepping out in bravery. 

Lauren Gomez:
Afraid. Afraid of the result sometimes afraid of what can I be losing could be more powerful that I can. What can I gain or receive? So what other people think? What is the result? What happened? If. Oh, my God. That word when a question is what if. Oh, my God. Something wanna happen. What if I fail? What if? It’s like when you start on that way. Oh, my God. 

Jeff Johnson:
That. That can stop short. What if. Yeah. 

Lauren Gomez:
Can it stop? You can stop. 

Jeff Johnson:
You. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
Well, I was. I don’t mean to slobber on you too much, Lauren. I apologize. But there’s. God has blessed me with so many wonderful influences and people to meet in my life. And when I got the chance to meet with you and just hear a little bit about. I mean, it was. It was goosebumps and it was one of the most enriching conversations that I’ve ever had. So I’m not gonna. I’m not gonna beat around the bush anymore. I’m just gonna come out and ask you, Lauren, would you please tell us what’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? 

Lauren Gomez:
Oh, my God. There are a full list, but for me is when I was 14 years old and when I stopped walking without any reason. And that was my first surgery in my spine that I just stopped walking one week. And you are only 14 years old. 

Jeff Johnson:
You couldn’t walk. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, I. I didn’t walk. And I was in a wheelchair for eight months. When you are 14 years old, and I said, like, okay, nothing happens. I will continue. When I. When can I come back to school? And I said, mom, call to school, because I need to come back. No, you are in bed. No, no. So go to pick up the books and bring them. It’s like in that moment, it was like, go ahead. I am alive. You are not walking. No matter. It doesn’t care. I’m walking. So. And as soon. And it’s kind of call it coincidental, but when I left my wheelchair after eight months and I stopped walking, and I was celebrating because finally I’m walking again. And I said, okay, now I am a Teenager, you know, almost 15 years old. 

Lauren Gomez:
You are only thinking about what the life is bringing to me. You know, you. You have a different plans in your life. And in that moment is when I felt sick one day without not even having fever. Honestly, I didn’t even have a cold, not even flu. I just wake up one morning without being able to breathe and I just start to drop things to the wall to. To make my mom wake up. She could help me to go to the hospital. And in that moment is when they have like I have a really complicated leak in my lungs. And they start during one month to try to discover the origin of that. And in that moment is when I received the diagnosis of lupus just eight months, just few days after I. I left the wheelchair. 

Jeff Johnson:
So you were at the age of 14. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
In a wheelchair, you stopped walking. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
And it was. You were in the wheelchair for eight months? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
And then you started walking again. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
And then you had this health incident and you went in and you were diagnosed with lupus. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. And I was in the bed and my mom was absolutely destroyed because he’s a doctor, so you can imagine that you don’t need to explain to a doctor what was happening even more because when was detected was very aggressive. And I remember that I was in bed and my mom was crying a river. And I said, mom, don’t worry because I only have two options. Or I am happy or I am not happy. I will be happy despite of the lupus, so don’t worry. And in that moment and I was in bed and she was like, but you are not understanding. And he said, don’t worry. Google it. Try to explain. Okay, that is lupus. Okay? I am alive. 

Lauren Gomez:
I decided in that moment in bed that I will be happy the rest of my life in despite of not waiting for not having lupus. And that is the difference because all the people say, I will be happy when I’ll be millionaire. I’ll be happy when I will get a job. I will happy when I will. And what happened if that day never comes? 

Jeff Johnson:
Lauren, I apologize to interrupt you, but where did that come from? So you’re. You’re making a decision that you’re going to be happy regardless? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
What happens? Were you all. Have you always had that kind of fortitude? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, in that moment, honestly, in that moment, I feel that it was. I didn’t fully understand where that was coming from. The first day when I received the diagnosis, then when I started to develop that conversation with God being in bed and I Start to meet him. I said, this is where my energy is coming from. Did you see at the beginning? Because for me it was different at that moment I was not going actively to a shore. I was not reading the Bible, I was not. So sometimes, a lot of time, people usually first know the theory. And then when they are facing a problem, they put in practice theory. What you know, that is coming from the gospel. In my case was the opposite. 

Lauren Gomez:
I first I met him in reality and then when I was reading theory, I said, but I already met him. So that is why then that is written in the gospel. Okay. You see, for me was vice versa. 

Jeff Johnson:
Because you felt that comforting from God and then you come to your faith or you read about it in the gospel later, that God will comfort you and you’re like, that’s the thing that’s happening to me. Aha. 

Lauren Gomez:
Oh, yes, yes, yes. And he said, because when I got reading, okay. He said, that person, he is making this disease. I didn’t have one second to doubt if that was true because I was already living that. And I said, okay, this is only confirming what he is already doing for me. So that is why for me it’s like vice versa. I started with the practice and then with theory and everything makes sense. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow. Wow, that’s amazing. Continue. Wow. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. And then just to jump. In years, the disease was really. The lupus was really aggressive. And I started to develop even more diagnosis and I start to have problems in my eyes, in my brain. In polyarthritis I had arthritis in all my toes, fingers, knees, the elbows, arthritis. 

Jeff Johnson:
And all the joints. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
Lupus. So it went, it goes everywhere, it becomes arthritic and it affects. Okay, yes. 

Lauren Gomez:
This is because remember that you don’t have like a cure for the lupus. You only manage the different reactors or the, you know, you manage the disease. But until now there is no like a cure for the lupus. You need to manage is the way that he impacts your body. So it’s dependent. So I, I had all of that in that moment. I had a first when I was almost in the. At the end of the highest school. At the end I have one of the most critical crisis story for said that. And they said, okay, in this moment your life is really threatened, so you cannot start the university because you don’t have the capacity. And I, and I was in the clinic and I said, mom, please can you go by yourself in the university on my behalf? 

Lauren Gomez:
And Explain that I am here in the hospital just to check if they can receive my enrollment. And they received my enrollment, and it was open for whenever I can come back and they accept. And in that way, I started my university was from the hospital until the day that I went. But unfortunately, my disease was really impacting me. So I did my exams, oral exams, because I couldn’t write. And in that way, I couldn’t start to. To. To say it. 

Jeff Johnson:
And I said, arthritis was so bad. Excuse me, Lauren. The arthritis was so bad that you couldn’t write? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, there are some moments that I couldn’t write, but the university knew. So in my case, I did the oral exams, not written exams. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow. 

Lauren Gomez:
And that is why my mom couldn’t afford my English classes, because she had to pay for the medicine. So it was English classes or medicine. Obviously medicine. So you see, that is what I’m telling you, that everything is related and a lot of time, because the organ that it was more impacted was my lungs. So I couldn’t. I have support for breathing all the tubes. So I couldn’t talk for a long period of time. Three months in a clinic without. In that moment was absolutely amazing. I love that time in the hospital when I couldn’t talk, because I was talking more with God and he answered to me. So I was every day in the hospital. It was nice because I was receiving the visits from my family, everybody. And I was just talking with him about everything. 

Jeff Johnson:
Lauren. 

Lauren Gomez:
And that is what I’m telling you. 

Jeff Johnson:
So you’re 18, 19 years old. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
Your lupus. Your lupus first showed up when you were 14. You thought it was just a passing illness. Then it came back aggressively, months after. 

Lauren Gomez:
That, all the time. 

Jeff Johnson:
And then arthritis affecting your eyesight, affecting your brain, your lungs. First and foremost in the hospital. You’re attending university from the hospital. Things are getting worse. Your mom is deciding English classes versus medicine, obviously deciding on the medicine. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, yes. And in that moment when I turned, because I remember it was 18, and I said, mom, and you know, now I want to go to study to the capital, because it. To be my hometown is not enough. And everybody was like, are you crazy? I mean, are you barely. I mean, why you want more? And I said, yes, because if I will be dying, I mean, I learned how to be happy, even thinking that I will not have more time. I already made peace with life and death, with poverty or rich. I already know what is having nothing. And when I’m saying I learned how to be happy without having anything, it’s not only money, it’s when you don’t even have an expectation of life. 

Lauren Gomez:
And I know that a lot of time as human beings, when you receive that type of diagnosis, et cetera, that is the problem. It for me goes the opposite. I already learned how to live with that diagnosis. So that is why for me, it’s like, okay, if I have it or if I don’t have it. Thanks God. I mean, I used to have nothing. 

Jeff Johnson:
Your faith is so strong, Lauren. There had to have been times that were difficult and challenging. I mean, times when you were down a lot. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, because my mind was going faster than my body. So I was really frustrated because I wanted to do something, I wanted to work more, to do more, et cetera. But my body was not moving. So that is absolutely frustrated. So it’s only to wait on him and to say, why is this happening? What should I do? But I never complained. And I know that some people said, why you didn’t complain or why you didn’t fight with God in that situation? And I said, maybe because thanks God, he’s mercy. Thanks God that he started with this disease at 14 years old. And you are more innocent in that moment. So I didn’t have any the energy or the idea to complain with him, because this is like part of my life. I grew up with this. 

Lauren Gomez:
You know, it’s not like in this moment of life receiving something new. No, no. I created my life with this. So for me, it’s natural. 

Jeff Johnson:
Because you. For so long. Wow. 

Lauren Gomez:
Exactly. So for me, it’s natural. It’s. It’s part of. Not an additional or an extra suffering or sacrifice. No part of life. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow. Wow, wow. And your. And your mother is a single mother. She’s a doctor. So she knows what’s the diagnosis for lupus? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. No. And then the crisis was even worse. And then when I was finally in Bogota, Colombia, studying at university and working is when I. I developed even more diseases. It was really reducing the capacity of br. They said, the doctor said, you need to come back to Colombia because your expectation of life is only six months. In that moment. In that moment, I came back to my hometown. In that moment, I cried because I said finally I was creating a life. And now I will have only six months. I wanted to do more, but okay, I will come back. I came back being sick only for six months and is when a friend invited me to the church. And when I arrived to the church, my now husband was the one doing the prayer that day. 

Lauren Gomez:
And he didn’t know that I was sick. I never said anything. And he shared in the gospel that I remember. Sorry. Because in English, I don’t know how to say it, but in the gospel, there was a story that Jesus was visiting a town, and there was a woman that has been for 12 years with a disease in the blood. 

Jeff Johnson:
Yes. 

Lauren Gomez:
And that is why she was rejected. And she said, if I only touch the border of his dress, of his robe, I will be healed. And she just was like in the. In the road, in the street, and she only barely touched it, and she was. There was a lot of people surrounding him. And he said, someone touched me. And the other people said, jesus, why are you asking if someone touched you, if everybody’s pushing you? And he said, no, but one person touched me differently. And in that moment, and he discovered that it was that lady and that lady. And he said, go ahead, because you are now safe and you are healed. And the disease of that woman was a blood problem. And it was 12 years. 

Lauren Gomez:
And when my husband said that story and that gospel that I didn’t read about, I said, wait a second. When I counted Jeff, in that moment, in that year, I was 12 years with lupus. 

Jeff Johnson:
Okay, hold. Hold on a second, Lauren, because I got to get caught up here with you. So this is. So you’re coming back home and receiving a diagnosis of six months. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
That’s all the doctors are giving you, is six months? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
Your faith is strong. You’re talking to the Lord all the time. Your body is failing you, and you go to a church service. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
And the person that’s giving the sermon later on becomes your husband. 

Lauren Gomez:
Is now. My husband. 

Jeff Johnson:
Is now your husband. And the. And the sermon that the person gives is the story in the gospel about the woman who’s bleeding constantly for 12 years. And she says, if I can only touch Jesus’s garment, I’ll be healed. She touches him. Jesus says, who touched me? You know, you recount that story. So now you’re associating the blood disease that the woman had with the blood disease, which is lupus, which what you have. And you’re counting 12 years from the time that you were first diagnosed. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. 

Jeff Johnson:
When you heard that story. So now you’re hearing that story in real time when you’ve been having lupus for 12 years. 

Lauren Gomez:
For 12 years, yes. And I said, wait a second, because that’s me. And he said, he’s alive. I’ve been talking to him. I’ve been doing the worst deal. And I talked to him, and I said, wait a Second, I didn’t know that you already healed one lady like me 2000 years ago. I didn’t know that. So I’ve been doing a really bad deal with you, because I’ve been asking you only for one more day in my life, and I didn’t ask you for a life. And that day I said, this is a bad deal with you. And now that I discovered that you can do that, I changed my pray. Because I used to pray for only one day, to wake up the next day. And that is the first day that I changed my day, my pray. 

Lauren Gomez:
And in that moment, I said, you know, they invited me to another charismatic ceremony, and when they were playing, my mom was next to me. And in that moment, I was literally, Jeff, in faith. I was literally laid down in the. In the floor. And I said, if. If you. If she was safe only because she was touching the border of your garment, I don’t want touch it. I will grab the whole garment. But you can do it the same with me. And in that moment, I felt in one second, like, absolutely hot, like my hands on fire. 

Jeff Johnson:
You’re laying on the floor your home? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, I was laying in the floor. I extended, Jesus is going out. Yes. I felt in one second that my hands were literally on fire. And I felt a presence in front of me, like some people in front of me. That then my mom said that no one was there because she was next to me. And I said to my mom, and I felt him, and I said, my mom, he was here, and now helped me, and I don’t have lupus. And after that, I felt that moment and I said, in faith, I know that he was here. And I was that lady in the gospel. And I called my daughter. I said, please, I feel. The next day, I feel that I’m different. I need to do all the exams again. 

Lauren Gomez:
Fifteen days after that, I came again to the appointment with all the results, with everything, my medical history, something like this, with everything. And he only said, I don’t believe in God. Your doctor said, My doctor said, I don’t believe in God. And I only know that you had lupus. And the lupus has no cure. And I know that today you don’t have lupus. And I said to him, you don’t believe in God, but I have. I know the reason God saved me. I know that I don’t have lupus. And in that moment, the doctor said, go and have a life. And Jeff, when I was in the lay down and I touched him in my mind, What I said to God was, please give me a life. So the doctor in that moment told me the same words, said those words. 

Jeff Johnson:
When you’re laying on the floor, Lauren, and you’re reaching out for the cloak of Jesus, you felt that presence. I didn’t know that part of your story before that your mother was right there with you. So you’re declaring in that moment, mother, he’s here. And she says, no, there’s nobody here. But you said, he’s here. And then you said, I know that he just cured my lupus. Am I getting that right? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. And then it’s. 

Jeff Johnson:
And then it’s 15 days later that you go to the doctor who doesn’t believe in Jesus, and you say, you got to check me out. And he says, lupus doesn’t have a cure. You had lupus. This is your records. Clearly you had lube and you don’t have it anymore. What is your. What does your mother do? 

Lauren Gomez:
Cry and cry. And in that day, my. Even more. Because she’s a doctor, she said, this moment is changing my whole life. Because, you see, because she is a doctor, don’t forget. That is why I’m telling you. This is an important context. When I started. My mom is a doctor, so this is even challenging my. Everything that I’ve been studying and practicing my whole life. And she believe it. And in that moment, Jeff, I was usually daily. I was taking 45 pills every day. And in that moment, pills for all the. All the problems that I had. And in that day, he said, like, don’t take any more medicines because you don’t have lupus. And I said, can you believe it? That I said, oh, and now what I’m gonna do without lupus, I created. It was like. 

Lauren Gomez:
So when you said, please embrace the cross, literally, you can do it. This is. I am. That is what I’m telling you. You know, it’s going. You said, it’s difficult. Take your cross with you and take it. It’s not easy. No, no. It’s even challenging. And now when you don’t have the cross and you are hugging, embracing, it’s part of your life, so it’s possible. And then, okay, what I’m going to do without lupus, even more because of the lupus, I couldn’t have kids. I couldn’t have children. And when. And then when I get married, I go. I get pregnant 15 days after my wedding, and now I have my son, almost 12 years old. 

Jeff Johnson:
Lauren, your whole life is a miracle. You gotta jump you gotta jump back. Because the man that gave you the sermon, who was obedient with the gospel and just shared that with you, and I assume a whole room full of other people you heard, you said that became your husband. How did that happen, Jeff? 

Lauren Gomez:
Can you believe it? That someday someone invited as a church and this same testimony, but being held by him. You would love to hear that. Because what was happening in his life? In parallel and in parallel, he was praying to God for a woman. Not for being the girlfriend, for being the wife, but he was leading. But, but needs to be in the church. And then when he met me, I was sick and we became girl boyfriend. He asked me for being his girlfriend, knowing that I was sick with only those six months. And he prayed to God, okay, I was waiting for a wife, but I mean, not someone that is gonna die in six months. And he said, if this is your will, I will take it. So we are boyfriends. Since I was sick, when I was healed, I was. 

Lauren Gomez:
We were raised and I said, you need to take care of your prayers. Because you didn’t. You were thinking that I will last for six months. And now we have been together. 

Jeff Johnson:
Now you got me for the rest of your life, buddy. Fantastic. 

Lauren Gomez:
Take care of your prayer, take care of your. What you wish. 

Jeff Johnson:
Yes, boring. So how many years have you been cured of lupus? Which doesn’t. 

Lauren Gomez:
13 years. Yes, 13 years. Because my son is almost 12 and you can count. Yes, like 13 years. 

Jeff Johnson:
And then. Forgive me, I. I interrupted you, but you were saying your concern was, what am I going to do without lupus now? Because that was one of the things that kept me the closest with God. Because you had that conversation with him every day and you were close and whatever. And so now your faith has got to be informing everything that you do. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes, yes. And my. And my life, to be honest, my life, when to answer your question, my life continue the same. Because I said this was then I realized that the lupus was not stopping me. I created my life embracing the lupus. So you can say, oh, this woman get crazy the next day to the bar. No, no, no, I didn’t. That was not stopping me. And sometimes as a human being, we think that the external things are the reason for stopping us. Yeah, but when you remove the problem, if you really embrace the problem, you can keep being happy. That is why I’m telling you I was happy even with lupus. I was not saying I will be having. I will be happy the day when I will Not. I mean, no, no, no. You need to do it now. 

Lauren Gomez:
What happened if that day never comes? 

Jeff Johnson:
Right, Right. You know, we had. Not to make this about me, Lauren, but we’ve had a home church for a long time. And I remember early on, we had one of the members of our home church meeting intermittently. But we’ve had one of our members say to me at the end of a service, jeff, when are we going to do the stuff? And I said, what do you mean, the stuff? And he said, well, the stuff that’s in the Bible. Heal the sake, raise the dead, do all that kind, you know, he’s talking about the stuff that’s written in scriptures. And I said, oh, okay. So that started us on a pattern of stopping at the end of services and listening to God and pressing into that and just asking if God’s got something for us. And G.K. 

Jeff Johnson:
Chesterton, theologian, a long time ago, said about the Bible, he said, this book is being played out before our very eyes and most people don’t even see it. And I would imagine you would give a yes and an amen to that. Look, this is a living and breathing gospel, and it’s right there for us. And Jesus promises are true. I mean, that’s what you’re inspiring me with right now, isn’t that right? 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. This is each one of us. We are a tangible gospel. 

Jeff Johnson:
Tangible? Yeah. 

Lauren Gomez:
Tangible gospel. No more. What is stopping us? 

Jeff Johnson:
What’s stopping us? That’s right. 

Lauren Gomez:
Tell me. After. After knowing my story, tell me what. What is stopping us? 

Jeff Johnson:
Oh, my. You’re inspiring me. I mean, I. Why. Why you wouldn’t lay out on the floor and just say, okay, Lord, you know, I’ve been asking youg just for one. I love the way youy put that. I’ve been asking just for one day. I want a life, and that’s the promise that yout give me. So please. And leave it to him to answer that prayer. But your job is just to ask. And you said that so beautifully. Wow. 

Lauren Gomez:
I’m not setting times and saying, why take. Why God is taking so long. I didn’t share with Him, I think. And this is the timeline. Hear me. No, no, no. Yes. Because people is like, I’ve been praying for these two years, and why a timeline? What is the time? Like, what is the project manager? I mean, what is the. The chart with God? What is the criteria? What is the KPI? No, no, no. If you are asking, it’s because in his mercy. Because then a lot of people Ask me save you. I mean, why is the opposite not why the disease now, why you don’t have lipos? And I said because he’s God. Ask him why. Because he’s God. 

Jeff Johnson:
Yeah. 

Lauren Gomez:
Because it’s his mercy. And I said maybe. I said maybe he. I don’t have lupus because my son had to come to this world. So maybe the miracle was not for me, was for my son. Oh my Lauren, I don’t know what is going to happen in my son’s future that I don’t even need to be alive to see that why we are all the time expected to see the miracle of God. He’s God. He will see the miracle is for me. No, no. Maybe because I don’t know. In his mercy is only for being right now in this podcast telling you the story and someone that will be listening story will believe more in God. So at the end this miracle is for me or is for also save that person. 

Jeff Johnson:
Wow. He’s equipped you with the testimony that could be the life changing thing for somebody who hasn’t asked God yet and is going to do that now. 

Lauren Gomez:
Yes. And if I didn’t learn English four years ago, I couldn’t be sharing the testimony in English with you. 

Jeff Johnson:
Right, right. 

Lauren Gomez:
That is what I’m telling you. Why do we need to repeat everything? Leave it to God. I mean, don’t put all the effort in thinking and finding the way, etc, because I don’t even need to see what is the impact that is miracle is for someone else. I don’t deserve this. Like what I need to say are you me? You see, I received the miracle. No, no, no. I said please avoid that. Someday I will think that this is for me. This is a miracle for you because you will be doing something with that. Yeah, but it’s not for me. 

Jeff Johnson:
It’s fantastic, Laura. So do you have more to add to that story. 

Lauren Gomez:
You can imagine? No, I mean, to be honest, it’s like he’s amazing. He’s funny, he’s strong, he loves to love. He loves when you call him and when you talk to him. He’s always there. He’s absolutely amazing. More than you can imagine. He suffered with us. He’s with us. He’s absolutely amazing. My favorite person. 

Jeff Johnson:
Amazing. Lauren, thank you so much. I. I don’t want to put you on the spot here, but I’m just, I have. It’s on my heart that somebody’s probably going to be listening to this and their faith is going to be tickling them from the inside. And they’re going to be thinking, maybe, maybe God’s got something for me too. And maybe the courageous thing for them is going to be to get hit their knees for the first time and pray. Lauren, could I ask you just to say a little prayer for people that might be listening to this podcast? Just that their faith would grow strong and that they’d press into him. 

Lauren Gomez:
Hi, Jeff. To be honest, I feel bad doing in English because it will be terrible. 

Jeff Johnson:
But do it in Spanish if you want to. The Holy Spirit will hear. People will hear. 

Lauren Gomez:
Oh, my God. I will try to do it in both, to be honest. Said, oh, God. You know that right now, in the same way that I lay down in that day for me, I am doing that exactly the same thing right now in a spiritual way. For anybody that will be listening this. Take all those years with my illness, with my suffering, with my sacrifice, and do something with that for someone that will be listening, this. This is all my offer. Take it, take it, take it, because that makes sense. And I offer gladly and happy and with Joe, with joy, even more sacrifice, and get used to it. 

Lauren Gomez:
But if you promise me to do something with that offer for increase the faith, the health, the peace and love for someone that will be listening this podcast and even more for Jeff, that is the one that you are using to bring this story to someone else, this is my pleasure. 

Jeff Johnson:
Amen. Amen, Lauren. May the good Lord bless you. Wow.