The Overlooked Testimony

(Photo/MelOPhoto, Mellissa Ostrow)

Yocasty Valdez didn’t think she had much to share about her life. But the Holy Spirit invited her to take a closer look, and she saw her story from a new divine perspective.

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In our churches, we often hear powerful testimonies of deliverance, miracles, and healing. Without a doubt, each of these is a cause for praise and glory to our Almighty God, but sometimes we forget that God’s grace is also manifested in daily faithfulness, in His hand that sustains us in the midst of trials, and in a transformed life. This is the case of Yocasty Valdez, Youth Ministries Coordinator at the Boston Central Corps. When she was selected to share her testimony at the 2026 General’s Congress, she was faced with an important question: “What am I going to share? I don’t have much of a testimony.”

But Yocasty had lived a childhood marked by great hardships. As the oldest of four siblings, she was given the responsibility of taking care of them as well as her mother from an early age, in a depressing and bitter environment where hope was scarce. She doesn’t remember ever hearing a word of encouragement or any good advice that would inspire her to dream of a blessed future. On the contrary, the adults around her constantly spoke of uncertain days, devoid of love, security, and care.

Despite all this, as the years went by, Yocasty was able to recognize the Lord’s mercy in her life. None of those hurtful words managed to define her identity or determine her fate.

“Those words didn’t affect me. God gave me strength. He created a shield within me so that they couldn’t penetrate,” she says.

Yocasty Valdez offers words of wisdom and guidance to the young people of Boston Central Corps.
(Photo/MelOPhoto, Mellissa Ostrow)

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Strengthened by God, she cultivated her perseverance, faith, and self-control—qualities that are rare in environments marked by dysfunction, a lack of direction, and the absence of steadfast support.

With the Lord’s help, she learned to manage her emotions, not letting anger or frustration take control of her decisions. Yocasty understood that everything has its appointed time, and the best decisions are almost never made when emotions cloud our judgment. It was also that self-control that allowed her to resist the negative voices she heard around her and kept her from being swept away by them. She says there was a time in her life when she felt “sad,” but she now realizes that she was actually going through a depression. Once again, instead of succumbing to darkness, she found refuge in God’s presence within her faith community.

“At that moment, I didn’t break down. Instead, I clung to the church,” she recalls.

The challenges she faced throughout her life also led to sleepless, anxiety-filled nights, as well as moments when the future seemed full of uncertainty. As a young single mother of two children, Yocasty shouldered great responsibilities early and weathered times of distress. Among them was the illness of one of her children, which led her to spend long hours in hospitals, facing alone the fear and helplessness that every mother feels when she sees her child suffering. It was precisely in those valleys of pain and loneliness that she experienced God’s faithfulness most deeply.

“God protected me, strengthened me, guided me, and helped me give my children the best of myself. He helped me raise my children,” she says gratefully.

Every time her strength was running out and anxiety threatened to overwhelm her again, God renewed her and granted her peace, which strengthened her faith and taught her to depend on Him.

So, when she received the invitation to speak to the women of Women’s Ministries during the General’s Congress, she prayed and asked the Lord for guidance once again, since she didn’t know what to say. In her mind, a testimony was something extraordinary—a stunning miracle, a complete or sudden healing, or a dramatic deliverance. She couldn’t fully grasp the magnitude of the work the Lord had done in her life over the years. It was at that moment, she recounts, that the Holy Spirit spoke to her heart: “‘How can you say you have no testimony? Didn’t I deliver you from depression and from falling into prostitution?’ He explained to me everything He had delivered me from.” The Lord also revealed to her the purpose of her deliverance: “I have saved you from all this so that you might serve,” she says, deeply moved.

Yocasty Valdez delivers her testimony at the Women’s Rally during the General’s Congress in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on June 13, 2026.
(Photo/Jeff Bruce)

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That was how Yocasty realized God had been guiding every stage of her life. What seemed ordinary to her was, in reality, a story shaped by His intervention, mercy, and unwavering faithfulness. Her testimony reflects a reality shared by many believers, one that often goes unnoticed. We tend to celebrate visible miracles, but we forget to thank God for the battles we never had to fight, the dangerous paths we were spared from walking, and all the countless ways God protected us from harm. His faithfulness is not always revealed through extraordinary events. More often, it is seen in His abiding presence, His protection that surrounds us, the strength that sustains us, and the direction in which He guides us. Testimonies like this remind us of what a great blessing it is to experience, day after day, the care and faithfulness of a mighty God who never forsakes us.

As she shared her testimony at the rally of thousands of women in the General’s Congress, Yocasty became a source of blessing and encouragement to many listeners. Her influence also reaches far beyond that moment through her daily ministry to the young women of the Boston Central Corps. That is the place where her experiences have equipped her with wisdom and compassion to guide, empower, and mentor young people facing challenges similar to her own. The lessons God taught her through life’s trials continue to bear fruit, transcending well beyond her personal story and becoming a source of hope for many people. Today, Yocasty remains committed to the purpose for which God prepared her, glorifying Him through her service and constant example. To our good and faithful God be all the glory.