In his presence Vol. II- live from the "BIG APPLE"

Wow ! months of preparation, weeks of rehearsing material, hrs of studio time and finally the week of In His Presence Vol. II was here. 

I arrived in NYC on monday 6/8 around 6pm, there  I waited for the Hibberts to pick me up from La Guardia Airport. There after we went to pick up my girlly Tinu Diaz from the Bronx. After we headed out to Newburgh. we stopped for dinner at this yummy asian restaurant called Stir Crazy. and did a little shopping at the Palasades mall. Then continued to Newburgh and straight to our hotel. Jontez arrived that same night, we hung out for alittle bit then all just went to bed, I was alil worn out from our all day traveling. Tuesday around noon we went to lunch then straight to church for rehearsal, the other singers were arriving tuesday evening. Jon/Tinu/Pastor Tony and I were in the studio all day, recording stems for U Turn, a very hot song I might add. There after the other singers arrived and we rehearsed the other new songs we hadn't heard. we were singing for a total of 8 hrs all together.. whew.. we had dinner that night and then rehearsed alittle more before we called it a night then we straight to our hotel to sleep around midnight. The next day we arrived at the church again for more rehearsing around noon. this was a 12 hr day for all the singers.. CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY, and yes by the end of the night a couple of use were not feeling that great.. Nathan, Tinu and I were fighting some cold symptoms.. ;) we had every type of medicine you can think us to keep us alive for the recording, lol!! Vitamin C, Echinacea, Tylenol multi symptom, throat lozenges, and Unisom to try and get some sleep in the midst of all the drama with our bodies, lol! That night we got back to our hotel rooms around 2am... thursday we had the day off, because due to an emergency the music director Byron Williams was not able to flying into NYC until thursday evening. So we all slept alot on thursday, it was great. I got my voice back and felt all rested up. Friday we all caravan'd to QUEENS, took Tinu to the Hospital to meet with her boys and family because they boys were sick :(, then the rest of us went to check into our hotel in Queens. shortly after around 830 we took off to rehearsal. We rehearsed and Oneness Pentecostal church from 9pm to 3am.. not good, my voice left the building once again!! lol

crazy thing that happened that night was that we were starving cause we hadnt eaten anything since we left Newburge around 2pm and after going thru the set a couple times we had no energy to continue and so we took a break. Around midnight the only thing open around the church was a chinese food place across the street. we all went and grabbed some food, during our wait there, need i say its not the safest neighborhood in Queens so we were approached by a few guys claiming they were doing a documentary and wanted us to step outside so they could take a photo of us.. uhhhhhh NO!!! they probably wanted to mug us. Then a Girl rushed into the restaurant out of no where she came into to ask for a bottle of soda, none available she walked outside and started arguing with this guy who appeared to be her significant other, they started arguing, he hit her, she grabbed a bottle of hairspray and sprayed him with it.. Umm we had front row seats as we watched from the INSIDE of the chinese food place. hahahah They left and we all grabbed our food and rushed back to the church across the street. we ate then poor Oli got sick----- NOT GOOD, but nothing some alkaselzer couldnt fix... then we ran thru our set once again. by this time it was 230.. we were all done the singers had nothing left.. So we were released to go back to the hotel. Got in around 3am and went straight to bed. Saturday- RECORDING DAY, tinu my room mate and I got up and walked a few blocks to a diner for breakfest. First time we ate breakfast the whole week, lol. it was pretty good, we took a cab back cause we realized we only had alittle time to shower and get our things read to head out to recording spot. They drove us all to the Church - New Life Tabernacle around 230,  got in, went down to dressing rooms, sound check, got dressed, then concert time! We had a great time at the Concert I definitly have some great memories from this trip. When we were ministering I felt such an incredible presence, I was literally shaking and felt I was gonna pass out because I was so nervous when I did my solo, being that my voice wasn't all there, but Thank God he took over and I just followed HIS lead. Pastor Tony Hibbert was Incredible and the BAND was AMAZING!! We had such a blast!! 

Expolit 2009/Miami/Orlando/Friends!!!

I had such an amazing time last week in Miami.. Our Adventure began Thursday night, Poncho,Kanelo and I arrived to the Ontario Airport to catch our 1255am flight to Orlando, Fl. Yes a RED EYE, my first one ever and i did not like it at all. Anyhow, we finally arrived in Orlando on Thursday at 11:15am because our flight was slightly delayed coming out of IAH airport in Houston, TX.  But we were happy to be there, safe and sound. Our Good Friend Eric Lopez picked us up at the airport along with his mom, it was so good to finally see him again after several months and meet his momma, whom we all talked to but never met in person! La Famosa Chrissy!! lol I caught a glimpse of Orlando as we got on the road to Miami.. All I can say is wow, really beautiful and did I mention that there are lakes everywhere?!?!?!?!? Lakes, everywhere and you are able to pull over and fish in the lakes umm pretty much anywhere you want.. We arrived to our hotels, checked in.. We stayed at the Westin in Coral Gabel and loved it, that evening we had dinner and had dessert at Houstons, so so so  yummy! The next day we went to meet up with everyone at Expolit, it was sooo coool to meet so many different people in the industry, and we also ran into our Good Friend Andy Andrade from the band Sueno de Heroe.. So happy they signed a distribution deal with Vida, and were there promoting their new album!! hung out with Eric, whom introduced us to everyone and their mommas, Eric is the bomb!! We networked alittle in the exhibitors arena, then took off to Mary Alessi's church for an integrity Sound Check. Their church is gorgeous, the interior decoration was lovely! We arrived and met Ingrid Rosario, and then were escorted inside to start sound check with Eric Lopez. The Band that integrity hired as phenominal, the director was Ingrid Rosario's husband/drummer.. We went thru Eric 's songs twice, it sounded perfect.. i was way nervous though because I had to fill in for christine during rehearsal and do her leads to Devuelveme, in front of Ingrid Rosario and Ana Laura-Chavez.. yeaaaaaah super nerve racking but I got thru it,  wink wink, hehe. Then after we returned to Expolit Event to watch/support our friend Christine D'Clario in Concert that night. She ROCKED!!! she debuted her new music video- Padre Nuestro and it was soooo great! The concert was really long, jajajaja.. but we made the best of it! After the Concert Eric, took us to a famous Cuban restuarant called La Carreta.. wow, never had cuban food before but it was delicious.. Saturday we woke up early, went to have breakfast, then got ready and went to sound check at 4pm.. there we met all the Integrity Artists we hadn't met yet..  We saw Julissa and Mike, it was great to see them again, she looked beautiful as always, we met Kari Jobe- wow, anointed!! We met Freddy Rodriguez- love his music, Ana Laura-Chavez and Danilo Montero were also there.. Sound check was cool, poncho and I switched out with the other BGV's that were singing for the other integrity artist other then Eric Lopez, he decided to get is own, hahahahaha!!!! After soundcheck we just kinda hung out there at the Expolit hotel and helped Eric get ready for the big concert.. We're such good friends. I didn't do much just approve his outfit, hahah ;)!!!! we walked over to the event around 830, and took our seats.. That evening was so awesome. Integrity put together a really great concert and all the artists did very well!! I especially loved, Kari Jobe, Eric Lopez and Freddy Rodriguez' sets because I could sing along to their songs.. But I also enjoyed julissa and danilo montero- he ministered in such an amazing way, I was in tears.. So all in all, it was a great nite. Our awesome friend Eric, chose to hang out with us over all the integrity artists that evening after the show and we along with christine/carlos/stephanie and chris went to flannigans for dinner! Good Times, laughs and great conversations.. I'll never forget christines analogy in the parking lot, deeeep.. and she scared the heck outta poncho!!! lol 

Sunday we slept in, kinda then drove to the expolit hotel to pick up Eric and Crissy.. Then we drove to thru South beach and down town Miami a bit.. Sooo beautiful! then drove home to Orlando in much much RAIN, finally I saw all the thunder storms and lightning that my iphone was talking about thru yahoo weather, lol..... We hung out that evening, poncho and I cooked.. Monday we saw Orlando a bit.. loved the mall, loved the sites, went to bahama breeze-yummy. It pretty much rained all day sunday/monday/tuesday so we pretty much stayed in doors.. then tuesday we got up got ready, and suddenly an hr before we had to leave to airport, poncho realizes he does not have his passport not identification to fly back home. He had left his passport at the hotel in Miami.. uuuuugh, we were worried he wouldn't be able to fly, that he'd have to stay and make arrangements to get a FL id or something... he was about to cry, lol..jk

so finally I called the airline and explained the situation. They assured us that they can make arrangements when he checked in. He just had to go thru additional screening and luckily he had a costco card with his name and photo on it.. God is good!!  We arrived in Ont last night around 8pm, and I said goodbye to my traveling buddies. Kanelo and Poncho!!! We had a great time and miss our FL friends but we're happy to be home and now back to reality. 

Forgiveness=freedom

its almost half way thru 2009 and wow, where has the time gone? I am especially happy these days because I have overcome yet another battle against ME. I realized that life is to short to hold on to things that might have gone wrong, people or situations that hurt me. Forgiveness is the first step toward healing. To YOU, I say..... I forgive you.  sincerely I do. The past is the past. I am thankful that I have learned a very important lesson thru these life experiences I've recently had to face. I've learned alot about ME, the things that make me happy, my flaws and things I need to work on. Nobody is perfect.. =)  God has truly made me over inside. He showed me once again how much he truly loves me and that I must forgive and learn to love again in order to be free. Holding on to things pushes you further and further away from obtaining true happiness. There's no room in my heart for bitterness, disappointment,regret,anger, or revenge.. to that I say, "whats the point?" I have to move forward, time to be free again..  so glad I finally made it there.. 

THE FIGHT OF YOUR LIFE..

Fear Not Youth Group prepared and anticipated a great event on 3/27.. We spent weeks in meetings, rehearsing, in praying and fasting.. God definitly blew us away Last Night.. There were about 562 people in attendance last night and the energetic ambiance was contageous. I hid on the far left corner of the stage as the crowd spilled into the sanctuary to find a 20X20 boxing ring in the very center, you could feel the excitement in the room! All the staff was at their post and saying prayers before we started service. @715 sharp the intro was made and music team came out with a BIG BANG! Israel H's "Just Wanna Say" had everyone on their feet, bobbin, jumpin, clappin.. They were with us, they were definitly with us and that pumped us up even more. 3 up tempo songs back to back, is seemed like the crowd was screaming, more, more more.. I looked into the crowd and saw so many souls/visitors and people young and old, just receiving so much.. At the end of  our third song, "I am free".. Our youth overseer, Bro Patrick took the mic to introduce a youth rock band led by Mario Salazar, then after it was time for our much anticipated skit, It was amazing!! It protrayed "You" going thru life facing all the issues that young people face today, "depression, confusion, and bitterness, three of the biggest obsticles young people face today. In the ring were the competitors/lifes issues versus "YOU" , after a grusome beating by life's issues, "You" found himself alone, realized he wasn't equipped to face these issues that he was up against, and finally realized he was alone and needed God. In the End with Gods Help, he overcame his obsticles and knocked each and every one of lifes issues out..  The message in the skit really impacted alot of young people, many ran to the alter and broke down and fell to their faces. As the Music team ministered with "Moving Forward" the young people in the alter, were ministered to by other young people and the ministry in the church. POWERFUL, POWERFUL, POWERFUL!!! Thereafter we had a guest speaker who gave his testimony. He talked about his life before Christ. Being an ex gang leader, then how his life changed in "seconds" as he said when God reveled his plan for his life. He is a Cage fighter now and has a clothing line called Disciple-wear, his story really touched everyone there also. Bro Abel Gonzalez ended the night with an amazing sermon and invited everyone to the alter one more time, what an overwelming presence was in that place last night. God is incredible and he deserves all the Glory for the miracles that took place. People were delivered from Depression, Bitterness, Confusion, Sickness, Lust, etc etc. Lives were changed and many are hungry for more... That is what its all about!! WOW!!!