Getting To Know…

Alma Castro

Alma took in a deep breath of the stiff air. Sweat trickling down her face. She bent down on her hands and knees to scrub the stains away. She paused for a moment and wondered if this was worth it.

Alma grew up in Mexico. At 15 years old, a few of her friends invited her to church camp. Little did she know, that week would soon remove the stains from her own life. In the next couple of days, Alma found purpose in life and made the decision to live for Jesus. However, as the years passed and college began, Alma forgot her commitment to God. She found herself in a downward spiral of sin. For the next ten years Alma would only turn to God when she needed Him most. Alma fell into thousands of dollars of debt. She began to pray for a second chance.

Today Alma tells me, “I didn’t want to admit I wasn’t having success in my business, but that’s the way God told me that I wasn’t as perfect as I thought.”

Three years ago, Alma and her family moved to Austin, TX. The Castro family received a door-hanger, with the words: “What if Church was Different?”  After their second week at Wells Branch Community Church they never left. For the first time in 30 years, Alma and her family came back to Jesus.

Now, because of the stains removed in her own life, Alma helps remove the stains in the lives of others. A few months ago, Alma walked into the Valero gas station with her son Denis. Denis noticed a lady, by the name of Jan Barbie, in her wheelchair struggling to grab a coke and went to help her. Alma began to build a unique friendship with Jan. Jan poured out the pain of three divorces and the death of her only daughter. However, through Alma, Jan entered the doors of Wells Branch Community Church. Jan’s story enables Alma to recall the reason why she serves and loves others. Then Alma bent back down on her hands and knees to continue scrubbing the deep stains away, remembering all God has done for her.

By, Ashley Scarbrough