From Postcard Perfect to Pentecostal Catholics: The Unexpected Call of Puerto Rico
From Postcard Perfect to Pentecostal Catholics: The Unexpected Call of Puerto Rico We stepped out of the plane and into a world that looked like a travel brochure sprung to life. My wife's aunt and uncle's home in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, was a stunning Mediterranean villa, complete with a lush, tropical garden, a classic red Mustang gleaming in the garage, and the distant silhouette of mountains against a vibrant sky. It was everything you picture when you dream of Puerto Rico. But the real revelation wasn't the scenery; it was the shift in our family's faith. We soon discovered that our Catholic relatives had embraced Christianity, a welcome surprise solidified by the church nestled in their garage. This led to a deep dive into the religious landscape of Puerto Rico, a landscape forever altered by a 1970s Pentecostal missionary. While the missionary's success was undeniable, the aftermath was complex. We met church leaders, attended services, and sensed a dissonanc...