Friends And Family

What If She Needs It? A Story of Reconciliation, Forgiveness and Divine Timing

• Gods Way Radio

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What happens when a casual DNA test given as a Christmas gift unlocks a lifetime of questions and reveals a miraculous story of survival? Jorge Avila never imagined the journey that would unfold when his daughters gave him that Christmas gift.

At 57, George looks back on a life marked by divine intervention and perfect timing. The revelation of his adoption at age eight created what he calls "a big void," but it was only the beginning of an extraordinary story. Decades later, through painstaking research and eventual DNA matching, Jorge discovered something that shook him to his core – his biological mother had attempted to end her pregnancy through an abortion in Jamaica. Yet somehow, against overwhelming odds, Jorge survived.

"I was in the enemy's hands, in the grip of death, and now I'm in the hands of grace," Jorge reflects. This discovery transformed his understanding of God's purpose for his life. But perhaps the most profound wisdom came from his adoptive father, who encouraged Jorge to search for his birth mother with this simple question: "What if she needs it?" Those words would prove prophetic when Jorge eventually connected with his birth mother months before her passing, providing healing and closure for both of them.

Today, Jorge serves as a police officer with the City of Miami and volunteer chaplain, his life a testament to God's redemptive power. His message for anyone considering fostering or adoption is simple yet profound: "Don't wait to be perfect." And for those facing unplanned pregnancies: "Put the child into God's hands, like Moses' mom. Put them in the basket in faith."

Whether you're considering adoption, processing your own family story, or simply need evidence that God redeems our most broken beginnings, this conversation will remind you that sometimes our most painful chapters are being written into a larger, more beautiful story than we could imagine.

Host:

You're tuned in to Friends and Family, a God's Way Radio exclusive where we introduce you to some amazing people. In John, chapter 15, verse 15, jesus says I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. That's our aim that God would be made known to you. Stay with us until the end of our conversation for more information on this program and other unique offerings from God's Way Radio.

Joey:

I'm joined today in the studio by a very special guest and you know, george, I have an initial plan for this interview, but the more I think about it, the more we've prepared. I'm going, man.

Host:

I got to get this everywhere.

Joey:

I got, you know, people got to hear this on all the platforms you know. So you know, I don't want to say, well, this is the this podcast or this podcast, because I think it's going to end up in a lot of different places. Point is, we have a guest with us, we're recording a conversation together, we're going to share it with you guys. George, thank you for being here.

Jorge:

It is my joy. Thank you for having me.

Joey:

And George, before we get into the story of and again I'm kind of like anticipation, I'm kind of like not wanting to say too much the story of so many things about what God has done, if you want to tell folks a little bit about yourself, what you're doing these days church, whatever, Just introducing yourself, your, family.

Jorge:

Hey, my name is George Avila. I'm about to turn 57. 57 years young, I can't find the E-break on age. I used to want to be older. Now I want to freeze it. But 57, married for 39 years, amen. Yeah it's a CC.

Joey:

What month is the 40th year?

Jorge:

March, wow, march 29th.

Jorge:

That's amazing yeah, that'll be 39 oh, okay okay, so, um, three kids, alex and natalie and tatiana awesome, awesome, awesome. I'm blessed. Two grandkids, liam and logan, seven and five. Um, I have the joy of being a police officer with the city of Miami and volunteer chaplain on the department as well. And I have the joy of serving at Calvary Miami, teaching the second to fifth year olds. Kiddos love it pouring into them. I won't be here when the fruit is happening, but I'll see it from heaven, so good stuff and you've been around Calvary Chapel Miami a long time, but I'll see it from heaven.

Jorge:

So good stuff, yeah, and you've been around.

Joey:

Calvary Chapel, miami a long time, yeah, as we're going to get into I think A big part of the 57.

Jorge:

Day one Right, technically right, since day one.

Joey:

George, I want to ask you, you know, just to cut to the chase, we invited you here to the studio today. And again, my brother, you know there's so much we could talk about, truly. I mean I don't mean to get you to buy me lunch, because I don't think we're going to be here until that time, you know.

Joey:

But in all seriousness, man, I mean there's so much I could ask you about marriage and ministry and life, but we, specifically, want to talk about well, adoption, foster care, adoption, and I'm excited and I'm humbled and I'm with fear and reverence, because I think there's folks that know you, that don't know a lot of these stories, and so there's going to be a blessing. But before getting to some of those particular details, I wanted to ask you what's? Some of your earliest childhood memories really set the scene for us new york right, yes, new york.

Jorge:

Uh lived the apartment life over there. I remember, uh in the summer, uh, with some older cousins catching bumblebees. They put them in a bottle, these huge bumblebees, imagine. Yeah, I remember playing with hot wheels. I was big into hot wheel cars. Um, I remember one of my favorite toys or play sets was like an electric-type track with these dragsters and we put drops of oil on the tires and burned the rubber you know Wow.

Jorge:

And if I looked at it today, I go. I was so excited about that. You know how life is Everything looks so big and it's really not. But I remember that. I remember walking to school as a young boy, maybe five years old in the snow being so cold. My back would hurt. My ears are on fire with the cold.

Joey:

So when you told those stories to your kids you weren't exaggerating? No, In the snow through school, that's funny.

Jorge:

A little bit of sledding. I remember that, I remember. You know, what I remember is playing at a park near the apartment building and there was no grass. Uh, the parks there were all asphalt and concrete.

Joey:

I remember that. Yeah, yeah, interesting yeah so who was at? Home. Uh, what was the?

Jorge:

family, like, uh, my dad pedro, my mom ruby for a while. Uh then, when I was five, uh, we, my parents, adopted my little sister.

Joey:

And I remember that day.

Jorge:

I remember that specific day.

Joey:

So we're going to hear that story in a moment, but that's kind of like your first exposure to adoption, any of this is your family adopts a sister right and at that time in your mind, again.

Host:

We're kind of like holding off on some details here.

Joey:

Right but right. So you said you were seven, I five.

Jorge:

Yeah, I did not. Uh, I didn't understand adoption or realize adoption. When she was brought she was just my sister and she's new and I didn't know how she got there, but she got there, so that's interesting.

Joey:

So did they try to explain it to you? At that time not yet, no okay no okay, so your sister's brought home. Tell us about that day a little bit.

Jorge:

So, um, my parents were, uh, went and picked her up. It was the day and, uh, I forgot who was babysitting. I, I can't remember that. But uh, we went down to the uh, I think we lived on the second or third floor. We went down to the foyer of the main entrance of the building and we received her there. I remember a little blue basket, you know, with a handle, and here she is with a little red hair. You know she was redhead.

Joey:

Yeah, uh were you excited?

Jorge:

yes, yes, absolutely you weren't going. I don't want not that I recall okay, good, good, oh, man, that's sweet.

Joey:

So you're five years old, you got a new baby sister. Life is great, everything's good.

Jorge:

You guys moved to miami when uh, 1975 I, I think my uh, my dad, came in 75. Uh bought the house, got a job and months later, so I don't know if it was still 75 or early 76.

Joey:

But you were what Seven or eight years old I was seven years old. Seven years old, seven years old, so you moved to Miami. You know beautiful family. Kind of like American dream.

Host:

You know, two.

Jorge:

You know, mom dad two kids you know, picket fence Playing baseball, everything's good, and then you go for a family vacation to New York, new York yes, I don't know if it was the following year or the year after that, so I must have been eight, possibly nine, and so I'm hanging out with my cousins family reunion, and you want me to go ahead and share how I found out the big news.

Jorge:

So we're sitting at a park in the bleachers, one of my cousins is playing a baseball game and I'm sitting with, I think, three or four more cousins enjoying the game and bleachers are outdoors, of course and one of my cousins turns to me and says George, you're not really our family and you're adopted. You're not really an Avila, and that's how I found out. Yeah, Wow.

Joey:

That is tremendous. Yeah, can you remember what's the first thing that came to your brain?

Jorge:

I don't know, but I can tell you how I felt, yeah yeah, yeah. I felt a big void hit me. It's like I think what I was thinking is what does that mean Then? Who am I? Where did I come from? What does this all mean? I just had a void and a big question.

Joey:

And there was not like a hesitation, like oh you're lying or oh, you're just trying to be mean.

Jorge:

It just hit you? No, it hit me. I don't think I was able to respond, I just pondered it. Yeah, wow, wow.

Joey:

And let me ask you this kind of backing up or getting some more context your dad, right, so we're going to have, for the sake of folks listening you know I might over-clarify or interchangeable terms your birth dad or your adoptive dad, your dad and mom at the time, right, the only dad and mom you know birth dad, or your adoptive dad, your dad and mom at the time, right, the only dad and mom you know.

Joey:

Um, uh, I know a little bit of his background you've told me before. I want to catch up here. Where's he at as far as uh, his, his, uh he left cuba.

Host:

Yes, went to new york.

Joey:

Yes, you're about eight years old. You're living in miami. I know he had a connection. I think we're going to share some of these details. Bay of pigs yes, that, yes, did that happen already. Where are we at?

Jorge:

in that story. Okay, that happened in 61, I think it was.

Joey:

Okay.

Jorge:

And I was born and adopted in 68.

Joey:

Okay, and so you're born in 68. Okay, so that's even to you. That's history, in a sense. As a kid, that happened with my dad. A had a while ago, right, I, I didn't live it, right, right, okay, it's just information, I know, okay. And then, okay, cool, so we're catching up and that, okay, I remember why I brought it up, because he came to the lord, yes, at that time. So I do, so we are rewinding now. Okay, I wanted to hear about that part of your dad's life, if you, yes, would share so my dad was uh eventually captured uh the bay of pigs.

Jorge:

It was uh unsuccessful right in the eyes of man and um he ended up being caught 30 days uh later and uh in prison. He started reading the bible. He has just this, this urge to read the bible, and he met the lord through his word and uh became a solid believer yeah, never turned back.

Joey:

You know again, I I hope that one of the things that people hear as we listen to so much of your life, your story, your testimony, is god redeems bad stuff. I mean, over and over again. I think that's part of your testimony, your life, your family, he, he allows us to go through things like that so we can get a greater blessing in a sense. So so I wanted to to to go back to that. I don't want to miss that because you're growing up with a christian dad. Yes, christian dad. Um, this may be skipping ahead in the story, but your mom did she ever know the Lord?

Jorge:

Yes, she did? She went to church. She had a distant relationship, I would call it, with the Lord. The issue with her was life had been harsh and hard.

Jorge:

For example, when my dad went to the Bay of Pigs, she was pregnant, she lost a baby. She, in her heart, blamed, I think, my dad for not being there and possibly the cause of it. She couldn't get to the hospital in time and so there was a series of events that she was not able to overcome. Bitterness Awesome lady loved me provided, but she had emotional, deep-rooted emotional and mental health issues because of the way she had dealt the deck of cards that she had to face. So let me just say, at the last three years of her life were amazing. My dad would read her the Bible. She was a joy to be around. She's with the lord now, so it ended up really well. However, the years before that were very difficult. It was, uh, you didn't know, uh, if it was gonna be a nice day or a very terrible day at home.

Joey:

uh, yeah, she had emotional issues excuse me and um, thank god for the ending of that that story, that life, um.

Joey:

But again to point out the detail, that that's why you were adopted. Yes, because she couldn't have more children. Exactly, they couldn't have children after that, and so they were looking to adopt and they found you. That's right, pretty amazing. So you get this news. We're going back to where we were adding the story. You get this news. We're going back to where we were at in the story. You get this news from your cousins and you said you kept it to yourself. I did. How long were you able to keep that to yourself?

Jorge:

So I'm thinking a year or two, if I'm remembering right.

Joey:

What was that?

Jorge:

like.

Host:

From what you can remember, it was an experience.

Jorge:

I had a void. I had a void, which was a good thing now looking back, but it's something I walked through so I pondered it. But I remember going to baseball practice. I loved baseball.

Joey:

We're here in Miami. Yeah, we're here in Miami.

Jorge:

Back after that trip, a year or two later, and, uh, we're my mom's driving me to baseball practice. And I just built the courage to finally ask her hey, this is what my cousins say, is it true? And I just flat out asked her yeah, that day, and what she said she confirmed it. She said, yes, you know. She said, hey, uh, just so you know, a mom is not just a person that has a child, but a lady that, uh, raises a child. Yeah, that's a mom.

Joey:

So and, and I want to, I, this is one of those things that I pray. If anyone's listening, you know, because, george, you never know who's listening right, it could be somebody that has never thought about foster and adoption. It could be someone that cannot have children right, you know they're dealing with that. It could be someone that cannot have children right, you know they're dealing with that. It could be someone who knows I'm again. When we do these recordings, it's like it's almost scarier than sharing in front of people to me. Why? Because how, who knows where and how far this is gonna go, right, you know. But anyways, um, I, truly, I believe somebody's going to be listening to this and man, a mom is someone that raises a child. That's so powerful, that's so important. I hope ladies listening will really that the Lord will really use that. Anything you want to comment on that, I mean, you lived it.

Jorge:

Yeah.

Joey:

I mean that was mom, I mean she.

Jorge:

That was my it. Yeah, I mean that was mom. I mean she that was my mom. Yeah, I, you know. I just you know, I'm trying to think I didn't know anything different, or else, you know, when she answered me I reconciled with it and I just went on with life, you know. I was very passionate about some things and I just pursued those things and I don't remember it being a big issue after that.

Joey:

That was enough to answer as far as I can tell, right, as far as I can tell.

Jorge:

I'm sure it's there.

Joey:

Did you ever talk to your dad about it? Or that conversation where your mom wasn't enough?

Jorge:

No, my dad was a soldier.

Host:

Old school.

Jorge:

Yeah, I mean awesome guy, awesome guy. I mean awesome guy, awesome guy. I couldn't ask for better. However, he wasn't the affectionate type of conversation, but that's interesting, you know.

Host:

Godly man, christian man, but still old school. Yeah, you know, yeah.

Joey:

Okay, okay, and so you go on. And now, when did you realize or find out that your sister was adopted? Because you said you didn't really understand it at five years old, right?

Jorge:

so when did that click, or do you remember? So no, I, I, I, I don't know if in my mind I just reconciled. If I am, she is, I don't know, uh, but I don't remember ever being specific but eventually, as an adult, you just kind of knew that yes, yes okay yes and uh, and I remember, uh, she didn't know, she my experience at seven years old.

Jorge:

She never had it. She had it at 15 years of age where we met with a pastor and she was told hey, just so you know, uh, you're adopted, you know, and so I have a feeling she took it much harder, uh, very much. So. Yeah, I wish she would have known it from the beginning, that it would have been built into yeah who she is, and you know you know we have these titles.

Joey:

We give people advocates and ambassadors. You know, you, you, you don't necessarily, uh, call yourself an advocate, ambassador. You know you got other things you're doing. But what a treasure of wisdom that you just gave us. You know that you could go and you could talk to people and say, man, if you're going to adopt kids, tell them early. Yes, share that with them. Can you elaborate?

Jorge:

on that. Yes, you know, I was thinking about knowing we would talk about this topic in my life. I was thinking of some areas of scripture and Ephesians 1 says we're adopted in Christ Jesus. Thinking of some areas of Scripture and Ephesians 1 says we're adopted in Christ Jesus. And so, as a believer, god really made an adoption through the cross. He grafted us in. And so I was thinking a child should, from the beginning, know. Hey, if they're adopted, they should know, of course, according to age and what the information they can handle and digest.

Jorge:

It should be built into their growing up and confirmed and reaffirmed. And it's a great thing I'm grateful. God put me into the hands of Pedro and Ruby. I'm grateful for that.

Joey:

Amen, amen. I'm grateful for that. Amen, amen. So who was the? You don't necessarily have to say the name if you want to, if you don't want to, but I'm just wondering how much all this connects. It's amazing. Who was the pastor that you met with? Was it one of the pastors? I know His dad, wow.

Jorge:

Graciel, graciel, sr. Yes of the pastors, I know, uh, his dad wow yes, yes, he was the pastoral care pastor overseeing my adoption in 68 and uh, so uh oh, wait, wait, hang on, hang on, hang on.

Joey:

So in new york, yes, he oversaw.

Jorge:

My parents went to raz's dad's church right methodist church, uh-huh and so he was their pastor.

Host:

Uh-huh, and so when?

Jorge:

they went to do the adoption. He was the pastoral pastor over it of the adoption, wow.

Joey:

Yeah, because it was a Christian organization that they hooked up with.

Jorge:

Yes, it was, it was. I just think he did it as being a pastor in a special moment in a couple's life.

Host:

You know, I don't know that it was a like, a requirement, like, through the organization it was out of his heart of ministry, you know so okay, so all right hang on everybody listening.

Joey:

We got to connect some dots here. So if you've ever heard the name pastor raz pastor raz vasquez that we know here in miami he's the son of of another pastor raz vasquez, so his dad is in New York.

Jorge:

He's a senior pastor of the Methodist Church in Queens, New York, Queens New.

Joey:

York. So he eventually is pastoring in Miami. Yes, pastor Raz, senior. Yes, okay, and he meets with your family specifically for that meeting with your sister, with my sister, when she was 15. Because your family's attending his church?

Jorge:

No, no, not at the time but he was very special to the family, part of our life back then. Okay.

Joey:

Just, you know, and so it was just special, yeah, which again is another amazing, just insight into ministry, you know, into the way that I think church and ministry should operate in the sense of its, its its connections, its family. Yes, you know. So, oh, this church, that church, or you don't go here, don't go here, did, did you? You know? Are you a current member? You know, I really think that's all a distraction, you know? Uh, so what another interesting um insight. So let's, let's catch up to where we are here chronologically, george, so you're, you would be. If she's 15, how old are you at this time?

Jorge:

I'm five years older, so I am 20.

Joey:

Oh man, you're an adult at this point and, but you're still part of the family meeting. Yes, okay, yes, okay, and um, you're a police officer at this point 20. Yes, uh yes, okay, brand new, pretty much I'm brand green very okay, and you know, again, we're gonna kind of um, get to points that maybe we've we haven't talked about before. So, as the lord leads, you know and, and, and, as you're comfortable, but what's your experience at this time, during and after the meeting? You see your sister have a hard time.

Jorge:

Yeah, she was very quiet, very reserved. So I knew it was not easy for her. You know, I guess, what I experienced at seven. She experienced it maybe even deeper. You know at seven there's a even deeper. You know at seven there's things you, a lot of things you don't know. But at 15 you've experienced life, you, you're able to have more context and uh. So I think the what does this mean was uh bigger to her right yeah, and, and I mean any, did you?

Joey:

did you try to talk to her? Did she try to talk to her? Did she try to talk to you? What was that like between brother and sister at that moment I don't remember a lot of that.

Jorge:

Love my sister Always. I remember trying to be there the most possible for her. I just had a deep care and love for her. The good news is she recently connected with her mom. Wow, yeah, so I think that that's been helpful for her.

Joey:

Good, yeah, Good, good. So you carried out your adult life 20, 30, 40 plus. Carried out your adult life 20, 30, 40 plus. And then was it your dad's idea to research your biological parents.

Jorge:

Yes, yes, he at some point years ago. I'm a young man, I'm probably 20 years old. Okay, so young, young, okay he said hey, why don't you reach out and try to find your birth mom? You know, and I told him I I don't really have a desire or a need for it why?

Jorge:

yeah, so, um, I that's not something that I was looking to do or I really had no desire to do it, but he told me something that I couldn't shake off. I wrestled with it, but he says well, you might not have an E, but what if she does? And so that was like a good dagger in my heart.

Host:

I just couldn't take that dagger out.

Jorge:

So it just stayed there, and so after a while I did some research.

Joey:

This is like progressive. It's not that you waited 20 years. It's like every once in a while I did some research. This is like progressive. It's not that you waited 20 years. It's like everyone's know why you would look into it.

Jorge:

The first step was to, and he helped me with it because he could tell I wasn't motivated, so he helped me with it. We wrote to the courts in New York to release the Department of Children and Family paperwork related to my adoption. So that was a long process. New York's pretty strict with that. They redact everything, everything.

Host:

So it takes time, uh, because it's, uh, it's sealed yeah, the identity, like they'll release records but the names you not identifying right.

Jorge:

So it took time but we finally got the paperwork and I read the story and it was, uh, uh, incredible. You know, I I was already walking with the lord, but reading, uh, those papers really deepened my understanding. And God's grace is the same for all of us, but for me, reading those papers deepened my understanding of God's grace towards me you know and his plan for me, and so I remember, taking it deep to heart.

Joey:

you know that I'm still breathing you know, and alive because of his grace. Well, let's really dive into that. What? Did you find out. What did the Lord show you?

Jorge:

One of the things that ministered to me the most there was that when my biological mom discovered she was pregnant, it was a big issue for her. She was a young lady I think she was 17, if I remember right, 16 or 17. And she had a rough upbringing herself she was also part of.

Host:

Yes, the can I say foster care, yes, she was she was.

Joey:

So again we're.

Jorge:

We're seeing so much, so many layers here at four years of age she she was removed, her and her siblings, from her mom. Her mom had mental health issues, bipolar and extreme to the point where the state of New York took the kids away, displaced them into different foster care. So she grew up in foster care and here she is. A young lady finds out she's pregnant and she couldn't deal with it, so she flew to Jamaica and had an abortion.

Joey:

Jamaica, the island, the country, yeah.

Jorge:

And she had an abortion and that I learned through that paperwork. But you're still here, I'm still here, and so that hit me like a ton of bricks.

Joey:

But so I mean, what's the deal?

Jorge:

Yeah, how is that possible? Well, she, of course, in 2018, I did meet her. We'll probably get to that. But you know, I had my doubts. This paperwork like is this real? It's like a novel. It's like should I even believe this stuff?

Jorge:

You know, like could this be? Because you're saying I'm here? What do you mean? She had an abortion, you know. So she confirmed it, she flew to Jamaica, jamaica, and she believed that it went through. So the idea is I'm either surviving twin or it was a botched abortion. But she didn't think it was because she felt it went through completely really what it is.

Joey:

It's a miracle it is one way or the other, and, and I just wanna I don't want to, I want to. I just want to say this it could be an even greater miracle than we can comprehend. You know what I'm saying. I think you, you know what I'm alluding to. I mean, yes, hey, you see someone dead and then they're not dead. Yeah, I mean, who knows what god did? Who knows what kind of miracle we're looking?

Jorge:

yeah, and that's what hit me the most reading that, because I realized I was in the enemy's hands, in the grip of death, and now I'm in the hands of grace. It was like, you know, it shocked me. You know that it messed me up in a good way, because it helped me lean more on God's grace and it helped me surrender more to the Lord. It's like I'm not even supposed to be here. You know God has to have a plan for my life. You know what does this mean?

Joey:

How old were you said when you read this? I think I was 20. When you first read the paper.

Jorge:

Let me think here Uh, early twenties Okay.

Joey:

Yeah, and I don't want to go too far on this topic. Like I said, there's so many topics that you've learned through and lived through. Did that have to do with your calling into ministry eventually? That kind of grace, that kind of information.

Jorge:

So my calling into ministry was a love for Jesus, a love for the body, a love for the things he loves. But I think that that was part of the epotaje you know what they call the stew? Yeah, it was definitely a mixture, and there's purpose for my life, you know.

Joey:

Okay, okay. And it's an ingredient within it.

Jorge:

I got to believe that yes.

Joey:

Okay, so you start on this journey 20 plus. You know you gave us the spoiler. You do meet your mother eventually, but between that time, any other significant things that you learned? Or yeah, you know your dad helping you get paperwork.

Jorge:

So you know, I learned that was Jewish descent. A little bit of the story of non-identifying information about my biological father and that he was of Jewish descent also.

Joey:

Mom and dad were both Jewish. When did you find out that original birth name?

Jorge:

was that early on in the paperwork? My birth name is Richard Tyler sounds like a rock band guy, or?

Host:

something Richard.

Jorge:

Tyler.

Joey:

So this is the other thing that I in case I forget to say it, and again, it's humorous, but it's beautiful. It's how and I don't know how to really phrase this, maybe you can, because it's your life, it's your experience but, man, truly, how? Now I'm thinking of any parents listening foster, adopted, biological, whatever, how our pouring into our children, how we love and raise and minister our children. It's, it's, it's the most important thing, in a sense here's, here's the connection I'm trying to make, george, that I hope you can elaborate on. Man, your blood right is jewish, european, you know, anglo-white, whatever the correct term is you, you, mr jorge?

Host:

avila is the cuban, is cuban right, but but that's.

Joey:

That was the love and culture that you, I mean, that's my, that was my life. I embraced that could you elaborate on that? The is the point I'm trying to make sense. No, I understand it the responsibility as parents.

Jorge:

I'm Cuban in heart. I'm Cuban in culture. I'm Cuban in upbringing. I just happen to have Jewish descent blood you know, biologically. But I don't fully identify with the Jewish part of it because I didn't live it. But yeah, it's crazy.

Host:

It's like a novella.

Joey:

It is. But the point I'm trying to make is, just like the responsibility, the power I don't know if that's the right word to shape your kids, to raise your kids, to pour into them. I mean, you've got kids, you got grandkids I just wanted to try to elaborate on that a little bit right, I'm not sure I'm connecting the dots like so. So you know your. Your dad was a godly guy. Yes, you know, he introduced you to the lord um. You know um man. Your parents were cuban. You know miami, the culture and just and just.

Joey:

You know, you know. I guess another phrase that we could throw out here to try to see what the lord puts in your heart is man, don't let the culture raise your kids, don't let the tv raise your kids, you know you got. You can form them, yes, pour into them what you want them to be. I got it now, yeah yeah.

Jorge:

so, uh, I, you know, built my relate or I'm still building my relationship with the, or I'm still building my relationship with the Lord. But I started building my relationship with the Lord and following him in my 20s, and so that's been my mission, my goal to live for Jesus, be an example for the family and for all those around me, and that's been my drive you know, and my passion you know, to to love the lord, please the lord, serve the lord.

Jorge:

And uh, definitely haven't done it perfectly, but I've done it, you know me either but I've done it. No one on this, by god's grace you know, and uh and continue to do it and uh desire to finish well amen and uh, by his grace and mercy, we will and uh, so yeah, I want uh my family to love the lord and know the lord, and he's good he's good amen.

Joey:

Um. You reminded me of another detail. The details are amazing. You, when you prayed that prayer, it was with a certain pastor we know.

Jorge:

Yes. So my dad, he did his job. As a kid going to bed he'd open up a Bible story, read me the Bible, and to my shame, and so you see how the sinful nature is. Out of respect I would listen to the story, but inside I was like I hope he finishes fast.

Jorge:

I had my own dreams, my own passions. I was going to be a Major League Baseball player. I had my dreams and that wasn't part of it. He did his part. He loved me, he was faithful, he was steadfast. He didn't waver in the things of the Lord. He served the Lord, amen. And what was your original question?

Joey:

When you prayed to receive the Lord and finally surrendered to the Lord. So he did his part.

Jorge:

He did his job and I become a young man. I achieved most of my goals. Okay, you know, I became a police officer.

Joey:

Did you ever play ball, minor league or anything?

Jorge:

No, I got distracted with a girlfriend. Okay, and that became more important than baseball.

Host:

Okay.

Jorge:

Bad decision, you know wrong timing, but and I that became more important than baseball. Okay, no good bad decision. You know wrong timing, but I'm not saying I would have made it. Yeah, I did, definitely did love it and I did see myself internally as a major league player. Reggie Jackson was my hero. You know the Yankees, yeah, of those of that era Thurman, munson and all those guys but I that's what I thought I wouldn't achieve.

Jorge:

I did it. I got distracted with a girlfriend, but I did achieve a lot of other goals. I got the bug for law enforcement I got that. I wanted a Mustang GT I got that.

Host:

I wanted a wife.

Jorge:

I got that. So I achieved a lot of goals, but there was a void. There was a void. And I knew where the answer was eventually. And I was thirsty in life, although I had achieved a lot. I was content because of the things and the ambitions that I did arrive at, but I was not satisfied. I was not fully satisfied. And then Raz makes a home visit right after I got married sometime.

Joey:

So now this is Pastor Raz of Calvary, miami, yes, whose dad is also Pastor Raz. We're talking about our Pastor Raz from Miami, so he visits, so he's known us for years.

Jorge:

He's part of the family, he's the pastoral family over our family and he visits us. He had a heart for us. Really, the Lord is trying to reach us. That's what's really happening here. But he's the vessel and he does a home visit. He presents a tract to me, a little booklet with some pictures, and it shows like a Grand Canyon. I'm not sure if it was a Grand Canyon, but it was a big separation of your canyon and then you got God on one side and you got man on the other and the only way to cross that canyon which is, you know, go to heaven is through the cross, Jesus Christ. So he presents the gospel to me through that and that's the day that I personally pray, because my dad had instilled I don't know how to describe this he had instilled the fear of God, in a sense the respect for God, the knowledge of a God, and I did have a general concept of a.

Jorge:

God and my dad was faithful and he did his job. But that moment and I did have a general concept of a guy and my dad was faithful, he did his job. But that moment, that's when I prayed personally to receive, I understood that I had to personally establish not just build, but establish my relationship with God.

Jorge:

And it was a very tough moment actually, because I specifically remember wrestling inside, knowing that if I prayed to allow christ in, that mean that I would have to get off the throne, because, you know, the sinful nature is very independent yeah and so I. That was an eternal struggle, but by god's grace I pushed through it. Yeah, I prayed, you know, and uh, and god honored the prayer, and that's where I established my relationship with the lord you know?

Joey:

another interesting point for anyone listening it's almost like an evidence that it was the real deal because of the struggle Struggle. You know somebody. Oh sure I'll pray, whatever. It's like, wait, wait. Do you really understand what you're doing?

Jorge:

But, you felt the weight of it, there was a new sheriff in town if I said yes and I knew it. I mean, I didn't fully understand it, but it was internally like, okay, but the lord, yeah, the holy spirit, the lord just just opened your eyes. Uh, so that was? Did you say early 90s?

Host:

yes, uh, I think late 80s, late 80s when I prayed, yeah late 80s uh, probably 88 somewhere around there right after I got married in 86, so it could have been 87, 88.

Jorge:

I would think 87.

Joey:

Okay, okay. So you're now surrendered to the Lord and you start going to a Bible study with Pastor Raz at that time.

Jorge:

Well, first he was an assistant at his dad's church.

Host:

Raz Senior.

Jorge:

Yeah, methodist church here locally in Miami, so we started going there on Sundays you know, and eventually Raz felt a call to step out and he had really, he had experienced Chuck Smith and the style of ministry with Calvary Chapel, and he just felt that that's who God was calling him to be.

Host:

So he stepped out.

Jorge:

He started going to Calvary, Fort Lauderdale at that time still living in Miami and he opened up a midweek Bible study on Thursdays at his house. So we started going to that Thursday Bible study at his house.

Joey:

And then eventually Calvary, fort Lauderdale, said go start a church, man.

Jorge:

Yeah, so Thursday we do a Bible study at his house, and Sundays we'd convoy to Calvary for Lauderdale.

Host:

Oh, wow, because he was still actively serving over there. Yeah, part of the ministry, so it was like a whole Miami crew, yeah.

Jorge:

So it turned from a few cars to like a convoy, wow. And eventually they took notice over there and told him hey, you got a church coming over here, stay in Miami.

Joey:

That's amazing. So you know, when I mentioned earlier, you know, oh man, you've been around a long time. You've been around Coverage Shop of Miami since day one, since before day one. So what a blessing, what a blessing. I mean I know you've blessed me, my family, I mean that's a whole other three-hour program to talk about the blessing that you and your family are. But getting to this spoiler that you dropped on us, you reconnected with your mom and your dad.

Joey:

If there's no other kind of like major things that we could look at, man, we can get to that point, because it's really later on in life. If you can't think of anything else, we'll talk about that moment. Yeah.

Jorge:

Well, just for the listener, part of my desire to accept the invitation to do this is not only to bring God some glory that he's in control of our life, but that if you're considering fostering or adoption, god is in it. He's the God of adoption. We're adopted through Christ Esther. If you think about it, esther was adopted by Mordecai. Mordecai loved on her and God used Esther in a very, very special way. So if you're considering adoption or fostering, it's a God thing. And if you're considering abortion, put the child into God's hands, like Moses' mom. Put them in the basket in faith. Put them in the hands of adoption, because God has a plan and a purpose, so don't do that.

Jorge:

Don't do that. I'm grateful that I you know I'm a adoption, uh, an abortion survivor yeah, I don't know if it was a botched abortion. However, it was uh, or a twin, you know? Uh, god has a plan and a purpose, uh, so let's go the way of faith and not fear amen with that, but uh, yeah, I found I made connection with my um through year and let me just tell you a little bit uh, yeah, I did. I was diligent in trying to make the collection through the years.

Jorge:

Of course, information technology and all that was not what it used to be back then, so, uh, like I had mentioned earlier, information was redacted, so I didn't the the only thing the only mistake, uh, they had made was they forgot to redact in one area of the report was her first name, helen. So that's all I had and I knew it was New York. So I did diligence in trying to using all the resources that I had available to find out who she was and try to make that connection. I even reached out to people that do that?

Host:

How long?

Jorge:

did it take? Oh, it was years, to the point where I put it away because it just didn't happen. I even had people that are into this, you know, and they couldn't make it happen. So years went by I'm not talking about years and I went on with life. You know, I guess I told myself, hey, I tried, you know I tried.

Jorge:

I guess it's not meant to be. You know, and you know, I got plenty going on in life. I got my passions I'm pursuing and, you know, got my family. I just put it to the side. It wasn't a priority anymore, and so I think it was 2017.

Joey:

Now pause right here. Your parents that raised you had passed away already at this point.

Jorge:

My mom, just your mom. My mom passed in 2001. Okay, my dad's still alive, okay.

Joey:

And you mentioned already that your mom made peace with the Lord before she died.

Jorge:

Very much so Beautiful.

Joey:

I remember we talked about that already. Okay, so your dad's alive.

Jorge:

And then back to the story 2017, I think it was for Christmas, the girls, since they knew that we were of Jewish descent, I guess they wanted to confirm that and get an idea about our heritage, just as a fun factor. Hey, we're Jewish. Really, let's find this out. So they gave me a DNA ancestry thing.

Joey:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jorge:

And I'm like, so I don't know why I agreed to that thing because, I'm not that kind of guy. I'm not putting my saliva and putting it. You know no way, I'm not sending that nowhere, I just went with it to please them.

Host:

I don't know why I did that.

Jorge:

So I send that thing in Christmas 2017. Weeks later, I get a report and here's this report hey, you're Jewish and heritage and European, and this whole report and I showed it to the girls. Ah, so it's true. The paperwork that you got from New York is all true, you know. So fun factor, you know. Yeah, it's over, but a couple weeks after that I get a notification through the online the site yeah through the site, which I didn't know they did.

Jorge:

I thought it was just a heritage thing. I didn't know it connected. Yeah, I didn't look into it enough. So I get this notification from a guy saying, hey, we have a strong hit, let's look into this. And I'm like, oh, this is getting scary, you know. So I gave him, uh, two or three pieces of information.

Joey:

That if because again anything, because again again, if you missed it listening family, this guy's a police officer, he's going. What's going on here? Yeah, but okay, but okay.

Jorge:

But you know, looking back, I do have the Holy Spirit driving a little bit of this thing, or probably more than I knew. But for me to agree to these things I'm just not like that. I'm very reserved and very cautious with a lot of things, but I just went with it. So I get this notification. The guy says hey, we have a strong hit. You know sibling type of hit.

Host:

And so I gave him.

Jorge:

I forgot what I told him I gave him like three pieces of information that if he knew anything he would be able to connect some of that.

Jorge:

So he writes me back and says hey, well, good luck with your endeavor. He like blew me off, but what I didn't know I knew, because then we talked later on. He was doing some math because he was saying we are a strong connection. I think my dad had an affair I cannot bring this into the open so he was going to. But then he did the math. Something told him hey, let me do the math here.

Jorge:

And he realized that one of the pieces of information was, uh, the year, month I was born. He goes wait a minute, my parents didn't even know each other then. So that's when he had to uh the piece enough to pick up the phone and say, hey, dad, I did this dna thing because you know I'm into history and you know, uh, heritage, and I got this connection. And that's where he said give him my number, have him call me. And so he did. He wrote me back after he had blew me off, yeah, and said, hey, I found your father. Wow, call. Uh, his name is harvey, here's his number so it wasn't what he was fearing.

Joey:

It was no okay, it was not good no, that was previous to him.

Jorge:

Uh, his mother's got it. Uh, knowing my father, his father, and so he gave me his name and number, and so, uh I I said, what am I getting?

Joey:

into here. You know, what did your dad, your dad, that raised you say when, when he was seeing all this. So I was, he excited, he was encouraging.

Jorge:

All I know he must have been excited or and um just for the context of the here, he was just old school. Okay, I I would inform him I was very uh, very cautious and that none of this would uh hurt them in any way okay hurt him.

Jorge:

yeah, um, you know they're my parents. I mean, I'm going to honor them above all things. So I had the clearance, I had the peace and the clearance. It wasn't going to be an issue. Matter of fact, he's encouraging this stuff. So I called him and it was a very emotional time, I think more on his side. It was an event for me and we agreed to meet and so a couple weeks later we met. He lives in Lake Worth. We met halfway at a restaurant.

Joey:

Which that is also incredible because you were born in New York. Wow, we met halfway at a restaurant, which that is also incredible because you were born in New York.

Jorge:

Yes.

Joey:

So that he even lives remotely near you.

Jorge:

Yes, yes, it's crazy. So he left New York. He had been to North Carolina, he had been to places Ended up here in Florida.

Host:

Lake Worth.

Jorge:

But we made the connection. I've been building a relationship, and that was in 2018. And that gave me my mother's information, my biological mother's information, and so I was able to connect with her because he gave me the information that I didn't have through paperwork or through seeking through information technology.

Joey:

And again the timing that I know about you, meet your biological dad and then your father that raised you.

Jorge:

He passes.

Joey:

Just after that.

Jorge:

Yeah, yeah. So he got to see, yes, that in a sense they met, they met, they met my grandson's one year old birthday wow, they met and, uh, it was good wow like I said, my dad's a special man in the lord, yeah and uh and uh harvey, who is my biological father you know when I say that that that's the dad that makes me, that's my dad. Father is the one I'm building a relationship with and it's going good, going well.

Jorge:

So he gave you your mother's information he did, and so because I had now the full name and everything I was able to pinpoint it. I had some options to look at. And then I had CC call. Oh wow, I had CC call. Oh wow, I had CC call. And why did you do that? Well, I learned that, first of all, it's very emotional. It's pretty blunt to go head-on, you know so. You want a third party that's that's capable to do it you know involved.

Host:

It's a soft in the moment, you know okay and so that.

Jorge:

So that's what we did, and CeCe called her, left her a couple messages. Later I found out she wasn't going to call back. It was Too much, yeah, too much, and it would open up a new chapter in her family side as well, and that wasn't going to be possibly well received by all parties some yes, but some no and so it was just a big deal. Yeah so. But cc called her I think it was a third time and left a sweet message and just say hey, listen, we don't need anything, we, we're not, uh, being pushy, this is just if you want to. And she just couldn't shake that off, and so she called Cece. Wow, yeah.

Jorge:

And eventually you meet her in person? Yes, I did so. We started building a relationship on the phone for a while and then I was going to go over there. She goes. No, I'm coming to you and you know, partially because part of the family would not be ready for that something like that.

Host:

It's a big thing, you know.

Jorge:

And so she flew in and I hosted her for three days and it was a wonderful time.

Joey:

She stayed at your home.

Jorge:

No, okay, okay, no, she didn't want to. Okay, okay, she was very sick. She didn't want to say it, it was just a lot of factors involved.

Joey:

Gotcha, gotcha.

Jorge:

Yeah, yeah, I just misunderstood when you said I mean I, I hosted her at the house, but eventually nearby hotel, she just wanted her space, you know, and uh, you know she had a difficult life. Uh, she had emotional issues very difficult and I I think she wanted some space. It was a lot. It's a lot at the stage and it was probably best. I was probably yes, yeah yes, but loved on her and she needed closure. She needed to know that she was accepted, that thing that your dad said, yes, she needed it.

Joey:

It was beneficial for me, but it was a requirement for her before, but just I want to repeat it and ask you to repeat it, because that was when you were 20 years old when your dad first said that yes. What was it that he said?

Jorge:

He said what if she needs it? You may not need it, but what if she needs it? Compassion drove his heart and you found out she did she very much more than I thought, more than I thought she felt she was going to go to hell because of the abortion part. She just never had closure. She would celebrate my birthday every year. Oh, it's just crazy stuff. Yeah, it's. It's a lot to it and what?

Joey:

did you tell her?

Jorge:

well, because of, uh, how much of a mess she was she tried to sabotage. She said you have to hate me. How can you not hate me? I go. You don't understand.

Jorge:

God's been preparing my heart for this so for months before that, through my devotional time, god was showing me that I was going to. He was just preparing my heart for this sinful world, that I was going to be going to experience the gutter of sin, and just preparing my heart to be able to love and accept. And so by the time we connected, I was like I want to love you. What do you mean, you know? But she felt she needed to be hated and she tried to sabotage the relationship. You know, she got a little weird, but it was so much the Lord that she couldn't fight love. She couldn't fight love. She realized no, this is real, and so she got her closure. I sent her some Bible studies on healing the heart Kay Arthur does a study on allowing God to heal your broken heart and it was just before she passed. We had like a year of relationship on the phone and it was just a special time. You know, I just saw God's grace cover her.

Joey:

Yes, and then again the timing of it. You find her and she stays on this earth. How much Months, months.

Jorge:

She passed away Mother's day 2018 18. Yeah, so, uh, my wife loved on her. She, she just she had she was double teamed. She was double teamed. She and my wife would send her care pack once we found out, uh, that she had cancer yeah, I mean, we met, she was a like a pencil she.

Jorge:

We knew something was up. She wouldn't say it but and she didn't fully know, she knew she was really really sick. But um, she, you know, doctors confirmed hey, you're not well. So she started getting treatment. Cc would love on her and send her stuff. I mean, she it just uh, the end was really really really good, amazing her departure. Her departure was grace. Yes, yep.

Joey:

So you now are continuing to build a relationship with your birth dad? Yes, and that's where God has you.

Jorge:

Yeah, we meet about every four months average. Yeah, you know, I've gone over there. He's come to my house. Usually we go halfway.

Joey:

Man, amazing. I mean. You know, George, I mentioned how fast the time goes. The last thing, a couple of last things I would want to touch upon, and they could be brief. Man, you're a dad, You're a grandpa. How has this story impacted your family? Have you talked to the grandkids yet? Are they not old enough? How's this? No, I haven't talked to the grandkids yet.

Jorge:

Are they not old enough? How is this? No, I haven't talked to the grandkids. I don't think they're there yet, but I do have that in the lineup and your kids.

Joey:

how did your kids receive the?

Jorge:

news.

Joey:

I think If you want to share whatever you can share yeah they can't deny that we're in God's hands.

Jorge:

When you look at the reality of the story is we're in God's hands. It's, you know, when you look at the reality of the story is we're in God's hands? You know he's a graceful God.

Joey:

Yeah.

Jorge:

And he's in control and they can't deny that. Amen, amen. They look at that as like man. He almost wasn't here.

Host:

Yeah, that means we weren't almost here, you know.

Jorge:

Yeah, and then the experiences of life that we've journeyed through, the good and the bad and the ugly. You know, in all of that, uh, they see the weaving of god's grace and mercy and promises and care and concern. You know they, they just uh, it's it's a living testimony.

Joey:

Yeah, it's a living testimony and you know you, you alluded to it many times, you know I, I would guess that your wife cc, you know she's just been a strong partner, an incredible pillar, and all this. But anything else you would want to add how it affected her, how she, how the Lord used it. I mean anything else you want to add on her part.

Jorge:

No, she's been blessed being part of it. You know, again, it's a privilege, really blessed being part of it. Again, it's a privilege really. I see it as a privilege that we, because we all have God's grace through Christ I, just through this life story, I've been able to personally grasp in a deeper way His grace for my life and for my wife and my kids and for our family. It's given me dimension and contrast. So it's a privilege really, and he's used it.

Jorge:

I pray in a fruitful way in my life as I've surrendered to it. He's used it and that's what gives me the joy to be here talking to you so that the listener I want this to glorify God. I want people to say, wow, god is in control. That's what gives me the joy to be here talking to you so that the listener I guess I want this to glorify god. I want people to say, wow, god is in control. That's what I want from this. Wow, god is gracious. Wow, god can use broken things, you know, and so that's the joy that I have, standing here speaking with you about it and for the listeners and, uh, so to bring god glory through it that people would know he loves them. He's got a plan. Uh, no matter your situation, no matter what your novella looks like, yes, god is the god of novellas. He redeems things. He uses broken things, things that are dismissed, things that are trying to be canceled.

Joey:

Uh, he uses them and uh, yeah george thank you so much and you know, I didn't even have to ask. Oh, closing thoughts, I mean the Lord just put it on your heart, just really wrapped it up and pointed to the Lord. The last thing I would say is, if anybody's listening, or whoever's listening, that God's really speaking in your heart about whatever it is. I mean, we talked about so many things that have to do with man. Just, yeah, you know, foster, adoption, you know, adoption, you know. But point is, don't want to belabor the point, reach out to us here at god's way radio and you know, if you have a question for george we'll try to field that, connect you guys as the lord leads. But, um, please, you know, if god's spoken to your heart, don't resist the lord. You know, don't resist the lord.

Joey:

Um, again, this is a whole other conversation topic. Yeah, adoption's a big deal, foster is a big deal. It's scary, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's uh, could be nervous, you know. But but man, just one step at a time, you know, seek the lord, obey the lord. And then, especially, the exhortation that george gave about man, choose life. You know, huge, huge joy.

Jorge:

Just a thought on that.

Joey:

Please.

Jorge:

As you're speaking, if you're considering fostering or adopting, don't wait to be perfect. Amen. You know you've got the Lord, you've got that compassion in your heart for it. Just go for it. You know, just go for it. There is no perfect time, there's no becoming perfect or ready for it in a sense. I mean there are seasons, of course you pray that through, but God wants to use you in that life, even with your flaws, even with the things you feel you're not ready for, as long as you're doing it with God's heart. So I'm glad my parents did it. They were by far perfect, not perfect, but I'm glad. I'm glad god put me in in those hands, yes, and that I had the experiences that I've had, uh, the good, the bad and the ugly, uh, because god's all over amen family uh, we are so thankful, george.

Joey:

Again, thank you for stopping by the studio, man, I know this is gonna bless a lot of folks. Amen, thank you. We hope you enjoyed friends and family, unique conversations recorded and produced in our studios, where you get a chance, man.

Host:

I know this is going to bless a lot of folks. Amen, Thank you. We hope you enjoyed Friends and Family, unique conversations recorded and produced in our studios, where you get a chance to hear what God is doing in people's lives. Jesus tells us in John 15, verse 15, I have called you friends For all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. So that's why we love to share these exclusive interviews with you. Our hope is that through their stories God will be made known to you. But you can only find them here on God's Way Radio. Just check GodsWayRadiocom for our full program schedule.