Gratitude Story: Gabriella Abreu

Hi! I’m from Brazil and have been living in Rochester since March of last year. I’ve been attending Calvary for a year and a half, and during this time, God has been teaching me the true meaning of gratitude. We came here because my husband, Eliabe, received an invitation from Mayo Clinic to be a research trainee.

It was an unpaid position, and we were just 20 days away from our wedding. He even wrote an email declining the offer, but before sending it, he told me about it. In that moment, I remembered what God had already spoken to my heart — that He would bring us here sooner than we imagined. I told him, “We may not have money, but we serve a God who provides.” And so we came — by faith.

For the first six months, we lived in a furnished basement room in a shared house. That was all we could afford. Over time, the place became heavy for me. I felt lonely, frustrated, and began to experience severe depression symptoms. I cried constantly and didn’t have the strength to do even the basics or take care of our little space. I was sure I would never adapt to this new life. Many nights, I cried out to God, asking where He was. I longed to feel His care, His embrace. But during that time, it felt like He was silent — like He didn’t see me.

Still, I chose to believe not in what I felt, but in what the Bible says, because the Bible assured me that He was there — and that was enough to keep going. Time went on, our money was running out, and I was growing more and more exhausted. One day, feeling at my limit, I prayed and asked God to take me out of that house. The next day, the landlord sent us a message asking us to move out.

In that moment, I knew — He heard me. In just one week, we found a three-bedroom apartment in a great location, for the same price we were paying for the basement. When I walked in, I saw a picture on the wall with a song that has always touched my heart:

“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rain fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

In that moment, I felt peace. I knew this would be our home. We explained to the owner that Eliabe wasn’t getting paid yet and that I didn’t have a work permit, but that we would be faithful with the rent. He simply said, “I like you guys; I’ll make this happen.”

We signed the lease by faith — and the very next day, Eliabe received an email saying he had been approved for a paid position at Mayo in the exact area he hoped for. (PS: When he received his first paycheck, all the money we had left was $200.) At that time, I was beginning my depression treatment, and finally found my own space — a place where I started to see colors return to life. Little by little, my heart was realigned to what truly matters. I began to see how God had been with me all along, even when I couldn’t feel Him — how He cared for me, sent friends to sit with me in my room, or to insist I go outside.

He sustained me every single day, and through His kindness, He restored my joy and taught me to see Him in the small things of daily life. For so long, I was the kind of person who always saw the glass half empty. But today, I have countless reasons to be thankful.

He gave me life, saved me, and called me His daughter. But I’m also grateful for the unexpected visits that comforted me on hard days; for the spiritual battles that helped me grow; for the sleepless nights when my husband prayed and interceded for me; for the daily provision, and for the precious friends God has placed along our path.

All of this shows me that it was never about me — or even about us. It has always been about the Lord, His faithfulness, and His glory. To close, I’d like to share a passage that carried me through this season:

Psalm 33: 17-22

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
Despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.