Saved to Serve

Before she became a born-again woman in Christ, Susie Paz had a bit of a temper. She even carried a gun and a knife, and everyone knew not to mess with her. During the first few years she and her husband, Jesse, were married, they fought incessantly. She also had a bit of a jealous streak — during their first weeks attending the Lubbock Corps some years later, she quietly fumed while seeing other women in the church innocently hugging her husband, merely as a welcome to the corps.

But she’s not jealous anymore. And her temper is gone, replaced by the Holy Spirit with a desire to live a life of service to others in the name of her Savior.

Both Susie and Jesse Zapata are faithful soldiers of the Lubbock Corps where they give countless volunteer hours in service to God and the 13 counties under the Army’s command in the Texas South Plains region. In place of their past arguing, they have become a terrific team serving in their corps, community, and division.

Susie’s conversion journey is remarkable. She attended another church at age 17 where she initially gave her heart to the Lord. At age 20, she met the man who would become her husband. Thereafter, she slowly strayed away from religion until she was not involved at all.

Susie’s childhood was very difficult. “I had a lot of anger because of the way my stepdad treated my mom,” she explains. “I had to sleep with one eye open.” Before long, people knew that you just didn’t mess with Susie. At a low point, she was drinking and eventually lost her job.

She says she felt so hopeless at the time: “A man pointed a gun at me, and I told him, ‘If you point [that gun] at me, you’d better use it!’”

But Susie’s hopelessness began to change when she and Jesse were expecting their first child.

“I realized I had to come back to the Lord because I wanted to live right for my child. My first pregnancy was a wakeup call. I started going back to church with my aunt and began praying for Jesse’s salvation. It didn’t happen right away, but my pastor told me not to worry and to just keep praying.”

Susie’s prayers were answered when Jesse attended a Christian concert and surrendered his heart to Christ.

With the arrival of their two sons completing their family, Susie and Jesse began searching for a church where they would feel welcomed and involved.

“We tried a lot of churches but never felt good about any of them.”

Then Jerry Dennis, a soldier of the Lubbock Corps, invited Jesse (his boss) to give The Salvation Army a try.

“We didn’t even know the Army was a church, but when we walked in the front door, we immediately felt welcomed,” Susie says. “The Army is so different from any of the churches we tried before. Everyone was so friendly, although at first, I didn’t appreciate the ladies hugging my husband. But I realized that this was a ‘hugging’ church family, and I got over that.”

In addition, the Zapatas were impressed with the Army’s outreach, especially in feeding people in need and those in distress.

“The Salvation Army does a lot for people. It’s just amazing. Finding the Army was a real eyeopener.”

Jesse was enrolled as a senior soldier in 1989, with Susie’s enrollment coming a year later. From then on, this wonderful couple have been totally involved in the corps worship and service outreach. They love taking the Army’s mobile canteen out for feeding ministry. They’ve also become involved in Emergency Disaster Service, their most recent deployments being a hurricane in Houston and when a series of tornadoes hit their home county.

At the corps, Susie is the women’s ministries secretary and works with youth programs, including Junior Soldiers and Sunbeams. “For many years I taught a Sunday school class, eventually realizing that some of my students now are the children of my class members from years ago,” she says with a knowing grin. She admits many of her former students have grown up and do not come back to the corps, “but God’s Word has been planted in them.”

The Zapatas give countless hours toward the Army’s Christmas effort each year through Angel Tree, kettles, and counting money. “In fact,” she laughs, “the family knows not to bother us from Thanksgiving on!”

In recognition of all her efforts and ministry, Susie was recently presented with a Volunteer of the Year Award.

With all the good reasons for being a Salvationist, Susie points out one negative (“If you can call it that!”), and that is having to say farewell to beloved corps officers every few years. But even in those times, Susie and Jesse have assumed roles of stability and comfort for the rest of the corps family, reminding others that “it’s the church family that we love. Officers come and go, but we must not focus on men but instead focus on God and His Word, as well as our ongoing ministry here.”

Corps Sergeant Major (CSM) Jesse says of his wife, “To look at Susie now, as compared to over 40 years ago, you wouldn’t recognize her. She’s a blessing to the Army and to me. God uses her! She’s my right hand.”

In fact, Jesse observes, there’s not a shy bone in her body when it comes to serving Jesus. “She’s not ashamed to go up to people and pray for them, loving and hugging them. If she ‘opens up’ on you, you’d best just hold on!”

A cancer scare five years ago nearly unnerved Susie, particularly since she had already lost her mother and a sister. During that crisis she turned to Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

“I completely trust God, but I am human, so naturally I was worried,” she says. “I was undergoing a biopsy, and it was like Jesus was saying to me, ‘Susie, you are not alone. I will hold you.’”

The doctor came in to give her the miraculous biopsy result: “There’s nothing there. You can go!”

“The song ‘Amazing Grace’ best typifies my life,” Susie says. “In fact, I’ve told the ladies at the corps that I want them to sing that song at my funeral someday. I’m not what I once was, but instead I am saved by God’s grace!”