Gospel singer Alma Rivera on Faith, Marriage and Living in America 

WHAT'S YOUR STORY - PROFILES

about Alma Rivera
Name: Alma Rivera
Country of Origin: MEXICO
Profession: Contemporary Gospel Music Artist

Hi Alma, thank you for granting us this interview. When was it that you first traveled to the United States?

Alma Rivera: I came four years ago from my home country Mexico, where I had been running my ministry, and two praise and worship schools we had started. I also worked with my pastor as a worship leader at the church. I met my husband and he brought me here.

How different is the USA from Mexico? How have your experiences been so far?

Alma Rivera: Since I arrived here, my experiences have been great. I feel so embraced by the people. I thought I was going to have a cultural shock because this is so different, but no, everything has been going smoothly. Everyone embraced me and they helped me out with my English mistakes and guided me. My husband has always been very supportive, like a cheerleader, telling me, “You can do it” all the time. That is what has been very, very important to me. I feel so embraced here. I love this country. I love the people. It’s different from mine obviously, you know the culture, the language, but I love it. Because what I do believe is that God is calling us not just to do things in our cultures, or our communities, or our homes, but to reach out to others and He gives us the grace to do that. Everything is different, like the way we celebrate Christmas is different, but what my husband and I are learning is that we are putting two cultures together and building on that.

What stands out most as being different between Mexico and the U.S. society in your opinion?

Alma Rivera: Here in America, people work all the time, it’s a very busy life.  In Mexico people work but there’s more time to spend with the family. I grew up in a household where the most important thing is family. The people here are very, very warm, but everybody is in a rush. I was surprised by that. In Mexico life was busy for me between the ministry and working in the church, but I always had my family around.

I was also surprised that kids leave home at 17 or 18 when they go to college or university. Back in Mexico at 24 or 25 you still live with your parents. Here it’s like “what’s wrong with you?” In Mexico, your parents’ home is your home and you can live there as long as you like, especially while still single. That is kind of different.

Growing up, my mentality was always to honor my marriage. I waited for my husband for so long, I kept myself for him and I waited for him. I was always praying to God to bring the right man into my life … I waited and waited and waited and finally he arrived and I said, “It took you so long! Where have you been?” Immediately, my focus became my husband, “Now my ministry is going to my husband,” I decided, “I am going to put everything aside, my plans and everything because I want to be there for him.”

And when we got married, three months later, God began to do amazing things in our lives and ministry. You have got to be obedient, because you love God and when a new season comes in your life, you tell yourself this is where God wants you to be and you’ll do this with all your heart. He knows the desires of your heart and the dreams in your heart and in the right time, he’s going to bring them to pass.

I guess that goes to show that when you put first things first, things always work out just right. How did your singing career take off here?

Alma Rivera: I call it favor, grace and my husband. I learned that when you have favor, whatever you set out to do, God will make a way and trust you more. We kept pushing. We were always praying for a certain quality and anointing and God started releasing it, now we have an amazing team working with us.  We were always asking God, “Lord, what is the next step?”

And funny how, someone who had known me from long ago and saw how God was moving in our lives invited us to perform at Lakewood Church in Houston.  We were happy and honored; it was an amazing experience. I sang in Spanish. You know in Lakewood they have both Spanish and English services. The Spanish service has about 12,000 people. It was exciting to share our music.

We keep asking God to open the right doors. I can sing in front of a few hundred people or thousands, but what matters is that God uses our lives to impact others and give inspiration to many.

What does success mean to you and why?

Alma Rivera: To me success means doing what God calls you to do, and you are going to be happy. You will enjoy everything around you because you know you’re doing what God calls you to do. People might think it’s having a big house, nice cars, boats, traveling around the world; but they can be so sad and lonely. I am not going against having those things because God wants us to enjoy life and be blessed.  I think I am successful because I am doing what God called me to do on this Earth. God is accomplishing the purpose He had for my life. In whatever you are called to do, give your best. Be an excellent worker, be an excellent wife in your home, be an excellent mother, be a successful husband, be a successful Pastor, because that’s what you have been called to do.

Growing up, what values were instilled in you?

Alma Rivera: In my family, we are three sisters and one brother, plus my Mom and Dad. We were a close family; I love unity – that’s how I grew up. I believe in the family and I believe in marriage. You know sometime people think, “… well we are going to first live together before we get married”, I did not like that. The bible instructs us that marriage first, then build a family on God. That’s how I grew up. Practical stuff like having dinner together at the table is very important to me. You share with the family, pray together.

My mother inspired me very much to be the woman I am today. She is a woman of God. I remember hearing her all the time worshiping and praying and as a little girl, I always wanted to be like her. She is honest and genuine. I learned from her that whatever I do on the inside will reflect on the outside. I am grateful for my parents. The Bible says that you need to ‘raise your kids in the Word of God and they will never leave or depart from the House of God’. It’s a promise.

To all parents, if your kids are going astray, just pray for them. From a young age, teach them values in line with the Word, pray with them, speak of good things that they’re going to do in life.  As parents, seek that God gives you the wisdom to raise them; He is their Father. Prophesy into their lives, don’t call them names. My mom was always like that and God used her to build something very powerful in my heart and I am so grateful for her.

Please talk to us about dreams and striving to fulfill them.

Alma Rivera: You have a dream because God gave it to you.  He always gives you the resources, the information, the contacts to release that dream. Three years ago, my husband lost his job. And we didn’t have anything, hadn’t started on the album, nothing. He had a good job in Manhattan and one day it was gone. It was a difficult time. So one day he told me we had to make a choice: “Are we going to sit here and be miserable or are we going to believe in the promises of God and confess what God spoke to us, what he would do in our ministry?” We went for ten months without a job.

You know we always think when we are in need that we can’t afford to do anything for others. But God spoke to me one day in the kitchen as I was cooking – my kitchen is anointed, I tell you. I enjoy cooking a lot and that’s where I usually find answers and sometimes talk to God.

So He goes, “What I want you to do is cook. But this food is not going to be for you and your husband, you are going to find people and cook for them.” I said “Ok, Lord.” So I started to cook and invite friends to come and have dinner with us. I cooked a lot of dishes and gave, gave, gave. It is important to recognize that thinking “when I am in need, I need somebody to give to me,” is wrong. Your moments of need present perfect opportunities to give, because God sees what’s in your heart and He’ll bless you accordingly. It shouldn’t be about “me, me, me;  what I need, what I want.”  Remember the feast on the mountains with Jesus in John 6:9-14? They started with just a few loaves of bread and fish he gave to feed the people and this multiplied.

Along with this, plus confessing the word of God everyday, praying Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome” AMP, knowing that He has the best plans for us.

At the end of 2009, still nothing was happening.  It is important to remember that although you might not be seeing changes in the physical, God never ceases to work. He’s preparing something for you, to give it to you at the right time. Keep praying.

As the year was ending, I went out and printed a calendar with a nice picture and I put on the bottom “2010 – the year of favor of God”.

Nothing was moving, no money for the album, nothing. But we continued to believe. Miraculously, before 2009 ended, my husband received a call from a small company by the house and they hired him. Things were still tight. At the beginning of 2010, I don’t know how or why, the phone started ringing and people from different churches started calling to invite us over to minister. And then my husband received another call for another job. The 3rd month of 2010, doors opened for our album; it was amazing.

As work progressed on the album, I kept praying about it, asking him to supply everything for the album if He wanted me to go out and share what He had given me in an excellent way. He opened doors in big ways, as things fell in place.

God always hears the deep desires in our hearts. He listens all the time. Dream big, because He listens to those great desires. He wants to bless you; He wants the best for you. When men and women live in integrity, the blessings are going to follow them.

Tell us about your album

Alma Rivera: It came out September 2010. Called ‘Livin in Your Love’. I co-wrote the songs, we are still working to complete the album but we have released some singles, like King of Glory.

It tells you: You can sit at the table and enjoy the meal God has for you. You are a daughter and a son; live like you are loved, you are accepted and are valued. God has the best plans for your life.

What does it mean to live in the love of God in everyday life? Receive His love and share it with others —  your spouse, your kids, your neighbors. Make a change in your community, wherever you are. You don’t need to travel to make a change. Because you are living in abundance, you can give to others.

I co-wrote the song with Felicia Barton (American Idol, 3rd Season). We have a talented and dedicated team working with us; a team of worshipers is who we look for, not just performers.

We will finish the album and also release the Spanish version for the Latino community.

Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

Alma Rivera: We are in expectation and trusting in God. We really want to inspire a lot of people in different countries, different languages. We believe that God is going to use us to reach others and bring them to Jesus. We see ourselves in the next few years reaching out to them through music, conferences, praise and worship.

I am a great visionary; we have to take the steps in faith. Favor comes just like the doors at the airport; you must step in front of them before they slide open.

What words of advice would you like to leave us with? 

Alma Rivera: I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart that it doesn’t matter what you are going through, it doesn’t matter if the door seems closed, whatever you see in front of you, doesn’t matter. God is always, always working backstage. Be just like Zacchaeus in the Bible. He had a dream in his heart, he wanted to see Jesus, but he wasn’t very tall, he couldn’t see amongst the crowd. Jesus was going to pass by, Zacchaeus did not complain that people were treating him bad because he was short in stature you know; instead, he got creative, he climbed on a tree waiting for Jesus to pass by that day. As Jesus was passing by, he noticed Zacchaeus on the tree, “what are you doing up there? Come on, I am going to spend the night in your house.” And Zacchaeus was richly rewarded, his dream came true. All because he made a decision, took a step of faith and he got Jesus to sit at the table his house.

Be determined, be creative, trust in God and have faith. Take the necessary steps because Jesus is going to pass by and you need to be ready because He wants to come to your house!

Alma Rivera’s website: musicbyalma.com

(Interview by Lema Abeng; edited by Tiffany Jones. First published in DUNIA print Magazine Issue 3: Feb – May 2011)

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