Bryan Cruz Figueroa was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, and Gillian Cruz Figueroa was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The couple met in Bayamón while attending the University of Puerto Rico in 2007. After dating for a year and a half, they were married in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in July 2009.
Bryan is serving as an active-duty sergeant in the United States Army, where he has served for more than 13 years as an electronics maintenance specialist. Gillian serves in the MIBA ministry as a secretary and as an usher leader alongside her husband.
In 2011, Gillian gave her life to Christ and began serving as part of the worship ministry at the Encuentre de Paz Christian Church on the Camp Humphreys military base in South Korea. The Lord then led them to New York in 2013, where Bryan gave his life to Christ and made the decision to serve and be part of the body of Christ by helping with the youth ministry. Gillian served in the children’s ministry and the worship ministry from 2013 to 2015 at the Tabernacle of Worship Church in Watertown, New York.
In 2016, Bryan was part of the ushers’ ministry, and Gillian was part of the worship ministry at the Sanctuary Church in Savannah.
God led the Cruz Figueroa family to California in 2017. They attended Iglesia del Valle Evangélica Libre, where Bryan served as men’s ministry leader and helped with the youth ministry, and Gillian served as church secretary and worship leader. After three years, the Lord led them once again to Georgia, where they currently attend Casa del Alfarero Church; Bryan serves as a youth leader, and Gillian is part of the worship team’s leadership.
God has called Bryan and Gillian to this new ministry: missions. Serving others has always been close to their hearts, and this new ministry, Misión Internacional Brazos Abiertos (MIBA), will be no exception. We provide spiritual and physical aid—through donations of food, clothing, and other forms of assistance—to people in need. We do this with the purpose of sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.