Te Tengo a Ti (Quinceañera)

Listen to Te Tengo a Ti (Quinceañera)

Te Tengo a Ti (Quinceañera) Lyrics

Hoy desperté y nada pareció igual,  me di cuenta que sin poderlo evitar todo comenzó a cambiar.

Ya no se encuentran mis zapatos de niña.  ¿A donde ha ido mi muñeca preferida?

Ya no es la misma esa ropa pequeñita que mamá escogía por mi, ya no se encuentra ahí.

Pues ya pasaron los días, los años, haciendo evidente que todo es vanidad;

Que lo único que es para siempre es tu verdad.//

Pues el cielo y la tierra pasarán, y todo lo que tengo se agotará.  

Aún mis días de niña y de juventud se escaparán de mi//  Señor, pero te tengo a ti.

Hoy me preparo, pongo en mis pies zapatillas.  

Cuido que el maquillaje sea resistente a lágrimas y sonrisas.  

Y al mirar el vestido pienso en tus maravillas, y poco a poco sin poder evitarlo caigo de rodillas.

Pues ya pasaron los días, los años, haciendo evidente que todo es vanidad;

Que lo único que es para siempre es tu verdad.

Pues el cielo y la tierra pasarán, y todo lo que tengo se agotará.  

Aún mis días de niña y de juventud se escaparán de mi//  Señor, pero te tengo a ti.

Señor, te tengo a ti.  El cielo y la tierra pasarán, todo cesara, pero te tengo a ti Jesus.  

Mi roca eterna, amigo fiel, aun te tengo a ti mi Dios.

Te Tengo a Ti (Quinceañera) Lyrics, translated

I woke up today and nothing looked the same, I realized that inevitably everything started to change.

My little girl shoes are no longer there, where did my favorite doll go?

The tiny clothes mommy chose for me is not the same anymore, it's no longer there.

Days, years have gone by making it evident that everything is vanity, 

That the only thing that will last forever is your truth//

For heaven and earth will pass and everything I have will run out.

Even my childhood and youth will escape from me// Lord, but I have you.

Today I prepare, I put on high heels.

I make sure the make up is tear and smile proof.

And as I look at the gown I think of your wonders, and little by little, I can't help to fall on my knees.

Days, years have gone by making it evident that everything is vanity, 

That the only thing that will last forever is your truth.

For heaven and earth will pass and everything I have will run out.

Even my childhood and youth will escape from me//  Lord, but I have you.

Lord I have you.  Heaven and earth will pass, everything will end, but I have you Jesus.

My everlasting Rock, faithful friend.  I still have you my God.

As many might already know, there is a hispanic tradition in which young ladies are presented before God and before society when turning fifteen years of age.  This may be compared to a Sweet Sixteen celebration for Americans.  As I have mentioned before in this blog, my family was not a wealthy one.  A few months before I turned fifteen we moved to a modest apartment complex in the east side of town.  By this time I had, not two, but three younger siblings.  Besides that, my birthday is in the middle of January.  Typically during winter, in Kansas' weather, the income for many working families decreases, as low temperatures don't allow many jobs to continue their normal operations.  Also, December holidays sort of cause a little extra spending, so, a January birthday is not usually good news monetarily speaking.  I was aware that being my mother's first daughter to reach the age of fifteen, she really wished she had the means to make a very special celebration.  Understanding that this simply could not be done, I was content and had no issue just doing our usual instant mix homemade cake in the family kitchen.  One night, about a year later, I began to reflect on this.  I thought about how not having a Quinceañera translates to social humiliation for some, and total embarrassment for the young ladies who tend feel as though their Quinceañera party had to be the most notorious event, surpassing everything anyone else had done.  From my point of view, all this could be a beautiful thing, but did not replace the joy and peace of having a family, having a home, having a place where my faith and knowledge of God could grow and simply feeling blessed.  I asked myself what I had missed in not being able to have a Quinceañera.  My reply to self was: "nothing, for I feel just as happy."  

I wrote this song as proof that my joy was left untouched, and that if there had been enough money and I would have had a Quinceañera, I wouldn't be more or less happy.  As the song implies, all of this is temporary and does not compare to an eternity with God.

Armemonos de Valor (Let's Take Courage)

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Armemonos de Valor Lyrics in Spanish

He visto al caído llorar amargamente, escondido en la soledad por no poder sostenerse.

He visto a mas de un hermano sufriendo por el amor que todos le retiraron en la congregación.

He visto al triste callar toda su tristeza, pues ya nadie quiere escuchar, a nadie le interesa.

Y anhela poder hallar en su angustia un hermano, amigo que ama en todo tiempo y le extiende su mano.

Armemonos de valor que ya termine esta división, vamos a restaurar, pues esa es la visión//

Por ahí llegue a escuchar de alguien sediento de Cristo que nunca se pudo enterar de ese gran sacrificio, 

y un pecador como yo que no tuvo el beneficio que yo si pude tener, pues nadie le enseñó el camino.

Armemonos de valor, no debe existir el miedo.  Vamos a predicar y guiar almas al cielo//

 

He visto volver atrás en el momento de luchas al que supo que tentaciones y pruebas son muchas,

y triste quiso callar y salir de la iglesia, sin mas nada que decir a su antigua vida regresa.

Armemonos de valor porque es del fuerte el reino de los cielos. 
Si somos valientes dice el Señor que lo arrebataremos.////

Armemonos de Valor Lyrics (translated)

I have seen the fallen cry bitterly, hidding in solitude for not being able to hold himself up.

I have seen more than one brother suffering because of the love that everyone in the congregation took back.

I have seen the troubled remain silent, for nobody wants to hear anymore, nobody cares. 

In the mids of his anguish he longs to find a brother, a friend that loves at all times and gives him a hand.

Let's take courage, let this estrangement end.  Let us restore because that is the vision//

I happenned to hear somewhere of someone thirsty of Christ that never got to find out of His great sacrifice,

and of a sinner, just like me that didn't get the benefit that I was able to find, for no one showed him the way.

Let us take courage, there should be no fear.  Let us preach and guide souls to heaven.

I have seen the turning back of him who realized that there were too many trials and temptations,

he sadly didn't speak up and just left the church.  With nothing more to say, he goes back to his past life.

Let's take courage, because the kingdom of God belongs to the strong.

If we are courageous, the lord said we will conquer it.////

The lyrics to Armemonos de Valor are aproximately 11 years old.  At the church I attended, and still attend there has been a custom of having a different department of the church lead a special service at the end of the month.  Each mont belongs to a certain department.  I this occasion, it was the youth's turn to prepare a special program.  At the time, I was the youth leader, therefore the planning of this service was my responsibility.  I had been a part of this congregation for 4 years, and had been listening and observing...always learning something new.  These lyrics were a reflection of happenings that I had sadly witnessed, or even accidently been a part of.  I know that this type of disinterest from one person to another may be very common, as each has their own worries to think about, but it just really bothered me that people who claimed to have the love of God would forget to love their neighbor.  This is what pushed me to write this song.  Only, it wasn't only a song.  This was the closing song for a musical play of three different scenes that touch on the subject of the need to look around and see who needs us love, help, and share the gospel with them.

Scene from musical play Armemonos de Valor

 

Before Ministerio por su Gracia-The story of how it all began.

And so the story began a few years back, in 2001. We had recently moved from California to Kansas, my family of six was going through a critical moment after moving out of a family member's garage where we had been staying for the last weeks. The manager at an apartments complex kindly gave us an apartment to stay, with hopes that we would soon gather enough money to pay her a deposit. There in that empty apartment we spent days sitting in the carpet, and sleeping on the carpet at night. We saw people's generosity and God's provision as my mother and her husband looked for work. Summer was almost ending, and school time was quickly approaching. I was twelve years old and soon to enter 7th grade, my younger siblings were 7 and 5. One evening I tended to a knock on the door and was greeted by the maintenance man who held three new backpacks in his hand. One more blessing to my family, but this one really came to make a difference. Each bag held inside a flyer with contact information for El-Shaddai Templo de Alabanza, a small newly started church. I made sure to throw away the flyer that came in my backpack thinking of the bitterness my mother held for years against church going people. I didn't realize there were actually three flyers and left the other two alone. Of course, my mother found them, but far from being upset, she made contact with the church leaders and they provided us with transportation for services. Even though I had never attended a christian service before, and even though I had heard so many bad stories about religious people, I couldn't change how I felt as I stepped into that little church of 15-20 members. It was safe. It was peaceful. It was truth teaching, comforting...and...it was musical! Pastor Alberto Espinoza invited me to be a part of the chorus, and from then on, I never wanted to stop making music.

Abigail Panecatl, 2005

 In the mean time, in Mexico, a young man named Adulfo was passionate about chasing soccer balls and dreamed of championships and trophies. He had no interest in music. His father tried to teach him how to play guitar, but all he wanted to do was to go outside and kick a ball. After a conversation with a family member Adulfo had in California he decided to travel to the U.S.A. and live the American dream many talk about. His plan initially was to go to California, but the person extending the invitation to him became ill and was unable to help him. Later, he remembered  his cousin Ruben, who lived in Kansas. Ruben was willing to give him room in his house to stay, so in 2004, Adulfo moved to Kansas. That same year he started to congregate at El-Shaddai Templo de Alabanza, where his cousin was already attending.

Adulfo Hidalgo, 2004

Adulfo had run away from God and from music, always placing his favorite sport as his priority. In the meantime, I fell more in love with both God, and music. When he started attending church, I was already playing the keyboard during services, leading worship at times, and writing songs (that I was always too afraid to share). I was also the youth leader and a children's Sunday school teacher. Soon, he felt the need for God to change his heart, and He did. He became a young man in the pursuit of God's grace and truth. He also confesses to have made prayers to God regarding the church's keyboard player (me). His love for God awoke in him the desire to create music for him, and he started learning guitar, and secretly writing songs. In April of 2005 we finally became boyfriend and girlfriend. In November of 2008 pastor Alberto officiated the ceremony, in which we said "I do" before the Lord. 

2005

Hidalgo wedding, 2008

Así que la historia comenzó hace unos años, en el 2001.  Recientemente nos habíamos mudado de California a Kansas.  Mi familia de seis estaba pasando por un momento critico despues de salirnos de un garage de un pariente donde nos habíamos quedado por algunas semanas.  El manejador de unos apartamentos amablemente nos dio un apartamento para podernos quedar, con la esperanza de que pronto tuviéramos suficiente dinero para pagar el deposito.  Ahí, en ese apartamento vacío pasamos dias sentandonos en la alfombra, y durmiendo en ella por la noche.  Vimos la generosidad de la gente y la provisión de Dios mientras mi madre y su esposo buscaban trabajo.  Casi terminaba el verano, y el tiempo de la escuela se aproximaba.  Yo tenía doce años y estaba a punto de entrar al séptimo grado, mis hermanas menores tenían 7 y 5.  Una tarde alguien tocó la puerta y yo fui a atenderla.  Me saludó el encargado del mantenimiento, quien sostenía tres mochilas nuevas en su mano.  Un abendicion mas para mi familia, pero esta realmente vino a hacer una diferencia.  Cada mochila contenía un volante con la información de contacto de El-Shaddai Templo de Alabanza, una iglesia pequeña que recién comenzaba.  Me aseguré de tirar a la basura el volante que venía en mi mochila, pensando en el resentimiento que mi madre tuvo por años en contra de la gente de las iglesias.  No me di cuenta que en realidad tres volantes, y dejé los otros dos dentro de las otras mochilas.  Como era de esperarse, mi madre los encontró, pero lejis de molestarse, contactó a los lideres de la iglesia y ellos nos proveyeron transporte para asistir a los servicios.  Aunque nunca había asistido a un servicio cristiano antes, y aunque había escuchado tantas malas historias acerca de la gente religiosa, no podía cambiar como me sentía cuando entraba a esa pequeña iglesia de 15-20 miembros.  Era un lugar seguro.  Era un lugar de paz.  Era un lugar donde se enseñaba la verdad, unlugar que confortaba...y...¡era un lugar lleno de música!  El pastor Alberto Espinoza me invitó a formar parte del coro, y de ahí en adelante, nunca más quise parar de hacer música.

Mientras tanto en Mexico, un joven llamado Adulfo estaba apasionado por el fútbol soccer, y soñaba con campeonatos y trofeos.  No tenía ningún interés en la música.  Su padre había tratado de enseñarle a tocar guitarra, pero todo lo que él quería hacer era salir a patear el balón.  Después de una conversación con un pariente que Adulfo tenía en California, decidió irse a EEUU a vivir el sueño americano del que muchos hablan.  Su plan inicialmente era ir a California, pero la persona que le había extendido la invitación enfermó y no pudo recibirlo.  Después él recordó a su primo Ruben, quien vivía en Kansas.  Ruben estaba dispuesto a darle espacio en su casa, así que en el 2004, Adulfo se mudó a Kansas.  Ese mismo año él comenzó a congregarse en El-Shaddai Templo de Alabanza, donde su primo asistía.

Adulfo había huido de Dios y de la música, siempre poniendo a su deporte favorito como prioridad.  Mientras tanto, yo me enamoraba más de Dios y de la música.  Cuando él comenzó a asistir a la iglesia yo ya estaba tocando el teclado durante los servicios, dirigiendo las alabanzas ocasionalmente, y escribiendo cantos (los cuales siempre tenía miedo de compartir).  También era la lider de los jovenes y maestra de escuela dominical de un grupo de niños. Pronto, Adulfo sintió la necesidad de que Dios cambiara su corazón, y Dios lo hizo.  Él se convirtió en un joven en búsqueda de la gracia y la verdad de Dios.  También confiesa haber orado a Dios con respecto a la tecladista de la iglesia (yo).  Su amor por Dios despertó en él el deseo de crear música para Él, y comenzó a aprender guitarra y escribir cantos en lo secreto.  En Abril del 2005 finalmente nos hicimos novios.  En noviembre del 2008 el pastor Alberto ofició la ceremonia en la que dijimos “acepto” ante el Señor.

Ministerio por su Gracia (By His Grace Ministry)

Ministerio por su Gracia's first album
En las Manos de mi Salvador ( In the Hands of my Savior) released in 2015.

Find us in:    Amazon  CD Baby   Google Play    ITunes

How many times have I looked back wanting to change something I did, or wanting to do something I omitted doing? Quite frankly, I have lost count. Many times we tend to look up to the person in front, the one holding the microphone, the one speaking loud and looking confident.  One of the reasons for creating this blog is to show that despite creating music, holding a microphone and playing a musical instrument, both my husband and I, Abigail, remain human.  As human as ever, as imperfect as always, but more than willing to press on.  The one thing that qualifies me to speak and sing of faith, love, and God's perfection is precisely God's grace.  Ministerio Por su Gracia (By His Grace Ministry) is one of the tools God has handed Adulfo and I.  A tool for learning, for spiritual growth and a tool to reach others with the same message that gives us hope, peace and joy. This is what we intend to irradiate from our music.  In this blog I will open my heart and share personal experiences with you.  How did my husband and I meet? What brought us together? How did our musical career began? What is it like to carry out ministry with a spouse? How did our songs come to be? I am really looking forward to write about the experiences that ultimately came out as music, either from our first album En las Manos de mi Salvador or our upcoming release Celestial.  In the meantime, get ready to be pleasantly surprised.

Adulfo Hidalgo
Ministerio por su Gracia

Abigail Hidalgo
Ministerio por su Gracia

¿Cuantas veces he mirado atrás queriendo cambiar algo que hice, o deseando haber hecho algo que no hice?  Francamente, he perdido la cuenta. Muchas veces tendemos a admirar a la persona que esta enfrente, a quien sostiene el micrófono, al que habla fuertemente y parece confiado.  Una de las razones por las que inicio este blog es para mostrar que a pesar de crear música, sostener un micrófono y tocar un instrumento musical, my esposo Adulfo y yo, Abigail, seguimos siendo humanos.  Tan humanos como siempre, tan imperfectos como siempre, pero mas que dispuestos a seguirnos esforzando.  Lo único que me califica para hablar y cantar sobre fe, amor, y la perfección de Dios es precisamente la gracia de Dios.  Ministerio Por su Gracia (By His Grace Ministry) es una de las herramientas que Dios nos ha dado a Adulfo y a mi.  Una herramienta para aprender, para crecimiento espiritual y una herramienta para alcanzar a otros con el mismo mensaje que nos da esperanza, paz y gozo. Esto es lo que intentamos irradiar con nuestra música.  En este blog abriré mi corazón y compartiré experiencias personales.  ¿Como nos conocimos mi esposo y yo? ¿Que nos unió? ¿Como comenzó nuestra carrera musical? ¿Como es llevar a cabo un ministerio con mi esposo? ¿Como nacieron nuestros cantos? Espero con ansias el poder escribir sobre las experiencias que se convirtieron en música, ya sea de nuestro primer album En las Manos de mi Salvador o el próximo lanzamiento Celestial, ¡Mientras tanto, prepárate para ser agradablemente sorprendido!