I found my interview with Ligia to be interesting because it allowed both of us to walk down the religious path that took her from seventy-five years as a practicing Catholic to her newfound faith in the Baptist denomination. The interview allowed us to start with her childhood to get a better understanding of her Catholic roots, which were brought to her through her mother’s lifestyle. She mentions that it is often the mother who is more religious than other members of the family, making me realize that it is because of this mentality that the Religious
Lives of Ozarks Women Project is so important. The faith that women hold has the power to shape generations, and there I was learning from my grandmother Ligia Ferguson, that the faith of her mother was one of her strongest inspirations. It was amazing to feel our generations tie together in that moment.
It was interesting for me to hear how she went from a life of deep faith within her childhood family, to having to provide the faith for an entirely new family from within her own single person. Knowing the love that my grandparents had for each other, it is amazing for me to see how their love played into the religious understanding that they had for one another. She spoke of how she never forced religion on her husband, but in the end, her faith was evident to him and inspired him to pursue the same.
I was inspired by her faith through listening to her talk about the intimate role that God plays in her life. The first half of her life led her to realize that God is far greater than she could ever imagine. After the birth of her third child, the second one with developmental disabilities, she had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized as a result. Hearing her talk about this showed me her humanity. Often, I think that people go through circumstances that lead them to be angry with God and seldom do they want to admit it. We can plead and plead for God to show
Missouri State University Fall 2011 Religious Lives of Ozarks Women

2 us mercy in a circumstance, just as Ligia did, and when he doesn’t deliver the conditions we request, we become angry and say that we don’t need him. Ligia talked about how the faith she had showed up until that part in her life was made evident enough that her husband realized it, and it reminded her that she can’t run from God. She rose up from the circumstances of her breakdown, realized that God gives challenges to every individual in one form or another, and raised her family as a loving mother, accepting of all circumstances. She overcame a life circumstance and came out on the other end with a stronger faith and a progressing relationship with the Lord.
The Catholic faith that led her to this point in her life took a turn with the damaging effects of sexual abuse revealed within the Catholic Church during the early 2000s. Both she and her husband were discouraged, and soon found themselves in attendance of a local Baptist church as a result of a single invitation. I was inspired by listening to her talk about how her faith experienced a “spiritual lift,” after continued attendance at this church. She initially felt as if she was betraying Catholicism, something that had been such a huge part of her for seventy-five years, but with time she found a new home in a new faith. The people showed her love, encouraged her to study the Bible, and helped her faith thrive. She utilized the opportunity to examine history, rituals, and methods of each church, and is now confident that she is pursuing a path that she fully agrees with. With the conclusion of the interview, I can honestly say that she probably learned as much about herself as I did. We both walked away with smiles on our faces.
Missouri State University Fall 2011 Religious Lives of Ozarks Women