Album Notes

My mom (mami) and dad (papi) have always told me my birth story. Well, I need to back up a little. My brother (Alex) woke up one morning and informed mami that he was going to have an hermanita (little sister) and her name would be Sandra. Mami didn’t even know she was pregnant. There was a great terremoto (earthquake) in May of 1970, almost 5 months before I was born. I think that says a lot, if you know me. Ha ha! Mami’s birthday is 2 days before mine. Mami was in labor for many hours. I smiled when I was born in Trujillo, Peru. The doctor spanked my bottom saying that he couldn’t believe that I was smiling while mami had suffered so much. They named me Sandra Teresa (papi’s mom) Soledad (mami’s mom). However, soon after, things were not right. I couldn’t breathe without help. My parents say I needed little spoons to hold my mouth open so I could breathe. Papi always says that it was at that moment he wished he was not poor. They were told that I had a 5% chance of survival. There was a procedure they could do but it did not guarantee I would live, plus it was too expensive for our family. They also told my parents they could take me home and just wait for me to die. James 5:14 says, “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” So papi did just that. He called a friend and they put me in my crib. They all prayed. Papi said ‘If You have a purpose for Sandra’s life, please heal her completely. If you know she will do Your will and will be in Your service, please heal her. However, if not, thank you for letting us meet her and we give her to you.’ After that, they took away the little spoons and left me in my room knowing that could be the last time they saw me alive. Minutes later they went to my room and I was sleeping soundly. I love that part of my story. I love to hear it and I love to share it. I always cry during the story. It’s just such a great miracle. How can I NOT praise GOD?!
I was born in Perú, moved to Guatemala for my dad to go to seminary. Moved to Harlingen, Texas for a few years and in McAllen until 1985 when we moved to Houston and have been here (in Sugar Land) ever since. All these experiences and more have shaped me and I can see the Hand of God guiding me and making everything work just right and that has inspired me to write and sing songs of hope and devotion.