Beatriz Freymann, GIVEN ’22

Please share a little about yourself – feel free to include a fun fact!

I’m a coffee and nature lover, I feel very close to the Lord when I’m in nature and get to see beautiful things. I’m married and have been loving this stage of my life next to my life partner. I come from a Catholic family and Jesus has always been a part of my life, but getting to know him and making him the King of my life has been the most beautiful voyage. I love traveling and getting to know new people and their culture. I also love painting, reading and creating stuff with my hands (call me handy woman haha).

What are the personal strengths that you’ve been given and how do you utilize them?

I feel like the Lord has gifted me with great communication skills, I love crafting a message and building a story that I can share with others and that impacts their life. It has been a journey of discovery but I first discovered this gift while serving at my university Catholic outreach. For years, I participated by giving talks and developing teachings. This desire in my heart to communicate God’s love only grew and when I graduated university. I started my podcast “La Respuesta es el Amor” (“The Answer is Love”) to talk about our journey as women that love the Lord and want to grow closer to him.

What women inspire you, and why?

I have to say the woman that constantly inspires me is my mom; the Lord gifted her with such a generous heart that never ceases to amaze me. I’m also very inspired by the three hosts of Abiding Together, Heather Khym, Michelle Benzinger and Sister Miriam – perhaps they don’t know it but their conversations always inspire me. (Fun fact: Michelle was my small group leader at the GIVEN Forum.) And last but definitely not least, Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint Therese of Lisieux.

Are there friends and mentors that you depend upon? How do they support you?

I am currently a member of a community called Jesed that is part of the Sword of the Spirit. I would say that my brothers and sisters in my community help me and support me in my journey. As sisters, we meet every week to pray and talk about our lives, the joys and the struggles, and we help each other grow.

Prayer is essential for everyone, but especially for women who are active in the life and mission of the Church. Do you have any favorite devotions or prayers?

Music is a big part of my prayer life. I commonly use the psalms or the gospel for the day in my prayer but undoubtedly my prayer time has to be accompanied by music. Some of my favorites (in Spanish and in English): Jésed Music Ministry, Cristobal Fones, Sj, UPPERROOM, Maverick City Music, and Francesca Battistelli.

Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

“You can do no great things, only small things with great love.” – Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta

What were your key takeaways from the GIVEN Forum?

The Lord, in His infinite love for me and for His people, gifted me with a very special gift and that gift is unique and special. The GIVEN Forum allowed me to understand that gift is precious and it is important that I share it with the Church and with everyone. I am part of God’s plan and putting my gifts to work does contribute to the building of His Kingdom here on earth.

What was your GIVEN action plan? Describe its mission, audience, and impact.

My action plan has continued to change along the years, but it consists of continuing to build relationships with women through my podcast “La Respuesta es el Amor.” This space has allowed me to enter my sisters’ lives and to walk with them in a very special way. The mission of this podcast and for this community is to become a place where we can rest and recharge, especially for the Latino/Spanish-speaking community all over the world. The vision ties in and states that we as woman should create an environment where we feel uplifted by one another and accompany each other on our journey to heaven. The audience of this podcast and community are women between 18 – 45 years that have a presence on social media and have a preference for digesting audio material.

Could you tell us a bit about what motivated or led you to develop this action plan? Was this something that you had on your heart prior to this past year or was it something you developed through the GIVEN program?

I feel that the Lord has been very patient with me and has allowed me to discover this gift for communicating and creating stories with a lot of patience. I took a leap of faith back in 2019 when I started the podcast and it has been a lovely journey. Through making the episodes and crafting the content, I have encountered a lot of obstacles and even considered stoping. The GIVEN program has been a blessing because it has pushed me to better define this project and has provided a lot of inspiration through the work of the other alumnae. Seeing them being a light to the world and being successful with their action plans always inspires me to continue and be better.

How did you grow throughout this year as you worked with a mentor on your action plan? Were there any moments where you had doubts or felt like you had taken on too much of a challenge? If so, how did you overcome them?

I have grown a lot, especially because my life has changed a lot and that has pushed me to reconsider things and trust the Lord more and more. Of course there have been moments where I wanted to stop and where I had doubts, but allowing the Lord to enter my heart and inspire me has changed the game. I understand that it’s not about intelligent words on a paper; it’s about listening to His voice and trying my best to do what He wants me to do: serve His people with love and help Him build His Kingdom here on earth. Prayer has been the key to unlocking the big challenges I have faced these past years and being connected to people that are also looking to please Him and grow in love for Him.

What were some of the fruits you saw from your action plan? What did you find most fulfilling in this process?

I was not expecting the beautiful women that listen to the podcast to write back, but it has been the greatest privilege of my life getting to know some of them and listen to their stories – stories that have allowed me to understand that GOD IS ALIVE and wants our happiness and our well-being. It has been very fulfilling to understand how giving the Lord my 5 loaves of bread and my 2 fish does have an impact.