21 Addresses in 37 Years: Connecting the Dots
I remember a few years ago when I preached in Marueño (in Ponce) sharing my life testimony; I even spoke about “Connecting the Dots” and Steve Jobs. I had a biblical basis for it; there are many such examples in the Word of the Lord.
It is easy to judge and say… “Look at Omar, he’s doing so well in life.” Whatever that means. But come and learn a little about what brought us to where we are today.
My goal is clear:
Never to lose sight of that young man who, at 18, was earning pennies at Burger King (making $5.15 an hour). I don’t want to forget that version of myself who moved from house to house: not out of choice, but out of the sheer urgency of evictions and a lack of money. I remember all too well what it’s like to have your electricity, water, phone service and internet cut off. To feel the hot breath of those trying to take away even our car, and even to go hungry, literally.
Did you know that I have lived in 21 different places in my 37 years? Not for the sake of adventure, but for the sake of survival.
We lived in different homes across Ponce, Mayagüez, Sabana Grande and beyond. Here is the arc…
1–6. Several homes across Ponce
These early years included Hurricane Georges in 1998. We lost our roof and had to relocate. There were seasons of instability, including time spent with extended family. I was 10 years old when I first started standing up for my siblings. Looking out for the people I love has always been part of who I am.
7–13. More homes in Ponce
That’s where I went through a major surgery… That’s where I found the Lord.
2012: I completed my Bachelor’s degree at UPR Ponce. I was admitted to the Master’s program at the UPR Mayagüez Campus.
14–16. Mayagüez
2016: I married my beloved wife Iraida Liz.
17. Sabana Grande
October 2016: One of the hardest seasons of my life, shaped by an environment where I felt treated more like a work machine than a human being.
2017: Hurricane Maria, we went nearly a month without electricity.
18. 2019: Preparing to leave Puerto Rico
19–20. La diáspora
Two homes across two states, then COVID-19 in 2020.
21. 2024: We bought a house
I didn’t choose that instability of my past: Perhaps God or Life wanted us to go through all of that so that, today, I could have some perspective, the kind you can only earn by living through it. Poverty is not a romantic state; it is a trap. And once you’ve been inside it, you carry that awareness with you forever.
Now that I am the one in charge, every decision I make is intentional. The goal is clear: ensure that history does not repeat itself.
Looking back today, I can connect the dots…
Every eviction taught me to pack light.
Every power outage forced me to seek out my own clarity.
And every move prepared me to not be afraid of starting over from scratch.
There is no turning back.