Skip to main content

Summary: Villavicencio Family Visit to Encounter Church

Overview​

[cite_start]On November 15-16, 2025, Gary Sheng hosted the Villavicencio family (Ida, Jesus, and Carlos) for a two-day trip to Liberty, TX, to attend a service at Encounter Church with Apostle Delmar Coward Jr.[cite: 2465]. [cite_start]Gary had previously met Ida at an Ankit Rambabu revival[cite: 26].

[cite_start]The visit included extensive and deep conversations, captured during travel and dinner, covering the family's incredible life stories—from Jesus's childhood in Cuban organized crime and Santeria [cite: 35, 138, 141][cite_start], to Carlos's lifelong battle with supernatural torment and autism [cite: 173, 200, 208][cite_start], to Ida's own history of healings and spiritual gifts[cite: 6, 231, 267].

[cite_start]The trip culminated in a powerful church service on November 16, where all three members of the Villavicencio family—as well as Gary himself—received profound healing and deliverance from Apostle Delmar[cite: 3417, 3449, 3488, 3859]. [cite_start]The car ride home was filled with reflections on the "lightness" they felt [cite: 3859, 3862] and a new understanding of their family's spiritual journey.

Part 1: The Journey to Liberty (Nov 15)​

During the car ride to Liberty from the Houston Airport (where they picked Gary up), the family shared their backgrounds with Gary.

Ida’s Healing Testimony​

[cite_start]Ida recounted her recent healing from a debilitating illness that doctors diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis[cite: 19, 3936].

  • [cite_start]The Sickness: "Every single joint in my body was in excruciating pain... Like I couldn't think, I can't live like this. I can't, I, I'm gonna die"[cite: 1, 2]. [cite_start]She had difficulty with basic tasks like going to the bathroom [cite: 3] [cite_start]and would be "screaming" in her sleep from the pain[cite: 5].
  • [cite_start]The Medical System: Her rheumatologist prescribed "very severe medicines called biologics, like almost for cancer patients," but her insurance repeatedly denied them "five, six, seven times"[cite: 6, 7].
  • [cite_start]The Revival: She felt led to attend an Ankit Rambabu revival, wanting to be healed[cite: 10]. [cite_start]After the evangelist laid hands on everyone, she felt "better and better and better" every day and "stopped taking any pain medicine"[cite: 16, 21, 22]. [cite_start]"I've just been a million times better. Praise God"[cite: 25].

Jesus’s Background: Cuba, Cartels & Santeria​

Jesus described his harrowing childhood, which began in Cuba.

  • [cite_start]Fleeing Cuba: His family fled Cuba under Fidel Castro for political asylum[cite: 44, 45]. [cite_start]A politician wanted their house and offered a deal for asylum in the U.S.[cite: 46]. [cite_start]His biological father had to sign away his rights so Jesus could leave, knowing he had "no life here in Cuba"[cite: 49, 50].
  • [cite_start]Abandonment: The politicians "didn't keep their promise" and abandoned the family in Acapulco, Mexico[cite: 52, 54]. [cite_start]His mother had to marry "some cartel guy" to get connected for asylum[cite: 55]. [cite_start]They eventually had to "hire coyotes" to cross the border[cite: 54].
  • [cite_start]Santeria & Voodoo: His family practiced Santeria, an African-Cuban voodoo religion[cite: 35, 40]. [cite_start]Jesus grew up seeing "dark magic" [cite: 122][cite_start], including his step-grandmother getting "possessed," her eyes rolling back, and then, despite being an "old as dirt" woman, picking up "people from the ground two at a time"[cite: 124, 127, 128].
  • [cite_start]Organized Crime: He was raised in Miami by his mother and a cartel-connected stepfather[cite: 137]. [cite_start]He saw "planes, drugs, piles, guns, people, all that"[cite: 138]. [cite_start]His stepfather later "started working for doing voodoo for the cartel and making millions"[cite: 141]. [cite_start]Jesus explained, "I thought I was normal. I thought that, you know, selling, stealing, cheating, lying, all that stuff that I thought was all normal"[cite: 145, 146].

Carlos & Ida’s Supernatural Gifts​

Ida and Carlos shared their lifelong experience with the supernatural.

  • [cite_start]Carlos’s Night Terrors: Carlos had "night terrors since I was born" [cite: 172][cite_start], "screaming in his sleep" as a tiny baby[cite: 173]. [cite_start]Ida believed it was a "generational curse"[cite: 174].
  • [cite_start]Spiritual Sight: Carlos began "seeing things in real life" [cite: 206][cite_start], which he described as "shadow figures"[cite: 208, 210]. [cite_start]Ida explained she had similar gifts [cite: 159, 163, 170][cite_start], which is why she never thought of Carlos's experiences as neurodivergence at first[cite: 169].
  • [cite_start]Ida’s "Spiritual Eyes": Ida recounted seeing a man across the street from a friend's house and telling her, "keep your kids away from that house"[cite: 228]. [cite_start]She explained, "What I saw was like a misformed like creature... And that's what I see in people sometimes... He's a predator"[cite: 231, 232]. [cite_start]She later looked him up on the sex offender registry[cite: 237]. [cite_start]The next day at her counseling job, the man walked into her office [cite: 240][cite_start]; he was there to pick up his son, who had "sexually assaulted a kid at school"[cite: 245, 250].

Part 2: Dinner Conversation (Nov 15)​

[cite_start]While at dinner at Mr. Sombrero [cite: 478] and back at the hotel, the conversation deepened.

Gary’s Aphantasia​

Gary contrasted his own mind with theirs, which led to a key revelation.

  • [cite_start]Gary: "I have a condition called aphantasia. And I have no inner monologue"[cite: 630].
  • [cite_start]Ida: "When you say inner monologue, you mean the constant talking to ourself"[cite: 633].
  • [cite_start]Gary: "Yeah, I have zero"[cite: 634]. [cite_start]He explained he realized this in his mid-twenties [cite: 637] [cite_start]and that he cannot visualize anything[cite: 642]. [cite_start]"If you tell me to imagine an apple, I can't do it. It's just black screen"[cite: 3694, 3695].
  • [cite_start]Ida: "I and Carlos as well. All three of us. We have a hard time not stop talking. Like we always talk and we all have a constant voice"[cite: 645].

Carlos’s Journey with Autism​

Carlos and Ida elaborated on his experience with Asperger's/autism.

  • [cite_start]"Gas Station Story": Carlos described his lack of innate emotional morality: "I didn't have like proper morality because of my, my autism"[cite: 333]. [cite_start]He recounted being 14 when a lady ran into a gas station screaming for scissors because her son was choking on a seatbelt[cite: 338, 340, 343]. [cite_start]His mom asked, "Do you want to help?" and Carlos replied, "No, I want to get my bag of chips"[cite: 341, 342]. [cite_start]He explained, "in my mind it was just like, I was there for my goal, which was my goal was the chips and nothing... yeah, nothing mattered"[cite: 350].
  • [cite_start]Emotional "Awakening": Around age 17-18, he "started crying" for the first time[cite: 352, 354]. [cite_start]"all of a sudden I was feeling emotions"[cite: 354]. [cite_start]This led to a "huge mental breakdown" [cite: 356] [cite_start]as he felt overwhelming "regret" [cite: 370] [cite_start]and "finally... feeling appreciative for my parents more than I had ever felt ever"[cite: 364].
  • [cite_start]Faith: This crisis cemented his faith: "Jesus was my answer for all the mental breakdowns... praying to God... that was what I needed"[cite: 367, 368].
  • [cite_start]Psychiatry: Ida shared that when Carlos saw a psychiatrist, he was "analyzing her"[cite: 682]. [cite_start]He was "reverse engineering" [cite: 684] [cite_start]her so he could "get a clean bill of health"[cite: 683].

Family Dynamics​

Jesus contrasted his "no-nonsense" upbringing with their family.

  • [cite_start]Jesus: "All my stomach hurts. All my back hurts. All my head hurts. Bullshit. Here's a pick and shovel... Shut the fuck up. That's the kind of family that I... It didn't exist"[cite: 695, 696]. [cite_start]He noted, "My mother did not say I love you... We started saying I love you when I was 45"[cite: 699, 701].
  • Carlos: Carlos shared a story of his own generosity. [cite_start]He "robotically followed" his parents' example[cite: 3720]. At a school book fair, his mom gave him $20. [cite_start]He returned with "one eraser"[cite: 740]. [cite_start]When asked where the money was, he said, "None of my friends had money. I bought all of their stuff"[cite: 745].

Gary's Connection to Encounter​

Ida asked how Gary found this church.

  • [cite_start]Gary: He explained that a woman in San Antonio was praying, his "name came on her head" [cite: 1117][cite_start], and she introduced him to Apostle Delmar[cite: 1118, 1120]. [cite_start]"The first time I went, I received the Holy Spirit... in a very visceral, undeniable way"[cite: 1124, 1125]. [cite_start]A week later, he "prayed for my eyes. And my eyes improved"[cite: 1126].

Part 3: The Miracle Service (Nov 16)​

On Sunday morning, the family attended the service at Encounter Church.

Pre-Service Conversation​

[cite_start]Gary prepped the family for the service, explaining the "Baptism in the Holy Ghost"[cite: 2311].

  • [cite_start]Gary: "I would invite all three of you to ask for that today"[cite: 2322]. [cite_start]He shared his own experience: "when he laid hands on me... I felt like electricity all over my body in a way that was completely not forced by me at all"[cite: 2329].
  • [cite_start]Apostle's Background: Gary shared Apostle Delmar's testimony: he was prophesied over as a teen but was a "street fighter"[cite: 2339, 2341]. [cite_start]"his joke is that he's fighting for the little guy now. Instead of beating kids up"[cite: 2342]. [cite_start]He also "raised people from the dead" and "cured cancers"[cite: 2351].

The Sermon (Apostle Delmar Coward Jr.)​

Apostle Delmar preached a sermon on Kingdom living, healing, and authority.

  • [cite_start]On Miracles: "When I look over here on this side, I see miracles"[cite: 2534]. [cite_start]He cited testimonies in the room: a woman's tumor "is gone" [cite: 2538][cite_start], a woman healed of "COVID Long" [cite: 2555][cite_start], "three kinds of cancer and all of them dead" [cite: 2611][cite_start], and a man with "Down's Syndrome" who was delivered[cite: 3145].
  • [cite_start]On Authority: "He gave them power and authority over what? All... devils"[cite: 2722, 2728]. [cite_start]"The thief coming not but for to steal, to kill and to destroy. But I am come that you what? Might have life"[cite: 2739, 2740].
  • [cite_start]On Forgiveness & Healing: "Who forgiveth all of my iniquity. And who healeth all my diseases... Forgiveness and healing go together. If you're not getting your miracle, it's maybe because you have unforgiveness"[cite: 2856, 2857].
  • [cite_start]On Being Born Again: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom"[cite: 2975]. [cite_start]He told a story of a pastor of 47 years who "never heard of being born again" and got saved at a rodeo arena[cite: 3250, 3251, 3252].

The Altar Call & Healings​

During the altar call, the entire family received prayer.

  • [cite_start]Ida's Prayer: She received prayer for a "mystery illness" [cite: 3412] [cite_start]and "spirit of fear"[cite: 3416, 3417]. [cite_start]During the prayer, she fell to the floor crying out[cite: 3424]. [cite_start]She immediately felt lighter [cite: 3425] [cite_start]and described it as a "release" of the 24-year burden she carried for Carlos[cite: 3836].
  • [cite_start]Jesus's Healing: He went up for "back pain for about 20 years" [cite: 3444] [cite_start]from a car accident at 17[cite: 3588, 3590]. [cite_start]He explained to the Apostle it was "bone on bone" with no cartilage[cite: 3590, 3591]. [cite_start]Apostle Delmar commanded the bones to "Shift. Back. Live"[cite: 3449, 3451]. [cite_start]Jesus was visibly moved [cite: 3472] [cite_start]and later confirmed, "I feel great. Really? I really do"[cite: 3583].
  • [cite_start]Gary's Healing: Gary asked for prayer for "high cholesterol" and the "spirit of fear" from his non-believing parents[cite: 3479, 3481, 3482]. [cite_start]Apostle Delmar cast out the spirit, commanded his arteries to clear, and Gary began speaking in tongues as he received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit[cite: 3488, 3491, 3493, 3495].
  • Carlos's Deliverance: Carlos received prayer last. [cite_start]Apostle Delmar told him, "All the heaviness is gone. So you're free"[cite: 3410]. [cite_start]Carlos later said, "I felt a lot lighter... I could literally feel... something negative leaving me"[cite: 3859, 3862, 3869]. [cite_start]The Apostle also identified his supernatural sight as a "gift" the devil had used to "confuse him" and "cause fear"[cite: 3891].

Part 4: The Journey Home (Nov 16)​

In the car ride home, the family was transformed.

Reflecting on the "Lightness"​

  • [cite_start]Carlos: "I immediately felt lighter after. My body literally felt lighter"[cite: 3556]. [cite_start]"when I walked in there, I was feeling heavy... And, midway through... I felt a lot lighter"[cite: 3861, 3863].
  • [cite_start]Ida: "You feel lighter?... Yeah. Like walking on air"[cite: 3425]. [cite_start]She explained her intense reaction was a "release" from her spirit: "It's been a long time holding this in... 24 years, yeah"[cite: 3836, 3837].
  • Jesus: He confirmed his healing was real. [cite_start]"How's your back feel? I feel great. Really? I really do"[cite: 3583].

Ida’s Vision of Carlos's Demon​

Ida shared a vision she had during a previous revival while interceding for Carlos.

  • [cite_start]"I would see an old man... he was not a good man and he was bald and he was super old... His face was like sunken in. He looked like he was from India or something... from the Middle East... He had long fingers"[cite: 3871, 3874, 3881, 3882].
  • [cite_start]"His clothes were shredded"[cite: 3879].
  • [cite_start]"he would look back at me and stare at me... he was so mad... but he was leaving. Like he had no choice"[cite: 3876, 3885, 3886].

Carlos's New Perspective​

Carlos processed the Apostle's words, reframing his entire life experience.

  • [cite_start]"honestly, like today, it kind of just confirmed that I'm literally going to live with it my entire life pretty much because everyone's calling it a gift, you know? And I literally, I thought it was like just torment"[cite: 3898, 3899].

Critiquing Psychiatry​

The family discussed how psychiatry and the medical system had failed them.

  • [cite_start]Jesus: "I believe that. A book needs to be written... We're basing a lot of our shit off. Studies that were done in the 1800s. That have no bearing on today's world"[cite: 3917, 3919, 3920].
  • [cite_start]Gary: "And if it doesn't mention spiritual reality. It's wrong from the first place... I just feel like all this is just an industry... An industry that never heals anyone. Is just an industry"[cite: 3924, 3925, 3927].
  • [cite_start]Jesus: "They don't wanna fix the problem... By fixing the problem. They don't make money... They're gonna maintain you. Exactly"[cite: 3929, 3930, 3935, 3936].
  • [cite_start]Carlos: "They just kept making things up. On the spot. So, I was like. You're not sick"[cite: 3940, 3941].

Consequences for Mistreating Carlos​

Ida recounted a pattern of "coincidences" where people who mistreated Carlos faced immediate, bizarre consequences.

  • [cite_start]Head-on Collision: Two teachers who were rude to Ida about Carlos "had a head-on collision with each other on the highway" that same day[cite: 2194].
  • [cite_start]Broke Her Face: A science teacher who cackled and was "rude and ugly" during a meeting about Carlos "was chasing after a kid and she fell down the stairs and broke her face" two days later[cite: 2209, 2238, 2239].
  • [cite_start]Teacher Fired: A math teacher who humiliated Carlos [cite: 2201, 2202] [cite_start]was fired a week after Ida reported her[cite: 2226, 2230].
  • [cite_start]Book-Throwing Teacher: A teacher who "threw a book at him and cut him on the arm" and his wife (who had spit in Carlos's face) were both fired[cite: 2250, 2253, 2261].
  • [cite_start]Principal Fired: A principal retaliated against Ida by trying to kick Carlos out of the school [cite: 2270, 2271][cite_start]; that principal was "fired, like within that month"[cite: 2272].

The Narrow Path & Future Plans​

[cite_start]The group ended the trip discussing the "anti-Christ" nature of modern culture[cite: 2282, 3633]. [cite_start]Gary and Ida agreed to start a Substack so she could finally write her book and share her supernatural stories with the world[cite: 3601, 3603, 3606].