Raquel B. Monsalve, age 86, of Jordan, MN, went home to be with her Lord on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, with her loving family by her side.
A celebration of life will be held for Raquel and her husband, Armando on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at 11 am, with a visitation from 10-10:45 am, at Friendship Church, 17741 Fairlawn Avenue, Prior Lake, MN. Pastor Kenny White will preside. Raquel and Armando will be laid to rest at Spirit Hill Cemetery, in Jordan. Memorials are preferred to the family.
Once upon a time, in Montevideo, Uruguay, a beautiful girl with curly hair and light green eyes named Raquel was born. She had a loving mother and doting father who was a shoemaker. Both of her parents’ families were immigrants from Spain. She grew up near the beach and loved the ocean and swimming. She was the oldest of four children. God chose Raquel to be born on January 25, 1938, followed by her sister Iris, brother Washington, and baby sister Alicia also known as Bochi.
Raquel was a talented dancer and was known to part a dance floor with her partner doing a Tango or Waltz. She came to faith in Christ when some missionaries came to her house and shared the gospel with her family. She was very intelligent and studied economics, got her bachelor’s in teaching, became a Spanish Teacher, and learned administrative and secretarial skills. She left her loving family behind and came to America in 1964 following God’s prompting.
As an immigrant herself now, she became a Naturalized American Citizen. She took this very seriously. She came to a country that wasn’t her own to take on a new identity and citizenship. She made the decision and took an oath to take up arms against her birth countrymen and even her family should she be called upon to defend her new nation. She boldly embraced the USA and pledged her allegiance to America. Much like her citizenship in Heaven, she was all in.
Her first job in America was with the Spanish Baptist Publishing House in El Paso, Texas where she lived with missionaries. She was planning to move back to Uruguay, when a friend invited her to go to Springfield, Missouri. There, she was hired to work at the Assemblies of God headquarters. By God’s intervention, she moved to Miami and became a member of Central Baptist Church where she met the love of her life.
Raquel was asked to interpret a “get to know you” meeting between the pastor and Armando who had recently arrived from Chile. They fell in love and were going to have a simple civil union at the courthouse. But her friends at church told Raquel to buy a wedding dress, and they would take care of the rest. In a beautiful church wedding with flowers, cake, and friends, they were married on Feb 21, 1970. What a joyous day it was.
Raquel wrote a beautiful story of how when she married Armando, a widower with 2 daughters, she said “I do” to the girls as well. And although she did not give birth to Mitzi and Veronica in the traditional way, they were forever hers in her heart. She officially adopted the girls and was, and always will be, their mother. There were no stepchildren or stepparents in the Monsalve family, just dad, mom, and sisters. She was an amazing mom.
Raquel’s little family grew with one more daughter when Alicia was born in Miami. They lived in the city and later moved to the country, as Armando pastored churches and Raquel supported his ministry and worked in Christian Literature (translating, editing, writing, and interpreting).
Her adventure took a turn northward to Bloomington, Minnesota in 1980 when they felt called to attend Bethany Fellowship Missionary Training Center. Their mission work took them to Brazil, Chile (to plant a church), Mexico (to teach at a Bible School), the Dominican Republic (to share the gospel), and to Russia to deliver cases and cases of Bibles to teach educators in the public schools all about Jesus. They did mini-intensives covering everything from Genesis to Revelations. They were amazed at the freedom with which they could share the gospel in the former Soviet Union after the wall came down. They embraced and fell in love with the people they met all around the world.
Raquel was an accomplished translator and Editor in Chief. She worked for over 50 years advancing the gospel for Spanish speakers all over the world. Some of the companies she worked for included: Editorial Vida, Bethany House Publishers, and Tyndale. The number of books and magazines she has translated is known to none, except God. But, some of the books she translated that you might know are, “Heaven”, “Heaven for Kids”, and the study guide by Randy Alcorn, “Fearless” by Max Lucado, “Love is a Decision” by Gary Smalley & John Trent, “Certain Peace in Uncertain Times” by Shirley Dobson, and many other books for Charles Swindoll, Dennis & Barbara Rainey, Dr. James Dobson, and Stormie Omartian. Another labor of love for her was “The Message of the Cross” magazine. The ripple effect of her translations will only be known in eternity.
She never made decisions based on getting ahead in the world or making more money, which she easily could have done. She always tried to do what she felt God was calling her to do. When she wasn’t sure, she would ask for prayer and God to reveal himself to her.
Raquel had a twinkle in her eye and zest for life. Her laugh, hugs, and warmth were known and loved by many. She always said that if she stopped laughing to call the ambulance and get her to the hospital because something would be seriously wrong with her. She lived a generous life giving of what little financial resources she had with a joyful heart to support the work of the kingdom and help others. She lived the great commission going into all the world to preach the gospel and always with her black purse.
Raquel loved her family. She always prioritized helping and spending time with them. She and Armando prayed faithfully and daily for each and every child and grandchild by name and others around the world. Prayer was a way of life for her. She prayed about everything, big and small. She talked often about the blessing of her children and grandchildren and affirmed the words of the apostle John that her greatest joy was “to know that my children walk in the truth” (3 John 1:4).
Raquel passed on from her adventure here on earth to a new exciting one in Heaven with her creator on June 4, 2024. She is leaving a rich legacy of faith, perseverance, generosity, love, and prayer. She lived out the unconditional love of God. She overcame breast cancer and many dangers and challenges in life. She also lovingly embraced and supported so many others through their most trying days.
More than anything, she would want you to personally know Jesus Christ, the source of her joy, strength, hope, and life itself. As we celebrate her life today, I pray that you are inspired to take up the torch she is laying down and carry on the flame.
Forever loved, Raquel will be forever missed by husband, Armando; daughter, Mitzi (Joseph) Speranzella and their children, Cristina, Joseph, Justin, Cecilia, James, Jadon, and Jacob; daughter, Veronica (Phillip) Ransom and their children, Jeremiah (Mandi), Daniel, Elizabeth; daughter, Alicia (Kevin) Ray, and their daughters, Victoria, Nicole, and Daniella; siblings, Washington Boqué, Alicia (Tito) Cabrera; brother-in-law, Daniel Schanzenbach; other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by parents, José and Floretina Boqué; sister, Iris Schanzenbach and sister-in-law, Vicenta Boqué
Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation proudly served and cared for the Monsalve family.
