From Power Rangers to Catholic Faith | Jessica Rey's Surprising Journey

What happens when a former Power Ranger encounters Jesus Christ and realizes she was made for more?

In this episode of The Catholic Couple, Bobby and Katie sit down with Jessica Rey—best known as Alyssa Enrilé, the White Wild Force Ranger—to talk about her journey from Hollywood to a deeper Catholic faith, marriage, motherhood, modesty, and homeschooling.

Jessica shares how her life changed after an unexpected invitation to prayer, how she came back to the Catholic Church, and why she now believes women deserve more than the messages modern culture gives them.

We also talk about:
• Her years in Hollywood and on Power Rangers Wild Force
• Her return to the Catholic faith
• The call to modesty without shame
• Building a Catholic marriage and family
• Why she chose homeschooling
• Raising children in a culture that pulls families in every direction
• Using your platform, work, and story for the glory of God

Jessica is also the founder of Rey Swimwear, a modest fashion brand offering ethically made swimwear, clothing, and athleisure designed to help women feel beautiful, confident, and covered without compromising dignity. We talk about why modesty is not about shame or hiding, but about honoring the whole person and reclaiming a fuller vision of femininity.

Explore Jessica’s modest fashion brand:
Jessica Rey

We also discuss Jessica’s newest endeavor, Fork in the Road, her family travel and food series streaming on EWTN+ and EWTN On Demand. The show follows Jessica’s three homeschooled children as they travel through Portugal, Italy, Croatia, and Austria—learning through food, faith, history, culture, local families, and hands-on experiences along the way.

It is a beautiful picture of how the world can become a classroom and how family travel, curiosity, and faith can form hearts as much as minds.

Watch Fork in the Road on EWTN+:

This is a powerful conversation about conversion, identity, femininity, family life, homeschooling, and what it looks like to follow Jesus when the world offers a very different path.

Subscribe to The Catholic Couple for conversations that help Catholic couples, parents, and families grow closer to Christ.

#CatholicCouple #JessicaRey #PowerRangers #CatholicConversion #CatholicHomeschooling

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

We just finished up a phone call with the white Power Ranger in Italy.

unknown 0:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:05

Jessica Ray just came on the podcast. She's the creator of a show called Fork in the Road with her and her three kids and her husband. They travel all around Europe and she's homeschooling them, but she's sharing the experience as they cook their way through Europe.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

She has an amazing story from like before she became a Power Ranger to her conversion, to miraculous events in her life that has led her to hear it is really powerful and very interesting. This is probably one of our best podcasts yet, and no lie.

SPEAKER_03 0:37

Yeah, it was excellent. All right, you're gonna have to watch it for yourself. So let's dive in. Right, welcome to another episode of the Catholic Couple having fun with faith, family, and friends. I'm your co-host, Bobby Frederickson. With me as always, my beautiful wife.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Katie Frederickson.

SPEAKER_03 0:58

I'm the convert Catholic and she's the Cradle Catholic. And here we are with the very special guest, Jessica Ray. Thank you so much for taking the time. We're gonna dive into so many things, but uh first and foremost, uh just want to thank you for coming on.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Thank you guys for having me. I'm so glad we can make this work.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

Yes. So where are you actually coming from today?

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Um, Italy.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

You're in Italy. So yeah, we're gonna get into all things why you are in Italy. Uh, you have this beautiful new show, Fork in the Road, that's starring mostly your three beautiful kids on homeschooling them and traveling through Europe. So we'll get to that. But first, for those who don't know Jessica Ray, tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Well, I let's see, I don't know where to start.

SPEAKER_02 1:42

Um I started the coolest thing. Started the coolest thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

You can just go out and you know, I mean, I'm sure I'm sure it's not the coolest thing to you, but maybe the coolest thing is that I was a Power Ranger on um Disney's Power Rangers Wild Force. I was the white and pink Power Ranger, and um I have my own action figure.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

So did you have to learn just a side quick side note on that, did you have to learn any kind of like fighting skills for that role?

SPEAKER_01 2:09

I did. So I did grow up doing some martial arts, but when we got the job, we got stunt training and it was very painful. It was intense. Our stunt, our stunt team was just incredible. It's like they could fly. And so they trained us. Um I'm actually not sure why, because then they ended up doing most of the stuff.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Just in case you wanted to make a flip or something off of it.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Just in case they always let us try. The director always let us try if we wanted to do it. And I always wanted to try. So they would let me try, and then they would get the stunt person in there to be like just really quick.

SPEAKER_02 2:43

Another so then what's the funkiest or weirdest stunt you did?

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Oh gosh. Okay. The best one was that I was wire rigged to a bicycle, and the bicycle was also rigged. And I was my character was a student, and so I was late for school, and I'm like riding through the park, and I had to jump over these two old ladies that were on a bench, and so all I had to do was like this, and then on the other end of the wire were like five stunt guys like pulling on over the old, yeah. With the bicycle under you. With I was like, yeah, I had the bicycle, so I was basically doing a jump with my bicycle over these two old ladies um in the park. So that was fun, and uh that's exciting, yeah. We only had to do it once, which the stunt team was really happy about because I didn't know. One take that it was very comfortable to be pulling me and a very heavy like mountain bike with the wire. Um, but that was that was a lot of fun. And then the the pyrotechnics were all were always fun, like yeah, the fire and running away from that. And uh I I did I did some of my stunts, but most of them well that one's pretty cool. That's cool to think to that's a bragging rights right there.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

So you so you grew up in the LA area. Uh I I listened to you know some of your interviews and got a little insight of you know, you you you started as an accountant in in in Hollywood, and then people kind of a person just you know thought to get into acting and yeah, it was wild.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

I um I was an accountant, that's what my bachelor's degree is in. And I was getting my MBA and working as an accountant um at a TV film production company, and the in-house manager just kept bugging me, like telling me to act. And I was like, oh my goodness, lady, leave me alone. I just want to be with my calculator and my spreadsheet. And she wouldn't stop, and she finally was like, Go on one audition, and then I will leave you alone. So I did. It was for Kellogg's Raisin Brand Crunch. Okay, and I got it. And uh worked a couple days. This was back in the day when commercials made tons of money and it kind of almost paid for my grad school. That one job. Why not?

SPEAKER_02 5:04

Yeah, why not? For eating bowls of cereal, which is most college students do anyway. Might as well get it.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

I mean, I actually hate raisins. You can do it, you gotta do it, you know. Yeah, yeah, you can spit them out, you know.

unknown 5:19

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

So, so you your your first gig, you get it, and then that transforms. We went from commercials, obviously, like you said, the white power ranger, and then you were in the lifestyle, basically. This is like a lot of stories of people of you know, so you grew up in the faith, and this was kind of like then you had like a little bit of a reversion. I love the story. If you want to tell it about the the prayer and pasta, yeah, how that happened.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

That was actually I was, you know, an actress living in Hollywood, and this guy from my acting class named Jose was like, Hey, what are you doing tonight? And I'm like, Where is the party? I will bring my roommates, and he's like, No, I'm going to this thing called prayer and pasta. And I was like, Ew, what is that? And he's like, first we pray the rosary and then we eat pasta. And I was like, Well, I grew up praying the rosary and I eat pasta, so if I'm not doing anything, I'll come. There was nothing going on, and so um I went, I went early and I sat in the car waiting for him because I don't want to go in alone and pray with a bunch of strangers. So waited and waited and waited, and he didn't come, and then I didn't want to be late, didn't want to walk in and interrupt the prayer. So I went in expecting that he would be in there, but he wasn't there. And uh he actually didn't come, and I never saw him ever again. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 6:52

I mean well, with the name like Jose, that may remind me of the story of Santa Fe, where the mysterious Saint Joseph character showed up and built the staircase in the church, and like it was this uh obviously, you know, things like that do happen.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

So we never showed up, you never saw him again.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

How yeah, so so then I prayed the rosary with a bunch of strangers, which was totally pasta, and actually I didn't eat the pasta because I was like, I'm gonna pray. I'm so mad this guy didn't come. I'm so so uncomfortable. And then on my way, like I'm trying to inch towards the door, and I heard this guy talking about how he had just had back surgery. He was in seminary in Rome and he had to be flown to LA for these back surgeons. Um, and I had just met with a back surgeon because I have really bad scoliosis. So I'm, you know, I want to know who his back surgeon is because maybe he's better than the one that I met with. So I went up to him. I'm like, hey, my name is Jessica. I'm not hitting on you. I want to know who your back surgeon is. I am leaving. And so I got his card. And uh, you know, we connected a week later, and he told me his whole story how he was in the seminary, and then um he's he had had, I think, three major back surgeries at that point. And he had to go back to Rome to pack up his seminary room, but he couldn't go by himself. And I was like, Well, I'll go and help. So I went to Rome with a complete stranger. I stayed in a convent. He put me in a convent and he stayed at the seminary.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

This is wild.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

It was it was wild. And and Rome was like, um, it was incredible. I had never been before, I had never really been out of the country except to Mexico and Canada with my family. And I, it was like the faith came so alive. It was like a faith that I didn't even know existed. And we hung out with seminarians and priests, and we like we were in the Sistine Chapel by ourselves at like five in the morning or four in the morning, and we had all these private tours, and we were going to look at Catholic art and people's like garages and their villas. And I mean, it was it was an insane trip, and uh it was kind of like a crash course in Catholicism. And then I went back to LA and traded my parties for rosary groups and theology talks and adoration and daily mass.

SPEAKER_00 9:30

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

All from one simple invitation. That's what's so cool about the story. Uh, Bob has a similar story. I just asked him to come to midnight mass, and I wasn't even taking my faith that seriously. It's just something we did in my family, and it's just so important for people to understand how just simple, yeah, easy, and incredibly impactful one invitation can be. Because look at how you are influencing as we get into like the things you're doing now. Look at how you're influencing so many people. But if that person, that guy you're acting, Jose, right? Jose if Jose didn't ask you to one rosary pasta and rose, like who knows what would that be? Prayer and pasta, you know.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

I have no, I mean, I probably wouldn't have met my husband's, like I right.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

I sound credible and and it but but that's the thing about that's the thing about the faith is that so many people think that they have to do apologetics, you have to know all the arguments or be perfect, and a lot of people might not have been a perfect person just be to be perfect that before I can um invite someone or go to church, I have to be perfect. And sometimes it's it's it's just an invitation, it's like you know, God He just invites us, He doesn't He doesn't make us, He just invites us, He tell He nudges us, He tugs us, but He obviously uses other people. He used Jose, he used this guy with a bad back. I can relate. I just had back surgery two months ago for my second time. So it's like you you have these things that come up in your life, but they're all meant in God's perfect plan. But it's like you have to be open to sometimes to step out of your comfort zone. And that's what I'm hearing is that okay, you didn't want to do this acting thing, someone asked you, but you eventually had to step out of your comfort zone, right? Yeah. We like to say on the show that if you don't put yourself in uncomfortable situations, how can you have the comfort or the Holy Spirit ever come through? Because you're only relying on your college education of you know how to be accountant because you studied how to do that, but you didn't know how to be an actress. You had to put yourself in a place where you're totally know nothing, and then only God can come through on the rest of it. It's the same with you know, just I'm I don't know this who this guy is. I'm just gonna go to Rome and he's gonna set your your your your faith on fire, not your own.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

I would never tell my daughter together right now. That's what I was like. What did your parents say? Oh my I know, but I knew I was gonna be staying in a convent. Yeah, they're gonna be a good thing. I think it's pretty safe.

SPEAKER_03 11:47

Good supervision.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Yeah, good supervision. I like that. Um yeah, I mean, it was totally crazy. And then, you know, when I came back, I started learning more about the faith and the apologetics and and you know, all of that. I still don't know everything. I can't, I don't claim to. Um, but there was one thing that started to really bother me, and it was that I started to feel really objectified. Particularly, not, I mean, when you're an actor, you are a product, basically. You know, you go, you are the product, you go on the audition, and then you're told no, because of a variety of reasons, because you're too short or tall or skinny or fat or you know, too old or young. And you know, you're based, they're just they're objective. And on your body, right? You are physical appearances only who you are. So it's all based on the one, you know, the one auditioner, the two auditions. And um all day long I would sit at the pool with my roommates because that's what you do when you're an actor in LA. And you know, we're sitting there in our bikinis, and I started one day to just feel really, really objectified, um, particularly in my tiny little bikini, and I didn't like it. So um I decided I'm going to wear a more modest swimsuit. But at that time, this was 18, 19 years ago, they didn't exist. Um, the more modest swimwear was for old ladies going on a cruise or toddlers, babies and toddlers. There was nothing really in between. And so I uh decided to start my own company and make modest swimwear, even if I can't um draw or sew or swim.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

Or swim.

SPEAKER_03 13:44

But that's another instance of you being. And then you you're like, well, I don't know how to draw, I don't know how to sew, but like something was burning with inside you. God planted that seed and you said yes again. So there's this common theme here is that sometimes we just say yes and let God figure out the rest. A lot of times we get too comfortable, and it sounds like your story it's taken you all the way to Italy.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

That's why were you still a Power Ranger at that time? I was not, but I was still acting. Um so on like doing guest star and spots and recurring roles on other TV shows and still doing commercials and um but saying no to a lot of jobs because I that's why I asked, like, were you yeah, were you in that project?

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Turn down work, turn down work because of harder. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:34

Once you make that decision, it's let's just be honest, Hollywood isn't, you know, now we're starting well, we're starting to see some of the angel studios and things like that, but that wasn't around before. It was all, you know, uh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Especially for someone that looked like me, the roles honestly were like stripper. Or I mean it was like ethnic, you know, Asian stripper or call girl, or just like really weird roles that I was like, talk about objectified, yeah. Yeah, yeah. It was bad.

SPEAKER_02 15:05

Now, you know, for now they're I guess are often now what did your girlfriend what did your girlfriend say when you said you wanted to make something like that? Did that um you know, because uh our c our modern culture, I don't know, 19 years ago probably would have said the same, like, oh, are you shaming us for this, you know? Um Right. Like what kind of feedback did you get from friends?

SPEAKER_01 15:25

It was more from my Hollywood, I mean, actually, people in my apartment building who were not Catholic, uh, I don't think, maybe they were, um, but they weren't my, you know, quote unquote Catholic friends. They actually thought it was really cute and they just wanted one for this for the style of it, for the fashion. They were um yeah, style is timeless. It's like very Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, kind of like old Hollywood style.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

So um, you know, I didn't that's what's appealing. It we don't have to make things weird, right? It doesn't have to be um ugly. We it can be beautiful and it could be appealing and stylish and modern and trendy, but it doesn't have to be ultra revealing, and that's what's so cool about that.

SPEAKER_03 16:10

But I I love how you know you you eventually get to that place where yes, you want to be modest, but then you start to, as you study theology and apologetics, you start to get to the deeper meaning of why that is, and that it's not trying to be puritanical or prude, or yeah, but that you really uh understood about this our inherent dignity that everybody has. That is can you can you talk a little bit about that transformation, that journey of that, and then that viral video that you did about the you know, the transformation of of the swimsuit, and then just these realizations of how it all came together and how that's working out for you today.

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SPEAKER_01 16:44

Yeah,

(Cont.) From Power Rangers to Catholic Faith | Jessica Rey's Surprising Journey

SPEAKER_01 16:45

I mean, the I think the beginning of it, it was like the sitting at the at the pool and feeling objectified. It was also the the guy that I um went to Rome with who we were like never dating or anything, we were just friends, but he actually we were going out one night and he looked at me and was like, you can't wear that. I was like, what? He was like, you can't wear a skirt that's you know as big as a belt. I was like, what are you, my dad? Gross, get away from me. Um but I was really bothered, and his voice actually never left my head. Um, and so that is really what prompted me to, you know, to start this journey with the with the swimwear company. And then as I started learning more about the why and how you know we are created in the image and likeness of God, and we should reflect that in our actions and also in our dress, um, I started giving talks. I actually I have like a crazy fear of public speaking that comes from second grade when my teacher um we were going down the row of states, and you know, I was like scared, you know, you're in second grade, you like don't talk out loud very much in class, and so I counted like, okay, she's going this way. This is the state that I have, and um she went the other way down the other road, and I got Arkansas, which I did not say Arkansas, I said Arkansas, and she laughed, and I was then like terrified of I never wanted to open my mouth ever again because she started laughing and then the whole class started laughing, yeah, and it was embarrassing, and so um I started getting asked to speak about modesty and chastity, and I was like, no way, there's no way I am not a speaker, I'm not doing this, and maybe five or six priests at this point had like asked me to do it, and I just kept saying no, I was like, that's not me. There are other people who have that skill, and it's not me. And then um one day there was this Christmas party, and uh my roommates all went, but I was sick, and so they came home from the party and they're like, Oh, it was great, we missed you. There was it was really cute. They had this table of saint cards, and you got to pick one, and that's the saint you pray to for the rest of the year. And I was so bummed, I was like, ugh, and my roommate's like, Oh no, I got you one, it's it's in my purse, and I'm like, Okay, who is it? And she's like, I don't know, I don't remember. Go in my purse. So I went in her purse, and it was Saint Bernardine of Siena. And I'm like, I don't know anything about Saint Bernardine of Siena. So I went to look him up, and he's the patron saint of public space.

SPEAKER_02 19:51

And look at how many persistent invitations you were getting on this, too. It's like God doesn't give up on you for sure.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Yeah, I was like, no way.

SPEAKER_02 20:03

Fine, God, fine. Like, yeah. So that's I don't have to say Arkansas.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

Yeah, Arkansas, no. Listen, I was from California and we don't know about any other states besides New York, and we don't know where they are, and we don't. So anyway, I started speaking, um, traveling around uh the world, not even just to Catholic churches, but to uh Christians. I've spoken at some Jewish uh places, I've spoken at Mormon churches, um non-denomination or like non-religious places. I've spoken about modesty, and because this is um, it's not something that just applies to one religion or any religion at all. You know, we are all we all have inherent dignity, um, and we're all um, you know, made in his image and likeness, and and we should reflect that. So that is really the the basis of my you know of my swimwear line, of of the talks that I give. Um I wrote a book.

SPEAKER_03 21:09

Then you wrote a book as well with uh Leah Darrow, right? What was the title of that?

SPEAKER_01 21:13

Decent Exposure.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Oh, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 21:16

So you went you went down and she was obviously a modeling too. So you guys got one. You guys teamed up. And I think it it's so timely right now. That book, you know, I'm sure like we need a resurgence of the this this conversation about modesty because you know, the OnlyFans stuff and you know the Instagram and it could be a place for good, but it's so much, especially for young girls, this comparison to other people. And it's it only you're only gonna crank it up, crank it up to try to get that attention. But ultimately, you know, we're working for an audience of one. What was the what was it like writing a book about that and collaborating with uh Leah Darrow?

SPEAKER_01 21:55

Oh, it was so great. Um, I just thought there was a lack of resources for. For girls out there and for parents, even to you know, parents can read this with their girls, but it we made it a coffee table style book with lots of pictures because wow, this was a long time ago, but even back then people weren't reading books anymore, sadly. Um, you know, so we had to make it it was kind of it's kind of like my swimsuits, whereas you have to make them beautiful. You can't just say, oh, these are modest swimsuits. Like girls want to look beautiful. Um, you know, they so this book is meant to was meant to compete with, you know, all the glossy magazines that girls were seeing in the in the supermarket, in the you know, the checkout lane. Um instead of reading, you know, picking up one of those, like why not read this book? Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

I I I I'm right there with you with a limited um resources because I feel like a lot of even Catholic schools now, or just when we were growing up or you know, and prior, it's just like, no, you just don't dress like that. That's bad. That does, you know, that's bad. It's like no, and girls push back, especially in middle school and high school, and say, why? Like, this is what's in. This is the you know what I mean? Like, so it's just to be able to have the conversations around that it's about them and their and their and their worth and their value and and that they are to guard, not cover up what is beautiful and and and valuable about them. And I think that we are I'm so I'm so glad to hear about that. I'm gonna buy that right when we get off of this call because I feel like it's so needed in the time where your your your girls in in those ages are just saying why don't look, you know.

SPEAKER_03 23:42

Um could have just pointed to it because it's we say so or the rules say so.

SPEAKER_02 23:45

Yeah, and that is typically the response of the adults are because it's wrong or because that's bad instead of the reason why. Right.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

And a lot of times, sadly, I mean, like with my swimsuits, like I wanted a more modest swimsuit and I just could not find one. And I find today, so my daughter um, you know, is is getting older and she's a tween or whatever, and it is impossible sometimes to find clothes that you know um that aren't ity bitsy. So yeah, especially if they have long legs, like we have a long leg daughter. I don't know if you do, but yeah. So it's like the thing that stands for waist is gonna be way too short. So then what we have to do is get the thing that's gonna be longer and then adjust the waist. So it's you know, it's more work.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

That's your next clothing line. I know. Your tweens.

SPEAKER_03 24:48

Well, yeah, we're we're we're also volleyball parents. So like if you've like volleyball, like like there's there's this uh I forgot who the comedian is, but there's a whole thing about like, well, no, we have to wear these revealing butt shorts expanded. That's what makes us play better. It's like, well, you don't see like NBA refs running, like they're wearing like dress pants running. Like it isn't it doesn't make you play any better, but we we end up buying like longer spandex shorts for our daughter.

SPEAKER_02 25:13

But I get them in Nike Pros because they're thin and trendy, right? But they're but they're five inch inseam. And and she's like, Why can't I just wear those? And I said, Well, then you don't play volleyball because it's not and you know what? She's the only girl on the court not pulling them down because the girls don't want to wear that either.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

I I played volleyball as well. Um, and the shorts, the actually the uniforms never fit me. I was like way too small, and so they always had to do something I can't remember. Like I was wearing like another team school's uniform. Like a you know for the elementary school.

SPEAKER_02 25:48

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 25:49

Oh so you've been doing the the modesty, uh it was Jessica Ray, now it's just Ray is the because now you've transformed not just bathing suits, you are doing other clothing lines that are more than a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 26:02

Yeah, so it was Ray swimwear, and then I just made it Jessica Ray because then I started doing some skirts and dresses and jumpsuits and um, you know, playing around with other types of clothing, but swimwear is the main yeah, it's like the main thing, and it's the thing that people know when they come to my website.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

Yeah, so they so you have the this the swimwear and now clothing line doing a lot of public speaking and traveling with that, um writing a book and now a TV show, and not like back to TV, but in a different way, right?

SPEAKER_01 26:38

Yes, in a different way. I'm producing um a show called Fork in the Road, and it is a travel docuseries um that follows my three homeschooled kids around the world.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

So what is we live we kind of skipped over that part of family, right? So you met your husband, and I know there's a there's an amazing story behind you being a mother and struggling with infertility, if you don't mind sharing that too. It's very sure.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

Um it's one of my favorite stories. Um so I we got married and uh discovered that I have severe endometriosis. Um, and I had a surgery to try to remove that, and it just I got a ton of scar tissue. So then I had another surgery, and I was doing hormone injections and chiropractic and you know, not eating anything delicious. I was no gluten, no sugar, no dairy, nothing, um, on a very strict diet. And uh after the second surgery, my doctor told me that it would be impossible to get pregnant. Um, and this was a Catholic doctor. Both of my surgeons were Catholic doctors, and so I was like, no, that's that's that's not possible. Like, I if there's one thing I'm sure of, I've I know, like I've always wanted to be a mom. Um and it was so it was kind of I mean, it was depressing. It was like very hard news to hear. We sent my chart to a doctor in Nebraska who is known for helping women with fertility issues, and he looked at my chart and said, There is nothing I can do for you either. Um, it's just probably not gonna happen. And so we went to um Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City with one of our priest friends and a few of our other friends, and I just sat there in the sanctuary and balled. I mean, I was like, so I am not prone to like depression or anything like that, but I just was I was so tired. I was like, I cannot do this anymore. The diet, the injections were so painful, having to get my blood tested all the time. Obviously, the surgeries were horrible, all of it. And I just said, you know what? I give up. I did everything, everything, everything the doctors told me to do. I did it and I gave up. So we were in Mexico for a week, went home. Um, I realized I missed my cycle. So I took a pregnancy test and expected it to be negative as it had been um for the like all of our marriage, and it was positive. And so I uh called my sister and she's like, What is your due date? And I said, I have no idea how to figure that out. I've never been pregnant before, so she helped me figure it out, and she was like, Your due date is December 12th. And I was like, I like I dropped the phone. I was like, What? And she was like, why, why, what? My my sister is not um a practicing Catholic, so she did not know what December 12th was, but I I told her and she was like, Okay. And then I got off the phone and um was just like I, you know, I called the priest that came with us to Mexico City, and um so I was I was pregnant, and then about a month later, I had a private audience with Pope Benedict, and he it was his birthday, it was April, and it was his birthday. So we sang happy birthday to him, and I gave him some chocolate, and I was like, I am pregnant, and it is a miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe because he loved Our Lady of Guadalupe. Can you bless my baby in my womb? And he was like, See, see. So he gave me a blessing. Went home, had Nathaniel in December, and we thought he would be our only baby because you know we were told we never have any. Yeah, six months later, pregnant again, and Estella's due date was Pope Benedict's birthday.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

That's insane.

SPEAKER_01 30:59

The day that he blessed.

SPEAKER_02 31:00

Is that Irish twins? I don't know. Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_01 31:03

Kind of, yeah, they are, and everyone thinks they're twins.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

Yeah, oh my gosh, that is just well, I mean, it's beautiful because I mean, our lady of Guadalupe, she's pregnant in the image, and she is the patroness of the unborn. Yeah, that is so beautiful. All of it. I mean all of it, and then just just dreaming it all together between invitation after invitation, persistent invert invitations to doing things, and then just even with that holy card that is, you know, the the uh patron saint of public speaking, it's just God is really using you for greatness, and so many great things are coming from your life. It's so cool. So then your third child just was bonus, right?

SPEAKER_01 31:44

So Sebastian is just really cute. That's no miracle, no miracle story to him, but all these are of course miracles, right? Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 31:55

So now you're able to have all three of your kids. So like everybody talks about wanting to like travel with their kids.

SPEAKER_02 32:03

What you're doing is literally like my dream. Like, if I could have planned my life myself, you know, like I would like homeschooling and traveling and eating. That sounds like amazing. Right.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

I just I'm in it for the food. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Yeah. So who came up with this idea, this concept? Did you come up with it or EWTN?

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Or I, you know, we've been doing this for about 10 years, traveling to Europe. And uh the great thing about homeschooling is that you can travel when it's cheaper. So that's you know, one reason that we've been able to live this way is that we can pretty much pick up and go. You know, we see if you see flight deals that are really cheap, you can just be like, oh, well, hey, okay, I guess I'll just get on a plane tomorrow with my kids. Um so we've been doing this for about 10 years and going back and forth between Europe and the US and homeschooling and learning there. And we always, in the beginning, we always took cooking classes. Um, and we still, you know, we still do it. We normally just cook with friends instead of like taking the classes. But last year I was like, you know what? People keep asking me what we do when we're over here. They're just like, what do you do when you're there for two or three months? Like, what exactly you know? So I decided I'll just bring a camera crew along and um film film some stuff. And then we ended up filming enough for a season, and I uh talked to EWTN, I talked to some other networks as well, but we felt that EWTN was the right fit, and so now our show is streaming on EWTN Plus. So cool.

SPEAKER_03 33:57

And the the first episode, uh, you guys were in Portugal. So take us through like how how you guys travel, where you guys end up, and and what's the uh what's the plans going forward? Is this gonna be uh a recurring thing in next trip South America or Asia or something like that? You're gonna travel the world. You're trying to show and teach your kids about the world, like history lessons, but teaching them that was cool about the shows. Like you go to these historical places instead of just looking at them on the internet or a book, but you get to teach lessons in these places and then obviously get to cook and and that's where the fork in the road obviously comes from. But there's so much hands-on learning.

SPEAKER_01 34:31

Yeah, it's so great. And what's wonderful about traveling in the countries that we've been to so far is that they're all um predominantly Catholic countries. So we learn a lot about not just the history, but the history of the church and you know, and our faith. And so um the reason we chose these four countries to begin with is because they're all countries that we have been to several times and we know people there, and we just really enjoy these places. So South America, we actually haven't been yet, but you know, we are talking talks with people about it. I'm just hesitant to go somewhere that I'm not sure we'll really enjoy. Yeah, right. Um, but we um we have filmed more episodes. So this is going to be a an ongoing thing, and hopefully we will um, you know, get out of get or not get out of Europe, but film in other places besides Europe. The Philippines is a big one that would I would really like to do amazing food there too.

SPEAKER_03 35:49

Yeah, very Catholic country.

SPEAKER_01 35:51

And my parents are from the Philippines. That's um roots. Yeah, I haven't been since my mom passed away about 18 years ago. Um, and my kids have never been, and my husband has never been. So I would love to go with my dad actually and have him show them around. I think it would be so wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

Um that's a cool season in and of itself. Yes, chapters in a season. Yes, that'd be very cool. Yeah. So uh what's been your favorite place or the kids' favorite foods? Like, what's the fave?

SPEAKER_01 36:23

So the kids' favorite place, hands down, is Croatia. Okay, and so I think Croatia is episode four in season one. We go to Split and the island of Brach. But we go to Croatia um every year. There are some years that we went twice and like in the winter and in the summer. And uh there was one summer where we spent like a whole month or six weeks or something in Croatia just traveling throughout. But everyone knows Croatia for the Dalmatian coast, um, and the you know, that blue water. Croatia also has this um peninsula called the called Istria that used to be a part of Italy. So people speak Italian there, and there's lots of pasta and truffles, and it's uh it's pretty cool. That is cool. Oh, I'm gonna come with. Nice, right?

SPEAKER_03 37:22

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

Eventually actually, we we do we will be doing group hosting group trips where parents who feel like they want to do this kind of thing, but they're kind of afraid to venture out on their own. Um, hey, come take a trip with the fork in the road kids and uh bring your kids, or if you know there are single people who can come to um and you know, learn to cook, learn about the history, learn about the faith, and just come to some of our favorite places. So that is something that we're working on, and we're really excited about it. Every summer for the past, I think, five years, we've taken groups of friends um with not taken them, they've met us in Europe. Uh so last year we did Italy, we rented a villa for 40, and we had our own private chapel, and we brought a priest. And the year before that, we chartered a mini cruise ship in Croatia for 30. We had a priest with us. And uh what do we do the year before that? I think we are in Portugal. Wow, yeah. So you can join one of these trips. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 38:35

Awesome, man. Well, we'll put all your information, obviously, in the link, the the link to the to the EWTN show fork and the road, your your your awesome uh swimsuit website. So that is you can closed and closed, yeah. You can do that. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 38:49

And the book. Let's link that book. Well, when I wrote a book, you guys, I thought I had it here, but apparently I do not. Um there's a book. There's a book for Fork and the Road. Oh, it is not just a recipe book. So each chapter is, you know, goes along with one episode, and it has fun facts, like historical facts, and then there's a highlight about maybe a church or a specific location that we went to, and then there is the recipe of whatever we cooked in that episode. And then at the end of each chapter, there are um there's a list of our tips for what to do if you want to go on your own. And so all the things that we suggest eating and drinking when you're there, and some of the you know, historical landmarks, churches, food tours, whatever we love doing in that city, it's all in the book. And along with tips on how to travel with your family, how to travel with your little kids, and also how to cook with your kids. That's awesome. I love that.

SPEAKER_03 39:54

Especially in a foreign country. Great idea. It could be hard because you just don't know what to expect. It's hard enough for yourself, you let alone bring in the little ones and how to navigate that and how to do it. Like you sound like you're you're able to do it on a budget, which is most people think it's got to cost an arm or leg, but how much money people dole out for Disney, you could take many of these trips to go to Europe and really travel the world.

SPEAKER_01 40:16

It's unbelievable to me how much people spend to go to Disney and stay in like the Disney, even just in the area, but in the Disney hotels and then on the tickets and then all the things.

SPEAKER_03 40:26

Oh, we did we did it once to go to Epcot where you could just go the real place. I'm like, We did it once, we got it out of our system.

SPEAKER_01 40:33

Yeah, you just spent in two days or three days what you could have spent, you know, for two a two-week trip to to Europe somewhere.

SPEAKER_03 40:42

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 40:42

Yeah, yeah, that's cool.

SPEAKER_03 40:44

We're definitely uh we're definitely I have the itch.

SPEAKER_02 40:46

I really I've never been. I was like you, it was like it's like Canada, Mexico. Actually, I don't even think I've been to Canada. It's just Mexico and the Dominican for me.

SPEAKER_01 40:54

Like, so I mean we want to go to the Dominican Republic, we're excited about that.

SPEAKER_03 40:58

Well, we're we're going we're going in a couple, yeah, in a month for our anniversary. That's where we went on our honeymoon. So we're gonna go back.

SPEAKER_01 41:05

Oh, what is your anniversary?

SPEAKER_03 41:06

Uh July 23rd.

SPEAKER_01 41:08

Uh mine is July 7th. Oh, okay. Yeah, happy happy anniversary soon to you then. Yes, you said you it's your no, how many years? No, 16th. 16. Ours is 19. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 41:22

Yeah, well, it's uh it's awesome that you guys can do this and travel and then document it and share it with other people and inspire other people to want to do it. Because I know after I watched, I'm like, man, I really I watched uh the one on Porto, but I really want to go to Portugal and I'm I'm kind of planning to do um the the Camino. So I'm like, oh this is your back heels. My back heels. So like I really, you know, I'm excited about getting getting to Europe.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

So yeah, definitely. Well, Jessica, it was such a treat to meet you. This is so this is so awesome. And your story is beautiful. I can't wait to see all that God has in store for you and and your family. This is amazing. So we love that we can tune in and see that.

SPEAKER_01 42:02

I'm a stubborn person, so you can see the thread in my story is that God kind of has to like shake me and like slap me around.

SPEAKER_03 42:10

That's all right.

SPEAKER_02 42:10

Yeah, but in all of them, somebody's inviting you to something.

SPEAKER_03 42:13

But eventually, eventually, eventually he gets his way.

SPEAKER_02 42:17

It's true, it's true.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

He always does even in the end. Yeah, awesome. So thank you guys.

SPEAKER_03 42:24

Well, thank you so much.