Contact: Bobbi Vaughn, Author Solutions, 800-839-8640 ext. 5560

PORTSMOUTH, RI, April 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- Those who give their lives over to Jesus often speak of the transformative power that follows. Ann Rocha-Pierce wants readers to know how this devotion impacted her family through a matriarchal role model with a pure servant heart. Her new book, My Mother, the Wife, the Grandmother, the Mystic (published by AuthorHouse), follows her mother's life work and invites readers to live by her example.

Rocha-Pierce writes an inspired account of her mother, Maria Rocha, a petite woman who is the driving force behind Mission From God ministry. The book takes readers back to the humble origins of Maria. Born in the Portuguese archipelago of Azores, she moved to America when she was 14. An illness she had as a young girl still impacts her health today. Despite her heart condition, Maria ran a loving household with the help of her mother. Rocha-Pierce's father served in the U.S. Navy and was often at sea.

Through her family history, Rocha-Pierce explores the many ways God revealed himself again and again to the Rocha family. As Maria slowly became more involved in her church, Rocha-Pierce noticed the change coming over her mother. "God was truly at work transforming her into the instrument he wanted her to be," Rocha-Pierce writes. Eventually, Maria formed Mission From God ministry.

In this excerpt from the book, Rocha-Pierce describes the essence of her mother.

I look back at my mother. She has that inner glow and joy that only Jesus gives us. My mother has gentleness with people; she is nothing that you would expect to see if you have never been to one of her services before. She is a quiet person who speaks softly of Jesus and speaks out God's word of knowledge as Jesus tells her the different diseases, or addictions, that he is healing, from spiritual to physical.

My Mother, the Wife, the Grandmother, the Mystic is a tribute to Maria and a testament to God. It details the long, often difficult, yet rewarding road traveled by a family truly devoted to Jesus.

"This small, powerful book is only a glimpse of what God has done for this ministry and our family over the past 30 years," Rocha-Pierce says. "Maria inspires all of us to say yes to God, have a close relationship with him and be one with him."

For more information, visit www.mymotherthewifethegrandmotherthemystic.com.