EARLIEST YEARS
Alma Salome’ Rivera was born in Mexico City. As a little girl, she had big eyes and big dreams with a desire to sing and touch hearts. As early as two years old family members recall her, not with a doll like most girls, but a microphone. Her mother often sang in church but was also an accomplished mariachi singer and Alma often sang background vocals and learned much from her mom’s beautiful voice. Before long she would be singing front and center. In middle school, she won a competition and began singing at churches and events across town.
Jerry and Vicky Love, American missionaries, came to her hometown and led Alma and friends to Christ at age twelve. Jesus was only twelve years old holding lawyers and doctors in the palm of His hand while teaching Scripture in the Synagogue (Luke 2:41-48). Alma experienced a similar anointing. Three years later, at age 15, Alma received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and she began to walk with authority and the supernatural. As her passion for music and ministry grew the Lord opened more and more doors. But it was not always easy.
PREACHING ON THE STREETS
Her first preaching assignment was on the streets. The Lord led her to a subway station, with a crowd of people. By seventeen years of age, she stood boldly before the crowd and preached the Good News of Christ.
A drunk man began to taunt and curse at her and he appeared to be demonically possessed. Alma didn’t back down as she commanded him “in the Mighty Name of Jesus to be quiet,” and instantly the deranged man was muted. When he tried to speak, he stammered and stuttered. Those intoxicated with the “king of beers” are no match for those who have tasted the King of kings. With a stunned audience, she gave an invitation on the spot and asked if those listening, under the sound of her voice, wanted to receive Christ. Scores of hands were raised. She led them to a personal relationship with Jesus. Anytime God is moving, the Devil will also.
KIDNAPPED
At age 21, she was riding in a cab when the car abruptly stopped and armed men with a pistol pointed at her face, threatening to kill her. They kidnapped her and held hostage for five hours. She was forced to give her banking information and was held against her will driving the dark, dusty roads in Mexico City. The thugs threatened to rape her if she would not produce access to her money.
In that moment, Alma began to speak boldly in a prayer language with the power of the Holy Spirit. Her captors became more afraid of her, than she was of them. She told them to their face that “What you are doing is wrong and you had better repent and get right with the Lord, or you will go straight to Hell.” They were astonished. After realizing that she was a Christian, they eventually led her go unharmed. The men, despite their guns, were outgunned by God’s Protection over her. She went free, and has been giving freedom to countless lives ever since.
MINISTRY … AND FINALLY DATING
Alma studied Bible, Theology, worship, and opera. Her diverse training enabled her to minister to audiences with various backgrounds. She was pastoring as a worship leader. She even started her own school of theology and worship with over 200 students, in two locations, ministering in Mexico and Latin America. She was preaching and singing in conferences, concerts, and churches. During her years of serving the Lord, persecuted in the mountains of Mexico, and building churches, her schedule did not allow time for dating.
However, that all changed when Alma got on an online Christian dating service and began corresponding with “Richard” from New York. He spoke no Spanish. Alma, knowing no English, began to communicate through Google Translate. Quickly it was evident that God had brought them together.
When Richard popped the question for her hand in marriage, she still could not comprehend what he was saying. It was after his third attempt, when he finally revealed the ring, that she could understand that he was actually proposing. They married shortly after. Richard has been her biggest fan and supporter and they are an incredible team in service to the Lord.
SETTLING INTO LIFE IN THE U.S.
Her desire was to come to the United States and be content to be a housewife, faithfully serving her husband, willing to leave her ministry behind. But God had other plans.
Richard encouraged her to audition for a local church choir. Alma initially had no desire except to serve God and her man. At Richard’s insistence, she reluctantly tried out, despite knowing little English. She thought she didn’t make the cut. However, she passed with flying colors. However, they didn’t want her singing in the background in the choir, but rather out in front as a soloist.
God supernaturally began to open doors, and Bobby Riedel saw her sing and booked her on Trinity Broadcast Network with world famous pianist Dino. She was a guest multiple times on TBN, CBN and other well-known Christian television networks.
She was asked to sing at some of the largest churches in America from Lakewood Church in Houston, TX to former Southern Baptist Convention President, Dr. Ronnie Floyd’s church in Arkansas. Many churches begged her to come on staff, but she knew the Lord called her to sing on the road. The Lord had commissioned her to sing and minister to the Global Church and expand the Kingdom.
AN EVANGELIST
As an evangelist and ordained minister, she travelled the world sharing the Gospel of Jesus. During her “Revivals nights,” thousands of people have received salvation, miracles, freedom from oppression and supernatural healings in America, Asia, and Africa. In 2019, she sang multiple times to a capacity crowd in Times Square in New York City. The Christian Post reported the concert. Millions watched or read about the event.
BACK TO THE STREETS
Alma in 2020, was getting ready to embark on a world-wide tour to a dozen countries including Indonesia, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, Philippines, to name a few. However COVID-19 threw a curve. But where many ministers and ministries stopped, she stood up! She made a vow that she would not be silent and whereas she had previously graced stadiums, studios, and stages, now the unstoppable Alma went straight to the streets.
When the world was in lockdown, she encouraged all to “Look up!” With a portable speaker and microphone, she courageously began to sing in the burrows of New York. At one housing complex she sang with the heart of heaven. One woman heard beautiful music and after opening the window saw one of heaven’s angels singing hope when the world was depressed and hurt. Unbeknownst to Alma or Richard, the woman later confessed she had already plotted to commit suicide that day. But she heard the sound of freedom and God’s grace. Her life was spared, and her soul was saved!
Alma began to sing in cities, train stations, parks and projects all across America and found herself in a heated exchange toe to toe with Antifa, BLM and other hate groups. Her stage was the back of a pickup truck and eventually she even sang outside the United States Capitol and White House while taking back territory.
The Mexicans who threatened to murder her in the past could sympathize with her aggressors in America now. They both failed and God and Alma prevailed. She stood her ground, and her music and ministry not only shifted the atmosphere but turned protests into praise, and riots into revival.
When well-known musical artists, with Dove & Grammy awards, stayed home ‘protecting their voice,’ Alma went to the streets to lend her voice to set the captives free. In 2020, she began to crash Trump rallies. After singing “God Bless America,” she pointed people to the Gospel.
Her faithfulness then opened the doors for her to be invited in 2021 to sing at those same rallies. Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s son, Andrew was present at some of the rallies. When organizers invited her to attend and sing patriotic songs and give speeches at some of his campaign stops while running for Governor, Alma said, “Only if you allow me to sing and speak about Jesus.” She did and many were saved. To this date, she has never compromised or backed down.
One of the greatest days of her life, outside of salvation and her wedding day was on April 30, 2021, her dream became true and became a United States citizen. Alma loves God and Country with an intense passion and sadly, too many that were born here take our great
nation for granted. Talk about full circle, just as Jerry and Vicky Love were American missionaries to Mexico, Alma is now a missionary to America and ambassador to the world. Her boldness comes from the Bible and her personal purity enables God’s power to flow through her. The Lord showed her that if she didn’t display a backbone in the pandemic than she may not hold the microphone now. For the past several years she leads weekly worship on the World Prayer Network and Pastor Jim Garlow recently shared that Alma is one of the most anointed individuals he has ever met in ministry. Regardless, of ministering to homeless or Heads of State she continues to exalt Christ and encourage citizens wherever she goes.
Pastor Jim just had her sing to two power packed days at the annual Well-Versed Conference in Arlington, VA. Alma was so honored to be part of that incredible event and she adores both he and Rosemary. Alma’s ministry is not only a game changer but life changer and on August 4-6, 2022, she is hosting “The Pursuit” tent revival at Cornerstone Church with Pastor Paul Doyle. She will be singing and proclaiming the Gospel under a 2,500-seat tent in Batavia, NY. Pray earnestly for her as she ministers under the Canvas Cathedral resembling the past days of Billy Graham and Kathryn Kuhlman. She is her own person and today she not only has the God given vocals as a child but a prophetic VOICE of God as an adult that gives hope to the hurting and liberty to those still lost in sin.
Alma means souls. Salome’ equals Shalom (peace) and her sole mission is saving souls and bringing peace to those in pain. Her favorite Bible verse since childhood is Habakkuk 2:2-3, “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. [3] For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
Alma’s dream as a little girl has come to pass and no weapon, devil or hate group can stop what God started. She prayed as a child, “Lord, if you give me a voice like my mother, I will serve you the rest of my life.” She read the Scripture as a girl, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Today, as an adult she’s still moving forward by faith without fear for the glory of God and all of Hell can’t stop her. For more info about her ministry visit www.MusicByAlma.com Pray for Alma, her husband and local clergy as they lift up Christ this week in the Empire State. Time is ticking, Christ is coming, and people need the Lord.