Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

military spouse in guam

Military Spouse Spotlight: From Family Recipes to a Tres Leches Business in Guam

by Leave a Comment

Military Spouse Spotlight: Faith

How Sweet It Is: Creating a Tres Leches Business

Military Spouse Spotlight: Creating a Tres Leches Business and Cooking Her Way to His Heart

Faith is originally from Arkansas and met her husband in 2016 when she was 18 and he was 19. They “got together pretty fast,” and Faith was introduced to his sisters after just two weeks. Because her husband was from Mexico and because Faith had an interest in and love for Hispanic culture, she was eager to learn how to make her husband’s favorite dishes.

His sisters gladly taught her how to cook Mexican staples authentically, beginning with corn tortillas. Faith picked up on it quickly, and she proudly remembered how surprised people were to learn that she had been the one to make tamales for a party; they had assumed his sisters had made them. 

Her husband joined the Air Force in 2019, and they were married shortly before he moved to his first duty station at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Faith began to flourish there as she dove deeper into her cooking and baking journey; she especially found a predilection for tres leches cakes.

Because her husband doesn’t like classic American cakes and she doesn’t like buttercream, she found herself making tres leches cakes for birthdays, and people encouraged her to sell them. Faith was hesitant to market and sell her creations because she isn’t Hispanic, so she just continued to share them at special events with friends and family.

Faith changed her mind and took a courageous step forward after moving to Guam. Now, finding her family even further from authentic Hispanic food, she relied on her own skills and recipes to bring her husband and daughter a comforting, reliable taste of home. When her daughter turned four, she baked tres leches cakes for 35 people, and she was once again urged to sell them. This time, however, something shifted in Faith; there really was a significant gap in the market, people were eager to order, and she was feeling ready to share beyond her own inner circle. 

Military Spouse Spotlight: Creating a Tres Leches Business and Cooking Her Way to His Heart

Finding Healing Through Baking

Shifting from baking for her family to baking for total strangers came with a certain amount of pressure and a great deal of experimentation and practice. “I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my baked goods,” Faith said. “It has to look good for it to taste good as well.” Guam’s high humidity is a challenge for all bakers, and Faith had to spend time tweaking her recipes to find the perfect milk amounts and ratios. She also learned through trial and error and customer feedback what flavors deserved a home on her menu. She started selling individual pans and quickly saw that the classic flavors didn’t sell; instead, customers gravitated towards unique combinations like strawberry crunch and Oreo. 

While Faith loves sharing her baking, her business has also played an important role in her postpartum healing journey. Faith had two incredibly difficult pregnancies filled with sickness and complications, and she was diagnosed with postpartum depression and anxiety. Luckily, her provider was able to connect her with a virtual therapist whom she sees every two weeks, but her baking is a more frequent way to manage her symptoms. She explained, “I learned if I keep myself busy, I don’t dwell…like I normally would.” Baking has been a lifesaver for her because “it always clears my mind.” 

“I learned if I keep myself busy, I don’t dwell…like I normally would.”

— Faith

That is not to say that this rewarding and fulfilling business is not without its challenges. Because Faith exclusively breastfeeds her newborn daughter, she spends much of her day babywearing and has to take breaks to feed and hold her younger daughter. Her older daughter wants to help, but because she’s only four, she can’t be hands-on in the kitchen to help with customers’ orders.

Faith admitted that her business comes with a lot of late nights and that she often stays up until 1 AM to bake, only to start her day at 5 AM with their newborn. However, she is lucky that her “husband has been super supportive of this journey,” and he takes an active role in helping with their daughters in the evenings. It certainly doesn’t hurt that there’s always his favorite dessert in the house, too. 

Military Spouse Spotlight: Creating a Tres Leches Business and Cooking Her Way to His Heart

A Difficult Journey to Motherhood

Initially, Faith and her husband planned to have only one child, but they changed their minds after their older daughter was born. They began trying for a second child immediately after moving to Guam, and, much like their first pregnancy, it took months before they conceived. Faith shared the fear and trauma that came with her second pregnancy; she almost died twice, and she almost lost her daughter when she was 16 weeks pregnant.

She lost over forty pounds because she had hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and was so sick that she couldn’t leave her bed. She spent her days hovering over a trash can while her older daughter watched TV nearby. She couldn’t even look at or smell food and gagged whenever she tried to make her daughter’s meals.

She was constantly at the hospital for fluids and appointments, and her daughter now worries that she’s going to be admitted whenever Faith goes to the hospital for an appointment. Because her husband is an instructor and has 19-20 hour-long workdays during Flag Week, he couldn’t be there to help as much as he wanted to.

As she was nearing the end of her pregnancy, Faith faced yet another worrying obstacle: she was in labor for three weeks with contractions coming every two minutes. She was finally induced at 39 weeks after trying to do everything to fully throw herself into labor. “I love babies and love giving birth but don’t mix well with pregnancy,” she said, and while she is still recovering from her traumatic pregnancy, she and her husband would love to have more children.

They plan to adopt in the future once their biological children are older, but they know this decision comes with a great deal of planning and luck. Because her husband plans to serve a full 20-year military career, they will find themselves frequently moving, so finding the right time to adopt will be challenging. Faith has also not closed the door on having another biological child, but she wants to wait a few years to fully recover first. 

Military Spouse Spotlight: Creating a Tres Leches Business and Cooking Her Way to His Heart

Forming Friendships and Finding Her Village

When Faith first moved to South Dakota, she was newly married and far from home. She worked full-time at Walmart, and because her friends didn’t know and understand the military lifestyle, she felt lonely in her new home. It took her a year to become friends with one of her husband’s coworkers’ wives, but that friendship was deeply fulfilling. Ally became her oldest daughter’s godmother, and they have been able to bond over their debilitating HG pregnancies. Sadly, Ally moved right before she had her baby. 

Faith also became friends with her neighbor, Moriah, while they were in South Dakota, and they bonded as their husbands were deployed to the Middle East in 2023. They became like sisters and were each other’s village. Faith still talks with Ally and Moriah every day, but the time difference between Guam and the continental US can make conversations a little more challenging. 

Faith was initially nervous and resistant to making friends in Guam, though. Because she was in constant contact with her friends and family in the States, she didn’t feel like she was lacking in connection. However, her husband was worried she would be depressed and hate Guam if she didn’t put herself out there, so he encouraged her to socialize.

Faith is happy to admit that he was right, and her life is so much richer for being part of her community. She ran a monthly book club called “That’s What She Read” and joined the Guam Littles Playgroup. These groups helped her to find the community and village she so desperately needed but didn’t think she wanted. From offers to clean her house to a meal train, “they really stepped up and were villagers when I needed it.” 

“they really stepped up and were villagers when I needed it.” 

— Faith

Faith believes that it’s important to find friends who are comfortable with who they are. Because you “can’t talk to children about pregnancy and marriage, it’s so nice to find other adults are like you,” she said. When you find someone you can have authentic and engaging conversations with, “you build each other up,” and that support is invaluable in challenging seasons of life. Because Faith and her husband love Guam so much, they are hoping to extend their time on the island by another year. She’s currently excited for her older daughter to attend preschool with two of the friends she’s made through the Guam Littles Playgroup and to have some one-on-one time with her newborn. 

What Military Spouses Can Take From Faith’s Story

Faith’s story is about more than tres leches cakes. It is about love, culture, motherhood, healing, friendship, and finding the courage to share something meaningful with others.

  • Your gifts can become part of your military life story. What started as cooking for her husband and family grew into something Faith could share with her community.
  • Healing can happen in ordinary places. For Faith, baking became a way to clear her mind and move through a difficult postpartum season.
  • Community matters, even when you think you don’t need it. Faith found support through book club, playgroup, and friends who showed up when life was heavy.
  • Military life can stretch your definition of home. In Guam, Faith found ways to bring comfort, flavor, family traditions, and connection into a new season.

Katie McDonald is a Navy wife, and she and her husband are currently stationed in Guam. After 5 years as an English teacher, Katie is currently working as a freelance writer and enjoys writing about books and travel. https://www.katiereads.com/

Spouse Spotlight: Mackenzie, The Simple Power of Bread

by Leave a Comment

This Military Spouse Spotlight is about a military spouse in Guam who is turning her hobbies into an amazing small business. Warning: This article will make you hungry!

There’s a certain kind of magic that comes from transforming a hobby into a business. For Mackenzie, her love for baking has blossomed into Lyre & Loaf, a small sourdough business that has boosted her confidence and helped her find a greater sense of community. From finding the courage to begin to celebrating the small stepping stones and victories, Mackenzie’s journey is a lesson in the power of leveraging your passions, especially when you’re scared. 

Spouse Spotlight: Mackenzie, The Simple Power of Bread

From Newlyweds to Air Force Life

Mackenzie and her husband began dating after high school, and after seven years together, they were inspired to make a change. Mackenzie’s husband was looking for a long-term career that would enable them to support a family and own a home. He ultimately decided to join the Air Force, so, a week after the pair tied the knot, he left to start his military career. 

Mackenzie felt that her husband joining the Air Force was a “really great decision” for them, but it was a lot of change at once. After her husband finished basic training, he attended school for almost a year, and Mackenzie became pregnant with their daughter during that time. She quit working at Sephora when she was six months pregnant, and she was grateful for the support of her husband’s family, especially since he would be away until her due date. 

Three months later, the family moved to Guam, which represented yet another massive change. In addition to living thousands of miles away from their family with a young baby, it was the first time that they had their own home together. They had only one car for the first nine months, so Mackenzie spent much of that time at home with her daughter, and her passion for baking and sourdough blossomed. 

military spouse in guam

“Other people are happy to support you; there’s really no negatives to put yourself out there.”

— Mackenzie

Starting a Sourdough Business as a Military Spouse in Guam

Mackenize said that she had always been “the baker,” but because she had lived with her husband’s family since she was seventeen, she had “never had my own space to dive into sourdough.” Inspired by social media and having her own kitchen, Mackenzie nurtured her sourdough starter and worked up the courage to make her first loaf. 

Mackenzie described herself as a very hesitant person because she wants everything to be perfect, but her baking journey has proved to her again and again that taking the leap of faith has been worth it. She began bringing her baked goods to events and built her confidence with each positive reception. Because she’d worked since she was sixteen years old, she was itching to have her “own thing,” so she made it her New Year’s resolution to start selling her bread. It was the “best decision I made,” she proudly said, despite the anxiety that came with those first, tentative steps. 

Her first menus featured two kinds of sourdough loaves and bagels to keep it simple, and she created a logo and social media flyer to advertise them. She was “so nervous I was shaking,” she said about her first online advertisement, and she admitted that she had to walk away from social media after she posted. However, she was so pleasantly surprised to see that everyone who interacted with her post was so kind and supportive. She worked up the courage to participate in the base’s PTA market, and even though “it was a lot of pressure, I was grateful I did it.” 

As the weeks have gone on, she’s continued to tinker with her menu, expanding, downsizing, adding, and removing items to see what she can handle in her home oven and what her customers are interested in. She looked at other bakeries to see what they were selling and to do something different; for instance, she sold scones because she saw a lack of them among her competitors. Time management, she said, is key because sourdough is a two-day process, and she and her daughter still have full days to play and socialize together. 

Mackenzie urged other creatives to consider selling their products because “other people are happy to support you; there’s really no negatives to put yourself out there.”

What Military Spouses Can Take From Mackenzie’s Story

Mackenzie’s journey with Lyre & Loaf is about more than sourdough. It is a reminder that military spouses can create something meaningful even in seasons of change, loneliness, and uncertainty.

  • You don’t have to feel ready to begin. Sometimes confidence comes after you take the first step.
  • Your duty station can become part of your story. Even far from home, community can grow in unexpected ways.
  • Start small and adjust as you go. Mackenzie began with a simple menu and learned what worked over time.
  • Your passion might be more powerful than you think. A hobby can become a source of purpose, connection, and joy.
military spouse small business

Finding Community as a New Mom in Guam

Raising your first child thousands of miles away from home can be intimidating, but Mackenzie has worked hard to find ways to connect herself and her daughter–who she calls her “center of everything–” with the local military community. Each Wednesday, they go to story time at the base’s library, which she believed was a great way to meet other moms. In fact, it’s how she met her first friend in Guam. She’s also active in the Guam Littles Playgroup, which offers playdates on- and off-base, as well as activities and support for moms. 

Her husband’s work also provided her with a supportive pathway towards making friends; there is a spouse group that hosts a monthly social meetup with an interactive activity. In the past few months, the spouses have gotten to make jewelry, lumpia, and perfume, and Mackenzie felt more confident attending and meeting potential new friends because there was something hands-on to do. 

She hopes their next move will bring them closer to family while their daughter is young, but she does appreciate the opportunity to live in and explore new places. “We got exactly what we asked for,” she said because she’s always wanted to travel. For now, she’s looking forward to an extended summer trip back to the States and then a visit to nearby Japan.

Katie McDonald is a Navy wife, and she and her husband are currently stationed in Guam. After 5 years as an English teacher, Katie is currently working as a freelance writer and enjoys writing about books and travel. https://www.katiereads.com/