With just three weeks left until our students’ graduation, preparations are well underway for this special event. This week, we’ve been working together as a team, sanding and varnishing platforms that will be used for the decorations. But more important than the physical preparations are the preparations of the heart.

Our students are also preparing their hearts, doubling their efforts and giving their best in these final days. Throughout the year, they’ve been studying a manual on “Self-Confrontation,” which guides them to examine themselves in the light of God’s Word. Recently, they’ve been completing the final self-confrontation exam. It’s beautiful to see how they support one another: Marcela isn’t afraid to ask questions, and Vero responds with patience and the wisdom she’s gained over the past two years, just like Jesús and Sara. They’ve also had powerful times of worship and prayer, where the Holy Spirit has led them to confess their offenses, forgive one another, and pray together.

We’ve faced challenges along the way. Illness has been a significant hurdle, with many students being hindered from their responsibilities due to sickness. Another challenge has been maintaining unity; interpersonal conflicts and our own flesh often stand in the way of loving our brothers and sisters and esteeming them above ourselves. But together, we’ve been striving to overcome selfishness—a battle each of us must fight daily, not only for our own good but for the good of our community.

As we reflect on these experiences, we find ourselves with mixed emotions. On one hand, we know that these are our last days together, and we will surely miss one another. But on the other hand, we are filled with joy and gratitude that the students have persevered, that they are finishing the year strong, and that the Lord has used this time to teach, transform, and perfect them.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are deeply grateful for the role you play in this journey.

With love and gratitude,

Vicki and Efraín

This week, we want to share the story of our last student, Marcela. Marcela and her family have known God for many years and have always sought to be faithful. Marcela never married and has remained devoted to God, trusting in His providence. Throughout her life, she has faced health challenges, including undergoing open-heart surgery.

For a long time, Marcela felt God calling her to serve full-time, but fear held her back. A year ago, while searching for a house to rent, her sister and brother-in-law invited her to the School of Ministry graduation. As she felt God’s presence, she started to cry and heard His voice saying, “If you serve Me, you will always have a place to live.” With this divine assurance, Marcela surrendered to God and joined the School of Ministry, knowing it was an answered prayer.

This past year has not been easy for Marcela. It has been filled with struggles, challenges, and tribulations. However, Marcela is determined to please God, taking steps of obedience and seeking reconciliation with others. As the school year comes to an end, Marcela asks for your prayers for her calling, that God would guide and support her. She also asks for prayers for the salvation of her brother Martín and for God’s provision for her graduation and the vacation period.

We are preparing for the graduation at the end of August. We ask for your prayers for each of our students, that God may guide them with wisdom in the decisions they have to make as they move forward.

Dear family in Rancho Santa Margarita, your prayers and support mean everything to us. Thank you for being part of this journey and for lifting up our students and their families in prayer.

With much love and gratitude,

Vicki and Efraín

Miraculous Attendance

Starting with the first year of School of Ministry we experienced the Lord’s miraculous hand in all that we did. Boca Del Rio at the time was a very rural village with dirt roads and tar paper shacks. We had spotty electricity, the water supply would often be shut down for days and there was no such thing as cell phones. So, the challenge in opening up a School of Ministry in Boca Del Rio would be how anyone would even know that the school existed? From the very first year we saw God’s miraculous hand in the school as students started showing up on our doorstep. Without advertising, social media or emails, students found out about the school and miraculously started showing up. In the years to follow the Lord would faithfully send ten to twelve students that would miraculously show up on our door step. Every year we would wonder if we would have any students and every year the Lord would bring them.

The Fruit

The fruit of years of School of Ministry has been miraculous as well.  What a blessing to see our graduates go on to plant churches, pastor in their own churches and even establish schools of their own. Currently the core leadership team for the school is entirely made up of School of Ministry alumni. It’s truly a blessing to see graduates from over twenty years ago now passing on what they had learned along with decades of experience in ministry to new students in attendance. Pastor Tom still oversees and teaches at the school and recently has made a three year commitment to be at the school in Boca Del Rio six months out of the year.

Thank you for your prayers and support and may the Lord continue to use us all in raising up pastors and leaders to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Pastor John

This week, we want to introduce you to a family that has touched our hearts deeply: Alicia and her two daughters, Alexa and Zuri. They joined us a year ago, arriving with Sara and Jesús. Sister Alicia has known Christ since her daughters were little, but when they first came here, Alexa and Zuri didn’t have a relationship with Jesus and didn’t want one. They joined the School of Ministry just to follow the rest of their family, but God had amazing plans for them.

Sister Alicia is a beacon of faith and prayer. Every day, without fail, she wakes up at 3 a.m. to pray. This incredible commitment started one sleepless night when she felt God calling her to pray. Since then, she wakes up at that hour without an alarm, dedicating her time to interceding for others. Alicia is also a compassionate servant, always ready to help those in need. She has built beautiful friendships with the women in our town, offering them guidance, prayer, and a listening ear at any time.

Through their time at the School of Ministry and deepening their understanding of the Word, Alexa and Zuri have experienced a profound transformation. They have turned to God and are fighting the good fight of faith, striving to overcome their old selves each day. They are growing in their walk with Jesus, and it’s been a joy to witness their journey.

As the end of the year approaches, Alexa and Zuri are seeking God’s direction for their future. They ask for your prayers for strength, wisdom, and protection from the Holy Spirit. These decisions are significant, and they want to follow God’s will with all their hearts.

We also ask for your prayers for Alicia’s husband, who remains in Guadalajara. Recently, he has started attending church, which has brought immense joy to the family. They are hopeful and excited but also praying fervently that he continues to seek Jesus and allows Him to transform his life completely.

Dear family in Rancho Santa Margarita, we cannot express enough how much your prayers and support mean to us. Your love and generosity enable us to walk alongside wonderful people like Alicia, Alexa, and Zuri, witnessing the incredible work God is doing in their lives.

Thank you for being a vital part of this beautiful journey. Together, we are bringing the light of Christ to every corner of our community.

With all our love and gratitude,

Vicki and Efraín

P.S. You can read their testimonies on our School Of Ministry page.

This week, we want to introduce you to Jesús and Sara, a dedicated husband and wife in their second year at our School of Ministry. They originally studied their first year in 2020 and have been faithfully serving God ever since. After facing a difficult family crisis, they returned to the School of Ministry, now accompanied by Sara’s mom and two sisters, who are in their first year.

Jesús has a passion for learning and a gift for teaching, and he is eager to continue serving the Lord in this capacity. Both Jesús and Sara have been praying fervently for God’s direction as they approach graduation, seeking His guidance on their next steps.

This week has been particularly challenging for them. Sara hadn’t been feeling well for a couple of days, and on Wednesday, Jesús nearly drowned while swimming in the river. The waves were unusually strong, and at one point, Jesús cried out to God for help. Miraculously, the waves began to work in his favor, and he was able to make it to safety.

That same night, Sara’s condition worsened. She experienced severe abdominal pain and blacked out, fearing for her life and calling out to God. She was taken to the hospital the next morning and received immediate care, miraculously without any cost. Sara was diagnosed with a severe intestinal infection that led to a UTI and liver problems. She is now recovering but must adhere to a very strict diet from now on.

Dear brothers and sisters, we ask for your continued prayers for Jesús and Sara. Pray for Sara’s healing and strength, for Jesús’s safety and resilience, and for God’s clear direction in their lives as they prepare to graduate.

Your prayers and support mean the world to us. Thank you for being part of this journey and for lifting up our students in prayer.

With much love and gratitude,

Vicki and Efraín

This week, we want to introduce you to Vero, a second-year student in our School of Ministry. Vero is 26 years old, and her spiritual growth during this time has been truly inspiring. She shares how, through trials and the support of our pastor, she has learned to grow in love and patience. Her testimony is a beautiful evidence of God’s transformative power.

Vero is the daughter of Sister Sujey, a single mother of three. Sujey has been experiencing severe back pain that prevents her from working, so she has started coming to Boca del Río on weekends to sell homemade ice cream and attends our church along with her son José, Vero’s brother.

Despite the difficulties, Vero is grateful to God for what He is doing in the church and feels a deep calling to care for and disciple others. As the end of the school year approaches, Vero is seeking God’s will for her future. She is concerned about supporting her family and wants to find a balance between helping at home and not neglecting her service to God. She asks for prayers for wisdom and discernment to listen to God and not her own fears.

Vero has been a great blessing in the School of Ministry. She leads the youth group with a charisma and character that draws in the teenagers and encourages them to trust in God amidst their struggles. Additionally, she has faithfully led our prayer time for a long period, showing her great love for God through her devotion and praise.

Dear brothers and sisters of Rancho Santa Margarita, thank you for your constant prayers and support. Your donations and prayers are making a significant difference here in Boca del Río, allowing students like Vero to flourish in their faith and ministry.

Please continue to pray for Vero, her family, and all our students. Together, we are bringing the light of Christ!

With much love and gratitude,

Vicki and Efraín

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