The Joy of Children’s Ministry

In Calvary Chapel Boca del Río by Vicki FragaAugust 24, 2024

Dear brothers and sisters of Rancho Santa Margarita,

This week, we witnessed a very special moment in our children’s ministry, and I am eager to share it with you. Throughout the trimester, we’ve been working with the children on memorizing Bible verses and positively participating in the classes. To encourage them, we’ve been giving out “biblical bills” that they could accumulate and later exchange for gifts at our Bible store at the end of the trimester.

I don’t know if I’m the only one, but there were days when I wondered if the kids were really learning anything. However, this past Sunday, everything became clear. Seeing Daniel, an 11-year-old boy who lives with his uncles, transform his behavior, confidently recite the verses he had memorized, filled me with hope. Daniel has started arriving early every Sunday, attending the servants’ devotional, which is a significant step for him. Then there’s Margarita, another 11-year-old girl who attends church alone every Sunday. Her consistency and commitment, despite not having close family support, is a powerful testament to the work God is doing in her life.

This Sunday, we celebrated the end of the trimester with our Bible store. The kids were able to see the fruit of their efforts as they exchanged their bills for gifts, and I am convinced that this new period we’re beginning will be even more fruitful. God is working in their hearts, and although progress may seem small at times, they are steady steps in the right direction.

I ask that you pray for these children, that the gospel may take deep root in their hearts. Pray also for our children’s ministry, that we may reach more children and help them grow in their faith. Nothing we do is in vain when we do it for the Lord.

With much love and gratitude,

Efraín & Vicki

Alice Poblano

My name is Emma Alicia Poblano Ramos, I’m originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. My church is Comunión Familiar en Cristo.
The way I got here to the School of Ministry in Boca del Rio was because of my Lord Jesus Christ’s will. He gave me a word on July 14 of 2017, Ezekiel 17 concerning a vision of a river in the temple. At that moment, I did not understand what he was saying to me. Three years passed, when my daughter Sara and her husband graduated the School of Ministry, God gave me the same word, on July 25, 2020.
At the beginning of this year, my family and I went through adverse circumstances. My husband was cheating and it was not possible to have a restoration of our marriage in our church since he didn’t want to do his part and help move on. He refused to abandon his sin.
My son-in-law, Jesús, my daughter and I prayed to know what to do and where to move because the situation was exceeding many family limits and we were being hurt as a family. I decided to separate from my husband and we left Guadalajara to live in Boca del Río for a while to restore our hearts. Some friends invited us to live and work with them but it didn’t work out. So, we prayed again for direction, if God wanted us to go back to Guadalajara or if we could help here in the School. The testimony of my daughter Sara impulsed me to know God could also work in the lives of my other daughters, Alexa and Zuri. While I was praying, God once again gave me the same word He’d given me many years ago, Ezequiel 17. On September 3 of this year, he promised me that in this Sanctuary, His word would clean us, and He would heal us and save us.
My goals for this year are to learn as much as I can, to use everything that’s given to us in this place to learn what God has for me and my family. I have faith my daughters Alexa and Zuri will know Jesus and they’ll surrender their lives and know the will of God for them. I want for my husband to come here so we can be restored and serve God together. That is my biggest desire.

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Marcela Molina

Many years ago, I started to visit this place to visit my sister Pilly and her husband Braulio. This past June, they invited me to a graduation at the School of Ministry. During the graduation the pastor welcomed me and told us to let the Holy Spirit guide us and to adore how we felt it in our hearts and if God led us to cry we could do it freely. I remember thinking it was crazy, this was a celebration, why would anyone cry? But as soon as the worship started, I felt the presence of God in a beautiful way and I started to cry. I cried for a long time. I could see Vero and Anthony and how their lives changed in a way only God could, and I thought to myself: “Lord, I want that for myself.”
For a long time, God had called me to serve Him full time, but I was afraid. Around that time, I was looking for a house to rent and I had some options, but in that moment, I could hear God’s voice telling me: “You don’t have to keep looking, you can live here”, and I understood He was calling me to study here. He also told me: “If your serve me, you will always have a place to live.” I had been praying and fasting, asking God to heal my heart and to help me better. I decided to surrender, and I am sure coming here is an answer to my prayer.
Now that I’m in class I feel excited and nervous, hoping God’s helps me to learn and practice what he wants of me in this place.
My goals are to have more of God, to be a disciple of Christ and for the Holy Spirit to fill my life in a way so special I have a true transformation in my character. I want Him to fill me with His power, His anointment, I want to conduct the mission He’s given me, and of course, I want my life to be restored.

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Jesús Guerrero

Hi, my name is Jesús Guerrero Espinoza. I’m 28 years old and I was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. I am happily married and I am a member of the church “Comunión Familiar en Cristo”. I am currently enrolled in my second year of the School of Ministry.
For me to come back to the School of Ministry after 4 years, I prayed for guidance. There have been family adverse circumstances and I was led to pray to know what decision to make and where to move.
A family in Boca del Rio invited us (me, my wife, mother-in-law, and sisters in law) to their home and we stayed there while we waited for God’s guidance. We were looking for restoration. After a month of prayer, God confirmed us to enter the School of Ministry. I asked Pastor Thomas Quirk and his leaders for help, and after they prayed, God confirmed and welcomed me and my family with joy and with the will to help us.
When I got to the school, I started to be friends with the people here. Good memories erupted of my first year and made me feel good. Since I got here, I feel people care about me and they show it by supporting me in many ways.
One of the things I like most of the School of Ministry is the scholar atmosphere and the profound study of the Bible and faith. I feel like the environment here is excellent to grow a spiritual life as well with relationships. Since all students live here, we spend all our time together and learn many things from each other.
My goals being here are to revive spiritually, grow in my relationship with God and my marriage in love, and to serve the Lord together with passion wherever he leads us. I also desire for my mother-in-law and sisters in law to be restored from what they’re going through and to support them in any way I can. I give all glory to God and I hope to be the man, husband, brother and servant God wants me to be.

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Sarahí Olmos

Four years ago, my husband Jesús and I , were studying our first year at the School of Ministry (Class of 2019-2020). When the year ended, returned to our church “Comunión Familiar en Cristo”, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jesus and I were serving and leading bible studies to families in their homes, ministering to couples with marriage crisis’s and leading the youth as Youth Pastors for 2 years. Additinally, I also served as the Worship leader for the Women’s group for six years.
With adverse circumstances, this led us to ask for guidance on where to move. Due to the problems with parents’ marriage and the adultery of my father, my husband and I left the city of Guadalajara and headed to Boca del Rio, Sinaloa.
Upon arriving to Boca del Rio, God spoke and guided us in making the decision of reentering the School of Ministry to help the restoration of my mother and sisters Alexa and Zuri, who also enrolled in the School of Ministry for their first year.
God used Brandon, an elder from Calvary Chapel Rancho Santa Margarita to confirm the calling in our hearts. As a month passed, we were praying and waiting for God’s answer through the School’s leaders. I thank God for giving us the opportunity and for the leaders receiving us with open arms and willing to help us. I was amazed of what God’s was doing to start off this year. I could see His love and mercy.
My goals for this year are keep growing spiritually, to let God guide me to do His will and to keep working for Him.
My desire is to keep enjoying the other students growth and be part of it. I’m interested in helping others with the gifts God’s given me, To give of grace what I received from grace. I long to help my husband in his calling and ministry, and for God to use him as he has to this day. I hope my mom gets to experience what I did and for my sisters to find Jesus and to give their lives to Him.

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Vero López

During the pandemic, in isolation, I started to experience anxiety and depression. This came from fear of the future. Years before, God had put in my heart the desire to focus more on the things of the kingdom, but for a long time I had resisted His voice. I think God disturbed me to leave the state I was physical and spiritually in. One night, crying out to God for help, I felt the Holy Spirit, who showed me the great need that I had to surrender to Him, to give Him total control of my life, to not be insensible to His voice but to take the hand of the Father and let myself be led. In that moment, I felt that peace that cannot be explained. It was a turning point.
I had the opportunity to visit and serve a family very dear to me in Boca del Rio. This way I had more contact with the School of Ministry, listened to student’s testimonies and visited the church. During those days God spoke to my heart through the Word, a feeling of this being the place where I would find the focus and growth God was asking me to look had started.
From that moment I started to pray about that feeling. A few months later I received an invitation to attend the School of Ministry and that was an answer from the Lord to keep making steps of obedience. My Mom and the current Pastor of my church cheered me to move forward and they prayed for God’s will in my life. That was the confirmation to come here.
Last July, I graduated my first year of the School of Ministry, and I can say it was the best decision I could’ve made. My time of study here has been good for my life, and a few weeks ago I was able to practice what I’ve had the blessing to learn here with our neighbor churches.
Inside the classroom there’s knowledge but not only there, it is also in every brother here, and God calls me to show Him always with everyone. My second year started a few weeks ago. God brought new people that now I can cheer and support. He’s blessed me with them and I hope to be a blessing to them too, so we can finish our studies here and keep serving God wherever He wants us, and we can be useful for God’s kingdom on earth, taking advantage of the tools given to us in here to grow spiritually.

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