My name is Carla.
From my earliest memories through ESO (high school) graduation in 2020, I was a student at Colegio Alfa & Omega. Alfa will forever hold a special place in my heart - not just the school but also the “people” who make Alfa the extraordinary place that it is. These “people” include the administration, the faculty and staff, the volunteers and the mission teams who come from around the world to serve in Dénia.
Today I am a Christian despite not being raised in a Christian household. Until I was eight, God was not a part of my life. It wasn’t until I met groups of Americans who came to Alfa on mission trips that I became aware of Him. They spoke of a God who saved them and loved them unconditionally. When I observed how the Lord impacted their lives, I asked my mother, "Mommy, who is God?" Not knowing herself, she asked Eunice Pastor, Alfa’s Executive Director, where to start. Eunice invited us to attend a service at her church as a first step. And, although my mother was not a believer at the time, she fortunately agreed. Today I can see clearly how God used these Americans to find me. Thanks to these mission teams, I became part of this great Christ-centered community.
Others at Alfa also played an important role in my spiritual development. Among them was Mari, a caregiver in the nursery, whom I will always treasure. As I passed through the school gates each day, Mari would greet me by asking ¿Cómo estás chica? (how are you?). One day, I replied that I was fine, but would be much better if my mother also knew the Lord. Mari said that she and her “Barca” (small group) would pray that God would make himself known to my mother. And lo and behold, their prayers were answered. My mother did indeed find the Lord and is now a member of Mari’s “Barca”, the same group that prayed for her.
After attending church regularly for some time and after much prayer, I felt like I was ready to take the next step in my spiritual walk. This next step was baptism, an outward symbol of my obedience to the Lord. This was not a decision that I took lightly.
Baptism for me was a transformational process to truly know the essence of the Lord. This came through discipleship, a deep study of the word and spiritual guidance on the path of faith from a mature believer. I was truly blessed to have Loli Louzao, one of the teachers at Alfa, as my mentor and spiritual guide. She is very sweet and someone who always has a kind word for everyone. Walking through the process hand in hand with Loli was an incredible experience. And then Jorge, or Tio Jorge, as we call him, baptized me. He is a person whom I love very much and like Loli has a kind word for everyone. No matter where you come from or where you’re going, he is always there for you.
I am still in the beginning of my walk with the Lord and look forward to many more years of receiving the love of Jesus Christ on earth. My years in ESO were not easy. My third year was one of the most difficult for me both emotionally and physically. I was completely lost and never felt grounded the entire year. But that summer, I had the opportunity to attend an Alfa & Omega summer revival camp. My time there was truly transformational and vital to the rejuvenation of my spiritual and emotional life. And while the next and final year of ESO was not much easier, the camp had prepared me to face the adversities I encountered that year.
In conclusion, there is little more to say except that I’ve been so fortunate to attend a school like Alfa & Omega. The wonderful people that I met there made me feel loved and they led me and my mother to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For all of this I thank God and pray that He would continue to work in my life and use me to spread His good news!
Dénia, August 2021
translated and interpreted by Scott and Sue Johnson
