ALCS Seniors Studying Abroad Archives

June 13, 2021 by Kristi Hopkins Leave a Comment

College Bound- Michael

He isn’t the kind of kid that blends in. You will notice him where ever he is. And I believe God will use that characteristic to bring Him glory. Michael wants to be in the ministry and has a love for studying God’s word. This combined with his magnetic personality is sure to make a great pastor or missionary. As Michael studies at the Baptist University of the Americas in San Antonio, pray 2 Peter 3:18 over him, may he “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Michael Cruz:

Dear reader,

I hope the Lord is blessing you beyond measure and you can feel his love for you today and forever. Let me tell you a bit about myself. My parents have always been involved in my local church. I grew up in a Christian environment my whole life. Even though we did not have the resources for Christian education, the Lord provided a way. Abundant Life Christian School added me to their scholarship program “Horizontes Dilatados/Expanded Horizons”. ALCS is part of who I am. Without this type of education, I wouldn’t speak English nor would I be involved in mission work with the Slyker’s Family Ministry, ALCS teachers that God brought into my life.

Missionary Family & Their Impact on my Life

In December of 2017, God sent the people He would use to change my life and mindset. A couple of weeks after meeting them, they invited me to translate for them in the villages. We have been in the middle of the mountains of Honduras sharing the love of Christ with those that need it. From weekly sermons and house visiting, to weddings and medical brigades. They didn’t have to invite me to be part of their ministry, but they did. They didn’t have to open the doors of their house to me, but they did. They didn’t have to accept me into their family, but they did. They didn’t have to love me, but they did. God used this family from my freshman year to today as a way to show his love for me. In September of 2019, He opened my eyes to His gospel through the labor of this family.

Called to Seminary

Ever since that moment I knew one thing, I was going to make every aspect and decision of my life for His kingdom and glory. For months I wasn’t sure what the Lord wanted me to do but in July of this past year, I learned what’s in the next stage of my life. During the first months of quarantine I developed a desire to learn more about God’s Word. I started reading multiple books and articles, watching tons of seminary lectures, and talking about them with my friends. Then it hit me, the Lord is calling me to seminary. If I want to serve the Lord to the best of my abilities, I should get trained in His Word. I believe seminary is where I should go because I enjoy reading theological books. At seminary, I will also learn how to balance everything in order to have a Christ-centered life, loving and caring for those around me because that is what matters the most.

Plans for Mission Field

For the next couple of years I want to grow closer in my relationship with God and develop academically in order to write articles, books, and help others do the same through social media. The most important reason why I want to attend seminary is because I want to be a missionary. Less than 1% of Christians are missionaries and I believe the Lord is calling me to the field. Though I love academics, my purpose in the kingdom of God is to reach those that haven´t heard of Jesus Christ. I’d like to become a full time missionary overseas working with pastors in the villages of Asia and Africa. I want to help them spiritually and economically. It breaks my heart to know that thousands of kids die from starvation or other preventable diseases. I would like to set up churches, orphanages, and job opportunities for those that need them the most. Yet, I can also see myself coming back to my home country. Poverty and corruption is so embedded in our culture that it’s normal to see kids in the villages that haven’t showered in weeks or months. I would love to supply spiritual and material aid for them.

I am thankful for ALCS and for the opportunities it has given me. From now on, I will serve and worship my God alone, both in the academia and on the field.

Sincerly,

Michael Cruz

June 10, 2021 by Kristi Hopkins Leave a Comment

College bound- Jose Ruben

Texas is finally getting someone (besides Tyler)… And he is an amazing young man. When we moved here, Tyler struggled to find his place. And Jose Ruben helped tremendously with this. There is no telling how many games of Monopoly deal, Pokémon and chess these two have played together. He not only has been a good friend to Tyler but is an all around great kid. He has a strong sense of right and wrong and stands by his morals. He is confident in who he is and is happy to help in whatever way he can. He also doesn’t mind telling you the truth so only ask his opinion if you really want it 😂. As a teacher, I love this though because he will be a spokesman for his classmates and let us know how we can be better teachers. As president of our school he has led well, he serves well and he has great things in store for him. Read on to find out more about Jose Ruben.

Jose Ruben:

Throughout my life, I learned from different places the value of life and our duty to preserve it even if it is not specifically ours. It was thanks to the people I interacted with that I learned more about myself, how life is, and what I want to change in it. Within the last few years, I was able to participate in all kinds of activities that have formed me, like clay, into what I am today.

Experience is the Best Teacher

My first year of high school, I realized growing up meant being independent since it was my first year without my sister, who graduated and moved to college a few months before. The best memory I had was when the Juniors asked us to support them in a fundraiser for school supplies for a local kindergarten of only 20 children that was functioning on the salary of the principal. I had the chance to be part of the group that would deliver the supplies and spend time with the kids. It was so much fun to play and draw with the toddlers. The experience revealed the truth to me, that you are never too young to help others, and that I was actually capable of investing my time and effort into helping others.

The Things you Learn from Involvement

During my sophomore year, I spent most of my time discovering new hobbies and thngs I liked to get involved in. I got more involved in competitions against other students in chess, checkers, and even basketball. September is the patriotic month for Honduras as most patriotic holidays land on that month, and this year we were asked to represent an ethnic group. We only had a week to do the research and make a banner, dishes, and a station to present our group. I remember working the day before on the banner for 6 hours with my classmates. That night I realized that you waste more time and energy whining about the work when you could finish early if you stopped whining. It was a tough night, but thankfully I had a team that showed me pretty clearly how it is always too early to give up.

Leadership

For most part of my life, I thought that leading or being the one in charge was something easy and natural for me as I fulfilled several leading positions in my class. Last year, our school was holding elections for the school council and I decided to run for president as I had several ideas that I wanted to put in place in the school. I ended up winning the elections and now I had the responsibilities of the school council in my hands. I would be lying if I said I did not struggle at the beginning, and I believed I was fully prepared for what was coming, yet I learned more about leading, organizing, and that you can never be overly prepared. I was able to organize and lead a clothing and toy fundraising for the children of the local hospital around the time of Christmas.

COVID-19 & Family

Everyone was affected by COVID-19 in a variety of ways, but in my case, it was more the stress and preoccupation that came from it more than anything else. My parents are doctors, and their work place holds the risk of exposure to the virus. The first few months I was worried for their health, but they were more worried about my health and our family’s health. It hurt me to see them avoid any kind of hug, kiss or contact with anyone in the family for most of our time in quarantine. Even though I did not like it, I understood their reason behind it since I have adopted their philosophy of doing whatever it takes to increase the chances of saving a life.

Who I am today is all due to these kinds of events that have sharpened my skills and given me the ideals that I have today. I expect to keep learning from my mistakes and from interactions with all kinds of people.

June 2, 2021 by Kristi Hopkins 3 Comments

The life of a MK

Psalm 89:19-26

I have prayed this scripture over Tyler for years; praying that he would be like David, a warrior for God’s glory, a shepherd, a leader, a man after God’s own heart, “I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people.” It is now time for me to watch from a little further away but with my knees still bent in prayer, for Tyler to be the man God has raised him up to be. Look out Texas, this young man is heading your way!

As I said with the other students: pray for them, write to them, send them care packages and pray for their parents (we are not ok)!

Tyler:

I was born in Texas; however, when I turned eight, my family moved as missionaries to Honduras. It was there that I spent the next ten years of my life learning the intricacies of a very different culture. This was incredibly difficult in a way that is not describable in words; it is something you must experience. Without a doubt, I would not have been able to transition without God working in my life. The first few years I was angry at God, therefore, those first few years were some of the loneliest, most miserable years of my life. I was bitter and angry at everyone for making me leave what I knew behind. This continued until I eventually started to seek God again. He changed me, took away the pain that I had, and made it into something better.

God Helped Me Love the People Around Me

As I saw tragedy in Honduras, God helped me love the people around me. For example, we were hit by two back-to-back hurricanes this year. During the hurricanes the electricity was sporadic at best, water lines were broken, communication was halted, and all major roads in and out of Gracias were destroyed. Seeing all this destruction, and being hopeless to help, changed me. My dad was in the US at a speaking engagement when the second, and most destructive hurricane hit, which made things even more worrisome as I needed to help my mom care for everything.

Nonetheless, an experience like this changes you, seeing all the death and destruction, all the pain and fear, and being hopeless to help. There is a saying that my father has, and it is one of my favorite phrases. It is, “Life can make you bitter, or it can make you better.” That is the attitude you must have if you want to come back from something like this and not be utterly broken. So that is what I did. I focused on what I could do to help instead of how it hurt. Our ministry raised thousands of dollars and spent many hours bagging and moving food to those in need. We also worked to rebuild houses, repair roofs, and help displaced families relocate.

I Have Learned

Through all this, we were changed. There is no walking away unscathed. My perspective has grown, and I have learned to appreciate what I have and what I can do to help. Now it is not a question of “Is there is something to do?” but “will I be willing to do it?” Those are the types of lessons that can not be taught in a classroom but must be learned through experiencing life, and despite all that has happened, I am glad that I was able to learn such a rare and valuable lesson.

The difficulties and experiences with Christ and in life, affected how I grew up. They have affected my values and my priorities, and they have changed the way that I view the world. Now it is all about how I allow God to work in my life.

May 28, 2021 by Kristi Hopkins 2 Comments

College bound- Diana

Two years ago, a new girl in our school came up to me after psychology class with big tears in her eyes. Did I realize that I had given her a 99% and was there anything she could do improve this retched grade? As I assured her that it was a perfectly good grade, she walked away silently cursing me in her head. And so our relationship began. I am relieved to tell you that are rocky start improved drastically over the years. She has made me a better teacher in so many ways. I have been privileged to see this young lady grow into a child of God, more confident in who she is and who she belongs to. She loves the Lord. She loves others. And while she doesn’t beat around the bush, she says truth with such sweetness that you can help but love her. Calvin, she will make your college better. She will push and encourage others to do their best and she will always, always do her best. Just give your professors a heads-up, a 99% won’t be good enough.

Diana:

Since I was little, I attended a bilingual school and by the time I was 5 years old I was able to read and write in Spanish, and also how to read in English. I was always characterized by being the responsible girl in my class. Even when I was little, I was that annoying girl that always reminded the professor about the homework. I did have a lot of friends, but they were always judgmental. You know what they say about little kids, they are always brutally honest. I grew up always being judged on how I looked because I was a chubby girl, while my classmates were all skinny. As I grew up, I didn’t focus on that but just on school and the great price that I would get if I put all of my efforts into it.

Bullied

My life outside of school is quite diverse, I like to draw and paint. I am very passionate about animals and the environment, so I always try to reduce the plastic I consume and take care of the animals around me. I discovered my talent to do art after a quite tragic event. I have always been in this school from Santa Rosa, the city I was born in, but I began to suffer bullying from the girls there. They would always tell me how bad I looked or how fat I was. It affected me in such a way that I didn’t want to attend school anymore. My grades, perhaps, were not affected I would always try to shut their mouths with my grades. That didn’t work, they continued to do it. My self-esteem was at its lowest and even a tiny bit of affection made me cry. That is when I realized how important mental health was for a human being.

Got Help & Found Jesus

My parents started to notice these changes in my behavior and decided to take action on it. I went to the psychiatrist and he made me realize that my life is worthy and that those girls that bothered me would be broken for what they did to me for the rest of their lives while I lived happily. Another thing that helped me a lot was changing schools, when that happened, I met God and accepted Jesus in my heart. From that day on my life has been full of wonders and new things to be happy about every day. That is when I got to discover that part of me that was hidden, the most beautiful talent I could ever own, painting, and drawing.

I Can Do Great Things For Others

I mostly like oil paintings but I like to draw and paint with any one thing that is presented to me. I am ambitious when it comes to my dreams and plans for my future. I want to invent so many things to better the quality of human life, yet I lack that knowledge. That is the sole reason which powers my desire to apply to a well-known University, to bring improvement and these new projects that I have in mind. Like in the field that I want to specialize in, I would love to create apps or even new computer programs. My career is not determined yet, but I do know that I want to be a great engineer. I also like chemistry and the fact of creating new items for daily life astonishes me. The knowledge that I would get from going to college would be immensely useful for my future and I need you to allow me to collaborate in the community. I can do great things for my country and for others around the globe.

May 21, 2021 by Kristi Hopkins Leave a Comment

College bound- Jonathan

This young man is the essence of a humble servant. He isn’t the first kid you notice in a class but that doesn’t stop him from always doing the right thing, jumping in to help those around him and steadily leading by example. I can’t think of a more deserving kid to win a full-ride, very prestigious scholarship to the University of the Ozark’s through the Walton Foundation. He went through a rigorous application process that involved essays, videos, interviews and exams. He never complained about how much work it was. He did everything I asked of him right down to wearing a full suit in 95°F weather during his interview. In fact, he never complains, period. During one of his practice interviews, I asked him what the hardest part of growing up with a single mom was. Here was his chance to whine. But his response was pure thankfulness, “She had to be dad too. She taught me to shave. She taught me everything a man should know. I’m so thankful for her.” Pray for Jonathan as he heads to Arkansas to study agriculture and then returns to serve his country. He would never brag on himself but college essays are made for showcasing talent so read his essay below to know a bit about him and the awards he has received.

Jonathan:

When I was ten years old my parents separated and from then until my first year in high school I was a very quiet guy. In seventh grade things started to change in my life. That year I had Bible class with a great teacher who led me to Christ. She showed me that sin not only takes place on the outside but also on the inside. With her teachings, I began to truly pray for the first time, and I realized that even though I am not the main character in the story, I am loved by God, and that is what really matters. Knowing this, I began making friends and playing all kinds of sports. In eighth grade I began serving in church on my own because I wanted to be part of it. When the school year ended I won three awards: an academic award for being on the honor roll, a sports award for my development in athletic activities, and the Christian Citizen Award for my joyful spirit, a solid testimony, and for serving others. Even with winning all kinds of awards, the end of that year contained not only smiles but tears as my favorite teacher left. I ended up learning that angels may guide your way, but they will not always stay after the message is received and understood.

Freshman & Sophomore Year

My freshman year was full of new experiences and activities. I won third place in the one thousand meters and third place in cross country for the national schools gathering. I was also part of a drama club and was cast as Cogsworth, the clock, from Beauty and the Beast. That year, I was also privileged to be in the third academic place of the school. My sophomore year was another amazing year because I began to uncover my dream career in a great biology class in which I began to care for nature. That same year I had the opportunity to translate for a medical brigade and missionaries for a week. I truly enjoyed it because I interacted with a lot of people as well as served them.

Learning From My Grandfather

During my junior year, I began spending a lot of time with my grandfather, learning from his wisdom. He taught me about agriculture. His discipline, courage, and his military experience showed me that teamwork is the basis of great work. I always want to remember his teachings because by learning how to work with a team I will also think about others, whether that be their needs or their goals. My senior year, because of the pandemic, I learned that what makes us enjoy life is not material stuff but having close relationships with our family and friends. I have spent a lot of time with my grandfather helping him plant: corn, trees, vegetables, and flowers. I love to do that with him because in those moments, he shows me how to serve others and teaches me that serving others is one of the keys to obtain success. He has taught me that if I am intelligent and get good grades but do not help others, I am not doing anything in this world. We are here to serve others with the abilities, gifts, and talents we are given.

My Goals

My goals are to serve people by using nature, agriculture, and biology. I want to go to college and learn everything about these amazing topics. Apart from acquiring knowledge about biochemistry, I want to experience how to study, take care of, and modify a plant using technology. Getting good grades is one of my academic goals because, in some way, grades will reflect my effort and learning. Earning a bachelor’s degree is another of my academic goals, but I do want to continue my education and be prepared in all possible ways on how to put my knowledge into practice and be ready to help others. When I get a job I want to be responsible and disciplined so that my work can be done well. I will help my country, Honduras, whose economy is based mainly on agriculture. I want to help them by doing experiments to make plants stronger, more resistant to plagues, and increase production. I want to be useful to my country and its natural wonders.

Shaped by Experiences & Wisdom

I have experienced interesting challenges and opportunities that have shaped me today. Everything started by accepting Christ as my savior. The essence of happiness is not material things but relationships with others. Serving others by using biology and chemistry is not only part of my career goals but of my life goals. My grandfather has influenced me to share not only knowledge but also my time and energy energy.