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Student Spotlight - Lorena del Socorro Bernal Garcia
March 2010

Lorena del Socorro Bernal Garcia, from Chiapas, Mexico, came to study at SENDAS with her husband in 2008.  Both Lorena and her husband are medical doctors and they have three children.  It was not an easy decision for them to leave behind their careers for one year, move their family to another culture in order to study at SENDAS, but the desire to learn more about God and better serve Him was their motivation for the move.



Lorena heard the Good News of Christ at the age of fifteen through the influence of her maternal Grandmother, but she was 33 years old when she accepted Christ as her personal Savior.

Her family consists of her husband, Julio Cesar Lopez, her three children, Carolina who is 18 years old and studying in the University; Valeria, who is 12 years old; and Aaron who is 5 years old.  The entire family attends the church in the city, supporing the activities of the church which is located in the south part of Mexico.



Before, Lorena was working as a doctor in Mexico City, serving in the local church as the NMI President, church secretary, and small group leader when she felt the call of God to study theology so that she could know and serve God more.  For this reason, Lorena and her husband decided to leave everything for one year to study at SENDAS.

Her experience at SENDAS was an adventure.  There were great days and hard days.  Living in another country, helping the family to adapt to a new way of life, working, studying, doing homework, shopping at the fruit market, enjoying the open, green spaces, sharing with classmates and professors, and especially receiving help from the Lord when her strength was not enough, were all important parts of her SENDAS experience.  Lorena shares that the the most wonderful part of it all was that God was with her every moment.


Valeria enjoying time with one of the missionary kids on campus.

Lorena says, “The Master of Science in Religion degree has been a great help to me in my service in the local church.  I learned that God can use you whereever you are and with whatever profession you have in order to extend the kingdom of God.”



Lorena was impacted by the lives of the missionaries at SENDAS.  Living near them helped her to understand how they are willing to adapt to a new place, new culture and new customs with the goal of serving God and the church.

Lorena’s final research project was called, “The Implementation of Marriage Ministry in the Churches in San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico.”  This project taught Lorena about the purpose that God has for men and women in marriage and that the reason that many couples are suffering through separation and divorce is because they do not know the plan of God for marriage.

Lorena would like to thank Ruben and Monica Fernandez (Seminary President and Vice President) as well as  Dorthy Bullon, Jorge Banos, and all the professors and staff at SENDAS for all their support during their stay at the Seminary and for helping the students when they are so far from their own countries.

Lorena advises the current and future SENDAS students to enjoy each course, to do their homework on time, to begin their research and to enjoy the professors at SENDAS. 



Now that Lorena has graduated, she once again serves as a medical doctor in her country while she serves in the local church.  She is ready and willing to serve God in whatever way He chooses.
 
Lorena explains the SENDAS experience with these words:  A dream made reality!