By: Magnolia Brisel Gómez Godínez, Bilingual Secretary, LWAAC Guatemala

My name is Magnolia Brisel Gómez Godínez. I was born on April 22, 1993, in Antigua, Guatemala and raised in San Miguel Dueñas Sacatepéquez (Dueñas).

I’ve always dreamed of being a secretary. When I was seven years old, my father took me to the telephone company, TELGUA, where he worked as a security guard. I remember being dazzled by all of the incredible people who answered the phones and helped manage the company’s daily operations. That visit inspired me to become a secretary. Looking back, that was the moment I began to realize our Lord’s predetermined plan for my life.

A few years after that visit, God called my father to address his troubles. He was a spiritual man that got caught in the burden of alcoholism due to feelings of loneliness. My dad was tired of living life in pain and began to search for a place where he would be accepted and feel the presence of God.

The Lord answered his prayers and led my father to the Living Water Adopt-A-Child (LWAAC) church in Dueñas.

At LWAAC, the pastors supported him and made him feel loved by God. My father later invited the rest of our family to join him in Dueñas. I began to attend the feeding program and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. I still remember my child number, DU0436. I remember loving to learn about the Bible in our evangelism classes. Our teachers always tried new strategies like dance routines, songs, and plays to teach us about the life of Jesus and his love for us.

I began to get more involved at church and helped facilitate Bible classes for the younger kids. At 16, God gave me the privilege to join our church’s worship team and preach His word in youth services. Around this time, my parents also joined the worship team as deacons. My father joined the evangelism team as well and started preaching on the radio.

In 2011, I completed my training to become a bilingual secretary and started a job at a busy company. Work began to consume every aspect of my life.

I found myself spending less time serving God and more time working at the company.

I prayed to the Lord for another job that would allow me to better serve Him and use the gifts that He gave me.

Two years later, International Director Steve McDaniel and his wife, Ana, gave me an opportunity to interview for a position on the evangelism team. I was hired for the job and spent the next five years preaching God’s Word to teenagers and children. During this time, I received a scholarship from LWAAC to continue my education and receive advanced training in youth studies.

Last year, I was promoted to my dream job as a bilingual secretary to help manage the day-to-day operations of LWAAC Guatemala.

LWAAC has brought hope and joy to communities across Guatemala.

In my hometown, LWAAC brings neighbors together to fight hunger, reduce poverty, and spread the love of God. This ministry also brought my family closer together and gave us financial stability. Today, my mom, brother, and I all work for Living Water Adopt-A-Child. My mom is a chef and my brother works in the accounting department. I continue to serve as a bilingual secretary on the child sponsorship team and as a deacon at the LWAAC church in Jocotenango.

I am very grateful and truly blessed by God.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11