Alvaro

My name is Alvaro and I grew up in a quiet neighborhood of the small city of Bonao, Dominican Republic, with my parents and two older brothers. When I turned six, my parents divorced, and I lived with my mother and my two brothers. Even though the family was no longer complete, I had a good childhood. My mother worked tirelessly to support us, and although my father was somewhat distant in my childhood, we got along well.

My mother and I attended church sporadically throughout my childhood; we believed in Jesus but we did not live with Jesus. When I was fifteen years old, I walked through a time of depression, and I stopped believing in Jesus for a time. In the summer of 2017, a cousin invited me to the Young Life camp, I did not want to go, but my mother forced me to participate. It was during my time at camp that I realized my ignorance, and I saw how Christ loved me in such a special way. Following camp, I attended weekly Bible studies at my leader's house, and my faith in Christ was nurtured and my love for the ministry grew. Later, I stepped into the role of Young Life leader, because I wanted young people to have the opportunity to know Christ just as I did. It is a joy to share the incredible love of God that brought me out of my ignorance and depression and set me into full life.

I have always felt drawn to the languages and cultures of different countries. My country needs people who have a knowledge of languages, both for business and the prominent tourism industry. As a Developing Global Leader, I am studying modern languages at Autonoma University of Santo Domingo and will be the first to go to college in my family. I hope that in the future, with God's help, I can run a language school where I can provide opportunities for young people to learn languages and develop skills for their future.