Elisabeth Martinez

Elisabeth: When Pain Turned Into Calling

If you had met her three years ago, you would have seen a quiet young woman, kind smile, but eyes dimmed.
Elisabeth Martínez had grown up in a Christian environment, educated in a Catholic school, learning prayers by heart. But faith, up until then, was like a painting on the wall: there, but not touching her life.

Then came the loss.
A long-awaited pregnancy… and suddenly, nothing. Silence. Hospital. Tears. Guilt.
In her own words: “I felt it was my fault. That I wasn’t good enough. That God had turned His back on me.”

For months she wept silently. Then one day, almost by accident, she sat down to listen to an online sermon. The words weren’t complicated, but they pierced her heart: they spoke of the cross, of a God who loves the broken and does not cast them aside.
In the middle of that sermon, Elisabeth prayed with the only thing she had left—her tears. And right there, something happened that she had never experienced before: the presence of Christ became real. She felt Him holding her, and for the first time mercy was no longer just a concept. That day, she was made new.

What Elisabeth didn’t know in that moment was that her mother had been praying for this for years—praying not just for her daughter’s well-being, but for her full surrender to the Lord. Every whispered prayer, every tear shed in secret, had been laid before God’s throne. And now, in this moment of brokenness and grace, those prayers were answered.

The very next day, still holding her Bible, she told herself:
“I need to find a church. I need to walk with others.”

 An Aunt, an Invitation, a New Family

The first invitation came from her aunt:
—“Why don’t you come to my church?”

It was Sola Gracia Sola Fe Lutheran Church in Tijuana. From her very first visit, Elisabeth sensed something different: the people welcomed her like they had known her forever, the preaching spoke straight to her heart, and the cross was no longer just an idea.

It wasn’t long before a second invitation came, also from her aunt, who was a church leader:
—“Elisabeth, why don’t you help with the youth? We need someone who will listen to them, organize activities, be with them.”

At first she hesitated. “Me? Teach them the Bible?” But she said yes.
And in that first meeting with teenagers she discovered something that surprised her: a hidden purpose that had been waiting for this very moment. She had always felt a pull toward working with youth, but now, listening to their questions, laughing with them, and opening the Word, she knew she had found her place.

 From Student to Servant

Soon Elisabeth began to seek more preparation. She enrolled in the Bible Institute in Tijuana, where Pastor Ramón Contreras encouraged her to study and later connected her with Lutheran Mission Society San Diego. There she found more than training: she found a family of missionaries, people who reminded her that she is not alone in this path.

She attended conferences like Best Practices for Ministries, and every workshop, every prayer, every piece of advice became another push, another confirmation of her calling. She receives as if it is water in a desert. There is a hunger in her to grow, to be equipped, to understand more so she can serve better. You can see it in the way she takes notes, in the way her eyes follow each speaker, in the way she stays after to ask questions. Every open door, every opportunity for learning, every investment made in her formation, has been worth it. These experiences are shaping her, strengthening her, and confirming that God is writing a bigger story with her life.

 Two Worlds, One Mission

Today Elisabeth lives between two worlds.
During the week she works as a business administrator in the marketing department of an airline. It isn’t always easy. There are times when she feels unappreciated, when justice seems absent in the hallways of the company. Yet even there, in the middle of meetings and emails, she has decided to live as a daughter of God: to be light, to be a witness, even when no one notices.

On Saturdays, when many of her old friends are getting ready for parties or social gatherings, Elisabeth chooses a different path. She sits at her small desk with a cup of coffee by her side, opens her Bible, and reviews her notes from the Bible Institute. She underlines ideas, praying by name for each young person she will see on Sunday. Between passages and notebooks, the phone rings: one by one, she calls them, listens, encourages, and plans activities and lessons with them. Instead of loud music and flashing lights, her house fills with the gentle murmur of her patient voice and a quiet, joyful anticipation—the joy of knowing that tomorrow she will once again see God at work, transforming lives. Her rest is found in serving.

And when Sunday comes… she lights up.
Sunday belongs to the youth.

 A Ministry That Transforms

Every week she sits with them, opens the Bible, and begins the class. But what she does goes far beyond teaching. She organizes meals, outings, fellowship times, and an annual retreat that brings together youth from several Lutheran churches in Tijuana.

There, away from the city noise, she listens. She knows them. And she shows them Christ with patience.

One of those young people is Alexis.
When he first came, he was hard, rebellious, confrontational. Many gave up on him. Elisabeth didn’t. She kept smiling, listening, teaching. She kept sowing, without forcing. Little by little, Alexis began to change. Today, he is a different person. His life shines. He already helps with the group, and he has started to dream of being a missionary himself.

That’s just one story among many.

 A Before and After

If you ask Elisabeth who she is today, she doesn’t hesitate:

“My life has a before Christ and an after. Before, I was lost. Now I live so that others may find Jesus.”

Her way is gentle. Her words are wise. Her passion for the youth of Tijuana is so deep that anyone can see it. And as long as she continues to receive the support of her church, of Lutheran Border Concern Ministries, and of Lutheran Mission Society San Diego, she will keep growing, training, and raising a generation of young people who shine in the midst of Tijuana.

Because sometimes, the deepest wounds become the very ground where God makes a calling bloom.